302 
Farming of Hampshire. 
6-inch pipes 4 feet deep in the mains, and 3-inch pipes feet 
deep in the laterals. Chopping and burning at 4Z. an acre, and 
chalking at 20 loads an acre followed. Rape, drilled with 
12 bushels of bones to the acre, was the first crop, which was 
fed off with sheep, who had, moreover, hay and cake brought to 
them. Then come oats or rye, both of which are, according to 
circumstances, either fed off with sheep, or brought into the rick- 
yard. This is the introduction to a more settled order of things, 
turnips and the ordinary four-course system. At first ^ the 
150 acres will be all arable. After cultivation has been pursued 
through a sufficient number of years thoroughly to eradicate the 
gorse and destroy its chance of reappearing, about 30 acres will 
be laid down to permanent pasture. A good house, with barn, 
and all other proper farm buildings, is in course of erection, on 
a charming site, which overlooks not only the whole future farm, 
but some most pleasing scenery beyond it. Of course, the 
expense of such a creation is considerable (I estimate it at 10/. 
an acre over the whole farm, exclusive of the buildings) ; but 
then the increased value, from next to nothing per acre to 205., 
is also considerable. 
Cottages are built on this property wherever required. They 
always have three bedrooms each, though the labouring poor are 
hardly as yet educated up to this additional accommodation, 
which is often abused, and a lodger taken in, without leave, 
against rules. A few cottages are handed over to the farmer for 
the use of his yearly servants ; but all the rest are under Sir 
William Heathcote's own control, although the convenience of 
the farmer is often considered by the landlord. 
One pleasing feature in the management of the estate is, the 
encouragement of small men in the hope that they may become 
big men. The allotments, of which there are seven different 
districts about Hursley, in addition to gardens attached to the 
cottages, are conducive to this end. The rent is that of the 
farming land near, with the rates and taxes. The size of each 
allotment varies from one-eighth to one-fourth of an acre ; but, 
in exceptional cases, where an allottee shows punctuality in his 
payments, with ability in his cultivation, a few allotments are 
thrown into one man's hands, who is thus built up into a farmer. 
One tenant, of more than 180Z. a-year, who had risen from such 
small beginnings, having been himself a carter on the estate, 
died some years ago, leaving two sons tenants of farms here, and 
one of them a very considerable renter. 
Next we come to the subdivision of the cretaceous district in 
the north-east, the Hampshire hop country. The extent to which 
hops are cultivated in this county has been much underrated, 
la the Society's Journal it is stated to be 500 acres, I show, 
