104 
Report on the Farming of the 
connected with the farming of this district, which should not be 
passed over without notice. 
It is a commonly received opinion that an outlay of capital 
upon the soil requisite to maintain it in a state of progressive 
improvement cannot be obtained without the security of a lease. 
Now whatever may be the force of this observation with reference 
to other parts of the kingdom, it is wholly inapplicable to the 
Yorkshire Wolds. There may be an isolated case of the existence 
of a lease, but the universal custom of the district is yearly ten- 
ancy, terminable at six months' notice, with such covenants as the 
landlord and tenant may mutually determine to be the best suited 
to their particular cases. That under a different system better 
farming would have prevailed, is a speculation which it is needless 
to entertain. It is sufficient to state that the present race of 
Wold farmers are not wanting in enterprise and independence, 
and that there seems to be no general wish for an alteration in 
the condition of their holdings. Of the mode of their managing 
their farms it remains then that we attempt a representation. 
The surface-soil of this, as of all other parts of the chalk form- 
ation throughout the kingdom, is such that the four-fold or 
alternate course of cropping has been established, as best suited 
to it, viz. — 
1. Turnips. 
2. Barley. 
3. Clover-seeds. 
4. Wheat. 
This course may be said now to prevail universally, modified, 
doubtless, as will be seen, by circumstances and contingencies ; 
and the steady pursuance of this system has at length led to the 
abandonment of the opinion which formerly obtained, that the 
Wolds was a country only adapted for sheep ; that its soil was 
unproductive ; and that the expense of its cultivation was great, as 
compared with its scanty returns. 
It is not surprising that, when Mr. Strickland wrote his 'Sur- 
vey,' this should have been not only his opinion, but that various 
other intelligent persons, whom he quotes, should have coincided 
with him in lamenting the havoc which the plough had been 
suffered to commit in the beautiful and verdant sheep-walks and 
pastures. It is only necessary to reflect for a moment, that not 
only the old outfield course (viz. oats every third, fourth, or fifth 
year, and then natural grasses), and also the tillage course (viz. 
three crops of corn and a bare fallow), was essentially an ex- 
hausting system ; but also, that after the enclosures had taken 
place, and our present Norfolk rotation been introduced, it was 
utterly impossible to carry it on for want of some fertilizer, such 
