282' 
Farming of Kent. 
cultural produce could be got to market during the winter montlis. 
An astonishing change, however^ has been effected of late years ; 
so that there are but few parts of England which now possess better 
roads than some portions of the Weald of Kent : and the same 
observation applies to the adjoining and analogous district of 
Sussex. These improvements have not been made without a very- 
great outlay, the district being generally but sparingly supplied 
by nature with a good road material. Sea-beach is extensively 
employed within a distance of 8 or 10 miles of the Rother, where 
it is brought in barges from the coast. Other portions, lying 
nearer the Rag-stone-hill, have obtained an excellent road mate- 
rial from ihence. Great exertions have been made of late years 
in parishes remote from either source of supply to obtain stone in 
their own localities, and in several instances with tolerable success. 
In speaking of roads we may further observe, that in those parts 
of the county already described, both the parish highways and 
turnpikes have generally been in excellent condition for a great 
number of years. The South-Eastern Railway, which runs 
through the Weald, has already conferred many advantages on 
this part of the county. 
It is quite impracticable to give a correct general statement of 
the mode of cropping and cultivation that would apply to the 
whole of this district. It cannot be said that anything like system 
in these respects exists. The old practice, even now in some parts 
too much followed, was — 1. A year's fallow; 2. Wheat, manured 
with lime; 3. Oats, or a little barley; 4. Seeds (clover, trefoil, 
and rye-grass). The seed ley was usually fed off" one or perhaps 
two years, then a naked fallow, and the course returned. The 
introduction of late years of tares — now very extensively cultivated 
— swedes, turnips, mangold, and, within the last year or two, the 
white carrot, have made large inroads on the old system. About 
a century back marl was extensively and repeatedly applied as a 
manure for corn : hence it is common to observe large un^iglitly 
pits, now partially overrun with bushes and wood, in the middle 
of fields; some spirited farmers have been at great expense in 
filling them up of late. The heavy and repeated marling which 
this already adhesive soil formerly received, has, in some situatiolis, 
injured its mechanical properties for ever. The marl of this dis- 
trict frequently contains so much alumina and so little lime, as to 
be utterly worthless as a fertiliser. Chalk-Ume succeeded marl 
for a considerable period, but of late years lime has been much 
more sparingly used ; it was found not to repay the cost on stale 
arable land that had been repeatedly dressed with it; consequently 
other kinds of manures have been sought after. 
The only stone found in the Weald containing a sufficient per 
centage of lime to pay for burning occurs principally at Bethersden ; 
