284 
Agriculture of Hertfordshire. 
mence their journey so as to reach home at night. A return 
freight of soot (about 80 bushels to the one-horse load) is worth 
to the carter from 10s. to 12s. When soot, or a freight of greater 
value, cannot be procured, dung is collected from the different 
stables at a cost of about Is. per load. At the farm it is considered 
worth from 7s. to 7s. 6rf. The manure frees the carter from all 
tolls. 
We extract the following clause from an Herts' Agreement, 
showing the usual obligation of the tenant who sells hay and 
straw : — " Clover, hay, and wheat-straw may be sold off upon 
returning, in the same year, a waggon-load of dung or other 
manure of equal value for every load of hay or straw sold or 
taken off." 
This privilege, which is merely the liberty to sell in the 
dearest market, is liable to abuse by those who improvidently 
dispose of that which is their own stock-in-trade, as well as their 
landlords' safeguard. Such men, however, even when bound 
by restrictions, to " spend and consume," &c, upon the farm, 
always manage by some inevitable process to reduce their farms 
to the lowest ebb of producing power. In intelligent hands 
this traffic has in many instances permanently raised the con- 
dition of the land, and occasionally, in situations favourable for 
railway transit, has altered the general aspect of the neighbour- 
hood. The occupiers of some such farms have been enabled to 
double their produce, and more than double their gross receipts. 
So much more profitable may be the marketing of produce and 
the purchase of manure than making meat and manure at home. 
On some few estates, situated near a railway, the tenant is 
allowed to sell roots if he bring back 1 ton of London dung for 
every ton of roots sold off. 
Mr. John Ransome, of Wheathampstead, formerly the able 
manager of Mr. Lawes's farm at Rothamsted, has placed at our 
disposal the following details. His farm, lying close to the 
station, contains about 445 acres, including 25 acres of pasture. 
The greater part of the arable is strong clay, and not adapted for 
feeding roots on the land. Upwards of 1000 tons of dung made 
by 200 omnibus horses, eating about 3000 qrs. of corn, are 
brought on to the farm in a year. If we deduct one-third of 
this lor waste the effect is practically the same as if 2000 qrs. 
of corn, besides hay, were used in feeding stock on this farm. 
Mr. Ransome uses in addition about 400Z. worth of guano, super- 
phosphate, and wheat-manure. This liberal treatment is rapidly 
raising the condition of the farm, which had been much reduced. 
Bare fallow has been hitherto necessary to clean the land, but 
roots will shortly form an important item in the sales. Man- 
golds are this year sent to the London dairies at 21s. per ton 
