402 



Farming of Surrey, 



These operations ought to be over in June, and in October the 

 rape is folded with sheep. It is considered excellent feed, and 

 sheep are invariably found to do better on it than on turnips. 



Upon the warm loams trifolium is universally grown, and is 

 sown upon the wheat stubbles, which are frequently merely 

 broken up with the cultivator and the rubbish collected and 

 burnt ; at other times they are ploughed once and then rolled 

 heavily, in order to obtain a firm bed for the seed. It succeeds 

 best after an early harvest, as the young plant has then time to 

 attain a vigorous growth before winter. Late sown trifolium is 

 frequently lost from the dying off of the young plant during 

 frost. It is, perhaps, quite unnecessary to mention the invalu- 

 able nature of trifolium for the purposes of soiling and folding ; 

 its only drawback is the difficulty of preserving the plant 

 through the winter. This is an evil, however, which generally 

 arises from late sowing. 



A new trade has been opened to this district since the com- 

 pletion of the South-Western Railway, from the convenience 

 thus afforded of sending milk and vegetables to London. Carrots 

 and peas are frequently grown for this purpose, and several 

 dairies of 20 to 30 cows are kept, and the milk sent regularly 

 to town, the price being Is. 4:d. for 9 quarts, delivered at Water- 

 loo Terminus. This practice would answer well, were it not 

 for the risk which attends the dealing with those parties, whose 

 business it is to receive the milk and hawk it about the streets ; 

 and which often renders it a troublesome and sometimes a profit- 

 less affair. Some better organization is demanded, by which 

 the metropolis might be provided with good milk from the 

 country, without risk to those who supply it. 



The London Clay. — The southern portion of this district con- 

 sists of a retentive clay on a clay subsoil. It is naturally 

 stubborn to cultivate, but has its productiveness much increased 

 by draining. The fields, which are small, ranging from 6 to 

 10 acres, have often open ditches around them to drain off the 

 surface water. In ct)nsequence of the low and flat character of 

 the land, hundreds of acres are every year inundated by the 

 overflow of the rivers Mole and Wey. Where this is the case^ 

 under-draining is of course impracticable, and all other improve- 

 ments are in that particular neighbourhood very much retarded. 



The rent of the heavy land averages about 11. per acre ; rates, 

 5^. ; rent charge in lieu of tithe 5^. per acre. 



Fallow for wheat is the foundation of the course of cropping, 

 which is either a 4 or a 5 course, thus : — 



1, Fallow ; 2, Wheat ; 3, Clover ; 4, Beans or Oats ; or 



1, Fallow ; 2, Wheat ; 3, Clover ; 4, Wheat ; 5, Beans or 

 Oats. 



