Farming of Kent. 
275 
and stock of this important section of the county. When his 
Lordship's farm fell into his own hands, some half dozen years 
ago, it was in a bad, exhausted condition. By grubbing trees and 
hedcres, and thorough draining wherever required, in connexion 
with a system of deep and clean culture, maknig a large amount 
of manure by keeping an increased immber of cattle, folding a 
large flock of sheep on turnips, clover, tares, &c., %vith a liberal 
allowance of corn and oil-cake, an astonishing change has been 
effected; and heavy crops are now obtained of every species of 
production belonging to this highly cultivated district. His Lord- 
ship's farm consists of 500 acres — divided as follows ; — 
Acres. 
62 Hops. 
20 Fruit. 
182 Meadow. 
236 Arable. 
Arable land, as cropped in 1845 : — 
Acres. 
Acres. 
Wheat . 
. 82 
Peas 
. 31 
Barley . 
. 27 
Lucerne . 
. 9 
Seeds 
. 15 
Roots 
. 55 
Beans 
. 14 
Rape 
, 3 
Course of cropping : — 1 . Turnips, folded oflF, preceded by rye 
or tares; 2. Barley; 3. Seeds, second cut folded; 4. Wheat ; 5. 
Beans or peas, manured ; 6. Wheat. The cost of oil-cake and 
coin for the consumption of cattle and sheep on the farm exceeds 
lOOOZ. annually. The soil is various ; generally light and stone- 
shattery, resting on the green sand-stone : in some places the rock 
crops out. I was surprised to see such splendid turnips on this 
thin soil after the parching summer of 1844. This and the grain 
crops were proofs of what high farming will do. And after all 
that can be said, this kind of farming is the cheapest, and, in the 
end, the most profitable. 
Lord Torrington has likewise recently erected a very capacious, 
convenient, and elegant homestead, which is certainly without a 
parallel in the county ; and is calculated to effect a much-needed 
reform in this very important branch of niral economj'. The ac- 
companying ground-plan of the new homestead at West Peckham, 
with the few words I shall offer in explanation, will enable the 
reader to form an idea of the disposition of the buildings; and, 
for full particulars, he is referred to his lordship's recent publica- 
tion, which will be found well worth a careful perusal.* 
It appears to have been the chief object of Lord Torrington's 
* ' On Farm Buildings, witti a few Observations on the State of Agri- 
culture in the County of Kent, by Viscount Torrington.' — London, Ridg- 
way, 1845, 
