734 
On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
good  effects  of  Mr.  Jarrett’s  farming  might  be  seen  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  farmyards  of  his  tenants. 
Near  Frome  there  is  some  good  farming.  There  are  several 
brothers,  Messrs.  Steeds,  who  have  a very  large  business  in  that 
town  as  butchers,  who  are  men  of  capital,  energy,  and  intelli- 
gence ; they  buy  very  largely  whatever  is  worth  having  in  any 
part  of  Somersetshire,  and  occupy  several  farms,  which  they 
manage  with  spirit,  producing  the  finest  stock.  Whether  they 
are  geologists  I know  not,  but  they  seem  to  have  a keen  eye  for 
the  patches  of  new  red  sandstone  which  are  scattered  among  less 
profitable  soils  ; I understand  they  have  taken  contracts  to  de- 
liver meat  at  the  Paddington  station  very  much  below  the  London 
prices. 
There  is  a large  property  managed  by  Mr.  Raines  (who  was 
brought  up  in  the  school  of  the  founder  of  the  Royal  Agricul- 
tural Society,  Mr.  Handley),  on  which  improvements  are  quietly 
taking  place ; and  I must  express  my  special  obligations  to  this 
gentleman  for  the  assistance  he  gave  me  at  the  commencement 
of  the  inquiries  needful  for  this  Report. 
The  bed  of  clay  which  stretches  southwards  from  Frome,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Wiltshire  hills,  is  of  a very  unmanageable  cha- 
racter. Sir  Hugh  Hoare  has  made  a very  spirited  outlay  on 
some  most  discouraging  land  adjoining  his  Wiltshire  estate. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Marindin,  of  Shank’s  House,  has  done  much  to 
improve  the  dairy  farming  near  Wincanton  ; and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Plucknet,  who  farms  his  glebe  at  Horton,  has  set  an  example  of 
thoroughly  practical  farming  on  bad  land  at  a great  elevation. 
The  soil  is  on  the  forest  marble,  and  very  wet,  but  he  has  shown 
ihat  some  of  the  land  will  grow  wheat  in  alternate  years,  with 
vetches  and  mangold-wurzel  between,  and  has  introduced  some 
useful  implements  suited  to  the  wants  of  the  small  farmer  ; he 
has  also  induced  his  neighbours  to  use  bones  for  their  turnips. 
Sorts  of  Grain  and  Roots. — Enough  attention  is  not  paid  in 
some  parts  of  the  county  to  the  selection  of  seeds.  In  the  hills 
particularly  there  has  been  great  carelessness  on  this  subject,  and 
oats  are  produced  at  7 lb.  a peck  which  might,  with  a little  care 
about  seed,  have  weighed  10  lb.  Several  of  the  sorts  of  corn, 
grass,  and  turnip  seeds  used  bv  the  best  farmers  have  been  men- 
tioned. Mr.  Clarke  (engaged  largely  in  the  corn-trade  at  Street) 
recommends  in  addition  the  nursery  wheat,  as  having  the  power 
of  ripening  after  it  is  laid,  but  not  good  for  poor  soils ; also  the 
Chiddam  and  April  bearded.  Mr.  Hancock  showed  me  a rick  of 
hoary  Talavera,  which  he  believed  would  contain  300  bushels 
from  6 acres.  Mr.  W.  Miles  has  found  the  Hopetoun  very  suc- 
cessful on  his  poor  soil  in  the  east.  A wheat  called  Rattling  Jack 
