On  the  Farming  of  Sussex. 
85 
for  their  support  but  wdiat  their  occupations  return  them  for  their 
capital  employed.  I by  no  means  intend  to  imply  that  there  is 
no  good  farming  in  Sussex  ; there  is  a great  deal,  and  many  inde- 
pendent farmers  too,  and  much  improvement  going  on  in  all  parts 
of  the  county  ; and  these  are  now  the  only  parties  who  are  likely  to 
make  farming  answer:  as,  having  resources  in  the  time  of  need,  they 
are  not  compelled  to  sell  their  cattle  half-fattened,  nor  take  their 
corn  to  over  supplied  markets.  In  the  north-eastern  extremity 
of  this  district  are  to  be  found  well-cultivated  hop  lands,  which 
would  be  profitable  but  for  the  extensive  competition  of  inferior 
and  unkind  plantations,  which  are  injurious  to  the  general  growers, 
and  too  often  rob  the  whole  farm  of  the  manures  and  attention  it 
would  otherwise  have ; but  as  there  is  no  Act  of  Parliament  to 
prevent  men  from  being  speculative,  so  must  the  consequences  of 
over  plantation  of  hops  produce  low  and  unprofitable  prices  on 
the  unkind  lands,  and  prove,  consequently,  injurious  to  the  whole 
of  the  growers.  This  is  the  evil,  and  not  the  duty  so  much  com- 
plained of — nay,  I am  of  opinion  that,  if  dispensed  with,  it  would 
encourage  more  plantations  and  increase  the  evil  ; for  hops  are 
not  to  be  compared  to  the  growth  of  corn,  for  which  there  must 
be  a demand  at  some  price  ; but  an  over  plantation  of  hops  (an 
article  not  consumable  even  by  pigs)  must  be  an  error.  The 
sacrifice  is  apparently  great  in  capital  to  give  up  the  unprofitable 
gardens,  but  had  better  be  at  once  adopted.  The  same  advice 
cannot  be  given  as  in  the  case  of  corn,  to  reduce  the  quantity  of 
acres — increasing  the  produce  of  the  remainder  by  better  cultiva- 
tion and  manuring ; this  would  not  meet  the  general  difficulty, 
nor  answer  the  general  purpose  of  the  occupiers  : it  is  impossible 
that  8 cwt.  per  acre  can  compete  against  20.  But  that  in- 
creased supply  beyond  the  demand  affects  bhe  prices,  to  render  it 
unprofitable  to  the  one  and  injurious  to  the  other. 
Improvements. — The  further  proposed  improvements  of  impor- 
tance consist  in  the  diminution  of  fences  in  the  enclosed  lands  of 
this  district,  and  taking  out  of  such  as  necessarily  remain  all 
timber  and  trees  whatsoever,  which  are  very  injurious  to  the  land 
and  unprofitable  to  the  owner ; for,  being  exposed  to  the  winds, 
they  make  no  growth,  and  if  permitted  to  stand  for  a century  would 
only  then  make  a few  posts  and  rails,  of  a few  shillings’  value, 
doing,  meanwhile,  as  many  pounds  damage  in  destroying  the  live 
fence  under  them  and  the  produce  about  them.  Fences  can  only 
be  necessary  to  the  depastured  fields  and  for  outside  protection ; 
when  any  portion  of  the  arable  land  is  depastured,  temporary 
fences  of  hurdles,  wattles,  net  or  wire,  &c.,  according  to  circum- 
stances, are  more  desirable,  the  fences  not  being  commonly  in  the 
situation  to  be  useful,  and,  when  they  are,  the  fences  themselves 
require  the  protection  of  hurdles  against  sheep  feeding  by  them. 
