Farming of Cornwall. 
401 
contemptible ; and at the present time there appears a felicitous 
concurrence of opinions and circumstances that favours the in- 
vention and acceptance of improved methods of husbandry ; and 
I confidently hope that this anxiety for improvement will at no 
very distant period be abundantly successful. 
" It is an easy thing to praise or blame; 
The hard task, and the virtue to do both." 
This I shall attempt by fairly placing before my readers the 
practices pursued — by giving; praise where it is due — and, where 
any defects exist, by showing by example the superior advantages 
of a belter plan of proceeding. To no class of men will this 
method of reasoning be better applied than to Cornish farmers ; 
for, generally speaking, there is not found among them such a 
host of prejudices, and such a strict adherence to old-fashioned 
customs, as many parties, who know them less, give them credit 
for. 
Geographical Position, Extent, Agricultural Population, Size of 
Farms, Sfc. 
2. Cornwall forms the south-west extremity of Britain ; the 
only county with which it is conterminous is Devonshire, which 
bounds it on the east-north-east. On all other sides it is sur- 
rounded by the ocean ; it therefore contains in proportion to its area 
a greater extent of sea-coast than any other county. It consists 
of 851,200 statute acres, about 200,000 of which are waste land. 
The estimated annual value of the several estates and farm- 
buildings, according to the last return made to the Clerk of the 
Peace in 1842, is 629,656/. It is divided into 9 hundreds, con- 
taining 27 market towns, 206 parishes, 13,000 villages, and 
34 1,279 inhabitants. Of this population, 30,325 belong to the 
agricultural department, but not more than 25,800 are actually 
engaged in its employment. These are — 
F.armers. 
Farmers 
under 
21 years old. 
Male 
Labourers 
above 21 years 
old. 
Male 
Labourers 
under 21 vears 
old.' 
Female 
A<;ricultuial 
Labourers. 
Female 
AjTicultural 
Labourers 
under 21 years 
old. 
Total 
Persons 
actually 
engaged. 
7,6G8 
128 
14,279 
2,752 
705 
25,799 
The whole of the agricultural population being to the total popu- 
lation 7-9 per cent. The proportion of farmers to the number 
of cultivated acres is exceedingly high — which arises from an im- 
mense number of small occupiers performing all the labour on 
the farms by themselves or families. According to ' Marshall's 
