which Sussex has long been celebrated,-I find nothing in the Reporter's lengthened remarks, in the body of his work, that demands insertion, here. The only passage of consideration, on that subject, appears in the APPENDIX; and that is, pretty evidently, by another hand. P. 480. "Lord Sheffield observes, that a good system of setting out the tellows or saplings, and of preserving them when young, and during their growth, would have rendered the growing timber in this island infinitely more valuable to the public, and consequently to the individual; and he conceives that the timber on his estate would be worth many thousands more, if he had earlier attended to the pruning and management of the woods. It is not suffi cient merely to leave a great number of young trees, they require regular care and training: if they are left too 'thin on the first setting out, they will not thrive, nor become clean lengthy plank timber; but it is absolutely necessary, as they grow up to thin them properly, leaving at last after the rate of from 40 to 50 trees on an açré.' These, let it be said, are masterly remarks. AGRICULTURE. FARMS.-P. ARMS.-P. 23. "In the Weald, although farms some. times rise to 2002. a year and upwards, yet of this magnitude they are not often to be met with; and in a general inquiry, a far greater number fall very considerably below this calculation, insomuch that the average size in this district is under 1002. a year. "On the South Downs they rise much higher. Many farmers occupy the greatest part, if not the whole of their respective parishes, as in Buttolphs, Kingston, Coombs, Bramber, North Stoke, Bletchington, Falmer, Piddinghoe, and many others in the neighbourhood of Lewes, East Bourne, and Brighton. Many of these have marsh-land annexed to their farms, for the convenience of maintaining and fattening their oxen, the work for the most part depending upon their labour. A farm of 1200 acres at East. Bourne has 200 acres of marsh; another of 1260 has 300. Farms in this district average 3501. per annum. In the triangle formed by Shoreham, Lewes, and East Bourne, they rise much higher, and on the western side of the Downs they fall lower. In the maritime district they vary from 70l. to 150%. Three farms out of five are under 100%. rent. In the penin Hh3 sula sula of Selsea, rented at 18002. and containing more than 2000 acres, farms vary from 50l. to 400l.". HOMESTEADS.-Building Materials.-P. 19. "Wherever the quarries are conveniently situated, stone is the usual material for farm-buildings and offices, no less than for gentlemen's seats; and as an excellent building-stone is found under a very considerable proportion of Sussex, it is a valuable circumstance to have materials for building of such a quality. "On the South Downs, and in the neighbourhood, another material, equally good, is made use of in the construction of houses, which are flints, and a better it is impossible to meet with: farm-houses, barns, stables, out-houses, and, in general, all the buildings in this district, are formed of flint. Tile is much used as a facing for houses, especially in situations exposed to the inclemency of the west or south-west winds. "I do not know whether this tile-facing for houses is used beyond the limits of Sussex and Hampshire; but it is very prevalent in Sussex," (and in South Surrey)" and in open and exposed situations effectually checks the fury of the storms, and preserves the inside of the house air-tight and dry: they are very common all over the county." Sheep Yards.-P. 21. "Sheep-yards, or standing folds, are very judiciously constructed on the South Downs. Mr. Ellman has one which contains an area of 50 yards by 20, which is sufficient for 750 sheep, at the rate of one yard and a half for each; so arranged as to contain sheds all around nine or ten feet in width, and across the centre, if the flock is numerous. A rack for hay is placed against the wall which surrounds the whole, and another, a double one, ought to stand along the central shed, for the sheep to feed from in each division of the yard." OBJECTS of AGRICULTURE.-For a tabled estimate of the values, and the existing states of occupation, of the lands of Sussex, at the time of reporting,-see the article, Rent, p. 468, aforegoing. PLAN of ARABLE MANAGEMENT.-Vale Lands.-P. 70. "The most general system pursued on the stiffer or strong loamy clays, is in the following order, and may be considered as the standard for the Weald. "1. Fallow; 2 Wheat; 3. Oats; 4. Clover and ray-grass, two or three years; 5. Oats, pease, or wheat."-Suppress the second article, and a better plan of management, for those lands, will not readily be discovered. 66 A few other courses" are exhibited, on paper; but nothing wearing the resemblance of an established practice is seen. The truth is,-in the professional practice of Sussex, as as of Kent, of Surrey, of Hampshire, and generally throughout the SOUTHERN COUNTIES, NO REGULAR SUCCESSION OF CROPS IS OBSERVABLE.-Every occupier, if not under legal restrictions, far as by EXISTING CIRCUMSTANCES; erops his lands according to the several states in which they are; so as to provide support for his present stock, or intended stock; and agreeably to his other OBJECTS in VIEW; -such as, in his duly considered and deliberative judgement, are the best adapted to the nature and state of his lands, and his situation in regard to markets, the prospect, of prices, &c. &c. &c. For a tenant who is master of his business, or a man of mature experience who cultivates his own lands, such a plan of management is doubtlessly the most eligible *:--not merely because it is conducive to immediate profit; but by reason of a change and variety of crops enabling lands to throw out an increase of produce, in future. To a proprietor, however, who lets his lands, at will, or a leasor; during the wane of an ordinary lease, such a plan of management might be found ineligible. But under a lease, running from three years to three years, with proper restrictions, after notice given, the eligibility of such a plan becomes indisputable; especially on mixed-land farms, WORKPEOPLE.-Wages.-P. 404. "The wages of servants vary from 77. and 87. to 11. a year. Task-workers will earn upon a medium from 1s. 6d. to 2s. a day; perhaps the average is 2s. or near it. The weekly labourers from 16d. to 18d.† "The price of labour is above the medium of many other counties; in the neighbourhood of the sea are seen many old labourers, as the young and active find smuggling a a more lucrative employ, which is very successfully pursued in Sussex. At Rye and Hastings, Bourne, &c. it is highly flourishing, whilst the health of the inhabitants is injured, the revenue defrauded, and labour extremely high. It has been computed, that the revenue in this line of country is cheated to the amount of 80,000l. per annum: between 3 and 400,000 gallons of gin, rum, and other spirits, are annually smuggled into this district. The principals engaged in the business have about 10s. 6d. each night: the common men a guinea a week; and in the conveyance from the vessel to the shore, from 2s. to 78. per night: 12,000 gallons of spirits have been landed in a week at Dungeness, in Kent. Light goods from Flanders, into Sussex and * For a novitial occupier, not yet out of leading strings, it may be well to "go by line and rule." At what period of time? In 1793, 1797, 1799, or 1803? sula of Selsea, rented at 18007. and containing more than 2000 acres, farms vary from 50l. to 400l." HOMESTEADS.-Building Materials.-P. 19. "Wherever the quarries are conveniently situated, stone is the usual material for farm-buildings and offices, no less than for gentlemen's seats; and as an excellent building-stone is found under a very considerable proportion of Sussex, it is a valuable circumstance to have materials for building of such a quality. "On the South Downs, and in the neighbourhood, another material, equally good, is made use of in the construction of houses, which are flints, and a better it is impossible to meet with: farm-houses, barns, stables, out-houses, and, in general, all the buildings in this district, are formed of flint. Tile is much used as a facing for houses, especially in situations exposed to the inclemency of the west or south-west winds. "I do not know whether this tile-facing for houses is used beyond the limits of Sussex and Hampshire; but it is very prevalent in Sussex," (and in South Surrey)" and in open and exposed situations effectually checks the fury of the storms, and preserves the inside of the house air-tight and dry: they are very common all over the county." Sheep Yards.-P. 21. "Sheep-yards, or standing folds, are very judiciously constructed on the South Downs. Mr. Ellman has one which contains an area of 50 yards by 20, which is sufficient for 750 sheep, at the rate of one yard and a half for each; so arranged as to contain sheds all around nine or ten feet in width, and across the centre, if the flock is numerous. A rack for hay is placed against the wall which surrounds the whole, and another, a double one, ought to stand along the central shed, for the sheep to feed from in each division of the yard." OBJECTS of AGRICULTURE.-For a tabled estimate of the values, and the existing states of occupation, of the lands of Sussex, at the time of reporting,-see the article, Rent, p. 468, aforegoing. PLAN of ARABLE MANAGEMENT.-Vale Lands.-P. 70. "The most general system pursued on the stiffer or strong loamy clays, is in the following order, and may be considered as the standard for the Weald. "1. Fallow; 2 Wheat; 3. Oats; 4. Clover and ray-grass, two or three years; 5. Oats, pease, or wheat."-Suppress the second article, and a better plan of management, for those lands, will not readily be discovered. A few other "courses" are exhibited, on paper; but nothing wearing the resemblance of an established practice The truth is, in the professional practice of Sussex, as as of Kent, of Surrey, of Hampshire, and generally throughout the SOUTHERN COUNTIES, NO REGULAR SUCCESSION OF CROPS IS OBSERVABLE.-Every occupier, if not under legal restrictions, far as by EXISTING CIRCUMSTANCES; erops his lands according to the several states in which they are; so as to provide support for his present stock, or intended stock; and agreeably to his other OBJECTS in VIEW; such as, in his duly considered and deliberative judgement, are the best adapted to the nature and state of his lands, and his situation in regard to markets, the prospect of prices, &c. &c. &c. For a tenant who is master of his business, or a man of mature experience who cultivates his own lands, such a plan of management is doubtlessly the most eligible*:-not merely because it is conducive to immediate profit; but by reason of a change and variety of crops enabling lands to throw out an increase of produce, in future. To a proprietor, however, who lets his lands, at will, or a leasor; during the wane of an ordinary lease, such a plan. of management might be found ineligible. But under a lease, running from three years to three years, with proper restrictions, after notice given, the eligibility of such a plan becomes indisputable; especially on mixed-land farms. WORKPEOPLE.-Wages.-P. 404. "The wages of servants vary from 77. and 82. to 112. a year. Task-workers will earn upon a medium from 1s. 6d. to 2s. a day; perhaps the average is 2s. or near it. The weekly labourers from 16d. to 18d.t "The price of labour is above the medium of many other counties; in the neighbourhood of the sea are seen many old labourers, as the young and active find smuggling a a more lucrative employ, which is very successfully pursued in Sussex. At Rye and Hastings, Bourne, &c. it is highly flourishing, whilst the health of the inhabitants is injured, the revenue defrauded, and labour extremely high. It has been computed, that the revenue in this line of country is cheated to the amount of 80,000l. per annum: between 3 and 400,000 gallons of gin, rum, and other spirits, are annually smuggled into this district. The principals. engaged in the business have about 10s. 6d. each night: the common men a guinea a week; and in the conveyance from the vessel to the shore, from 2s. to 7s. per night: 12,000 gallons of spirits have been landed in a week at Dungeness, in Kent. Light goods from Flanders, into Sussex and *For a novitial occupier, not yet out of leading strings, it may be well to " go by line and rule." ↑ at what period of time? In 1793, 1797, 1799, or 1803? |