Farming of Surrey. 



421 



upon all the wheat stubbles " half-dressing " is demanded, a 

 wheat-crop only having followed the dunging of the ley ; upon 

 the barley stubbles, " half-fallow " and " half-dressing " also is 

 demanded, the barley crop being the only one which has followed 

 the fallowing of the land and the dunging for turnips. The amount 

 of these respective charges varies according to circumstances, and 

 is determined by valuers who are employed for that purpose. The 

 manure which arises from the produce of the last year but one is 

 either measured in the heap, or when it has been spread upon 

 the land for turnips, is valued by the load. The out-going 

 tenant occasionally disposes of his last year's crop to his suc- 

 cessor according to a mutual agreement, otherwise he keeps 

 possession of the barns and yards for the purpose of thrashing 

 and foddering; and at Lady-day, or by the 1st of May, a valua- 

 tion takes place of the manure thus produced. It ought to be 

 mentioned, that the hay and straw is disposed of to the new 

 tenant at a market, a fodder, or a fodder and dung price; the 

 fodder price is its value for consumption upon the farm, and is 

 always considerably less than the actual market value ; the 

 fodder and dung price, is its value not simply for the purpose of 

 consumption but with a view to the quantity of dung which it 

 will produce. When the hay and straw are taken at this latter 

 price, the valuation of dung at Lady-day is of course omitted, an 

 estimation of its value having been already agreed upon. 



A moderate valuation is by far the most desirable, and the 

 extreme ones must necessarily be an injurious burden upon the 

 land. There have been already several instances of the latter 

 being redeemed by landlords, and it is to be hoped that many 

 others will follow. The effect of an extravagant valuation is 

 obviously to lower the rent of the occupation upon which it 

 presses, and to restrict the number of applicants when a vacancy 

 occurs, since none but a man of capital will submit to an outlay 

 which affords him such a distant prospect of return. The up- 

 holders of the system contend that it gives security to landlords 

 and stimulates the tenant to raise the utmost possible produce at 

 the close of his term that he may ensure a good valuation. On 

 the other hand, it is maintained that landlords have at all times a 

 sufficient security, while the tenant's own interest, without any 

 further inducement, must always lead him to use his best endea- 

 vours in the cultivation of his farm. 



Since the time of Stephenson, and more especially during the 

 last few years, there have been many improvements in the uniting 

 of small holdings and the enlarging of fields, but much remains 

 to be done : the union of small farms has frequently left the 

 homesteads detached, inconvenient and too numerous. The 

 management and care of stock and implements, the improved 

 method of making dung, and the greater convenience for applyino- 



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