Smyrna times., 1858-05-06
Agricultural.

er description of an English farm, which we
doubt not will interest aud entertain all readers
lie says:
"Buller Abbey is the residence of Thomas
Crisp Esq, one Of the most noted breeders Of
short-horned cattle, of swine, and Ut Suffolk
cart-horses in that part of England. spent
several days under his h0spltable roof and gave
his stock otanmals pretty thorough examna-
ton. He farms about 5000 acres, and has hun
dreds OF cattle and horses and thousands Of
sheep. Perhaps a ride round the farm, for 1t is
quite too large to walk over, NAV give the
reader an idea of large farmers affairs in that
part OF England. Mr. Crisp is, like most farm
ers, tenant, and not the owner of the land he
occupies. These tGnancles, usually, find, are
not by written lease, out by sort Of under
standing, not quite definite enough for my
taste, regulated much by the customs of the
particular estate. A large proprietor, Lord
somebody, or the Duke OfsOmethlng, owns some
2O,OOU or $4,000 acres, which has been in the
| Idmly thousand years, or at least from the
| time OF William the COnqucror This propr.e-
tor usually gives no personal attention to hl es.
tates so far as the rents are concerned, but IN
! trusts all such affairs to Il steward, who makes
! his bargains with the tenants, and the lord OF
the domain sometimes does not even visit
farm in generation ; the tenant occupies at a
liked rate, which he pays halt-yearly in cash
and although neither party is bound for more
than the year, the tenant often occupies for his
lifetime, and the son takes the farm at his de-
cease. Landlords are willing to give long
leases, but tenants seem 10 prefer the yearly
system. SO far as have observed.
The tenant farmer seems to 90 on and make
the permanent improvements often a great ex-
pense, and lays out his work as if he owned the
fee simple; and on the WHOLE homes are more
permanent in this land Of mere tenants than in
the land of fee simple owners, with migratory
habits. The farmer pays IA rest of say five dol
lars an acre annually for his land and conducts
his operations In his own way, provided he does
not cut down trees, ploW up any pasture land
or disturb the game, such as haIes, phesants,
and partridges, which go where they Please
aud do as much damage as they like, unmolest-
ed.
keeper-that is, game keeper-lives on
the estate, whose business it is to protect the
game, and catch the poachers who presume to
touch these animals which arc held as sacred
as the geese in Rome's capital, The game
laws are, and ever have been, a fruitless soulce
of crime and suffering, and always will be till
human nature is thoroughly changed. On
every estate where have been, have noticed
with indignation the ravages of these useless
animals called game. in the fields OF the finest
wheat, while neither farmer nor laboTer dares
even TO drive them away, on penalty of his
lords dIspeasure, and the loss Of hls lease npXt
year. | will say, however, that properly
viewed, this waste of human food is not the los
of the farmer, but of the landlord, because land
not subject to the preservation of game is for
that reason leased at higher rent.
There are no large barns for grain ard hay in
The south of England as with US, but those pro-
ducts which we so carefully protect are never
housed. have discussed the topic good deal
with farmers here, and they have reasons for
their course; some cannot venture to answer.
They say they cannot afford the expense of
barns aud that, if they could, hay wond heat
and burn up by spontaneous combustion if put
IN them. The climate there is much. more
moist than ours, aud | think the storms are not
so violent. Hay docs not dry readily nor
jure much in the stack as with US, and, on
the whole, if English farmers like their own
mode best, we will find no fault with the judg-
ment but ain sure it is poor economy for New
Enganders to follow their example in that par
ticuIar. The low price of labor and The high
price Of building material in England make in
favor of stacks and against barns
In MIR. Grsp's farm-yard saw an original
of the tarm-yards in which Landseer and Her
ring and other painters of animals so much de-
light. Around in some order, though with no
great regularity, are huge stacks OF wheat, bar
ley, hay aud straw, large as good y-sized
barns all neatly thatched and trimmed.
There is a donkey, quietly medtating on the
better condition of half dozen cart-horseS til II
are standing to their knees IN straw, ea ting rye
grass and clover from the rack and there a
dozen black pigs, oftwO moEths, with their ma
teru relative roofing about the feet of the
cESn nf Is ahOuf i'm
the same yard, and hens and chickens mix into
the scene in crowds. A big dog is chained to
the gate, and a smaller one is barking TO ans
stranger who approaches. Under the long,
tile rooted shed u dozen carts keep company
with as many long-haudled, long-noscd, long
beamed p.oWs.
A steam engine is putting away, quietly and
busily, with threshng machine. Two or
three men are passing up the sheaves from the
rick, and two women on the top of the thresher
receive it and unite the bands, while two more
men are pitching the straw on new stack,
about as large and high up as forty-toot barn
while on top ofthe same stack boy Is mounted
on a horse of near a tun's weight. riding con-
stantlyS about 10 tread down the straw. The
horse and rider remind you of an equestrian
statue on very large pedestal; and as the
horse is gradually rising higher and higher. you
wonder how he is ever to get down again, see-
ing that the stack is perpendicular on every
side, and fifteen feet high already. Every
where is straw foot thick-about the yards,
in the stables, in the COW stalls--the great OBJ
iect seeming to be tread it down for manure.
We went down to the tide water which bounds
one side of the farm, and examined the en-
bankment against the sea. The embankment
extends twenty-five miles, aud the 'mnrshes,'
as the drained lands are called, are some of the
most valuable wheat fields have ever seen.-
| have since examined the Lincolnshire fens,'
aud the mode of drainage by immense steam
engines, as we'll as large tracts reclaimed from
the sea else where, and feel safe in saying
that the heaviest crops of wheat | have seen in
England are upon these same fens and marshes.
They require a peculiar treatment, and diff
ferent rotation from the uplands; but the whole
1 4 l. -a,A. li.,.l