568 
Afjriculture of North Wales. 
the vales of secondary quality, as regards fertility — such as the 
principal one that runs from the commencement of the Berwyn 
range near Llangollen, through Corwen and Bala to Dolgelly, 
together with the adjoining transverse valleys, and also the inter- 
mediate ones between the various other minor ranges of hills 
throughout the district — the usual practice is to take wheat on 
the lea where the land is strong enough ; if not, oats. I was in- 
formed that barley is sometimes taken on the lea. After wheat 
or oats, according to the quality of the land, is taken a crop of 
potatoes manured, succeeded by wheat or oats laid down with 
grass seeds ; hay one or two years ; pasture two years more, again 
to be broken up and followed by the usual routine of crops 
already described. Turnips sometimes replace the potatoes in 
this rotation : turnips are gaining ground. The question of their 
relative merits rests mainly on the circumstance whether the 
farmer devotes most of his attention to sheep in conjunction with 
cattle, or pigs with cattle, maintaining only a few sheep. A more 
common course than that described is wheat on the lea, oats, 
potatoes or turnips, but generally turnips eastward of Corwen 
(northward of which place potatoes in general are grown, and in 
a greater ratio as we proceed in a western direction), oats, again 
oats, then grass from three to five years — the length of the rota- 
tion and description of crop depending upon the staple of the 
land and the pressing wants of the farmer. With respect to 
green crops, I may observe that turnip husbandry generally ceases 
when scourging crops commence. The course 1 have just de- 
scribed is generally found on farms of from 40 to 120 acres each 
in extent, together with a run of sheep on the mountains of from 
100 to 1000 head, the rental of which is valued at from l.s-. to 
2s. per head, according to the quality of the grazing. 
In the remoter districts of North Wales the plan pursued is 
well described by an esteemed correspondent resident at Dolgelly. 
He is probably a little too satirical in his observations with 
respect to the extreme obstinacy with which the people persist in 
the observance of old usages, and their aversion to the adoption 
of new plans. For the general accuracy of the remarks I can 
vouch ; and in consequence of it (the Letter) containing several 
minute details which would possibly escape the notice of the 
general observer, the Letter is of peculiar value; I now submit a 
very copious extract from it. I may previously remark, that the 
numbers have reference to samples of rocks and soils which I 
desired to be collected for the purpose of analysis; they arrived 
too late to be made use of for this paper ; they were selected in 
the neighbourhood of Cader Idris: — 
"The siiniplcs arc taken from land which lias never been ploughed or 
manured further than the usual droppings of cattle and sheep. Nos. 1 
