CHAPTER V.

By way of prelude to the subject of Agriculture, I think I may be allowed to observe, that there is scarcely a county in the British dominions, or an island in the British Channel, but is more or less famous for its produce, either from within the bowels of the earth or from its surface.

With respect to agriculture and horticulture, we find that Devonshire and Herefordshire are celebrated for their fine cattle and excellent cider. Kent, for corn, drill husbandry and hops. Romney Marsh sheep and fruits, particularly cherries' and filberts. Norfolk, for turnip and barley culture. Cheshire, for cheese. Surrey, for Farnham hops. Sussex, for fine cattle and Southdown sheep. Leicestershire, for large sheep and long wool, while Portland Isle is known far and near, from its small highly flavoured mutton, and short wool. Thus it is with the island of Guernsey, which has long been known for its excellent culture of parsnips, as well as for cows, fruits, and vegetables, particularly Chaumontel pears,

1 It appears that both cherry and apple-trees were first brought over by our Norman ancestors; but that Richard Hains, fruiterer to King Henry VIII, having observed that those plants which had been so brought over, had lost their native excellence by length of time, and that we were served from foreign parts with these fruits, he obtained, in 1533, 105 acres of rich land, at Tenham, in Kent, and with great care, good choice, and no small labour and cost, brought plants from beyond seas, and furnished this ground with them, in in the most beautiful order. "This," says Lambarde, "was the parent from whence the other plantations issued."-Hasted's Kent, vol. VI, 291.

rows,

figs, etc., and brocoli; for cider, for Guernsey lilies, and other flowers.

The same may be said of Alderney, with respect to its cows, which, for more than half a century, have been sought for by persons in all parts of England, on account of the richness and produce of their excellent cream and butter. I was told by a gentleman of Alderney, that though their cows are much smaller, and require less food than those of Guernsey, yet their produce in cream and butter is as great. This may, however, be disputed by the Guernsey gentlemen, as I could not learn that any fair experiment had been made for the purpose of ascertaining the truth. 1

This island may likewise be said to be famous for its growth of lucerne, all of which is sown here broad-cast. The cultivation of it appears to be far greater in this than in either of its sister islands. I never saw, either in England, France, or the Netherlands, such luxuriant crops of lucerne, as grow here upon some of the poorest sandy soil. It was observed to me by several gentlemen of the island, that the poorer the land the more the lucerne flourished; for, said they, the grass, which is the great natural enemy of this plant on good land, cannot flourish nor overrun it in this poor sandy soil. The nature of their soil being generally sandy and light, is therefore well adapted for lucerne, as it is also for potatoes,

1 Mr. Sandford, the Jurat, said that Gen. Bayly, when Governor of Guernsey, taking a fancy to one of his cows, in order to send to His Majesty, Mr. S. consented, upon the condition that the Governor should send him one of the best Guernsey sort; he, therefore, has had both sorts on trial, and he told the writer that he had found the Alderney sort to give as much, if not more, butter than the Guernsey cow. Mr. S. also remarked, that the Guernsey cows became dry before calving long before the Alderney; at least his did, which, he said, was nearly two months dry; whereas the Alderney cow might be milked, if well fed, almost to the last week before calving. - EDIT.

which are esteemed by the inhabitants to be much finer than those grown elsewhere. Potatoes are grown here in large quantities, and brought early to market. Many hundred bushels of these are exported to England. About eighty cows, bulls, calves, etc. in the year, with the potatoes, and the wool from the Governor's flock, appear to be the chief, or only produce of the soil which is exported. The quantity of wheat grown is not enough for their consumption, and they are under the necessity of importing wheat and flour, both from France and Southampton every year. The culture of parsnips in this island is not carried to the extent, according to its size, that it is both in Jersey and Guernsey. The ruta-baga and turnips are very little cultivated. The Governor and a few other gentlemen have adopted them, and Major Martin feeds his hogs on turnips, boiled. Scarcely any oats are sown, wheat and barley being their chief crops: the latter is partly made into bread, and consumed by the lower class. The barley, lately introduced into the island, is much approved of; it is beardless, and skinless, and therefore, the waste in bran is so much less: this sort of barley appears to flourish better here than the old sort. Beans and pease are planted only for the table.

It has been before remarked, at page 15, that the chief part of the arable land in Alderney is in a common field, containing about five hundred English acres, called the Blaie. There are, however, some few enclosures, at a little distance from this land, where corn is occasionally sown; in one of these, I saw a small patch of canary (belonging to Mr. Sandford), the first of this grain ever sown in the island; it was broad-cast, which is contrary to the practice of the farmers in the isle of Thanet, where great quantities of it are drilled. At no great distance from this field is the late Governor's farm, and, to the west of the Blaie, is another enclosed farm,

belonging to Major Martin, one of the largest farms in the island, containing about fifty English acres; and what is very remarkable in this island, he has, by purchasing and exchanging, made nearly the whole within a ring fence, and the greatest part surrounded with a new dry wall, made in a much superior manner to the old walls that surround their enclosures, and which give a very barren appearance. Major M. has erected a small farm-house, with a barn, stables, etc. upon the spot, and in 1824 built a cottage for his own residence, which commands a view of almost the whole of his land.

The nature of the Norman laws that are in force in Alderney respecting landed property, which descends by partition among the male and female heirs, has been the cause of the small divisions of it in the common field. The various slips, some of them containing a few perches only, belong to different proprietors, which they have received from having been descended from the same ancestor, who was the owner of a much larger district; and as these owners may crop the land with what sorts of grain they please, such variety causes it to appear very strange to an English farmer, many of whom possess farms larger than the whole land of the Blaye. The soil of this corn-land is a rich sandy one, and, generally speaking, produces fine crops: it is very often manured, almost for every crop, chiefly with sea-weed in its fresh state, but sometimes mixed with earth and dung, and occasionally stable dung alone is used. As for the cow dung, they collect this to dry for fuel. The immense quantities of vraic, or sea-weed, growing upon the rocks all around, cause it to be much used as a manure; though Major Martin thinks, if the carriage of it was paid for, it would make it an expensive mode of manuring. It ought, however, to be observed, that owing to there being no particular laws in force respecting the gathering of

this sea-weed, as in Guernsey or Jersey, the farmers are enabled to collect it when they are most at leisure, thus rendering it at a less expense.

Many of these slips, or patches, are cultivated by the spade; the others ploughed. The plough commonly used is a heavy instrument, with a fixed mould-board, much heavier than the soil requires. Major Martin has a light plough, which he employs with two horses abreast. This was shown to one of the farmers, who said he liked his own sort better, and the. only reason he gave was, that his plough required four horses; such is the prejudice in favour of old established usages, which, it is to be feared, is not confined to the farmer in Alderney. In 1823, I saw persons ploughing with four horses for their barley sowing; some of the ploughs with three horses, and others with only two horses in length; the Governor's servants were ploughing with one horse and one ox; but all the ploughs had drivers for the cattle.

In characterising the different features of these islands in the Gulph, it may be said that Alderney would be known by its stone walls, and from the deficiency of trees and shelter by hedges; and Jersey, on the contrary, by being enveloped in fruit trees and oaks, without having any woods or coppice. Guernsey for excellent roads, fine straight elms, small enclosures, and furze banks; while Sark has a naked and open appearance. There is this, also, in Alderney: you may see on the Downs a flock of more than two hundred sheep, attended by a shepherd or his boy, whilst the few sheep in Sark run wild; and in Guernsey, very few sheep are to be seen, except those belonging to the butchers, imported for the market; these are kept in their small enclosures. All these islands agree, however, in tethering their cattle in the enclosures, let the latter be ever so small, and in milking their cows three times each day; although some exceptions to this rule may be seen, for the Barrack-master, William Hanmer, Esq.,