748 
On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
There  remain  a few  points  of  general  reference  prescribed  by 
the  Council  for  consideration,  which  have  been  touched  on  inci- 
dentally in  various  parts  of  the  Report,  and  one  which  must  be 
treated  of  more  fully. 
Small  Inclosures  and  Hedgerow  Timber. — In  no  part  of  the 
county  is  the  evil  greater  than  in  the  vale  of  Taunton  Dean. 
Its  beauty  (so  familiar  in  the  days  when,  on  a stage-coach,  we 
did  sometimes  pass  over  the  top  of  a hill  instead  of  going  through 
it)  depends,  alas  ! in  great  measure  on  the  richness  and  frequency 
of  its  hedge-rows,  giving  as  they  do  the  appearance  of  a vast 
wood  to  the  whole  valley  when  seen  from  an  eminence.  In 
many  places  the  hedges  are  so  close  that  the  roots  of  the  elm- 
trees  must  meet  under  ground.  The  evils  of  these  small  in- 
closures are  many : 1st.  The  hedges  being  planted  on  high  banks 
take  up  a great  deal  of  land.  ‘2ndly,  They  cause  a great  waste 
of  time  in  frequent  turnings  of  the  ploughs,  drills,  harrows,  &c. 
3rdly,  Being  large  and  bushy,  they  harbour  weeds  and  vermin. 
4thly,  They  intercept  the  sun  and  air,  and  by  so  doing  hinder 
the  growth  of  crops,  delay  their  ripening,  and  check  the  drying 
current  of  air  which  is  so  important  in  harvest.  The  closeness, 
also,  is  productive  of  great  mischief  to  sheep  when  feeding  in  hot 
weather  in  close  valleys.  5thly,  Another  very  serious  evil  con- 
nected with  hedgerow  timber,  which  affects  the  owner  as  well  as 
the  occupier,  is  the  great  risk  of  drains  being  stopped  by  the  roots 
of  elm  trees.  The  same  roots  also  draw  away  the  nourishment, 
and  especially  the  moisture  from  the  root-crops.  Mr.  Gabriel 
Poole  has  drawn  my  attention  to  a remarkable  fact  which  he  has 
observed  : — 
“ Barley  and  turnip  crops  in  a dry  summer  grow  nothing  within  20 
yards  of  a hedge,  if  it  contains  any  considerable  quantity  of  timber.  In 
these  situations  turnips  are  almost  invariably  mildewed,  and  if  you  scrape 
away  the  surface-soil  with  your  foot  as  far  as  you  see  the  mildewed  turnips 
extend,  you  will  find  that  the  small  roots  of  the  trees  have  sucked  out 
every  drop  of  moisture  from  the  soil,  and  left  it  like  the  dust  of  a turnpike 
road.  You  can  see  to  an  inch  how  far  these  roots  extend,  and  one  foot 
only  beyond  that  line  you  will  find  that  at  the  depth  of  only  an  inch  or  two 
below  the  surface  the  ground  is  moist.” 
Landlords  sometimes  think  that  the  effect  of  hedges  is  only  to 
lower  the  value  of  part  of  a field  by  the  amount  of  10s.  or  15s. 
per  acre,  whereas  the  real  effect  is  to  destroy  its  whole  value  in 
rent,  and  in  addition  the  value  of  the  manure  and  labour,  amount- 
ing to  probably  twice  the  rent. 
A square  furlong,  as  A,  B,  C,  D,  measures  220  yards 
each  way,  and  contains  10  acres  ; if  it  be  divided  into  two 
5-acre  fields  by  a hedge,  H,  E,  6 feet  wide,  and  full  of  elm 
trees,  it  is  below  the  mark  to  say  that  the  loss  extends  10 
yards  on  each  side,  that  is,  (including  the  hedge,)  22  yards ; 
