424 



Farming of Surrey. 



conceive how the demand could have been supplied if the intro- 

 duction of the turnip-cutter had not facilitated the maturity of 

 sheep. This circumstance has completely falsified an observa- 

 tion of Stephenson's, vi^hich, in his day, was no doubt perfectly 

 correct, but which modern ingenuity has disproved. Comparing 

 the swede with the common turnip, he says, " during the winter 

 they are not considered as equal feeding to turnips ; they are 

 then harder, drier, and tougher ; of course they are not so much 

 relished ; the cattle or sheep cannot fill themselves in so short a 

 space of time, or with so little trouble as they can on the common 

 turnip, and therefore will not fatten so kindly or so soon on 

 them/' This is only one of the numerous instances which 

 could be cited of mechanical skill having wrought a complete 

 revolution in husbandry ; science has already taught us the reason 

 of many things, and has also become the best guide to practice. 

 When therefore we remember the benefit which has been con- 

 ferred by modern inventions on all the important operations of 

 husbandry, and observe the scientific research which is directed 

 to this branch of industry, who shall despair of still greater 

 advantages yet to follow ? 



The preceding pages have shown that Surrey is by no means 

 remarkable as an agricultural county. There are no great 

 breadths of land where an uniform system is carried on ; there 

 are no extensive tracts which have been reclaimed or improved 

 by artificial means ; there is but little breeding of stock ; there 

 is nothing in short of especial interest either in the produce or 

 the modes of cultivation. It is but just to remark however that 

 all the operations connected with the mere tillage of the ground 

 are well performed ; the implements are generally of good con- 

 struction ; the varieties of the crops, whether of corn or roots, are 

 carefully selected ; and the breeds of stock, and more especially 

 of sheep, are well chosen. The application of machinery is 

 greatly neglected ; this may be pardy accounted for in many 

 localities by the number of homesteads and the scattered posi- 

 tion of the fields ; still much might be done to lessen these in- 

 conveniences, although to a certain extent they must always exist, 

 and the greatest and most obvious improvement which can be 

 effected is the centralization of the farm-buildings and the appli- 

 cation of machinery for general purposes. 



In conclusion, the writer has great pleasure in returning his 

 sincere thanks to those gentlemen who have afforded him much 

 valuable information from every district, and without which a 

 Report possessing any claim for accuracy could not have been 

 written. 



Fehruary 2Qt]i, 1853. 



