150 
Some Minor Farm Crops. 
products of the farm. When clover is grown the first crop 
is taken early for hay and the second crop is harvested for 
seed. On small holdings the crops are grown in much the 
same proportions, though flower seeds and the smaller sorts 
of vegetable seeds may assume greater relative importance than 
on the large farms. Also some potatoes and peas are grown for 
Covent Garden by the small holders. Two well-known firms 
of seedsmen in the neighbourhood make a speciality of sweet 
peas, both for seed and for cut blooms for the London market. 
The small holders have practically equal advantage with 
larger farmers in the seed-growing industry, if the fact of 
higher rentals is excepted, and sometimes the smaller occupiers 
obtain an actual advantage, for men of known honesty and 
carefulness may obtain contracts for special stocks of seeds at 
profitable rates. The rents of many of the large farms range 
about 11. per acre, sometimes less, often a little over, according 
to the distance from the woods, while few of the small 
holdings are let at less than 21. per acre, and sometimes more 
than this sum is required for them. Allotments of less than 
half an acre are usually let at 6d. per rod. The ploughing on 
both the lighter and heavier soils can be done with two 
horses, the land being laid in “ stetches ” of eight furrows, or 
ploughed on the level system, according to the situation and 
the nature of the soil. There is no particular form of treat- 
ment with regard to cultivation or manuring, except that 
seed-growers always attempt to obtain a good supply of 
nitrogenous fertilisers. A good deal of stable manure is 
obtained from London at the rate of 5s. to 7s. per ton. Fish 
manure and “ fifingers ” (be., Starfish) are also great favourites. 
When these are not obtainable nitrate of soda is used, but it is 
not looked on with great favour. For some crops super- 
phosphate is also in demand. 
There is no particular rotation, and there is no rule about 
succession of crops, except that swedes or turnips must never 
follow each other, either on the plant beds or in the fields. 
Mangolds are sometimes grown on the same plot year after 
year, especially on the plant beds, with complete success. 
Mangolds are grown on the heavier land. In reality, cropping 
is determined by the demand for seeds, and the necessity for 
separating crops to prevent inoculation. This year there was 
an unusually large acreage under mangold seed as the stocks 
were low. While contract growers were supplying merchants 
with seed at 25s. per cwt. during last winter it w T as selling on 
Mark Lane at 50s. The one imperative necessity in laying out 
land for crops is to take every precaution to prevent 
inoculation. Farmers of adjoining fields often have to come 
to an agreement as to what shall be grown on each side of the 
