Farming of Kent. 
261 
in the fourth and fifth years it will begin rapidly to fail, and couch 
grass and other weeds commence displacing it ; and frequently all 
will be weeds and the sainfoin choked, and a year's fallow re- 
quired. Italian rye-grass and trifolium incarnatum have been 
tried, but their culture does not appear to be established. As to 
common rye-grass, that is considered a weed, and poisonous to the 
soil almost everywhere in the county but the Weald. 
Wheat is generally bagged or mowed at from 8s. to 10s. an 
acre ; wages \2s. a week: at piece-work higher wages are earned. 
Cottages are generally comfortable, with small gardens, at rents 
from 4/. lo 5/. a-year. 
Very few cattle are bred in the district. A cross-breed of cows 
is kept for domestic purposes and the supply of the neighbouring 
towns. Short-horns have been partially introduced, as have also 
Alderneysfor the improvement of the dairy. The Romney Marsh 
breed of sheep is universal, and attains to great perfection both as 
to carcass and wool. Swine appear to be neglected and inferior 
to most other parts of the county ; they are generally white, and 
frequently coarse, although not so coarse as formerly. 
With regard to manures, Thanet possesses some peculiar advan- 
tages. A strong north-east wind brings to its shores large quan- 
tities of sea-weed, which, when properly managed, possesses high 
fertilising qualities. After a heavy sea a great number of carts 
and waggons may be seen along the coast carrying away the 
weed. It is sometimes applied to the ground in a green state ; but 
the most general and approved plan is to put it into mixens with 
other vegetable and animal matters. This easy and cheap mode 
of obtaining manure, together with a system of clean culture, the 
absence of hedges and trees, and the dry and calcareous nature of 
the soil, will account for the high degree of fertility observable 
throughout this celebrated spot. Farm-yard manure is generally 
ploughed in for turnips; but some farmers prefer using it as a top 
rlressing to corn, considering that method more economical and 
equally effective. Bone-dust has been applied to turnips with 
great success ; but other artificial manures are little known. 
Drilling is universal for all crops. Canary is still cultivated to a 
considerable extent, but its culture is diminishing ; while coriander 
and caraways have almost become extinct. Mr. Cramp, of 
Margate, to whom I am indebted for much of my information 
respecting Tlianet, is the principal, if not the only cultivator to 
any extent of the latter, but its management is exceedingly diffi- 
cult, and the crop as uncertain. Radish-seed is raised in some 
places in considerable quantities for the London seedsmen, and in 
good seasons pays well. 
The size of farms is small, very few exceed 200 acres ; many of 
them are occupied by their owners. Rents for arable farms irom 
