On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
701 
certainly  not  below  the  truth  to  estimate  the  produce  of  an 
average  Somerset  farm  (containing  a fair  proportion  of  meadow) 
at  about  24  score,  or  say  half  a cwt.,  of  meat  per  acre,  all 
round  ; or  about  4 score,  or  say  three-quarters  of  a cwt.  per  acre, 
counting  only  the  grass  and  a moiety  of  the  arable  land. 
I have  it  on  the  authority  of  several  respectable  farmers  that 
the  amount  of  money  paid  in  wages  on  mixed  farms  is  commonly 
nearer  10s.  than  '20s.  per  acre.  The  cases  in  which  it  exceeds 
20s.  are  quite  exceptional. 
That  we  have  the  means  in  our  soil,  if  we  only  use  them  right, 
of  benefiting  both  the  labourer  and  the  farmer,  I have  not  the 
least  doubt,  and  if  the  consideration  of  these  facts  shall  in  the 
slightest  degree  tend  to  produce  advantage  to  them,  I shall  be 
fully  repaid  for  the  trouble  of  collecting  them. 
It  is  admitted  that  the  climate  of  the  south-west  of  England, 
especially  on  and  near  the  hills,  is  not  so  favourable  to  the  growth 
of  corn  as  that  of  the  eastern  counties,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
it  is  more  favourable  to  the  growth  of  grass.  If  the  farmers  in 
Somersetshire  do  not  keep  pace  with  the  arable  farmers  of  the 
east  in  the  production  of  stock,  to  what  means  will  they  look  to 
increase  the  returns  of  the  land? 
The  attention  of  the  county  was  publicly  drawn  to  the  con- 
sideration of  this  and  kindred  questions  fifty  years  ago. 
Mr.  Billingsley  concluded  his  Report  with  certain  practical 
suggestions ; if  it  seems  tedious  or  trifling  to  repeat  some  of 
them,  the  best  farmers  will  bear  me  out  in  the  assertion  that 
there  is  not  one  of  those  which  follow  but  applies  in  all  its 
force  to  some  part  of  the  county  at  the  present  day.  I,  therefore, 
shelter  myself  under  his  authority,  and  give  them  substantially  in 
his  own  words. 
1.  Erect  proper  buildings  for  the  shelter  of  cattle  in  the 
winter  months,  thereby  inviting  substantial  and  wrell-informed 
farmers  to  settle  on  them. 
2.  Farmers  who  have  spirit  to  improve  their  estates  should  have 
some  security  for  being  reimbursed. 
3.  Make  as  much  dung  as  possible  bv  housing  all  so?'ts  of 
cattle,  preserving  urine,  collect  woollen  rags,  maltcombs,  ashes, 
liorn-shavings,  &c. 
4.  Wherever  marl,  lime,  or  chalk  can  be  had  within  reasonable 
distance,  neglect  not  a liberal  use  thereof. 
5.  Adopt  a regular  rotation  of  crops,  sow  one  quarter  of  turnip 
land  to  swedes,  sow  more  sainfoin  on  the  stone-brash. 
6.  Plough  up  old  mossy  hide-bound  grass-land. 
7-  In  the  west  of  the  county  let  grass  be  considered  the  ultimate 
object  of  improvement. 
8.  Introduce  threshing-machines  and  improved  implements 
