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a farm of from five to ten acres, with a small house
attached to it, will let at little less than 6Z. per acre.
Although spade husbandry be employed, no man,
unless he labours assiduously, and exercises the most
severe economy, can live upon the produce of his
land, and pay his rent.
I need scarcely say, that the produce of corn land,
varies according to years and soil ; four Winchester
quarters per English acre, is considered a good crop of
wheat ; but this is very frequently obtained ; and six
even, have been known to be produced.
On the land under tillage, which is rapidly on the
increase in Guernsey, wheat is most generally grown ;
and the red is preferred; partly because of its producing
heavier crops, and partly because it is less
obnoxious to the ravages of small birds, which, especially
sparrows, are exceedingly numerous in Guernsey,
although the States of the island, have for years
past, granted a sum of 70/. per annum, as a premium
for the destruction of sparrows. Barley generally
follows a wheat crop, and is of an excellent quality.
W^hen Quail wrote, it appears, that barley was chiefly
used for bread ; but it is now, for the most part, disposed
of to the brewers for malting ; and has of late
been sold at 125. the Guernsey bushel, which contains
55 lbs. English. Oats and rye are neither of them
much cultteated in Guernsey, unless merely for house
use. Sometimes oats form the first crop on land on
which furze has been grown : but since the peace has
opened the continental ports, the isEnd can be supplied
with oats, cheaper than it can grow them.
Parsnips, though still extensively cultivated, are
somewhat on the decline. This is owing to the more
extensive cultivation of beet-root, and of potatos, for
the use of distilleries, and for exportation; and the
cultivation of these roots, being much less expensive
than that of parsnips, it is now more in vogue.
Quail states that sea sand is employed in Guernsey
husbandry, and is found beneficial : but sea sand
purely so, is not in use; the only sea sand used, being
that which is mixed with decomposed sea weed,—and
which is then, rather mud than sand. The sand of
Guernsey contains few or no calcareous particles,
being mere pulverized granite; and is consequently
of no service in vegetation,—unless on very heavy
lands, of which there are scarcely any in Guernsey.
With the exception of the draining of marsh lands
—'from which fine meadows have been formed,—and
the improvements in live stock, no great alterations in
the husbandry of Guernsey have taken place during
the last twenty years. The establishment, however,
sometime ago, of an agricultural society, under the
very best management, bids fair to effect important
improvements; and in the breeding of cattle, to which
I shall presently more particularly allude, the efficacy
of such an establishment has already been proved.
But on all properties and farms of tolerable size,
the dairy is the principal object of attention; and is
. also the most profitable part of farming. The butter
always finds an immediate sale in the market at l 5 . to
l 5. 3d. per lb .; although French and Dutch butter
may be purchased at one half of that price. A good
cow is expected to yield 7lbs. of butter per week; and
many have been known to produce double that quan3**
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