( ) 
X. — On the Farming of Oxfordshire. By Clare Sewell Read. 
Prize Report. 
The soil of Oxfordshire is so diversified, .and its systems of 
farming so various, that, in attempting to detail them, care will 
be necessary to confine these remarks within reasonable limits. 
As the writer desires to avoid, as far as possible, particularising 
persons or places, it must be understood tiiat the observations 
apply generally, not individually. Many things may be better, 
and some a little worse, than the cases mentioned ; yet the truth 
of the remark must be sought for in the district at large, not in a 
particular parish or farm. 
This county contains the city of Oxford, and the market-towns 
of Banbury, Bicester, Burford, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, 
Deddington, Henley, Thame, Watlington, Witney, and Wood- 
stock. It is divided into 14 hundreds, 278 parishes, and contains 
479,267 square acres. The extreme length of the county is 
nearly fifty miles. From its irregular form the breadth varies 
much. Near Oxford it is only 7 miles across. The greatest 
diameter in the northern portion is 38 miles, in the southern 
12 miles. The population of the county amounted in 1851 to 
170,439. In 1801 it was 111,977. England in the last fifty 
years has more than doubled its population, while this county 
has only increased 62 per cent. But the increase is about the 
same as in the other Midland counties. For instance, Bucks 
had a population in 1801 of 108,138, and in 1851 of 163,723; 
Berks in 1801 had 110,480, and has now 170,065. In tliis 
county there are 2*8 acres to a person ; throughout England the 
proportion is 1*9 acres. Of the present number 27,843 are 
located in the city of Oxford, 27,405 in the seven largest towns, 
the rest are scattered over the several villages. 
Oxford has a poor corn-market ; considering its central posi- 
tion, and facilities of railway communication, this is surprising. 
The corn-market is held in an open space at the back of the 
town hall. Recently a large portion of it has been built up, 
and then the farmers clustered about the streets to transact busi- 
ness. Most towns encourage their markets, and endeavour to 
afford convenience for the sale of corn. The city of Oxford 
furnishes an exception to this rule. The town council invited 
the corn-dealers to hold the market in the confined spot alluded 
to, though not fit for that purpose, and, when it was found unfit 
for the purpose, a committee of that body suggested that the 
police should prevent the farmers from congregating in the streets 
round the Carfax. Tliere is a good cattle-market held the second 
