162 
Farming of Wiltshire. 
a much wider and more fertile vein coming down the Pewsey 
Vale from Burbage.* Another vein also enters the county from 
Dorsetshire, and passes through Donhead, Ansty, Shallowcliffe, 
Fovant, &c., under the foot of the down. This vein is also met 
at or near Fovant by another branch, or rather a ridge of sand- 
hills, coming from West Knoyle. The fertility of the sand here 
depends upon its being more or less mixed with chalk and chalk- 
marl. There are a few instances of strong clays and clayey 
]o ims in this district. Nearly the whole of the soil of South 
Wilts now under cultivation consists of flinty and chalky loams, 
■with various mixtures of chalk-marl, green sand, and gault or 
clay, and may be treated of under the following heads : — 1st, 
chalky and flinty loams; 2nd, the down or beak land; 3rd, the 
heavy white lands ; and, 4th, the sand land. The size of the farms 
varies from 100 to 20C0 acres ; there are but few so large as 2000, 
the general size may be said to be from 400 to 1000. There is 
usually a portion of down to each farm. 
System of Cropping. — The intelligent and enterprising men 
who occupy this district have, since the extinction of the common 
field-husbandry, worked a great change in the system of farm- 
ing. They have been always ready to adopt any improvement. 
The system of cropping pursued in South Wiltshire varies consi- 
derably, the soil not being uniform ; but it appears that the heavy 
white lands and the sandy loams, which are the best w'heat-lnnds, 
are cropped in a three-field course ; and on the best and richest 
of these soils wheat is sown every alternate year. On the chalk 
and flinty loams, where barley can be grown to advantage, the 
four field course is adopted; and on the light down, or "beak- 
land," as it is termed, of which there is usually a portion attached 
to the farm, it is farmed on a five or a six field course, as the qua- 
lity of this land varies, there being two kinds of it — the strong 
red or " wood sour land," and the light or black land. 
Rotation of Crops on Flintg and Chalhy Loams. 
This kind of soil comprises the largest portion of South Wilts, 
and is well adapted for the growth of barley and turnips. It is 
usually cropped in the four-field, or Norfolk course : — 
1st. Wheat. 
2nd. Vetches and turnips. 
3rd. Barley. 
4th. Clover. 
Much of the land has been found to be "clover sick" by a 
* This vc-iii is ccilainly a pnit ofllie £:;i-een-sand foniiation of fri'olosfists, 
which is remarl<ahle lor its I'eilility whermer it apjiears at the foot of chalk- 
hills, though not wheti it spreads into a wider ran£;u of country. — Ph. Piisey. 
