Before concluding, the benefits which have accrued to the village of Northmoor, which is situate in the very heart of the quondam flooded district, ought to be noticed. During the winter season this village was almost unapproachable, the roads in many places being under water, and the streams through which the roads passed by means of fords being so much swollen that it was often dangerous to go through them. The houses in the village were also damp and unhealthy. Since the formation of this embankment and cutting, and the keeping back the floods of the Windrush and the Thames, the appearance of the village has completely changed. Access to it is easy at all times of the year; there is not the mass of water to block up the outfall of the streams and ditches as there used to be, the cutting along the embankment providing a most excellent outfall for it.

In conclusion, I may say that this embankment is a benefit to all interested in the district it protects from floods; to the landowners, from the value of the land being materially increased thereby; to the occupiers of the land, from its having been the means of enabling them to grow good crops of cereals and roots, where before was barely a pasturage for a few cattle; and to the labourers and all others dwelling in the district, from their homes having been made more dry and healthy. The benefits, too, which accrue to the country at large, when any of its poor and almost unproductive grass lands are brought into a high state of cultivation, and thereby increase the national resources, must not be overlooked.

XX.-The Agriculture of the Scilly Isles. By LAWRENCE SCOTT, M.R.A.C., and HARRY RIVINGTON, F.G.S.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Geography.-THE Scilly Islands, situated in latitude 49° 40′ N., and longitude 6° 20′ W., are due west of the Lizard, and from twenty-seven to thirty miles W.S.W. of the Land's End. They consist of six principal islands, eleven smaller ones (varying in size from 10 to 80 acres), and an immense number of apparent or sunken rocks.* Some authors assign a definite number to the rocks, but their statements differ widely, one reckoning" 300 isles, islets, and rocks," and another, writing only five years later, speaking of the whole group as consisting of 145 rocks.

The names and acreages of the six principal islands, together with the population in 1851 and 1861, are represented in the following table:

Whitfeld says, that "the seeming diminution of the population is caused by a stop having been put to the ruinous and demoralizing subdivision of land, which was carried to such a frightful extent, that sons and daughters were portioned off with a few square yards of ground."*

Heath, writing in 1750, makes the total population about 1400, of which half belonged to St. Mary's.

St. Mary's is about 2 miles in length, 14 miles in breadth, and 9 miles in circumference. Its highest point is 140 feet above the level of the sea.

Climate and Water Supply.-Frost and snow are almost unknown in the Scilly Isles. The mean temperature in summer is 58° Fahr., and that in winter 45° Fahr.† Constant breezes mitigate the heat in summer, and the climate throughout the year is considered very healthy. Its mildness is shown by the plants which flourish all the year round in the cottage gardens. Among these may be mentioned geraniums and fuchsias of large size, the myrtle, the American aloe, a pretty climbing species of sedum, which trails over many of the walls, and the box myrtle, which is frequently grown as a hedge.

Gales of wind are frequent and severe. The crops are often injured, and even destroyed, by their violence, especially when blowing from the W. or W.S.W.

The average rainfall is 31 inches. Wells of from 15 to 18 feet in depth furnish an unfailing supply of excellent water. There are, also, a few large ponds, but these suffer occasionally from the encroachments of the sea.

Geology. These islands are almost entirely granitic. "Formed of a multitude of rocks and small islands, they may be compared to Dartmoor, sunk to such a level that the sea should run among its tors and more elevated masses of land, thus keeping a large portion of the tors above the sea-level, forming the smaller masses usually termed rocks, while the larger and more extended masses would constitute islands of various sizes. The granite is

*Scilly and its Legends,' Whitfeld (1852).
A Week at Scilly, North' (1850).

usually a somewhat coarse compound of quartz, felspar, and mica, both dark-coloured and silvery, and a finer-grained granite is not unfrequently detected in it in the form of veins."*

The rock is remarkably loose in texture, readily disintegrating, and liable to rapid decomposition. It is much jointed, especially at the surface. This favours disintegration. "At Watermill Bay the joints are so close to each other, and so highly inclined, as to give to the whole mass the appearance of stratified granite."† Dr. Paris, to account for the fertility of the soil at Scilly, mentions the presence in the granite of large quantities of iron and felspar. These constituents would, as he justly remarks, induce speedy decomposition. The grey granite is the prevalent variety. The red is present in much smaller quantity. The sand in some of the bays is very micaceous.

Soil. The soil varies from an almost pure sand to a dark sandy loam, and is very free from stones. Woodley tells us that "the vegetable soil is a black peat, intermingled with granitulous particles, and known in Cornwall by the name of growan or gritty. This stratum is about 2 feet in depth, becoming of a lighter and greyish colour in proportion to its distance from the surface. Next to this is a yellowish loamy clay, found in a stratum of 5 or 6 feet in depth, and intermingled with stones. The colour of the clay becomes darker, and the stones imbedded in it are larger, in proportion to their depth from the surface. Under the whole are found large masses of granite rock, fit for building and other purposes."§

in some

This description is not altogether correct; for the soil, considered as a whole, is not a black peat, though it may, districts, be of that nature. Nor did our observation confirm the statement in regard to the "yellowish loamy clay." We heard, indeed, of a clay subsoil in one locality; and, in all probability, it is present in other parts, but it is not generally distributed. The soil is more sandy, and consequently lighter, on St. Martin's and St. Agnes than on Tresco and St. Mary's. Its depth varies very much.'

All the islands contain many acres of waste land or downs, more or less studded with masses of rock, among which may be found a scanty herbage of poor short grass, ferns, and heath, and several clumps of strong-growing furze.

On St. Mary's there is a limited area of marshy land.

Report on the Geology of Cornwall, Devon, and West Somerset,' by Henry T. de la Beche, F.R.S (1839).

† From a Paper read before the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, September, 1850.

Transactions of Royal Geological Society of Cornwall,' vol. i. (1818). § Woodley on the Scilly Isles (1822).

ECONOMIC FEATURES.

Farms and Fields, Fences and Roads.-The farms of Scilly are small. On St. Mary's they vary from 5 to 15 acres. One is said to be 30 acres, but this includes a large breadth of untilled down. On the off-islands they are still smaller, there being many of about 3 acres. On St. Agnes the largest is 12 acres. The fields on St. Mary's contain, upon an average, about 1 acre. They vary in size from 1 rood to 3 acres. On the off-islands, again, they are proportionally smaller.

The fields are divided by walls of granite, which consist of rough blocks piled up without mortar, and often topped with sods. The fence is made more perfect in some cases by the addition of furze, planted on one or both sides. The gateways are narrow. Blocks of granite answer the purpose of gateposts, one block being occasionally used for the support of the two gates of adjoining fields. A curious substitute for the ordinary stile is often adopted. Where the stile is usually placed a large hole is dug, across which are laid blocks of granite to form stepping stones for pedestrians. Cattle and sheep do not attempt the passage. For greater security an additional block is frequently set upon the middle one, thus making a stile in miniature. The roads are mended with granite. The majority are smooth and good, but some are rendered rough by the cropping out of the subjacent granite. There is a pleasing absence of mud and dirt.

Farm Buildings, Cottages.-Farm buildings are insignificant ; and cottages, though of good construction, are not sufficiently numerous. Most of the latter are built of granite. Of the former, some are of granite, some of wood. Thatched and slated roofs are common in both. Tiles are more sparingly used. Thatch is tied down with ropes of rye or oat straw. The ropes are fastened to pegs, which are driven in under the wall-plate. On St. Martin's we saw one set of tolerably conspicuous farm buildings, but a nearer approach revealed sheds without roofs, and walls half fallen. Still, there were well built stacks on stone steddles, a well filled stackyard, decent stabling, and good calves' house-all characteristic of the largest farmer on St. Martin's.

Implements.-Implements are neither numerous nor of the best construction. Light iron ploughs, drawn by one horse, iron cultivators, and small one-horse carts are ordinarily used. For the conveyance of seaweed a wooden framework in the shape of a W, the middle part fitting on to a horse's back, is employed.

There are several small thrashing machines on the islands; and yet we found, one morning, a man thrashing wheat by beating it upon a barrel. Winnowing, too, is still done on a