2fi6 Farming of Oxfordsliire. 
man has at his disposal ; and if tlie allotments are remote from 
tlie village, the time and the exertion of walking thither and 
back after a hard day's work is more than a garden is worth. 
Since the failure of the potatoes allotments have not been so 
profitable, nor are they so eagerly sought after by the labourers 
as formerly. The rent of garden allotments varies from 405. to 
80s. per acre, the pioprietor paying all outgoings. A cottage 
and small garden is let on large estates at from 40s. to 52s. per 
annum. In the little towns and open villages the rent is 4/. and 
upwards. 
The under-draining of Oxfordshire, till within the last few- 
years, was performed with stones, turf, and bushes. Horseshoe 
tiles have been employed extensively, and in some stiff clays 
were used without soles. Such drains do not answer for any 
length of time, for however hard the clay, water will soften it, 
the tile sinks, and the passage is obstructed. On the top of the 
Ciiiltern range there has been some attempt to impi'ove the 
plastic davs by draining; but the depth and extent of clay veins 
is so variable that hardly any regular system is carried out. On 
the coral rag and stone brash many springs have been tapped, 
and by cutting very deep drains above the water a large extent 
of land has been drained. To such an extent has this deep 
draining been carried, that at Sarsden some of the drains are 
above 20 feet deep, and have dried springs at the distance of 
half a mile. In draining meadows there is often a difficulty in 
attaining a good fall ; and on the same estate one drain is made 
a mile long in order to find a proper outlet. On the stonebrash, 
where stones are plentiful, they are still used in draining. 
Very many drains will produce a sufficient quantity of stones to 
form a permanent passage for the water. Wliere stones can be 
had from the drain, or are quarried on the spot, they jnay be the 
best materials, but if they have to be fetched any distance, say 
a mile, tiles are very much cheaper. Circular draining pipes 
are now invariably used, and 1^-inch bore is the usual size for 
single drains. Smaller sizes are not considered safe, and one 
proprietor, who has drained most of his large estate, employs 
none of less tlian 2-inch diameter. In many parts of the stone- 
brash, nay, on almost all farms, are beds of clay which want 
draining. The depth of draining such land was formerly 18 
inches, but it is now found that a depth of 36 inches or 48 inc hes 
answers better. Shallow drains are apt to be blocked up by the 
roots of mangold and other plants, but a peculiar instance of a 
deep under-drain being choked occurred last year at Milton. A 
pieie of loamy clay was drained with 1^-inch pipes, at a depth 
of 4 feet. The land was sown with vetches, which were followed 
by a crop of turnips. In the winter a few of the drains ceased 
