Farming of Kent. 
273 
provement. Draining has done, and is doing everything for them. 
The land in this district has been extensively cleared of its hedges and 
thrown open. Some of the great proprietors, it is true, continue to hold 
a large proportion of the land in their own hands through iheir agents, 
the timber trees ; while the occupying proprietors of small estates, 
knowing that timber can be grown on land not one-third the value of 
their own, suffer not a stick to stand, save either on grass or wood-land. 
The advantages of air, light, and deep culture are beginning to be appre- 
ciated, and their effects shown, by the far heavier crops of the present 
day. 
" On well managed estates every yard of wood-land, and nooks and 
corners of fields, are tilled up and planted with wood, the hop-grounds 
rendering the growth of poles a prime consideration. Many of the 
sterile soils on the top of the chalk range of hills grow the very best poles ; 
and instances are frequent where plantations have been made and 
attended to, that a fall of ten or twelve years' growth has realized more 
than double the value of the fee-simple of the land under other cir- 
cumstances. The favourite kinds of wood are ash, chesnut, and red 
willow. 
" There are some localities in this county in which a large proportion 
of the tillers of the soil are also its owners. This parish (Hunton), for 
instance, affords an illustration of this independent rate, ' the sturdy 
yeomanry.' Of seventeen occupiers of land, twelve or thitteen are its 
proprietors. Farm buildings are in general pretty convenient ; while we 
have many instances of very superior homesteads belonging to the occupy- 
ing proprietors. Cottages are very generally roomy and comfortable, with 
gardens attached. I have no hesitation in stating that in no district of 
England is the agricultural labourer better, if so well, paid as in the hop 
districts of Mid-Kent. Twelve shillings a-week for day-work even in 
■winter; while the greater part of the rest of the year he has well-paid 
piece-work, which with his double harvests for himself, v.ife, and chil- 
dren, render his lot, with sol)riety and good conduct, one of comparative 
comfort and happiness." 
In this district the centre of hop and fruit growing, an enor- 
mous expenditure takes place for manures. Hops are great 
exhausters of the soil, and require, and generally receive, a very 
expensive cultivation. Fattening cattle with corn and oil-cake is 
very generally practised to a large extent in all the hop districts, 
which nothing but the all-receiving and freqr.ently all-paying 
hop-garden would justify. I have not been able to obtain a 
correct statistical return of the cost of oil-cake and artificial 
manures, but I should think that it would amount to nearly half 
the rental of the whole county, which cannot be far short of a 
million per annum. In the hop districts I know of several in- 
stances where the cost of oil-cake and artificial manures consider- 
ably exceeds the rental. Woollen rass and Yorkshire mill- 
waste are commonly applied at the rate of a ton or upwards per 
acre. The price of the former usually ranges between 5/. and 71., 
and the latter 3/. to bl. a ton. Sprats for hops, corn, and turnips, 
