414 



Farming of Surrey. 



The several items of draining, inclosures, buildings, and 

 timber-trees will be noticed under their respective heads. 



The Heaths and Waste Lands, including parks, commons, &c., 

 amounted, according to Stephenson, to one-sixth of the area of 

 the county. This proportion is now greatly lessened by the ex- 

 tensive inclosures which have taken place, but a large por- 

 tion of the western area of Surrey must ever remain irreclaim- 

 able. The heaths of Frensham, Whitley, and Thursley on the 

 south, and of Frimley, Bagsliot, and Woking on the north, con- 

 sist of a sterile and unimprovable sand, while -a great part of the 

 intermediate country is of a similarly poor nature ; only a few 

 patches of good loam are to be found, and the district must 

 always remain comparatively worthless in an agricultural point 

 of view, and its products ever be confined to the growth of 

 heath, gorse, fern, and a few plantations of larch and Scotch fir. 



On Bradley common an extent of more than 100 acres is 

 being reclaimed at an expense of 11. or 8/. an acre ; but it ap- 

 pears doubtful if the larch and Scotch fir v/hich have been 

 planted will thrive. 



The process of breaking up the ground consists in paring, 

 burning the heath, and trenching, by spade and pick, to the 

 depth of 20 inches, or more, according to circumstances. This 

 depth is generally sufficient to break through the "iron crust" 

 which is invariably found below the surface of the sand, and 

 which, being impervious to vv^ater, is the cause of the heaths 

 being frequently wet and boggy. 



In the neighbourhood of Worplesdon, Pirbright, and Ash, 

 considerable pits of peat occur, but have not at present been 

 applied to agricultural purposes. 



The Use of Lime as a Manure ; to lohat Soils {if any) it is con- 

 fined ; and whether its Employment is at all Diminished by High 

 Farming. — Lime is used more or less throughout the whole 

 county, but the introduction of artificial manures has greatly 

 lessened its importance. It is now chiefly valued as a preven- 

 tive of club in turnips, for which purpose its good effects are 

 very remarkable, and are frequently to be seen after the lapse of 

 many years. There are instances on the loams of the green- 

 sand of excellent crops of turnips being grown on land which 

 had been limed twelve years before, while the club has been de- 

 structive on similar soils, and even in the same field where the 

 lime has been omitted. 



The use of lime is principally confined to the various soils 

 which, lying within convenient distance of the chalk, are found 

 to be wanting in calcareous matter. When much cartage is 

 emjDloyed, guano is preferred as a cheaper and more efficacious 

 manure ; and almost the only instance of lime being extensively 



