452 
Fariniiirj of Uoraetiflure. 
breaking u lierc a supj)ly of fuel was not obtainable, put a stop 
to the offonce, and paved the way in these districts for the modern 
coal clubs. There are still many thousands of acres of down to 
be broken up and of commons to be inclosed,* and many common 
fields to be improved — among them Fordington field, a splendid 
extent of 3500 acres of the finest corn land, close to th.e county 
town, and witliin sight of the terminus of the only railway that 
has yet entered the county. Some years ago the Council of the 
Duchy of Cornwall offered to arrange with the life leaseholders, 
and to inclose tliis field, but the tenants rejected the scheme. 
Fordington field is famous for its wheat, barley, and — cliarloch, 
which latter, to use tlie words of old Salmon, " in a corn or 
hemp field makes a mighty and glorious show, though much to 
the owner's disprofit." 
In ranging also under the head of " Improvements still to be 
effected" the collection of agricultural statistics, we are sensible 
of treading on tlie verge of general and perhaps debateable 
ground ; but a circumstance which occurred in the course of the 
compilation of this paper may be adduced as an apology, if one 
be needed. There was placed in the hands of the writer of this 
article by Lord Portman a rare and singular document, which 
has so peculiar a bearing upon the question of agricultural 
statistics that not to allude to it in connection with them would 
seem a neglect of duty. Tlie document, which is in MS., is " a 
general view of the whole number of the inhabitants within the 
county of Dorset, exclusive of the militia, taken 30th April, 
1798," in prospect of an invasion. Not only does this specify 
the number of men between 15 and 60, actually engaged, willing 
or capable of bearing arms ; of tlie incapables, the aliens, the 
Quakers ; of those who from age and infirmity were incapable of 
maintaining themselves ; of the waggons and carts ; of oxen, 
cows, young cattle and colts, sheep and goats, pigs, horses, riding 
and draft : but also the quantity of wheat, barley, oats, beans, 
and peas, hay, straw, potatoes, flour, and malt then in the county, 
even to a half-quarter of wheat, atul barle\j, and hca)is ; and to half 
a load of haij ! And that this precise enumeration did not pro- 
ceed from an affectation of minuteness on the part of any one 
enumerator is apparent in the fact that these half numbers arc 
returned from several divisions. In the face of these accurate 
returns the writer of this paper felt that he would not be justified 
in writing in round numbers, as his predecessor^ have done, of 
the quantity of sheep kept in the county, or the number of acres 
in pasturage or tillage, 6cc. Without minute accuracy such kind 
* Tlie returns to Parliament, dated 184-3, set out39j66(j uiK'ncloscd agics, of 
which scarcely the 6Gfi acres have been since enclosed, 
