81 
On  the  Farming  of  Sussex. 
the  land,  nor  to  stall-fed  cattle.  I have  no  improvements  to 
suggest  in  this  district.  The  soil  is  good,  well  cultivated,  and 
very  productive. 
District  No.  3. 
This  district  comprises  all  the  remainder  of  the  county  lying 
northward  of  the  two  first  described,  and  is  commonly  known  as 
the  Weald  of  Sussex. 
Soils. — This  extensive  division  of  the  county  may  be  consi- 
dered to  contain  a considerable  portion  of  what  is  called  cold 
clay,  some  part  shravy  land,  flinty,  and  gravelly,  on  clay  subsoil  ; 
sandy  lands,  both  black  and  white ; black  lands,  sandy  and  chalk 
loams,  and  a small  portion  of  marly  soil,  with  very  extensive  un- 
productive waste  or  common  land,  and  also  extensive  marsh 
grazing  lands.  The  greater  portion  of  pasture  is  of  that  quality 
which  is  applied  to  the  breeding  and  rearing  of  cattle  and  sheep, 
and  for  dairying  and  suckling,  &c. 
Sgstem. — The  farming  of  the  arable  land  is  of  course  various, 
principally  three  and  four-course,  and  in  some  of  the  most  inferior 
lands  five,  six,  seven,  and  eight-course,  with  some  portion  only 
occasionally  cultivated. 
Remarks. — The  produce  and  management  in  this  district  are 
very  inferior  proportionably  to  the  last  quoted,  it  being  occupied 
principally  by  tenants  who  are  not  men  of  sufficient  capital  to 
farm  beneficially  even  for  themselves.  Many  still  continue  to 
labour  on  as  their  grandfathers  did  in  system,  fearful  that  if  they 
should  put  more  capital  in  their  farms  by  improvements  the  land- 
lords would  take  the  advantage  of  it  and  raise  their  rents.  One 
custom  has  prevailed  as  long  as  I can  remember,  that  of  taking 
lambs  to  keep  from  the  29th  of  September  to  the  25th  of  March 
next  ensuing,  or  to  the  5th  of  April,  being  six  months’  keep,  for 
which  65.  per  head  are  commonly  paid.  Previous  to  Christ- 
mas they  are  kept  in  the  stubbles  and  clover  lays,  with  perhaps 
an  occasional  change  to  the  meadow  and  pasture  lands ; the  latter 
part  of  the  season  they  must,  of  course,  live  on  the  hedges  and 
hedge-rows,  then  to  the  meadow  and  pastures,  and  the  young 
wheat  (if  any  plant)  for  fear  it  would  be  too  rank ; if  weak,  then 
with  the  idea  of  improving  the  stock  of  it ; and  lastly  altogether 
in  the  meadow  and  pasture  fields,  living  principally,  in  a backward 
spring,  in  and  upon  the  hedges,  for  I have  seen  them  return  home 
with  nearly  all  the  wool  off  their  necks  to  the  shoulders,  and  partially 
from  the  body.  The  keepers  are  bound  to  give  them  hay  if  they 
require  it,  but  the  chances  are  that,  if  offered,  it  would  be  of  a 
quality  they  would  not  eat;  and  consequently  they  are  sent  back  in 
a condition  which  accounts  in  some  degree  for  the  size  of  ewes  in 
the  down  flocks,  from  which  they  had  been  taken  in  good  condition. 
VOL.  XI.  G 
