Agriculture of Hertfordshire. 
283 
Pinner to Bushey, on the edge of the London clay basin. The 
boundary line of this formation is everywhere denned by the 
verge of the grass, which terminates with the out-crop of the 
chalk. It may be clearly seen from the London and North- 
Western Railway before reaching Watford ; and the division is 
the more marked at this spot because the diluvial deposits cover- 
ing the chalk are gravelly loams unsuited to pasture. 
The whole farm is usually mown every season. Well-rottc'd 
dung is applied between November and the end of January, at 
the rate of 10 to 15 tons per acre every second or third year. 
The average crop is estimated at 1 to 1^ loads of hay. 
Villa residences, occupied by families from London, have 
largely encroached on these grass farms. 
The rent, said to be 40s. to 50s. per acre, is higher than 
such poor heavy clay would yield under arable culture, and. 
at the present price of corn, there is no inducement to break 
up any portion of the grass. A hay farm is, however, in 
many respects undesirable, and less productive than it might 
be. There is but one crop, and that a precarious one ; the 
aftermath is fed at a disadvantage if stock has to be bought at 
that particular season, and resold as soon as the feed is off. 
Moreover, the extra labourers required for the hay season can 
only be tempted by high wages to come from a distance. Such 
farms are most advantageously occupied by London cow-keepers, 
or by men who eke out their income by other employment. 
Their winter occupation is chiefly carting hay to market, and 
bringing back dung. 
The Trade in Farm Produce tvith London. 
Hay and straw are sent to London from all but the most 
remote parts of the country, and most Hertfordshire farmers are 
occasional sellers of both. Neither the marketing nor the cart- 
ing is usually done by the grower, who disposes of his produce 
to local dealers, and the carting is done by men who make this 
their especial business. Hay is seldom sent by rail, as it arrives . 
in market in better condition when taken direct in the one-horse 
cart ; and even straw is largely sent by the road. The cost of 
carriage for a distance of 20 to 25 miles is 12s. per load of hay 
(36 trusses of 56 lbs.), and 8s. per load of straw (36 trusses of 
36 lbs.). A one-horse load is 18 cwt. Under the impulse 
given by any rise in price, these bulky articles may frequently 
be met on the road thirty miles or more from London. The 
carters start in the afternoon in time to reach the market on the 
following morning ; and, after delivering their load to the sales- 
man, they collect their return load of manure or soot, and com- 
