On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
727 
potato-disease  and  the  fall  in  prices,  which  have  put  an  end  to 
this  system.  A spirit  of  improvement  has  at  last  crept  into  the 
district,  which  the  owners  of  the  land  might  turn  to  great  advan- 
tage by  patient  and  wise  attention  to  its  requirements. 
What  has  been  said  refers  chiefly  to  the  north-east  slope  of 
Mendip.  The  south  side  of  the  hill  is  differently  circumstanced, 
owing  to  its  contiguity  to  some  of  the  best  cheese-land. 
Immediately  above  the  alluvial  soil  which  runs  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill-side  is  a rich  strip  of  new  red  sandstone  or  marl  : above 
this  is  a conglomerate,  and  higher  up  a beautiful  sheep-walk  on 
the  mountain  limestone,  too  thin  to  repay  for  tillage.  These 
different  sorts  of  land  are  held  in  small  portions  with  the  dairy 
farms  of  the  Marsh,  to  which  they  afford  great  accommodation. 
Mr.  Edwards  of  Hutton,  the  resident  agent  of  one  of  the  principal 
properties  near  Axbridge,  has  been  gradually  introducing  great 
improvements,  both  in  the  buildings  and  in  the  management  of 
the  land ; a rational  system  of  cropping  was  at  first  enforced,  and 
is  now  adopted  on  conviction.  One  of  the  farmers  said  to  me, 
“ When  a man  has  grown  an  acre  of  mangold-wurzel  one  year,  he 
is  sure  to  have  two  the  next.” 
To  the  eastward  of  Axbridge  are  some  properties  in  a very 
bad  condition  ; but  there  is  one  remarkable  spot  embosomed  in 
a hollow  of  the  hill,  sheltered  from  winds,  and  open  to  the  south, 
in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation.  The  land  is  occupied  by 
tenants  called  croppers,  who  pay  rents  amounting  to  bl.  or  61. 
per  acre,  which  they  are  enabled  to  pay  by  never  letting  the  land 
lie  idle,  and  growing  crops  of  vegetables  in  rapid  succession,  which 
they  carry  to  the  Bristol  market  in  their  “ dillies,”  as  their  light 
platform  carts  are  called.  The  land  is  red  marl,  probably  im- 
proved by  the  washing  of  the  limestone  above. 
Ascending  the  Mendip  Hills  from  Wells  on  the  Frome  road, 
I met  with  a good  specimen  of  an  industrious  Mendip  farmer, 
who  was  storing  as  fine  a crop  of  swedes  in  November  as  any 
landlord  could  wish  to  see.  He  acknowledged  his  obligations 
to  the  gentleman  whom  I am  about  to  name,  and  to  whom  all 
the  owners  and  occupiers  of  the  Mendip  land  must  feel  indebted 
for  the  spirited  example  which  he  has  set. 
Mr.  Henry  Davis  occupies  about  1400  acres  of  land,  a large 
portion  of  which  is  at  Green  Ore,  on  the  summit  of  Mendip,  and 
some  adjoining  the  road  along  which  we  used  to  travel  on  the  Bath 
and  Exeter  mail.  Much  of  this  land  was  in  heaps  and  holes, 
varying  from  6 to  15  or  20  feet  deep,  old  calamine  pits,  which 
he  has  been  gradually  levelling  and  fitting  for  the  occupation  of 
future  tenants.  The  first  step  was  taken  with  great  judgment, 
by  surrounding  the  estate  with  picturesque  plantations  (which, 
by  the  way,  are  not  thinned  quite  so  well  as  the  turnips),  so 
