400 



Farming of Surrey. 



be supposed that the whole of this district is of a similarly poor 

 nature ; in many instances the land is of the best description, 

 and except on the worst sands it is generally of a useful kind. 

 One locality which demands particular notice is that of Chertsey ; 

 around which town a deep strong loam is found, the subsoil 

 being gravel, or in some instances clay. The greatest portion 

 of meadow-land is found on the alluvial soil of the Thames ; 

 the rents and the rate of labour are high, varying from 4Z. for 

 meadow and 3/. for arable, to IZ. per acre ; rates are about 

 35. Qd, in the pound, tithes 6^. per acre, but most of the land is 

 tithe free : wages for able-bodied men are lis. to 125. per week.* 

 As there is nothing distinct in the farming to separate it from 

 the surrounding neighbourhood, the description of the whole 

 district under consideration will now be continued. 



The land may be described as being generally easy of cultiva- 

 tion, and, when well farmed, producing usually good crops, but 

 liable in a dry season to be much injured by drought. Poppies, 

 summer weeds and couch spread fast, though but little labour is 

 required to get rid of them. The soils vary from a good dry 

 loam, capable of bearing every kind of corn and roots, to the 

 sharp clean blowing sand of the upper division, fit only for the 

 growth of rye and inferior turnips. 



The greatest improvement which suggests itself in this part 

 of the county is in the farm buildings ; they are frequently in- 

 adequate and out of repair. All the operations in the tillage 

 of the land, here as throughout the county, are performed well 

 and efficiently ; the better construction and centralization of the 

 buildings are improvements which must necessarily be the work 

 of time, and it is hoped that no opportunity will be lost for 

 making these changes. 



The system of repairs is the same as in other districts, the 

 landlord finds materials, the tenant labour ; the same is the case 

 in draining. The size of the farms varies greatly ; there are many 

 small holdings of from 50 to 100 acres, the generality varying 

 from 200 to 400 acres. Some of the farms are held on lease of 

 7, 14, or 21 years, but most of them are subject to one or two 

 years' notice. Rents vary from IO5. to 305. per acre, tithes 

 about 55. an acre, rates 2s. to 35. in the pound, wages 95. to lOy. 

 a week ; the rent of cottages being 3Z. to 4Z. 



Horse and hand threshing machines are occasionally used, 

 but not to great extent. 



The breeds of sheep are principally the Hampshire Down, or 

 horned Somerset and Dorset. It is common to purchase ewes at 



* Since the writing of this Report in February, 1853, wages have risen consi- 

 derably. 



