Agriculture of the Scilly Isles. 
387 
Example Farm. 
A farm near Old Town may be taken as an example of the 
larger holdings on St. Mary's. It is situated on the south side of 
the road which connects Hugh Town with Old Town. The 
most fertile fields lie in the valley, near the road. On the slope 
of the hill facing north-east, is some good land, the value of which 
is increased by its being well sheltered from southerly and south- 
westerly gales. 
As one approaches the brow of the hill, the soil becomes thin 
and broken up by large blocks of granite. One or two fields on 
the south-western slope are of better quality, but much exposed. 
The farm is divided by stone walls into eighteen fields, which 
vary in size from J to 1| acres, making a total area of 17^- acres. 
On leaving the road, we entered a field of 1^ acres, covered 
with a plentiful pasture of excellent quality. Three oxen in the 
year have been fattened on this field alone. 
Thence we passed into a field of mangolds, which promised 
well in spite of dry weather and late sowing. Here the soil was 
a deep sandy loam, containing so much organic matter that, in 
some of the darkest places, it appeared to be mixed with pure 
black peat. 
The percentage of organic matter has doubtless been increased 
by the yearly application of large quantities of seaweed. This 
field and others near it, of a rather lighter texture, have been for 
many years cropped with early potatoes, followed in the same 
season by mangolds. 
As we ascended the hill we passed over land unsuitable for the 
cultivation of potatoes every year, some of it being simply a 
micaceous sand. Here a four or five years' course is adopted. 
Some of the fields on the top of the hill were ploughed. Others, 
on which granite boulders lay thinly scattered, were either in 
natural pasture or sown with artificial grasses. 
Descending the south-western slope of the hill for a short 
distance, we found that the land slightly improved in quality, 
but on account of its exposed situation is always kept down in 
grass or seeds. 
The farm contains lOj acres of arable land and 7 acres of 
grass. 
The former was cropped as follows : — 
Acres. ' 
Seeds (kept down from four to seven year.s) .. 4^ 
Potatoes, followed by mangolds 2 
Wheat " h 
Barley 3^ 
