258 
Farming of Hampshire. 
of light and air. Few strangers make trial of the unimproved 
farms of this country. The occupier is born in it, and is well 
called " the woodland fanner." You may hear the phrase, " He 
will do for this country, but he's worth nothing on the hills." 
His doing is but indifferent even here. He is not a man of much 
capital ; his larm is small, from 60 to 100 acres, chiefly arable, 
with the exception of some wet fat meadows adjoining the 
Loddon ; his practice may be described in a few words : fallow 
once in seven years, then crop as fast as possible. Hif; rotation 
is short and simple : wheat and beans alternately for six years ; 
then a fallow, generally an open fallow ; now sometimes, how- 
ever, with vetches, which are found to loosen the land. There 
may be variations according to tlie season : for instance, the 
wheat could not be got in last fall, so that oats will have to be 
substituted. In fact, seasons and circumstances must overrule 
systems in this country ; and this is understood by the landlords, 
who do not interfere with a mode of cultivation which is not 
altogether in accordance with approved principles. 
In the fallow year the land is deeply ploughed in the autumn, 
allowed to lie during the winter, in the spring (as soon as it will 
bear treading) crossed or turned back according to circum- 
stances, and then ploughed three or four times during the 
summer and got to a fine tilth. Crossing is now much more 
in use than formerly ; on undrained land it was hardly ever 
done. Grubbers are not generally used ; but drags to get 
out the couch, and Crosskill's crusher (where available) to 
break the clods, which, if the land be ploughed when wet, 
are dried into brickbats, with edges so sharp, that the hair 
is shaved from the horses' legs, and the ploughman compelled 
to hitch off his team, and await some softening showers. But 
there is not so much open fallow by one-third now, as before 
draining was introduced. This improvement has also rendered 
it possible to put in vetches, and even, on the more favoured 
spots, swedes and mangold, and, once in eight years, a little 
clover. If the clover-ley be clean, it comes into wheat ; but it 
is more generally fallowed, or a crop of oats or beans taken, 
and then a fallow. The farmer here does not depend on 
stock, or want much food for them ; indeed, before draining, 
sheep-folding is an impossibility. The processes of cultivation 
must be completed within the day. " Plough a bit, harrow a bit, 
and then sow before nightfall, or the rain may come and 'set it' 
all." Manure (])lougl)ed in green) is applied to the wheat or to 
the beans, just as the season permits carting on the land. I could 
not learn that there was even a preference for its application to 
the bean-crop ; but only, that if it were a])plied to the one, it 
was not applied to the other. The beans are spring beans, the 
