Class A. (2.)—Agriculture.
Mr. W. Meade Warner.—P. 56.
1. Are you a farmer?
I am.
3. Do you occupy any land near Leighton Buzzard?
I do.
4. How many acres?
Nearly 200; and about 400 in Oxfordshire.
6. How near is this land to the proposed line of Rail-road?
Within a few poles; about a furlong.
7. Do you consider the proposed Railroad of advantage or disservice to your land there?
A most essential service.
8. In what way do you think it would be advantageous to yourself and other farmers through whose land it passes?
There can be no question at all that the system of farming a grass land, in particular, would be in a considerable degree changed; we should be able to send to London a different kind of produce, and much better.
15. Are you prevented from sending many lambs to the London market from the difficulty of sending them by the road?
Yes; so early as we should otherwise send them.
17. Is it of importance to send lambs early to market?
It is of importance to send them early in the season, as the ewe would feed off earlier.
19. If a Railroad was established, would they be sent by you and other farmers?
No doubt of it.
21. Does the same observation relate to calves that applies to lambs?
Exactly
22. In respect to any dairy farms, would it be an advantage to the keepers of them to be able to transmit milk and butter to the London market?
I have been a dairyman nearly twenty years, and have forty or fifty cows.
23. Would it be of advantage to have a Railroad to transmit dairy produce to the London market?
Very great. In perishable goods the rule is, that the sooner it is given to the consumer so much the better.
25. How many head of cattle pass weekly through Hockliffe?
In the heavy seasons about 1500.
26. Is that to London?
Yes.
27. About how many sheep?
On the parallel line of road to the proposed Railway there are not fewer than 10,000 weekly, all for the London markets.
28. What is the cost of sending cattle up to London from your neighbourhood?
The charges of the road and selling expenses put together is 10s. We estimate about 7s, for the road expenses; that is about forty miles.
30. Are the cattle injured from being driven up?
Very much; incalculable.
31. Supposing that even the cost was increased of transmitting cattle by the Railroad, would it be of advantage to the farmer or not, in your opinion, to have them conveyed by this means, instead of having them driven in the ordinary way?
Then it would be a great advantage. Sometimes the poor things are driven till their feet are sore; and the effect of that is, that they are sold on the road for what they can get. It is often the case that they drive many of them till they have not a foot to stand on.
34. What is charged per score for the driving of sheep?
A shilling a head for about forty miles.
35. Do the same observations you have made previously, apply to sheep as well as the other beasts?
Exactly the same; I scarcely ever see a drove of cattle pass without I see tired ones. They are constantly left at every town on the road, where they are sold for what they will fetch.
36. Have you ever had offers made to you to supply any part of London with milk?
I have.
37. Have you been able to comply with that?
No.
38. For what reason?
On account of the want of conveyance.
51. Is it your opinion as a farmer, from the knowledge that you have of the neighbourhood, that a Railroad established on the proposed line would be an advantage to the two farms?
That opinion alone has brought me here. My property lies in land. I am a proprietor as well as occupier. I believe my estates along the line would be increased in value 30 per cent.
52. Do you believe it would be an advantage to the consumer as well as the producer of the produce?
Very great.