36 
The Agriculture of the Cotswolds. 
From the system of agriculture practised in this part of the 
county of Gloucester it follows that the farm buildings are not 
of such an elaborate character as is necessary where the land is 
devoted to dairying and pig breeding, or where the greater 
part of the root crop is consumed in the winter by cattle for 
the production of beef. A number of old barns are seen, 
whose importance has largely diminished now that they are no 
longer occupied in the winter by men threshing corn with the 
flail, and these are made use of for storing the many new 
implements now required, weaning calves, and other purposes. 
All the horses are fed in one long stable, being tied up close 
together without partitions. About half lie in the stable at 
night, the rest being turned out into boxes after being watered 
and fed. In summer they lie out in a grass field or piece of 
old seeds. Two important considerations on the hills are 
water supply and Dutch barns, and money spent in theii 
provision is of great benefit to the farmer. 
The farm houses are old-fashioned and roomy, and although 
many old cottages have been pulled down, as not coming up 
to modern requirements, those that are left are generally 
speaking sufficient for the diminished agricultural population. 
In places where there is a shortage of cottages for farm 
labourers it is frequently due to the fact that many 7 are occu- 
pied by men engaged in better paid industries, who bicycle 
to their work at a distance, and pay a nearer approach to an 
economic rent than the agricultural labourer can afford. It is 
likely that while the Old Age Pensions Act may keep people 
out of the workhouse, it may also tend to overcrowding in 
the villages, where already an appreciable proportion of the 
cottages is occupied by old people past work, and by widows. 
In bringing this short account of the agriculture of the 
Cotswolds to a close I must express my great indebtedness to 
many of my agricultural friends, too numerous to mention by 
name, who have most kindly and readily given me informa- 
tion. I have also to thank Mr. John Sawyer, author of “ The 
Story of Gloucestershire,” for his valuable help in many ways. 
Had I not been assured of the assistance so generously given 
me I would have felt unable to accept the Editor’s invitation 
to contribute a paper on such an important subject. 
Robert Anderson, F.S.I. 
Cirencester. 
