Evidence of Thomas Sherdley of Sandside Farm, Pilling To The Royal Commission on Agriculture, 1894.

I farm 63 acres, of which I plough 5 acres; I shall soon only be farming 45 acres with 5 acres ploughed. The soil is a sandy loam.

My Landlord is the Rev. J.Gardner.

My agreement is a yearly one.

I have 11 children, and the farm is worked by myself, my wife, my son aged 18 years, and two daughters aged 17 and 15. I employ no hired labour.

I and my father, we have been on the farm 36 years.

Throughout all this agricultural depression, I have farmed on lines that have proved successful. I am one of those men who are in favour of high farming. It is far better to have a small farm, and farm it really well, than a big farm and farm it indifferently. It is a great mistake, now that stock and feeding stuff is so cheap, not to keep more stock, but it is often a forced policy through want of funds, and in some cases through lack of sufficient buildings.

I feed a lot of sheep, buying them from the hills, and selling them to butchers at Blackpool, and I also sell a lot of butter and eggs at Fleetwood. I also fatten a few cattle.

During the last year we have expended £28 on our hens, and the credit side shows a net profit of £60. I intend to increase my poultry business.

In October last I bought 100 sheep at 11s.3d. (56p) = £56.5s. (£56.25p). In August this year I sold them for 32s. (£1.60p) each, including wool, = £160. Their keep cost me about 15s. (75p) each = £75. Hence I made a profit of £28.15s. (£28.75p).

I believe growing fruit for the market would pay me, and I think I shall try it, but I should get my landlord's consent to plant trees, or I might get no compensation.

I also propose to increase my dairy farming.

All through the depression, I have held my own, and kept the farm, and it has been done by altogether altering the course of my farming to meet the times.

During the last twelve years I have laid down 28 acres of my land to grass. Before doing so I found the cost of production was more than the crop realised, so I naturally drifted into, and enlarged, the paying branches.

The following is my expenditure:-

Once a year I have valued all my stock, crops, etc., deducted my debts and liabilities, and made out my yearly balance. In addition to keeping myself, my wife and my family of eleven children, on personal expenses, clothing, medical attendance, food, etc., I had a net surplus in 1886 of £37., in 1887, £33., in 1888, £70., in 1889, £16., in 1890, £14. and in 1891, about £20.

Since then I have not taken the annual valuation, but the progress made steady, though not rapid. The slower movement in 1889 and 1890 was due to the  has been lower value per head at which my stock was valued, on account of the lower prices ruling in the market.

In my position, I prefer a yearly agreement, but if I were taking a large farm which was run out, I should want a lease. I do not think farmers have sufficient security for putting capital into their farms. Now I consume all my own produce, and I have spent £1000 in seven years in manure and feeding stuffs. I might get some compensation, but would have to fight for it in a court of law. For laying down land to grass, I should get nothing, because I did not get the Landlord's written consent. If I had farmed on the lines practised twelve years ago, up to now, the probability is the farm would have been worth 50% less at the present time. Who has the moral right to the increased value? Ought it not at least to be divided with the tenant ?

I believe in freedom of contract between landlord and tenant, but I believe it would be judicious in certain cases to apply to arbitration as regards rent and compensation. I believe a land court would cause friction and dissatisfaction. I landlords' property protected against bad must say I should like to see tenants.

In Pilling we have a deal of freedom as regards sale and growth of crops. Landlords frequently do not reduce the rents of the hard working men who do well, and often reduce the rents of those who do nothing. Here in our neighbourhood a lot of farmers have gone back, and a lot of farmers have gone forward, but the ones who go back get more consideration than the ones who go forward, hence the real deserving ones get no help or encouragement.

I believe farms of 40 to 50 acres in our locality have stood the depression best. It must be remembered that in this part of Lancashire we have good markets.
on the whole, I do not think the land round Pilling has gone back, though I believe the market value of goods sold from the district has gone back by 40% in the last
few years.

I and my family work from 6 am to 6 pm, and besides that often have a good deal of night work among cattle. The girls and boys are simply working for their meat and clothes. Sometimes I put a sheep away for them, so that they may be their own managers in buying clothes.

The above article was supplied to us by Mrs. S. Sherdley and is an extract from a document belonging to the late Hugh Sherdley.