On  the  Farming  of  Sussex.  87 
vation  and  manuring  being  always  certified  with  the  articles  exhi- 
bited. 
The  next  thing  that  affords  great  assistance  and  comfort,  and  is 
worthy  of  all  classes  to  join  them,  is  a sick-club  society  ; this 
affords  them  an  independent  resource  in  time  of  need.  Those 
founded  on  the  annual  dissolution  plan  are  the  best — returning 
them  once  a year  the  unrequired  amount  monthly  subscribed.  I 
belonged  to  one  of  this  description  for  many  years,  paying  2s.  3d. 
per  month  for  12  months  ; the  members  received  back,  on  the 
average,  more  than  one-half  the  amount  paid  : the  sick  receiving 
for  the  first  6 months,  10s.  per  week  ; the  remaining  six  months, 
5s.  per  week  ; and  afterwards  a pension  of  two  shillings  per  week. 
This  was  not  in  a populous  neighbourhood,  but  consisted  of  170 
members  when  I left  in  1835,  and  continues  now  about  the  same 
number.  On  the  decease  of  a member  Is.  each  to  be  paid  by 
the  members  at  the  next  monthly  meeting,  and  given  to  the  friends 
of  the  deceased.  I introduced  also,  in  the  same  parish  of  Rot- 
tingdean  in  the  year  1835,  a medical  club,  which  has  now  between 
200  and  300  members.  The  single  man  pays  Id.  per  week  by 
the  quarter  ; a man  and  his  wife  7s.  8 d.  per  annum,  quarterly ; a 
man,  wife,  and  two  children,  12s.  4 d.  per  annum  ; a man,  wife, 
and  four  children,  15s.  per  annum,  being  Is.  Id.  per  head  only 
for  the  children ; and  this  includes  all  cases  requiring  the  attend- 
ance of  a medical  man  and  medicine,  except  midwifery  cases,  for 
which  the  extra  charge  is  10s.  And  it  appears  from  this  state- 
ment that  a man,  his  wife,  and  four  children,  by  belonging  to  the 
medical  club,  are  certainly  provided  for,  as  before  stated,  for  the 
trifling  sum  of  6 \d.  per  week  for  52  weeks,  2s.  4 d.  per  month  for 
12  months,  and  1/.  8s.  for  the  year. 
To  conclude:  I will  briefly  sum  up  the  improvements  that 
have  taken  place  in  the  county  of  Sussex  from  1808  to  1849. 
Draining,  under-draining,  the  use  of  artificial  manures  at  reduced 
prices,  increased  cultivation,  increased  produce  of  roots  and  other 
green  crops,  better  management  of  sheep  and  cattle,  improved 
machinery  and  agricultural  implements,  increased  consumption 
by  visitors  at  watering-places,  Tithe  Commutation,  and  lastly  the 
Poor  Law  Amendment  Act,  which  has  removed  a great  burthen 
irotn  the  land,  Sussex  having  been,  previously  to  the  improve- 
ment in  the  poor-laws,  one  of  the  highest  counties  for  poor-rates 
and  also  for  wages.  The  various  external  causes  which  during 
the  same  period  have  lowered  from  time  to  time  the  price  of 
corn,  the  nature  of  this  publication  will  not  allow  me  to  dwell 
upon.  These  changes  brought  almost  instant  ruin  to  some; 
others  were  obliged  to  have  recourse  for  a time  to  their  property ; 
and  some,  by  the  partial  exhaustion  of  their  capital  in  stock,  &c., 
were  formerly  or  now  are  reduced  to  that  state  that  they  are 
