Farming of Wiltshire. 
\77 
Loes are very little used either for corn or turnips. Waggons and 
carts are similar to those of South Wilts, and used for the same 
purposes; nor are the turnip-cutters, thrashing-machines, chaff- 
cutters, or winnowing machines at all different. 
Drainage. — INIuch of the land here is in a very imperfect state 
of drainage ; and although a good deal has been done, and is still 
in progress, it will be long ere it is complete, unless it proceeds 
more rapidly than at present. A great part of what was done 
some years ago is quite inefficient; the drains not having been 
made sufficiently deep, and the distance between them too great. 
Stone-draining has been generally practised on the land when 
materials were near at hand, and turf-draining upon much of the 
pasture- land. Tile-drains are comparatively but little used, the 
old method being still pursued, but tlie work is done much more 
effectually than in former times. Thorough-draining and subsoil- 
ploughing is scarcely yet introduced, although much of the clay- 
land would be wonderfully improved by it : to carry off the sur- 
face-water trenching only is all that is done to a good deal of the 
pasture. 
The Tenure on lohich the Farms are generally held. — In Wilt- 
shire the farms are held on a variety of tenure. Leases are 
granted by some of the large landed proprietors for seven, four- 
teen, or twenty-one years at a fixed i-ent ; others let their farms on 
leases of four, eight, or twelve years on a corn-rent, the average 
price of corn being taken from the scale that regulates the rent- 
charge published yearly under the Tithe Commutation Act. The 
number of farms let in this manner are not very considerable. 
By far the greatest proportion of farms are held by yearly tenants. 
Michaelmas is the usual time of entry in South Wilts, and Lady- 
day in North Wilts. 
Wages of Labourers. — The wages of the labourers of this 
county vary with the price of wheat. At present* the general 
price is 7s. per week in the southern division, and 8s. in the 
northern ; but there are some advantages in addition to the 7s. 
and 8s. per week. The farmer provides from 10 to 20 perches 
of land ploughed and manured for potatoes for his constant men, 
and a cottage and generally a ^oofZ garden at a very moder.ite rent^ 
say from 30s. to 50s. per annum. Shepherds and carters receive 
2s. per week extra, or an equivalent in rent, wood, coal, &c. In 
the summer work is mostly done by the piece, and men earn high 
wages. In South Wilts it is usual to give 2s. per day for six 
weeks in the harvest-time to day labourers. Beer is given 
throughout the year in North Wilts, two quarts per day in the 
summer (unlimited in harvest and hay-making time), and one 
* This was written in the winter, 1843-4. The wages in South Wilts 
have generally been raised to 8^. per week since that lime. 
VOL. v. N 
