On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
673 
where  the  pasture  rests  on  a deep  soil  in  sheltered  situations,  and 
is  naturally  sweet,  it  should  not  be  disturbed,  but  stocked  with 
judgment  and  care,  and  occasionally  dressed  with  lime.  A yeo- 
man farming  his  own  land  endeavoured  to  improve  some  ground 
of  this  kind.  He  broke  it  up — sowed  turnips  twice,  and  no  corn, 
and  seeded  out ; and,  after  4 years’  expense,  he  left  it  worse  than 
when  he  began.  He  then  dressed  it  with  lime  and  earth,  and  in 
time  it  came  round  again.  On  the  other  hand,  when  the  land  is 
light  and  high,  it  must  be  broken  from  time  to  time,  or  it  will  be- 
come mossy  and  worthless. 
The  great  instance  of  successful  practice  with  permanent  pasture 
is  that  of  J.  W.  Blake,  Esq.,  of  Venne  House,  on  Brendon  Hill, 
marked  on  the  Ordnance  Map  “four  Chimnies.” 
Mr.  Blake,  finding  the  soil  of  his  estate  not  suited  to  the  ripen- 
ing of  seed,  but  very  favourable  to  the  growth  of  grass,  has  been 
lor  some  years  engaged  in  its  improvement  with  a view  to  the  for- 
mation of  good  permanent  pasture.  This  he  has  effected  by 
draining,  liming,  and  sowing  a carefully  made  selection  of  the 
most  permanent  grasses.  In  a few  instances  he  has  given  a 
dressing  of  bones,  or  irrigated  with  pond  water. 
He  lets  his  fields  annually  by  auction  to  farmers,  graziers,  and 
butchers  from  great  distances.  He  has  been  kind  enough  to 
furnish  me  with  particulars  of  the  original  value  of  each  field,  the 
way  in  which  it  was  treated,  and  of  its  letting  in  the  years  1848 — 
1849.  The  statement  is  too  much  in  detail  for  this  Report;  but 
the  following  is  the  general  result : — 
The  Venne  farm,  consisting  of  233  acres,  w'as  let  for  a term  of 
21  years  in  1802,  at  a rent  of  100Z.  per  annum  : it  was  valued  at 
115/.  for  a new  poor-rate  in  the  year  1832.  The  lettings  of  166 
acres  of  improved  grass  out  of  the  233,  in  1849  produced  365Z. 
The  Cooksley  farm,  consisting  of  129  acres,  was  let  in  1832 
for  45Z.  The  lettings  of  95  acres  of  improved  grass  out  of  the  129, 
in  1849  produced  176/. 
The  following  arrangement  of  the  several  parcels  of  land  on 
one  of  the  farms  w ill  probably  be  more  satisfactory  than  a mere 
general  statement  : — 
1832. 
1849. 
Acres. 
Original  State  in  1632. 
Net  Value 
per  Acre. 
Letting  to  a 
Tenant. 
Gross 
Amount  paid 
per  Acre. 
Lettings  by 
Auction. 
44* 
Arable,  at  . . . 
6s.  to  10s. 
£.  s.  d. 
16  2 0 
3$s. 
£.  s.  d. 
84  5 0 
4-2* 
Pasture,  at 
3s.  6 d.  to  15s. 
13  17  2 
30s. 
64  0 0 
Water-meadow,  at 
17s.  to  23s. 
7 3 6 
70s. 
28  0 0 
94f 
37  2 0 
176  5 0 
