306 
Farming of Buckinghamshire. 
not now covet using the flail on spring corn. It is not likely^ 
from the size and situation of the farms, that fixed steamers will 
become general. In a tour through the county, only those at 
Fawley and Riding Court were observed. 
Improvements. 
The greatest improvements which have taken place since the 
times of the last Report have been brought about by inclosures. 
Open fields and common lands are an effectual barrier to all pro- 
gression, and it is extraordinary that, when the advantages are so 
manifest, lands should so long remain uninclosed. The evils of 
common fields and the benefits of inclosing have been so fully 
detailed in the Oxfoidshire Report, that it is quite unnecessary 
to repeat them here. But let any one who Avishes to see the 
horrors of open lands visit Great Marlow Field. There a long 
contemplated inclosure is now being carried into effect, and on 
that fine exj>anse of gravelly loam, one-fourth of which should 
be under turnips, not a root is to be seen. Tlie field is common- 
able night and day to the whole parish, from the end of harvest, 
here always early, to the 28th of October, so that if any unfortu- 
nate farmer grew a crop of turnips he would probably have some 
other person's stock eat them. Such absurdities Avill soon be 
extinguished ; but there are some evils originating with open 
fields which are not ended at the inclosure. Where open fields 
existed there were no detached steadings, but the church, houses, 
farmbuildings, and cottages were all clustered in one spot. And 
unhappily there they are still, most of the lands of every occu- 
pation lying anywhere but where they should, for it is impossible 
for each farm to have its land near the village. The disadvan- 
tage of this, and the loss of labour in horses and men, can be 
well understood. Inclosures are now better managed than for- 
merly ; and instead of costing half what the land was worth in 
law expenses and making worse than useless fences, a parish 
can be inclosed under the present Act, and the roads made, 
at a cost of 30s. per acre, which is generally defrayed by 
the sale of waste land. There are but few tracts of open land 
now, and those are mostly commons left open at the old inclo- 
sures. Several of these ai'e now coming under the notice of the 
Commissioners : among others, Wycombe Heath is just allotted, 
and the improvement of the country is already manifest. The 
following inclosures have been effected and the awards enrolled 
since Mr. Priest wrote the last Report in 1809 : — Newport 
Pagnell, Bledlow, Marsworth, Barton-Hartshorn, Ivinghoe, 
Farnham Royal, Whaddon and Nash, Datchet, Haddenham, 
Mentmore and Ledburn, Newton Longville, Artwood, Monk's 
Risborough, Whaddon Chase, Brickland, Quainton, Oakley, the 
