Southeim Di strict. 
267 
;it any time ; lour to a drag ; six to Crosskill's roller. Drilling is 
general ; 12 rows on a half-rod land, with " Aldershot manure," 
which is also used as a top-dressing where required. 
About 20 acres are in roots, and the same quantity in clover 
and winter tares. Mangold have been grown with farmyard dung 
and superphosphate, several years in succession on the same 
ground, without any diminution of the produce, which has been 
from 35 to 40 tons per acre. The swedes are fed off in April 
and May, and the land is then sown with white turnips or rape, 
which are again fed off in September and October, when the 
land comes to wheat without any more manuring. White turnips 
being a very precarious crop, Mr. Chute has lately tried mangold 
instead, and found them succeed, folding on them (contrary to 
his previous practice) as on turnips. He is thus able to grow 
wheat after mangold, whereas if mangold are hauled away, oats 
and not wheat must follow. 
Four horses are sufficient for each 100 acres. Beasts are not 
grazed, but 20 cow-calves are brought in as suckers, and go to 
Reading fair in-calf at three years old. In winter they have 
wheat, oat, or barley straw, perhaps pea haulm, with a little hay. 
In summer they are turned out to grass. About 200 couples are 
bought in March or sometimes later, and the ewes and lambs 
fatted off with corn and cake ; the lambs as soon as may be, the 
ewes following from time to time up to Christmas. Besides 17 
or 18 breeding sows, there are in the yards 175 pigs in all stages, 
which are sold as stores when worth about 30s. a-piece. The 
Berkshires are preferred, the Essex being too tender. 
Mr. Chute has built new farmhouses and cottages over the 
whole of his property. He keeps the cottages in his own hands, 
though he may consult the tenant of the farm as to the occupiers 
of the cottages on it. On principle he does not provide more 
than two bedrooms. If there be three, the girl Sarah does not go 
out into service, though she is always on the point of going ; or 
the young man John marries and stays on, with the young wife 
and baby in the old people's house, instead of getting one for 
himself. 
Southern District. 
In describing the " character of the farming " here I would 
make four subdivisions : 1. The low heavy land in the east, 
between the main chalk formation and the outlier of Portsdown ; 
2. The broad band of the Bracklesham country, stretching from 
Portsmouth westward to Romsey ; 3. The New Forest block ; 
4. The valleys of the Avon and Stour. 
1. The No. 1 soil is chiefly developed in the first-mentioned 
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