r 5 4 . 6 ¹ ¹ 4 8 Vanr. Bibl Giessen 1 ck by Meſts RorlNso ADELIL and DavIdS, S and Jogy 4 —— ; 1 FC— IE 204 | | 0 304 Se). red wk manv fRiruletr& rte rales. Varie el'voil bue dur: Lumesne ir he neightourkood S LP UITUCSS. Cagacd. Tlountauins of Lime& {ree stoñe,wüh woody declivitr and ierlile rates. iidæe. Attrtile Plain except some Mos & Harsfdand vou tn general Loan. loors& hglt Lands party Aable interpe ort Cuúuftero. Low lande made fêrtile in general(y art ercpt vome Moss& was Lands which are vet capable of’ improvement. Coats in general fe vuperíicies the vame as he adjoining Lands,°, e.reept Such as mar have been injured bv Lüt fado&/ Hut bh tel. fi 4 \ Sen BLACKRFVKR “Tor Je: IMTA ALTLT E N T TINT TI 10 3 e ZA N 20 10 ZIA RS—— E EEN: moue I IT TIT iT TTI mt E> RES> de i ES& e a E er a20/ pe WKS/ CN M TEAD/ L& ¿aD/ 8 LB DL LANCASHIRE, for the ACRICUL BOR AL SURVEY À i taken in 1793, by 0 N 4— : 4 I. H 0 C-F«| i: K1IRKB Y LSE 5 „ONSDALE i 2 S E la RE Sketched from a Survey eof the: ;| CrO EN TE 5 = By Wr Yates: ¿0 54 | | | Ie) 00 CLIT SS TOUT Ahd E IL N A AE D(1I0ANLN IDI LAT 20 70 3° ili 0 u Î D — E ITT S INH DNLIN ITT ICT TUTT TI IT IUT: IU: TI ITE 1 TTT T L 5 J g 7 7 en S0 44 30 20 10 ZE>0 —| j} Y a: h | E HES:\ | i M: | V4 F# US Í Y AF, V A Df CN — uE EAF E TTT: Gipi BS 2— N y——=- à SSA x i PA AEC | CENER ATV EW | | OF THE E IR LEULTURE || OF THE COUNTY OF | LANC SA ER:: | WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEANS OF ITS IMPROVEMENT“ Drawn up for the Conſideration of the BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT», From the Commanications of Mr. FOHHN HOLTE, of WALTON, near LÍVERPOOL 5 And the additional Remarks of ſeveral reſpetable GENTLEMEN and FARMERS in the County. | Prima Ceres ferro mortêes vertere terram di: Inſtituit Dicendum eft, quæ fint duris agreftibus armas D ueis ſinè, nec potuére ferì» nec ſurgere meſſes GEoRGÍCAs See the ſun gleams 5 the living paſtures riſes After the nurture of the fallen ſhowers | How beautiful! How blue the ethereal vault, | How verdurous the lawns, how clear the brooks! Such noble warlike ſteeds, ſuch herds of kines So ſleek, ſo vaſt; ſuch ſpacious flocks of ſheep» Like flakes of gold, illumining the green, Whar other paradiſe adorn but thine, Britannia? Happy, if thy ſons would know Their happineſs. To theſe thy naval fireamss Thy frequent towns ſuperb of buſy trade, And ports magnific add, and ſtately ſhips Innumerous.—_— Pontedife GG NICOL, PAU MALS Bookſeller to HIS MA STY, and to the BoaRD of AGRICULTURE; And ſold by Meſſrs. ROBINSON, Paternoſter-Row; J- SEWELL, Cornhillz CADELL and DAvI1Es, Strand; WILLIAM CREECH, Edinburgh z | | | | | | | EON DLO N | | | | and JoHN ARCHER», Dublin, 1795 / f S E abe tt i Ss.__-—- i ES Mi ZA— e fi Y R TE C SN i REEE i- _— A \\ TY EVS O) Comm Ong Boa of re- for Pi > ADE m er 2) ADVERTISEMENT, THE great deſire that has been very generally expreſled, for having the AGRICULTURAL SUR- vEvs of the KINcDoM re-printed, with the additional Communications which have been received ſince the Or1GINAL REPoRTSs were circulated, has induced the BoAaRD oF AGRICULTURE, to came to a Reſolution, of re-printing ſuch as may appear on the whole fit for Publication. Tt is proper at the ſame Time to add, that the Board does not confider itſelf reſponſible, for any Fad or Obſervation contained in the Reports thus re-printed, as it is impoſſible to conſider them yet in a perfe State; and that it will thankfully ac- knowledge any additional Information which may ſtill be communicated: An Invitation, of which, it is hoped, many will avail themſelves, as there is no Circumſtance from which any one can derive more real Satisfaction, than that of contributing, by every poſlible means, to promote the Improvement of his Country. N. B.— Letters to the Board, may be addreſſed to Sir Jorn SINcLaIR, Bart. ¡he Prefident, M. P. London. LoNDox, June 17985. E— R “_- SEE—- i 7 E PRB |' | 1 mam— iE Byte zT A: C elerI meals d 01 Emy, nl: of public Perl tte Fach importi PE AEN FOR RE-PRINTING THE Agricultural Surveys. By the PRESIDENT of the BoaRD of AGRICULTURE, BOARD eſtabliſhed for the purpoſe of making every eſſential enguiry, into the Agricultural Stäte, and the means of promoting the internal improvement öf a powerful Empire, will necefſfarily have it in view, to examine the ſources of public proſperity, in regard to various important particulars, Perhaps the following is the moſt natural order for carrying on fuch important inveſtigations; namely, to aſcertain, x, The riches to bé obtained from the ſurface of the national territory. 2. The mineral or fſubterraneous treafures of which the country is poſleſled. 3. The wealth to be derived from its ſtreams, rivers, ca- nals, inland navigations, coaſts, and hſheries: 4. The means of promoting the improvement of the people in regard to their health, induſtry, and morals, founded on a ftatiftical ſarvey, or a minute and careful enquiry into the aQual ſtate of every parochial diſtrict in the kingdom, and the circumſtances of its inhabitants. b And Under E Under one or other of theſe heads, every point of real impor- 4 M tance, that can tend to promote the general bappineſs of a great Y e nation, ſcems to be iaclutled,| 1; Inveſtigations of ſo extenſive and fo complicated a nature, j I muſt require, it is evident, a conſiderable ſpace of time before Pp they can be completed. Differing indeed in many reſpects/ M from each other, it is better perhaps that they ſgould be under=|| taken at diferent periods, and ſeparately conſidered. Under| that impreſkon, the Board of Agriculture has hitherto directed| A its attention tó the firſt point only, namely the cultivation of(E: the ſurface, and the reſources to be derived from it.|; ' That the fis eſſential for ſuch an inveſtigation, might be E colleRed with more celerity and advantage, a number of intel-| ligent and reſpectable individuals were appointed, to furniſh the| "| Board with accounts of the fate of huſbandry, and the means| n | nd fhu of improving the different difßriés of the kingdom. The re-- hure turns they ſent were printed, and circulated by every means the D Board of Agriculture could deviſe, in the diſtri&s to which they SI reſpeively related; and in conſequence of that circulation, a great maſs of additional valuable information has been ob- i tained. For the purpoſe of cominunicating that information E tó the Public in general, but more eſpecially to thoſe counties H| the moſt intereſted therein, the Board has reſolved to re- print E, the Survey of each County, as ſoon as it ſeemed to be ht for Ps: publication; and among ſeveral equally advanced, the counties| E of Norfolk and Lancaſter-were- pitched upon for the com-| Ï mencement of the propoſed publication;z it being thought moſt| 4 adviſable, to begin with one county on the Eaſtern, and an- E. 101, veys ſhall have been thus re-printed it will be attended with little / P 2 / i| other on the Weſtern coaft of the iſland, When all theſe Sur-| difficulty to draw up an abſtract of the whole(which will not| > GSL orobably exceed two or three volumes guarto) to be laid be- Sc Far N 0! e IT— C vâli)) pot, fore His Majeſty, and both Houſes of Pariiament; and after- teat wards, a general Report on the preſent ſtate of the country and the means of its improvement, may be ſyſtematically arranged, Ire, according to‘the various ſubjeds connedted with agriculture. JG| Thus every individual in the kingdom may have, Qs y| iL:} 1. An account of the huſbandry of his own particular E| county; Or,: d| 2. A general view of the agricultural ſtate of the kingdom f E, at large, according to the counties, or diſtricts, into which it is divided; or, è S 23. An arranged ſyſtem of information on agricultural ſub- - jeAs, whether‘accumulated by the Board lince its À eſtabliſhment, or previouſly Known; And thus information reſpeing.the{tate of the kingdom, and Agricultural knowledge in general, will be attainable with every poſſible advantage, In re-printing theſe Reports, it was judged neceſſary, that they/ | ſhould be drawn up according.to one uniform model; and after fully conſidering the ſubjed, the following form was pitched/ upon, as one that would include in it all the particulars which it was neceſſary to notice in an Agricultural Survey, As\ the other Reports will be re-printed in the ſame manner, the reader will thus be enabled to find out at once, where any point is treated of, to which he may wiſh to dire&t his atten=- tiON PLAN OF THE RE-PRINTED REPORTS. | | | 2 t 1h : Preliminary Obſervations. RE CHAP.-| I. Geographical State and Circumſtances y SECT, I.—Situation and Extent, h E N) 2.—Diviſions. 3.—Climate. __4.—Soil and Surface, 5.—Minerals,|[ 6.—W ater.| IT. State-of PrODENty. SECT. I.—Éftates, and their Management, 2.— Tenures. ITI. Buildings. SECT. 1.—Houſes of Proprietors. 2.—Farm Houſes and Offices; and Repairs, 3.— Cottages, IV. Mode of Occupation. SECT. I.—Size of Farms.=—Character of the E Es Farmers. s Wha 2.—Rent—in Money—in Kind=—in Per- Crops conn ſonal Services, 3.—Tythes, 4.— Poor Rates, vdort, 5.— Leaſes. 6.—Expence and Profit, 1, Preparatic V, Implements. Me VI. Incloſing—Fences—Gates, VII. Arable Land, SECT, I.— Tillage. 2.—Fallowing- 3.—Rotation of Crops» Cha Do ,| Chap. VI1. continued. | SECT. 4—Crops commonly‘cultivated; their | Seed, Culture, Produce,&c.* _5.— Crops not commonly cultivated, CHAP. C5, V.HI, Grafs. SECT, I.—Natural Meadows and Paſtures, è 2.— Artificial Graſies, 3.—Hay Harveſt, 4.—Feeding. IN. Gardens and Orchards. X. Woods and Plantations, XI. Waſtes. XII. Improvements. SECT. I.—Draining, 2.—Paring and Burning, 3:.—Manuring. ITS, 4.—Weeding, 5—Watering. the * Where the quantity is conſiderable, the information reſpeêing the- Pere crops commonly cultivated, may be arranged under the following heads: tillage.. IE x. Preparation ES E 2 6. Culturewhilft growing wecting À feeding. 2. Sort. 7. Harveſt. 3- Steeping. 8. Threſhing. SZ 4. Seed(quantity ſown.) 9- Produce. 5. Time of ſowing. 10. ManufaQure of bread, In general the ſame heads will ſuit the following grains: Barley. Oats. Beans. Rye. Peaſe. Buck-wheat. Vetches--- Application, Feedin Cole-ſced- N 4 Drawn Turneps«SO ritt - Kept on gras---Ç, — in houſes--- M/ XIIL Lire e ÿ ls E XNITIT. Live Stock. SECT: I.-—Cattle. 2.— Sheep, 3 Horſes, ànd their Uſe in Huſbandry, compared to Oxen. 4— Hogs. 5e—Rabbits. 6.— Poultry. 7.— Pigeons 8—Bees, CHAP. XIV. Rural Economy. SECT. I.— Labour— Servants— Labourers — Hours of Labour. 2.— Proviſions. 3.—Fuel. XV. Political Economy, as connedted with or afeCing Agriculture. SECT. I.—Roads, 2.—Canals. > 3,— Fairs. 4.— W eekly Markets, 5.— Commerce. \6.—Manufadures. 7.— Poor. 8.— Population. XVI. Obſtacles to Improvement; including gene- ral Obſervations on Agricultural Legiſlation and-Police, XVII: Miſcellaneous Obſervations. SECT. 1I.—Agricultural Societies. 2.— Weights and Meaſures. Conclufion.—Means of Improvement, and the Meaſures calculated for that Purpoſe. Appendix eL 7 Xp 270 ne, 2 N a PERFECTION a PER any bod of their eauerto! poyer to provinces the appro! 2 Boud, 1 ed haps, 0 The ca: certain thema| tion of ® Lee The fo above allu G6 Ley, “ the infr & dants to fan exad «juſt enum «the inten ‘ moignon (( n regard Sof Tanou M monumen & imezular; & to one y «“ in colum “i Citizens, kind; i “lar and| " communit Dr ¡res PERFECTION in ſuch inquiries is not in the power of any body of men to obtain at once, whatever may be the extent of their views, or the vigour of their exertions, If Lewis XIV. cadzer to have his. kingdom known, and poſſeſſed of boundleſs power to effet it, failed ſo much in the attempt, that of all the provinces in his kingdom, only one was ſo deſcribed as to ſecure the approbation of poſterity*; it will not be thought ſtrange that a Board, poſfleſſed of means ſo extremely limited, ſhould find it difficult to reach even that degree of perfe@tion which, per= haps, might have been attainable with more extenſive powers. The candid Reader cannot expectin theſe Reports more than a certain portion of uſeful information, ſo arranged as to render them a baſis for further and more detailed enguiries,‘The atten- tion of the intelligent Cultivators of the kingdom, however, * See Voltaire’s Age of Lewis XIV. vol. ii. p. 127, 128, edit. 1752, The following extra& from that work will explain the circumſtance above alluded to. « Lewis had no Colbert, nor Louvois, when about the year 1698, for «« the in{ttu@ion of the Duke of Burgundy, he ordered each of the inten- « dants to draw up a particular deſcription of his province. By this means sé an exa account of the kingdom might have been obtained, and a « juſt enumeration of the inhabitants. It was an uſeful work, though all « the intendants had not the capacity and attention of Monſieur de La- « moignon de Baville. Had what the King direéted been as well executed «« in regard to every province, as it was by this magiſtrate in the account «c of Languedoc, the colleétion would have been one of the molt valuable «c monuments of the age. Some of them are well done; but the plan was « ¡rregular and 1mpertedt, becauſe all the intendants were not reſtrained « to one and the ſame. It were to be wiſhed, that each of them had given, « in columns, the number of inhabitants in each eleCtion; the nobles, the «e citizens, the labourers, the artiſans, the mechanics, the cattle of every e kind; the good, the indifferent, and the bad lands, all the clergy, regu- « Jar and ſecular, their revenues, thoſe/of the towns, and thoſe of the communities. « All theſe heads, in moſt of their accounts, are confuſed and imper=- & fet; and it is frequently neceflary to ſearch with great care and pains to find what is wanted. The deſign was excellent, and would have been of the greateſt ule, had it been executed with judgment and unifor- «€ nity?" will E y = ud ( vüi) will doubtleſs be excited, and the minds of men in general gradually brought to conſider favourably of an undertaking;| which will enable all to contribute to the national ſtores of knowledge, upon topics ſo truly intereſting as thoſe which concern the Agricultural intereſts of their country; interefts, which on juſt principles never can be improved, until the pre- ſent ſtate of the kingdom is fully known, and the means of its future improvement aſcertained with minuteneſs and accu- LACY« PRELIMINARY e——— R A e E R R PRELIMINARY OBSERVÁTIONS TO THE LANCASHIRE RE-PRINTED REPORT. N the courſe of an addreſs to the Board of Agricultures when it firſt aſſembled, on the 4th of September 1793, L took an opportunity of ſtating the meaſures which ſcemed to me thé moſt likely to promote the objects of that inſtitution 5 and ſubmitted-to the conſideration of the Board, whether the firſt obje& ought not to be, to aſcertain facts, without which no theory or ſyſtem of reaſoning, however plauſible, could be depended on; that for attaining ſo important an object, it would be neceflary to examine into the agricultural ſtate of all the different counties in the kingdom, and to enquire into the means, which, in the opinien of intelligent men, were the moſt likely to promote either a general ſyſtem of improvement, or the advantage of particular diftri&s; that by employing 2 — tA number of able men for that purpoſe, by circulating their re- er EAR 7 2 GE BS SEEDED rT A BE ETS E E ports prévious to their being publiſhed, and by regueſting the additional remarks and obſervations of thoſe.to whom ſuch ——. 20ipif: LT: Pie Lom IPR communications were ſeht, it was probable that no important fait, or even uſeful idea, would eſcape notices The plan thus chalked out having been approved of by the Board, it was immediately ſet about with every poſſible degree © oí 2 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. of energy. Among other intelligent individuals nominated for that purpoſe, Mr. Holt, of Walton, near Liverpool, was ap- pointed to take a ſurvey of the county of Lancaſter.‘Thoſe who have had an opportunity of examining his original Report, will ſee the pains which‘he took to fulfil the obje&s of his miſion. As ſoon as his Report was printed, it was circulated throughout the county, for the purpoſe of obtaining additional information z5' and though, from the want of the privilege of ſending ând receiving packets duty-free,(a privilege which, it is hoped, the Board will ſoon obtain, forthe want of it impedes all its operations) the circulation of the Report was attended with conſiderable difficulty and expence; yet, on the whole, ſuch 2 number of copies were réturned, with valuable additional ob- ſervVations, as to induce the Board to forman opinion, that the work might now be rendered fit‘for publication;‘and that it would be deſirable to take the ſenſe of the Public reſpeing the beſt mode óf communicating the information which it had thus accumulated,‘by re-printing the corre&ed accounts of'two counties, namely, Norfolk‘on‘the Eaſtern, and Lancaſhire on the Weſtern coaſt of the iſland. There is every‘reaſon to beliève, that the accounts of the other diſtri&Æs‘in the kingdóm will ſoon be equally coniplete 5 in which caſe, a greater maſs of agricultural knowledge will be colle&ted, in a ſpáce of little more than two years, than probably can be found in all preceding publications on the ſubje& of huſbandry; and thus the foundation will be laid for à géneral ſyſtem of improvement, on thät beſt and ſureſt of all foun= dations, a knowledge of fas, Next AE PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. i Next to colle&ing information, the improvement of a country muſt depend upon rouſing a proper ſpirit of exertion, in order that the information thus accumulated may be put into adion. By the happy conſtitution of this country, and the wiſdom of its laws, property is better ſecured here than perhaps in any other ſtate that ever exiſted, which undoubtedly is a great ſpur to exertion. But the legiſlature ſeems to have truſted too much to the beneficial effdQs of that ſecurity, and to think that no other encouragement or ſpur could be neceflary, Fortunately, however, a new ſyſtem has commenced. Parliament has al- ready begun to vote ſome aid for the improvement of huſ- bandry. The legiſlature has at laſt taken the plough and the ſpade under its immediate protection 5 and thoſe who make any uſeful diſcovery likely to be of ſervice to Agriculture, have now every reaſon to expedt attention to their claims, and that encouragement which their diſcoveries may be found to [=] merit. As ſome of the principal improvements which Mr. Elkington, the celebrated drainer, to whom Parliament has lately granted 1000 /. were made in Lancaſhire, it was natural to allude to that circumſtance, when the Report of that county came under conſideration! Where both ſkill in agriculture, and a ſpirit of improve= ment, exiſt, there can be but one thing wanting, namely, capital.‘There is little riſk, however, of any deficiency of that nature in theſe kingdoms, unleſs cur capital ſhould be diverted from its natural means of employment, domeftic im- provement, to remote ánd foreign ſpeculations. The beſt mode ef preventing ſuch a deviation ſeems to be, to mañe the kingdom M ra LEE: R e ang r0c dE È STAA IT- JO rr IRS 4 xü PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. kingdom known to its inhabitants, and to point out the benefit which they may derive from improving it. Such are the objedts of theſe inguiries; which, ſo far as they concern the county of Lancaſter, ſcem to have made very conſiderable progreſs, al- though in ſome particulars they have not réached that degree of perfe&tion that would be ſo truly deſirable; but which proba- bly will yet be attained, even previous to the concluſion of the 2 preſent century, when the Statiſtical Account of Great Britain, that moſt important of all the labours which the Board of Agriculture can undertake, is completed, Rf AGRTICUEL CURA SURVEY OF C 2NCTIS UTR E: CHAPTER E CEOGRAPHICAL STATE AND CIRCUMSTANCES, SECT. I— Situation and Extent. FT ANCASHIRE is a maritime county, bounded on the coaſt by Saint George?s channel and the Iriſh ſea. The dimenſions of the county are as follows*.—Its greateſt length 74 miles; breadth 447 miles.—Its circum- ference(crofling the Ribble; at Heſketh bank) 342 miles; containing 1,765 ſquare miles; and 1,129,600 ſtatute acres.— "Total number of pariíhes; with the additional ones, 62. SECT. 2,—Divijſions, THE county is divided into ſiX hundreds; namely, Salford, Weſt Derby, Leyland, Blackburne;, Amounderneſs, and Lonſ- dale. There are two difſtriés in it which may deſerve more particular mention; namely, the Filde, which is remarkable # Calculated upon this occaſion by Mr. William Yates, who ſurveyed and publiſhed a map of the county of Lancaſter in the year 1786, B for 2 AGRICULTURA: SURVEY| for its great fertility; and Furneſs, bordering on Cumber- cont land and Weſtmorland, where there is a fertile vale. The|(to tl Filde--1s- peculiarly diſtinguiſhed for its breed of cattle,| 1 Since the circulation of the Lancaſhire Report there, a new N, {ſpirit for agricultural improvements has ariſen, particu- ſalu larly in regard to draining, watering, making conipoſts, ma- ady: nuring their lands,&c. which cannot fail to be attended| 1 with the beſt conſeguences, ther The ſhape of the county is ſomewhat ſimilar to that of| diſtri England, Wales, and part of Scotland; e. g. ſuppoſe the parts healt beyond the fands repreſent part of Scotland; the river Loyne, rah and the inlet which runs up to Cockerham, the rivers Merſey M and Dee; that traÆ called the Filde, the principality of Wales; be, he Ribble, Briſtol Channel, and the Severn; and, again, the 8 river Merſey, the ſouthern boundary of the county, by the N Engliſh Channel, the ſouthern boundary of the kingdom. The# indentures upon the eaſtern parts of the county have a ſtrong ds ſimilarity to the indentures on the eaſtern part of the king- e dom. M Qu SECT. 23,— Climate. 0 THe ridge of mountains, which bounds this county on ib the eaſtern ſide, from Yorkſhire, and which runs not only: through Yorkfhire, but Cheſhire, Derbyſhire, and Stafford- ſhire,&c. and called, not improperly, the Back-bone of the| kingdom, being the moſt elevated ground in the iſland, ſcreens| Lancaſhire more particularly from the ungenia! eaſtern blaſts,’ the frofts, blights, and inſects, which infeſt the countries bor=| dering upon the German ocean;5 and though the high moun- tains may cauſe a greater guantity of rain to fall in this diſtrict, 1) {as appears by rain-gauges kept for that purpoſe) than in the niore interior parts of the kingdom; yet this county, fanned vith the weſtern gales," or north-weſt breezes, has a falubrity of air, to which may be attributed the vigour and aQivity of the inhabitants, who are, if temperate, generally long-lived. The ſaline particles, with which the weſterly winds are loaded, may allo not a little contribute to the verdure of the fields. Snow continues e———————————— A Ff LANCASHIRE.% | continues but a ſhort ſpace of time upon the ground, owing | to the maritime ſituation of the county. The prevailing winds of this county are the Weſt and N. W. winds, which produce a mildneſs of climate, and falubrity of air and atmoſphere, unknown in moft diſtricts ſo far |e d advanced to the north. : Though that part of the county which lies to the ſouth of f the river Ribble is in general a low and flat region, perhaps few | diſtri&s of this or any other kingdom can produce a more healthy, vigorous, or ative race of inhabitants; living in gene- | ral, when temperate, to a great age, and bearing in the whole of : their appearance a moſt ample teſtimony, to the fſalubrity of ;: their native air.‘The beauty of. the Lancaſhire witches has 5 long been celebrated; and the men are no leſs diſtinguiſhed L for their military ſtrength and proweſs, The neighbourhood ; of the Atlantic ocean, and the elevation of its mountain boun- dary, certainly render this county more ſubje& to wet weather than moſt in the kingdom. Theſe frequent rains, however, have the effeQ of rendering Lancaſhire one of the molt pro- dudive and certain graſs-land diſtricts in the ¡land Ebe ſoll is peculiarly adapted to graſs, and the climate uncommonly fas 1 yourable for that production. ly d- I€ 1S: 5 l'“ N (S1 the ned if he he Perpendicular i 4 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Perpendicular Height of the RAIN that has fallen at Lancaſter, during the laſt Nine Years; diſtinguiſhing each Month and Year in Inches and Lines, By DR. CAMPBELL, of Lancaſter, H 40 e S Vears--| 1724.| 1785.| 1786.| 1787.| 1788. 1789.| 17909.| 1791.| 1792, || Months. In Lin,|Inein. Ine Linn iA(In ine in Din. n. Lin. N Tn || | EE GETR Jana O2 TOA SSA O3 2 | February=F-2 32— 63 TET 5= ET AST I 25! 3 EA Sii/ Y ij March n PANE a| SE ano E RSM n Sale eMe 9 Apel SE ELA E324 O a 1 34s gl E e EP Si EE CO EE PRE June is aA 23 2= 5 25 4—= 10X/ 3 10' | Jy S2 29H 7 EE ESS 1x Auguſt--i 5«- ES 4| E T= 2“|— E IOZI O 286 ||| 1| T Æ Sepe A7 SS O7 TE E Octaher=S Sg 6 gg E 2 OEI A 3 Noveite E 6 3 4 SO 4 46 O6 4= | i December-| x 6|1 2 SSA ES- 105/66 AS! | EE| Total-|35 15/36 92|32 E N R 3/46 63/46—2/65 10 y | Ws USES Al| N. B.—A line 1s the twelfth part of an inch, Mean y D zs y E==> Ss=— 1704 (: efrLANGCGASHIRE. E j Mean heat ofthe‘Thermemeter at noon at Lancaſter=-- 51.8, D° 2 at Londón—- 56, 6/ D° S-“at Edinburgh- 590.1, ing WianNDs blow at Lancalter:- By North-- go Days. z' NE= 67 | EE ——| Ea 17 E South== 51 LLE DW 02 Tn. Lin,|; NEW 26 \(— Wet E47 N i|‘The mean heat of the Thermometer, and the dire&Rion of (3 the Winds, are taken from an average of the ſeven years from 5 9 1784 to 1790 incluñive, a E E|: | Perpendicular Height of Ran that has fallen at Liverpool \ 5: from the' year 1784 to the year 1792 inclufive. By MR. | E; WiIiLLIAM HUTCHINSON, late Dock-mafter. | E 1724: 1785 E 1787. LE: LM: 1790, 103, L7O2 E 364In« 264In. 265In. 374In- 24In, 483In. 422In. 452In. 544In- E M a /9 4|'| Ls; The ſed-time, and harveſt, vary a little between the | northern and ſouthern parts of the county. Thoſe towards | 7 the eaſt, and contiguous to the mountains, are in general later I than the ſouth-weſtern parts. ER| The following Regiſter will ſhew, that there is a greater | LS difference of ſeaſon than many may imaginez and if theſe me- 5 teorological regiſters were multiplied, and kept in diferent places, and the ſyſtem more extended, ſuch data would not only be pleaſing memoranda, but afford many uſeful hints, The following particulars were taken from the memoranda of D. Daulby, Eg. Birch Houſe, Liverpool, reſpeling ſome articles produced on the grounds of Mr, Hill, of Wallaſey, in Cheſhire, about three miles from Liverpool. The ar- Mean ticles mentioned were for the Liverpool market, the dates : correſponding i E_———————“i I i| o) AGRIC TURA C SURVEY: correſponding to the two days in the week on which the 178d, market is held, Wedneſday or Saturday. It may be worthy 1789 of remark, that there is a general ſtrife betwixt the Kirkdale 119° and Wallaſey gardeners, who can produce the úrſt early po- O ' tatoe at Liverpool market. They generally ſucceed both on 0 the ſame day. In the year 1790 the Cheſhire gardener had, 179% however, the ſtart by nearly a whole week. Fe 11 EARLY POTATOES.- n; 1766. June 7, 201b. ſold for 5d. and 6 d. per Ib. E, 1767. June 6, glb. ſold for 14 d. in the whole. 8 1768. May 14, S81Ib. ſold for 45s. 8d. 1769. May 13, 21b. ſold for 1s. yd 1770. May 23, 21b. for 35s. Vj 1771, May 18; 210. OS Fo 1772. May 13, 11b. for 2s. 6d.— N. B.—From this: period the early potatoes have been re- potato gularly Told for 25. 6d. per Ib. when firſt brought to pear f y market.| with d his le After this period the Regiſter was extended to the following Colli articles; namely, Liver ASPARAGUS, POTATOES. GOOSEBERRIES. A 1770,20 April 10: SOIE May 5. E A 2 2400 O./: : T7 76: A 19. April 26. e 1770, 6. 17 May 2. 2 ES 4 245 EA(i IO IE ISL 9.| A 1779: March 27, 2 April 10.| N SO ApS: 20. May 6. À a eas March 31, EE April 21.| luhjet 1782 May 4. May 11. May 18.| leeds 1 I AD I. April 39.| laſt e 1784. May 9. 17 May 22- lendar, 1795 April 23. E 10.: 1780. 22: I 10 1787. March 28. April 11. April 28, 1708» ema s ÉSA ENES— SS————— — FEFB Gr A LANCASEIR E, / Le TO APOT May Ir. May 7. |/ 1780, 10: 9. 9. aie 1790. S Ze April Z- April 24s Þ0- 1701s O IÓ. e 100 1792. 7, 2 25» had, 1793. May 1. May 11. May 18. E TO Apr Ts April 12% April 18. From the above Regiſter it appears, that the difference between an early and late ſpring is not leſs than ſix weeks ês Ls ASPARAGUS. POTATOES, GOOSEBERRIES- 1780. March27: April 3. April 10. 1784. May 8. May 17. May 22. Ier this Regiſter may alſo be traced, the improved culti- vation of the early potatoe upon common ground: but the ) TE patatoe at preſent may be truly ſaid to be raiſed the whole t to year throughout, by the new method of heating the ſtoves with ſteam. Mr. Butler, gardener to the Earl of Derby, at his ſeat at Knowſley, has praiſed this ſome time; and Mr. wing: Collins, late his lordſhip’s gardener, who has ground.near Liverpool, had, under glaſſes, forced by the heat of ſteam, Chriſtmas, 1794, nearly, as he calculated, one cwt. of pota- toes, ready to take up. But he obſerved, that the proceſs by ) ſteam was too expenſive to afford any profit at the price they ) were uſually ſold. ) It will at this day ſcarcely be credited, that when potatoes 2e began to be brought to market ſo early as June, the gardeners 2, were under the neceflity of bringing the ſtems adhering to the 9 potatoes, for without this no purchaſer could be obtained. 10, A gentleman who has been particularly attentive to this 6 ſubjeét, obſerved that, in this northern diſtri&, autumnal 1, ſeeds reguire to be committed to the earth one fortnight at þ leaſt earlier than is recommended by Mawe, in his Ka= y lendar. Le ), ), E SECT- 1 $ AGRICULTURAL SURVEY SECT. 4—Soil and Surface. THe features of this county are, in many places, ſtrongly marked; towards the north they are bold and pictureſque, di- verſified with alpine mountains and fertile vales. The north- caſt part of the county,- Blackburn, Clithero, Haflingden,&c- is rugged, interſperſed with many rivulets, with a thin ſtratum of upper ſoil; the ſouthern part more ſoftened, and the plains are more fertilized: along the ſea coaſt, the land is chiefly fiat, and has the appearance, in many places, as if formerly covered by the ocean. In various fields at Formby, near the fhore, there is ſoil above two feet below the ſand, which lies beneath the-pre- ſent green-ſward. There are the ſtrongeſt reaſons for believing that dis ſoil(which‘is about four inches thick) originally formed the ſurface of. the ground, and was gradually buried by ſand from the neighbouring hills. Few countries produce greater varieties of ſoil, which yet does not change ſo rapidly as in ſome others. The greateſt proportion of that diſtri, which lies between the Ribble and the Merſey; has for its ſuperficies a ſandy loam, well adapted to the production of almoſt every vegetable that has yet been brought under cultivation, and that to a degree which renders it impoſible to eſtimate the advantage which might be obtained, by improved and ſuperior management. ‘Ehe ſubſtratum of this ſoil is generally the red rock, or clay- marle, an admirablé ſandy loam, perhaps one of the moſt de- ſirable ſoils that can be found, equally well adapted to the pro- dudtion of every vegetable. In this diſtri there is little or no gravelly ſoil, no chalk or flint, no ſtony land, and very little obdurate clay, for the generality of it(except what is under graſs, and indeed much of that) is treated in a man- ner that does little credit to this æra of improved and enlight- ened agriculture. There is alſo a black ſandy loam, ſome- thing diſtin& from the above deſcription, which has no red rock, but the ſubſtratum white ſand, under which is clay, and then marle. There are alſo tras of white ſand lands, and ſome ttle pebbly-gravel lands,‘There are many large tracts which come 2 e273 A E ES F# LANCASHIRE. 9 come under the denomination of moſſes, and fome Kiff, but no obdurate clay lands. here 15 2 Kind of land which throws up great quantities of ruſhes, not owing ſo muclv to Iprings, as to a2 thin ſtratum of ſurface foil, under which lies a bed of matter, principally compoſed of clay, which does not admit the water ro penetrate 5 therefore, the upper ſurface,‘or ſoil, is kept in a continual ſpongy fate’(if not füurface-drainéd)‘and produces ruſhes and other ſour grafles*, Remarks on this Obſervation{+.—“ This kind of land lying upon clay or marle, is‘not(T am of opinion) cured, and but little beneñtted, by ſurface-draininsg; the evil, generally, if not always, is under the foil, occaſioned by the{ ſand-beds, which are of various depths and forms, from the ſurface of the clay or marle, ſay from half a yard“ to 1E yard deep, likz ſo many baſons filled’ with ſand and water, which keep the ſoil conti nually moiſt(except ir very dry weather); and as it mußt be granted by all, that wiſhes“are occaſioned by a ítagnated moiſture, ſo it is obvious, that the only effeual method of cure 1s draining the land ſufficiently deep, ſo that the wet can- not be fucked up to the ſoil or upper ſurface. If land lies wet in winter, when dried by ſummer’s heat it becomes hard and firmly baked together, ſo that little vegetation is produced, conſequently the propriety of under-draining, to produce crops and deſtroy ruſhes, is obvious,- And further, to prove this, if A drain is cut acroſs a field of this deſcription into the marle, and through the fand-beds, it will be found, that there is 2 continual ftream all the winter ſeaſon, * Upon fuch land, common. rack or gravel ſand is ſpread upon the ground previous to ploughing, as thick as common daunging; and then, after ſecond ploughing or croſs-cutting, dung at top, and harrow in the ſeed, and you will looſen the water-tight ſoil. If twice rèpeated, the ſuc- cels is infallible, +7 By Mr. James Blundell. + Called here ſand-godts, C«(Food “jr E »—_ gd i= 10 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY < Good marle has the property of ſtiffening light land, 2nd meliorating, and unbinding,(if dry) ſtiff land. Stif ſoil, it is true, for a long time, rehiſts che rain before it is ſaturated; but when made wet, it longer retains the moiſture than a dry ſoil,” Marle has a good effe& upon theſe lands; for, beſides its uſual qualities of promoting putrefaction, it renders the ſoil ſtiffer, and enables it to reſiſt and throw of the ſurface water more effeQually. Moor lands which are in a ſtate of nature, and produce heath, and other wild plants, are of various qualities; very extenſive indeed, and much more ſo than might have been expedted in a county ſo populous, and conſequently where lands muſt be ſo valuable. z Theſe are diſtinctions, not neceſſary perhaps, on this occa- Ñon, to particularize more minutely, than by obſerving that the vales are in general fertile, but have leſs of that fertility as they approach nearer to the higher lands. DECT. 5— Water. THe great advantages which —*— RES s—— E D———— — E E——— i—— m— FOU SE, a. Parlour. b. Dining-room, c. Staircaſe. d. Milk. houfe. OLC ES. a. Stable, b. Shippon, or cow= houſe. c Thraſhing-bay, or barn. d. Shed. e. Corn-bay, or barn, CHIH g. Cart-houſe, In forming buildings, convenience 1s the firſt thing to be confidered: this 1s the only plan that has yet been : erected in this county upon ; this conſtruction; 1t wil : ſoon be allowed by the in- : telligent farmer, that two { front parlours and front door are unneceſlary, two out of the three are ſeldom or ever utéed. It 1s eaſily con= ceived from the plan annex- ed, how much more room 1s gained, and with what ſMnug=- neſs every apartment joins. Many a farmer’s wife would think herſelf n paradiſe in ſuch a kitchen=—theſe build- ings are large enough for D farms T9 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Repairs have been freguently left to the tenant, as by cove- nant ſtipulated; but they are in general ſo ill performed, under theſe terms, as to prove no ſecurity to the landlord. Some landlords provide materials, and the úienant is to cart them to the piace wanted; which practice ſeents the only ſervice in re- pairs by the tenant that proves of real utility to the landlord. UAN I. 3.— Cottages, TF cottages are of different kinds, for the common labourer in agriculture, and the different artificers, and with accommodations accordingly, with ſeparate rooms, to hold the utenhls of trade in their various occupations;¡—near large fac- tories, being frequently built in long rangés adjoining toge- ther, and near the works, and ſometimes accommodated i ſmall gardens*. farms of£{. 100 a year, but may be reduced or enlarged at pleaſure. The houle ought to(tand with the kitchen and pantry to the north: a porca 18s alſo neceflarz E and ſerves as back kitchen, to put milking veſlels in,&c. and break of the north-weſt winds. The ſet of offices may be varied many ways, and alſo be uſeful and‘conve- nient; the one laid down ap Dee to be the beſt adapted for E 18 not exceed- Ing£.100 a year'z it will hold five horſes and ten cows: pn pe aís to ſuckle the calves under cover, and they are clear and convenient to the ſhippon, for it is well to keep the ſucklings ac a diftance from the cows. Over the calf-crib and cart-houſé 1s the granary, into which you aſcend out of the barn, and have no ſteps to the outſide of the building;; you may load the cart under cover with eaſe through a Pe door into the cart-houíe. In large farms I would add a ſtable to one end, and convert the preſent ſtable into another ſhippon, or cow-houſe, * Where Ue cottager has a ſmall garden, the following mode of laying potatoes may be of particular uſc to him: From every VE in each potatoe-ſet, will proceed‘different ſtems; which when tney are about nine inches above the ſurface of the ground, ſhould be ſpread out in a circular form, bent down, and covered all over (but juſt the ends) with earth. The following rude ſketch may probably render it more intelligible a pit: of earth nine inches“ diameter,„=, about one foot deep, ES then covered with a little mould,* gy LN upon which is depohited the.potatoe whole, that is uncut. From jj 5 this ſet may ariſe ſeveral ite ms, which SS of Jeet cient, then the items bent down thus: and from the Rems thus covered a few inches deep, and rounded up in the ſhape ol a mole-hill, new fibres will ſtrike, take root, and potatoes be produced in large quantities, This mode may be ulſc ful to the cottager, as the prac- i) tice requires but little dung, ſome additional labour oe E) A as the pits may be varied, the ſame ground may be re- D peatedly and repeatedly planted, — Le COVe- inder ONE N to n re- d, The ch 18 C, 0MVe- XEU- {vekle 0, for lf-crib 1, and under ams I nother laying which ground, all over vrobably a Many > LANCASHIRE: 1d Many of theſe kind of dwellings have been ere&ed by build- ing ſpeculators, as they generally(if the rents are paid) are calculáted to yield an intereſt of£{. 10 per cent. to L. 20 per cent. “The modern buildingg are chiefly of brick, and covered with ſlate; rents from one to five and ſix pounds per annum. The old cottages of the county, of which ſome are yet remaining, are of unhewn fone, or poſt and plaiſter, clay floors, and thatched roofs. The gardens attached to ſuch cottages are found of thé greateſt utility, both for the means of healthy exerciſe they furniſh, and as enabling the cottager to raiſe a conſiderable quantity of food at a ſmall expence. CAr MODE OF OECCURA TION: SECT. I.— farms. N moſt townſhips* there is one farm, fſtill diftinguiſned by the name of the Old Hall, or Manor Houſe(the refi- dence formerly of the great proprietor of that diſtrict) which is of larger extent than any of the adjoining or neighbouring farms. Few of theſe farms, however, exceed 600 ſtatte acres’; many do not extend to the amount of 200. But the Les) acres a-piecez or even ſo much only as will keep a horſe or more general ſize of farms 1s from 50, 40, 30, down to 20 cow only; or one of theſe, as 1s moîſt convenient. Farmers in general are charged with being ftupid, obfſtinate, ánd attached to old cuſtoms. In- this county they do not altogether merit theſe harſh accuſations— we have all our prejudices and attachments. They are, in general, a labo- rious, and certainly a moſt uſeful claſs in ſociety. MEDE hazards they have to encounter, from ſeaſons, and other cauſes, leave little room for trials of uncertain experiments, After the grain has been depolited in the earth, the ground being previouſly prepared to receive’ it, in the moſt huſband % 1 * The pariſhes of Lancaſhire are again ſubdivided into-townſhips- D 2 an |P FF E iE EE O: [ar 20 AORICGUE TURAL SURVEY man-like manner, ſtill the, ſucceſsful iſſue entirely depends on a favourable ſeaſon to vegetate and mature the grain. Mil- dews and blights, under theſe favourable alpes, may yet in- tervene; but ſhould not any inauſpicious appearance happen, and ſhould the reaper be prepared to Vather the produce of the loaded fields, yet how often does tlte howling blaſt ſcatter and diſperſe the hopes of the huſbandman! Again, the labours of the farmer are toilſome; his gains cannot be great, upon the moſt favourable calculations; namely, that from his grounds he ſhould be enabled to raiſe three rents—one, of courſe, his landlord demands; more than another is requiſite to maintain his family, pay the hire f ſervants, and ſupport contingencies; the third and laſt, toward paying intereſt of the capital advanced for ſtock, and afford an annual ſurplus to reward his labours. A ſpirit of ingenuity and improvement amongſt the inha- bitants of this county, has been frequently proved, and is yet, every day, manifeſting itſelf; but this is moſt apparent amongſt the manufacturing claſs; and the reaſon is obvious — reward immediately enſues. The Glaſgow manufaQurers, till of late, have exceeded the Lancaſhire in muſlins. Sti= nulated by emulation, in the neighbourhood of Bolton, they now boaſt that they have at laſt, and but very lately, ſurpaſſed the Glaſgow muſlins and fancy-works. The ſame flame would E fhine amongſt. the farmers as well as amongſt the _ manufacturers, were the reward equally cer- tain: fill it remains to enguire how a ſpark of this flame may be kindled. The farmer is not ſuch a novice, and ſo totally blind to his own intereſt, as to be incapable of viewing the efes of ſkilful cultivation, however novel; and if on repetition this new pradice be found beneficial, the great incentive to action, ÎNTEREST, will operate equally upon one individual as on another. But how is the farmer to be convinced? He is told ſuch are the cuítoms which ſucceed in other diſtri&ss but theſe aſler= tions do not convince. Soil, climate, or other cauſes, may operate— he waits an example nearer home. Herein the landlords, the gentlemen of property in the county, ſhould interfere and ſet the example; and ſeveral ſpirited gentlemen have of TL AN CASHAIRE: 21 have made great exertions in the introduétion of many novel practices, and under great diſadvantages; for not- being able to execute, but only to dire, they have had both prejudice and ignorance to encounter.‘Their labour is always pro- cured upon worſe terms, probably by£/. 50 der cent. than can be obtained by the farmer or gardener, who can ſay to his workmen,“ Come, let. us go dig together;” even if the la- bourer be hired to work by the piece upon the uſual terms, it will often be ſlightly performed, How many good effects, and what ſuperior‘cultivation, has been produced within the ſpace of half a century, by theſe means, in a ſlow and almoſt imperceptible manner!‘The very village in which this account is written*, half a century ago, was not able to ſupply from its own ESOS an inferior number of cattle, with a EES of hay LS winter ſtock, the LS fton meadows. There is a greater quantity of live ſtock’ at preſent kept, and yet no ſma 11 ſurplus of hay remains to be ſent to the Liver- pool market. It was in the memory of a worthy and experience ) who only died the preſent year, that the firſt load of night-ſoi] brought from Liverpool towards the north was by his father; who was paid for carting the ſame the price that heretofore had been paid for carting away this nuiſance, and throwing it into the river Merſey. The good LS upon the land, which experience has proved dung to have, have cauſed it, at this Pedo to be ſold at an advanced price, and carted to a confiderable diſtance, The varieties of potatoes, their E value to the purchaſer, in compariſon to the price they fetched twenty or thirty years ago, under an advance of land, dung, and labour, proves ſuperior cultivation, and much greater jo- ar) Ds es] Ll. 4- Es< LL, Îne— y y ts+ y 4+ duce of this excellent vegetable, from the ſame quantity of ſoil. The introduction of clover, the v of ſeeds of 4 S eS E ERE EES a AA A grain, both oats and wheat, prove ſome degree-of atten- * Walton, near Liverpool. +T Mr. Jokn Harper, late of Bank Hal. t1015 E e——= eN RE———== de R AO——- ar TEE —= A— H hj IU M 68 FP ! j ' E TE 2 AGRICULTOR NE SUR EY tion; ds does alſo the introduction of the turnip, althougk the cultivation at preſent be not ſo extended, nor treated in the moſt huſbandman-like manner. Yet this, and all the above examples; are introduced to prove that a Lancaſhiré farmer, though not a complete agriculturiſt, is not without ſome ſpirit of improvement: SECT. 2. Refit. THE rent of lands is very variable in the diferent parts of the county, from ten ſhillings to ten pounds per annum, the large acre, of éight yards to the rod; the latter enormous fum, being frequently paid in the vicinity of large towns, for particular accommodation.‘The price paid by the farmer is from ten ſhillings for ſome barren lands, up to twenty, thirty, forty, and ſome(but not many) as high as eighty ſhillings per acre per annum(large mealure,) DECT. 3—Tythes. THE tythes are in many places colleted, one eleventh of the corn—the hay 1s freguently converted, five ſhillings der acre for old meadows, ſix ſhillings per acre for furſt year’s clo- ver(acre large meaſure.) SECT, 4—Poor Rates. PooR rates are at Liverpool 2s. 6d. per 1b.; at Walton 2d. per lb.; at Mancheſter 65s. per Ib. at a highly-valued rental, but taxed at only half value, they are therefore at 35s. per 1b. on the rental; at Bolton 6s. a late aſſeſſment, but would be 45s. of full and preſent value; Rochdale about 45.; at Weſt Houghton 165. the pound; Aſhton SS. der ánnum; Oldham 5s per annum on the full rental. SECT. 5— Leaſes. MANvy farms are held by leaſes on three lives*, on which a fine has been paid, and a ſmall annual rent reſerved; and * When a leaſe is granted for three freſh lives, on an average‘the term Laíts upwards of ço years, 3 ſometimes ch nd 16S oF LANCASHIRE. 23 ſometimes an addition of boon ſervices; which laſt ſyſtem ſeems much on the decline. Theſe leaſes are generally eſtimated at .2bout fourteen years purchaſe. The leaſes upon years are, from ſeven, eleven, to fourteenz but chiefly ſeven*&. Covenants in ſome to pay the rent the day the tenant enters upon the premiſes.‘This covenant for the ſecurity of the landlord, but not exac@ed except on emer- . The time of entering upon the lands is Candlemas 5 and on the buildings, E Uſual covenants are, the landlord to repair buildings, the tenant carting the materials. The tenants ſeverally to diſcharge all taxes, ſerve all offices, and all the duties charged upon the farm. Tenants are reſtrained, by covenant+, to the quantity al- lowed to plow, ſometimes to one-third, ſometimes to one- fourth, of the whole; and alſo, of late, to the number of crops to be taken at one breaking up of the ground—ſometimes to our crops 5 and ſometimes only three are allowed.‘Tenants are reſtrained, by covenant, from ſowing wheat upon bean ftubble{, or any other ſtubble from which a crop has been taken * Short RS where farms are arable, and upon an improving plan, fuch as marling, and any other ſort of improvement, manure,&c. being ſo dear, would greatly 7 heck the ſpirit of improvement, EO: cour 1n time the land muſt decreaſe 1n its value, when farmers have to do at their own expence. If the proprietor was to improve at his own expences and finds there is an advantage in ſhort leaſes, it 1s but juſt ſo to do; but when the farmer has to improve at his own expence, and upon a ſhort leaſe, and cannot pay his way, the farmer is often ruined, and the proprie- tor a loſer; for when the farmer is poor, the farm 1s ſure to be made poor alſo. Leaſes of a reaſonable fair length of time, and the covenants‘not ſo ſtrict at the beginning of the leaſe, would greatly encourage the ſpirit of the farmer to improve, when he has to do it at his own expence, and the covenants to be ſuch as to bind the farmer by forfeitures, over and above the yearly rent, ſo as to have the premiïes in a high ſtate of cultivation at the EXP ation of the leaſe, and to give his management of manures,&c. in writ ting, and his account of ſtock every year of the term to the proprie- tor or his agent, or as often as it may be required; and if found in an error, the covenants to be ſuch as to bind him in a ſum, according to the rent and largeneſs of his farm, over and above all forfeitures, and ükewiſe to forfeit bis leaſe.—Mr. Harper. + Tenants are very much reflrained in plowing, and not improperly, unleſs they could be induced to cultivar green crops, as turnip, cabbage, &c. t Bean ſtubble, in ſome counties, is almoſt the only and beſt tilth known for wheat; and probably, with proper culture, might be ſo in this county, E———— ÉE ege TI 24 AGRICUET URAL SURVEY taken the ſame year. The tenants, by covenant, reſtrained from pariñg or burning, except mofs lands. The tenants ſometimes reftrained, by covenant, from ſelling either hay or firaw, but are bound to conſume the whole upon the premiſes. The tenants, by covenant, reſtrained from ſelling of their flock till the cloſe of the year, at the expiration of their term, that the greater quantity of dung may be raiſed from the pro- duce conſumed. “The tenants allowed to take of three-fourths of the wheat growing upon the premiſes at the expiration of a leaſe. The fucceeding tenant to have the remaining quarter*., A ſucceed ng tenant to have permiſlion, after Candlemas, at the expiration of a leaſe, to occupy certain portions of the out- buildings, by clauſes founded for the accommodation of his horſes, hay,&c. neceſlary for the ſpring ſeedin ng, on the new tenant entering upon his farm Upon the eſtate of that intelligent landlord, Mr. Bayley, of Hope,whenever a tenant wiſhes for the whole of his farm. or any particular field, to be improved, by draining, marling, limincg, dunging, or laying down to graſs in a ſuperior manner, the landlord takes the field into his own poſſeſſion, during the pro- cels; and, when co! E returns it again to the tenant, with an advanced rent of ten der cent. upon the capital laid out upon the improvements; by which A Mr. E has advanced the rental of bis eftate, ſince the year 17068, very conſiderably—his } county. At any ratc e it 18 wrong to prevent the tenants from making trials, and fili more 6 to prevent them making one of the firſt of AgTI- cultural) Kent. This covenant, to the of a Kentiſh farmer, ſeems the moft extra- ordinai y that can be. Tt Sn by them ſuppoſed to be almoſt the beſt pre- paration that can be for wl Nothing can juſtify it, but inattention to the bean crop, by is 1n too foul a ſtate to be ſown: but it muſt be foul indeed, if a Kentiſh 1er could not find, ways to clear it properly tor wheat.“ No man can be ſurprized that corn 1s ſo dear in this IINDYoOVements Or county, when he knows that ſuch covenants are to be and in leaſes. Mr. DoE of Kent. *# The cuſtom of the off-soing tenant ta ES three-fourths of the wheat left growing on the premiſes 1s much upon the decline in this diſtrict, for Lt 1s generally allowed but one half; and many leaſe not to leave any at all. I myſelf, for one, am not to leave any grewine. Mr, Harper. tenants - land, and turf- E— Mr. Boys,‘of poll | the -}1S of LANCASHIRE. 25 tenants are thriving, and getting money. Mr. James Balmer, who accompanied the ſurveyor in this excurſion, and is a guad judge of cattle, declared he never ſaw, upon any one eſtate, ſo large a ſtock of cattle, uniformly good, being the Lancaſhire long horn, and what he termed the right ſort. A certain method to excite improvement would be to let farms tó men of induſtry, ingenuity, and property, upon reaſon- able terms, and give leaſes for 21 years, free from arbitrary co- venants; without this nothing can excite a general and effedcual improvement. For ſuppoſe a farmer to lay out a few ſcore or hundred pounds upon his farm in uſeful improvements; his landlord ſees the advantage he is making, ſends a valuer to look over his farm; who, never conſidering(nor being told) what hé has done, lays a tax upon his induſtry, and makes him pay intereſt for his own money. Daily experience proves the truth of this aflertion, and will ever operate to the deſtruction of improvement, and of courſe to the great diſadvantage of the public. Another improvement which here ſuggeſts itſelf, is by a re- viſal of the covenants in leaſes; and adapting them better to the preſent improved ſyſtem of agriculture; many of them at preſent militate againſt ſome approved pradices, nor has an ingenious cultivator ſcope to at, being reſtrained under cove- nant.‘There wants a ſpirit of liberality in the general tenor of eaſes. Inſtances might be produced to prove that if indulgencies were upon ſome occaſions granted, the tenant would be bene- fited, and the landlord enriched; and this only by a new mo- dellinz of the covenants, whereby the lands, if managed under 2 certain cultivation, muít return, at the expiration of the leaſe, into the hands of the poſleſſor, in a better ſtate than they were in at the beginning; and of courſe, would bring an advanced rental to the eſtate; ând again, the tenant, if induſtrious, might be enabled, by his advanced capital already gained-by his former leaſe, and the ſuperior ſtate in which he now finds the lands upon the ſame farm, to give the advanced rent to his landiord with greater profit to himſelf, than upon his former rent, under the impoveriſhed ſtate in which farms are generally entered Upon, A E Leaſes 26 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Leaſes upon lives only a as checks to improvements; they are, in general, only beneficial to the firſt purchaſer, who ſecures an income on three lives, for fourteen years purchaſe—the fee ſimple of which would have reguired double the ſum. The ſucceſlors, elevated by poſſeſſing an eſtate under 2 ſmall an- nual guit rent, inſtead of full rent, /¡ve up to the height, as the phraſe is, and are but ill-prepared to renew the leaſe, or pay the fine reguired when a life drops. The leaſe, through inabi- lity of the tenant to renew, or ſome other caul(e, is ſuffered to run out, under the uncertainty of life, and the lands(there be- ing no proviſion made by covenants to prevent it) are haraſſed and abuſed to ſuch a degree, as to reguire a length of time to reſtore them, y Theory and pradtice, it muſt be confeſled, are perpetually at variance, as well in Agriculture as many other purſuits Tt might at firſt fight appear, that the cuſtom of granting leaſes for three lives(a tenure that gives ſuch probable ſecurity to a te- nant) would excite a degree of ſpirit of improvement amongîit the. holders of theſe tenures. Experience however proves the contrary factt—For leaſcholds upon lives are generally under the moſt wretched cultivation, Eaſy rents may have produced a careleſs indolence, and hence an averlion to enterprize.‘The landlord having but little intereſt in ſuch’eftates, and leſs power over ſuch tenants, is himſelf checked from any ſpirit of improvement upon ſuch cantingent property. Thoſe proprietors who look a little to- wards the welfare of poſterity, are come to a reſolution of run- ning theſe tenures out, and,‘of courſe, the tenants are not be= hind in exhaufting and every way impoveriſhing the land. The ancient cuſtom of granting leaſes for three lives is be- ginning to difappear: It ſhould ſeem probable that this tenure, which grants ſo much ſecurity to the tenant, would naturally excite a liberal and enterpriſing ſpirit of huſbandry: fa@& how- ever proves the reverſe of the propoſition; the ancient leaſe- hold eſtates being almoſt univerſally in a wretched ſtate of cul- tivation, beyond all compariſon leſs produétive than thoſe held upon ſhorter tenures, Eaſy rents, ſecure poſleſſion, and good land, i. e dC ÉE pA SCEE ef LANCASHIRE. 27 4| länd, have lulled the leaſeholders into à careleſs indólerce, an 8 avérſión' to enterprize, which havé been produttive'of much ill he| to themſelves and their conneétions; and, above‘all, to the puby D lic; much ill has accrued tothe leaſeholders from the power of n borrowing money upon’ this’ ideal ſpecies of property.— Theſe de obſervations hold good tothe cuſtom’ of half rez and half fie, N Upon ſuch: tenures the immediate landlord can have no induce=- * ment: to ádvance money for the amelioration of his éftate, and  but little intereſt and leſs power either to prevent! his! land zd being exhauſted by wretched huſbandry, or to oblige his te- nants to keep upon their farms a due proportion of ſtock. Whoever will take the trouble of examining the eſtates of this county held upon three lives, will find the arable worn out by n a perpetual ſucceſſion of exhauſting‘crops, and the graf little j more“ than a colledtion of ruſhes and beggary, the whole un- Fl ditched, undrained, and unmanured. Landlords have at length ftr become ſenſible to their own intereſts, and are ſuffering their E leaſes to run out, which, though a wiſe policy, is deſtrudtive in de its immediate effeds: in fact, the country is at this time ſuf- rit fering extremely in conſequence. Modern leaſes upon land in high condition are from ſeven to “9 ud eleven years;¡—upon improveable land fourteen to twenty-one: ing but= But landlords in this county will never adopt the ſyſtem of 26 granting long leaſes free from all reſtrictions, ſuch as are te- on luc commended by the ſurveyors*for the Weſt Riding of York.— ittle t0e To recommend ſuch a ſ yſtem to a manufacturing county would of run- be- abſurd. not be- The firſt purchaſerof leaſeholds’ is generally a ſenſible in- 1d, duſtrious man, who underſtands his buſineſs, and attends to it. es 15 be- His ſuccéſlors:- are: often both ignorant and idle, but their te- 13{NU nure is ſecure, and they cánnot be diſturbed in their poſſeſſions | naturally by any thing but their own folly; this often induces them fa how- eithèt to haraſs their eſtate themſelves, or let them of at rack cient lakes' rent to ſome poor devil, without any capital or means of pra=- ate of cule Curing one thoſe held „and good EA I know land F bris S a g. R i Sabia 5 EL Zun— Go Pila Ge> PE: N R i 23 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY T knew that the contrary may be, and often is the caſe, and that the abuſe of a good cuſtom is no argument againſt the cuſtom itſelf: but I alſo know that there are no poorer or more wretched people in the county than the occupants of leaſehold eſtates, and that the ſons and grandſons of moſt of the original leaſeholders are not to be found upon ſuch eſtates —A middle man is the devil—all the world knows the conſe- quence of this cuſtom in Ireland—zbe little lords of this coun- try are in the ſame predicament, Differences between Landlords and Tenants. “ The juſtices might ſettle all differences* and diſputes be- twixt the landlords and tenants, inſtead of the preſent expen- ive mode of courts of judicature. The diffferences are gene=- rally of a trifling nature, and eaſy to be comprehended. The tenant would be more likely to obtain redreſs under this mode of judicial enquiry, and the landlord would prevent abuſes to his land: he nay now be withheld, under certain circumítances, from corre&@ing a refractory tenant, which might be too heavy for any redreſs the landlord could obtain; and the damages given too grievous for a tenant to bear, SECT. 6.— E xpences. Authentic Statement of a Farm, communicated by Mx. HexNRv HARPER, of Bank Hall. j Hed Slide LUS A Yearly Rent- 2705 0 0| Taxes-= dA OO — 3I5 0 0 * With a Sroper jury perhaps they might. But how would fuch ſum- mary proceedings operate on the pockets of a molt numerous tribe in this country, the gentlemen of the law?—4, D, 9 Outgoings cs frre a a ÉE iT EUM E EROE iS 5 AAR SEEG BF, We F LANCASHIRE, 29 Outgoings for one year Ed: DuUgar--= 7.107 LES 20, Tea--=, US (1) Bread-- 47 2 (2) 6Butehers meat= COIL Currants-- O19 9 Vinegar-- S Go A (3) Soap= 7- TI 8 (3) Candles=-- TI 5+ DI Starch-- O25 Mugs-- 0-7 0 Flax and wool> Ze 200 Salt--- 2128 NEICardhops GIO O Liquors-- SIO O Chee= 2 IO Coals-- 01050 — 1 04 Nine fervants* wages, wholiveinthe houſe- 66.0.0 hreelaboures= 70 O0 Mowing and haymaking- 20 0 q” Reaping corn-= 1200 Manure-= IO OO * Tythe hay-- 7 100 Blackſmich-= 29 OLO Wheelwright-= 725 20-0 Collar-maker-= O O Cooper=- LT«01:0 — IPO O0 (1) Wheaten bread purchaſed for tea, and on extraordinary occañons, * Corn is collected(tythe) in kind, Provender 42 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Ld. {1} Provender- o Farrier--- C EN, Miller--- 2200 Weeding---— 220.0 Repairs of gates and building 5 5& Timber for rails and fences 2 O Meole-catcher-- 2120 Rat-catcher-_ O10 O Store Pigs= E H 4-0 (2) Cloaths and extra expences- 31 10- 0 Lofs in cattle-— 20 0-9 Bad debts-= 20 010 44 OO ROD L. 879 16 10 Stock kept upon: the Bank Hall from March 1794, valued by a ſworn appraiſer, for the uſe of the Lancaſhire Report, Ten draught horſes, 151. each- 150/00 Three three-year old colts, 151. each’ 45 o 0 One two-year oldicolt-= IO O6 Two year old colts- SIC OO A hack horſe--= IO O0 À poney--- 2280 Twenty-five milch cows, at 7/ 10s. each--— 107.10 0 Seven in calf heifers, at 8/ each 5ó' 0/0 Nine heifers barren, 44. ros. each 40 10 0 Fourteen one year old; 3 /. 104. cach 49 o a O o) Tenrearing calves—= 10 O “Two bulls-- 15-0 One brood mare in foal= IO O O REMI] EEA CA 606 3 Q (1) Mait-duſt, bran,&c. purchaſed to give to the cattle, mixed with potatoes or turnips. (2) Mr. Harper is a bachelor; his family conſiſts only of himſelf and nine Íeryants. Three —__. M. R IE= A>| E E VA e PRE EE e C gf gm EE nd a Ff LANCASHIRE. 25 Ed: TRTCC CAS AaO TSR C== A5 O Dr nm Three ſmallerGarte atO. cach-- 18 0 0 One water-carit, pump,&c. for con- veying water from dunghills-" 1515 0 Three ſingle ploughs, 15s. each- 2 50 Three pair harrows, 15s. each- 2 O One large harrow--= TIO O —— 68284 15 2 Four ſets of horſe gears for ¿horſes 16 0 O Nine ſpades, at 25. each OSO Twelve dung forks, at 1 s. 3d. each OTELLO ‘Twenty-four pitch forks, 6d.- O 12.70 Twenty rakes, at 3d.-- O 5950 Forty chains and hoops to faſtencattle* 1 o 0 Marling hacks and hedging tools 0120 Marling piles and lumber-- L050 Two wheelbarrows-- O0. O Dairy utenſils-- 0 OLO Winnowing machine-- 2250 Forty facks, at 15.24=- 210 O Riddles and ſieves-- O BO One buſhel meaſure-- O70 One half buſhel and pek=- O6 One winnowing ſheet-- O50 One machine for cutting ſtraw= IO Six cart ropes for binding=-— O 18 0 Harrowing geers-“fas 100 Thraſhing machine-= 0 20 0 Building for gangway=“OOO —————— TZ@ N. B.—The houſhold goods not brought into this account, Rent, 2= AE >— R | 1 M Y 4 1 LO 1109 1 ré mE e— jede ps EL EL E zs AGRICUIRURAGASURVEY Ls Leds Rent, with taxes-- 315 0 0 Outgoings-= BOATO IO 1 Intereſt of ſtock-= AOI 5E PAO So LE Three rents with axes= O45 O00 j ‘Three rents paid to the landlord- 810 0 0 The Bank Hall eſtate was, in the year 1793, under the fol= lowing cultivation. The acres are given in the cuſtomary meaſure of eight yards to the rod. Bank Hall eſtate-“- 69 acres Bootle Marſh, improved 1780-- 53 Bootle Marſh not yet improved GNS j — T7| Diſtribution of crops.| Old meadow for hay= O ACLES| New meadow, clover and graſs ſeeds 12 Ï Wheat-__--= 10| Barley= 2 6|| Oats== D 6 Beans=- Ee| Potatoes== 2| Fallow—-= S 8| ‘Furneps_——= T2| Paſture—- 2| Paſture, unimproved land-- 25 — 147 acres ® CHAPTER RE ae E ni Dns i e \\t E ERE HAD a CE TEN n A e GG # LANCASHIRE. CHAPTER VV: E EEN S. USEFUL INSTRUMENTS IN HUSBANDRY. iE a ds thirty years ago, the Rotheram or Yorkſhire plough. was introduced into the ſouthern part of this county*,‘The plough formerly in uſe was almoſt a load of itſelf for a draught horſe. In the north of Lancafhire a plough, called the Cumberland plough, invented in that county, is generally uſed. A trench plough has been lately introduced- by Mr. Ducket, ſon of the celebrated Ducket of Eſher, in Surrey. This plough has a ſkim coulter, by which the ſurface{if foul) may be turned under, and freſh ſoil brought up; as it is capable of bringing up the land from ſix to ten inches, and is uſually drawn by three horſes. Another inſtrument has becn lately introduced, which Mr. Eccleſton, with propriety, calls the miner; which-is a plough-ſhare fixed in a ſtrong beam, without mold-boards, and drawn by four or more horſes, and follows in the furrow the plough has juſt made, and, without turning up the ſubſtratum, penetrates into, and looſens the ſoil, from 8 to 12 inches deeper than the plough had before gone; Which operation, beſides draining the land, cauſes the water to carry along with it any vitriolic or other noxious mat- * By the late J. Athertgn, Eſq. Walton Hall. F 24 AGRECCEL UNA SURVEY ter; by the ſubſtratum thus looſened, the roots of plants may penetrate the deeper; and, in courſe of time, that which is but a barren ſubſtance may become fertile ſoil. There is a greater variety of carts in this county than in the ſame given ſpace in any other part of the kingdom. In the neighbourhood of Liverpool they are of very large ſize; thoſe Ce in the coal-trade within the towú are gauged to 36 buſhels Wincheſter. The country dung carts, in the ſame neighbourhood, are alſo of 2 very large ſize, and generally will hold thirty-ſix Win- cheſter buſhels,— carry two tons of dung; they have fſix- inch wheels, In the interior parts of the county, the carts greatly diminiſh in ſize, and have variety of forms; in the northern part the ſize is very ſmall; the clog wheel,‘as it is tèrmed(three planks of aſh), which was E much in uſe in the north, on account of cheapneſs, has yielded to the ſpoke wheel; the clog being more clumſy, and the cart more liable to overſet—in theſe carts the wheel did not move upon the axis, but both turned round together. Single carts are in more géneral uſe*. Mr. Jenkinſon of Yealand ſays,“ that a gentleman, in his neighbourhood, made a fair trial 1 in the hay field“ between the large and ſmall carts, or what 1s often called double and îmgle carts, in which the latter Ra much the advantage, in N of buſineſs; and the conſeguence was, that the double carts were little uſed af- terwards.” Mr. H. Harper obſerves, that for a ſinall diſtance, 20 RAI A ſtatute mile, the ingle cart has certainly an ad- vantage; but at a further diſtance, he prefers the double cart íor diſpatch of buſineßs; becauſe the E ſtrength or number of hands 1s requiſite to unload the ſinall, as the large Although Lancaſhire is not a corn county, yet, labour being: dear, there are ſeveral thraſhing machines s already introduced 5 one of which belongs to CoA Mordaunt of Halfll, which The encouragement of th-ſe can alone preſerve the roads of Great Br ain.——Sce Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XYIII, Pi 178,&C. ImOVes E MEE VEO E EE E aum E RA= n of made carts, h the and daf- nce, | ad- cari imber large r being duced; i i E ANCASEERE, 25 moves by water, thraſhes, winnows, and grinds(or cruſhes the corn for provender), all at the ſame time. Many of the neighbours apply to this machine, for the uſe of which the colonel takes or charges one twentieth part*. Hand machines are alſo introduced, and are uſeful to the farmers, chiefly mad by John Naylor, at Aſhton, near St. Helen's+. This machine reguires two men. to turn, a boy or girl to feed, and another to take away the fraw ft. 1 theſe hand machines are about ſix pounds each A churn has been lately introduced, which ſeems very uſe- ful for its neatnefſs, cleanlineſs, and economy E it occaſrons leſs waſte of milk). The: churn, or veſlel, inſtead of E round, has four corners, and‘tne milk is put in motion by turning a handle, upon which are fixed boards which move horizontally in the manner of a reel within ſide the veel, *‘The average price paid for thraſhing in the diſtri. E E this it is remarked, on the margin of one of the Reports, that éc 1e ſurvey or has been wrong EEES of the above; for I have ſer ttree or'four different ones of thè ſaid John Naylor’s make, and never any that would do as much as the information given. From all the enquiries I could make of them, there was little or no benefit arifin> therefrom beyond thraſhing with flails. One of his make, in particu lar, Ï fw at work at the honourable Mr. Jones’s, of Blackley-hurſt, in Billinge, from which I could ſee no advantage. « Mr. Steevens of Chorl ey, who ereétec made one for Mr. Blundell of Ince, to be have täáken as many men to ls worked 1t as y with CS) for which reaſon it was returned to the m: ker as per agreement. Mr. Steevens I have ſince ſeen," who ſaid it was impoſible for one to be erected to any advantage to be worked by hand; it 1 ſt either be by water, ſteam, or horſes.” i Coloñel Mordaunt’s of Halſall, ed by hand, which would nid have thraſhed the corn AAE Se d. Je HTCTOE Gomer d Boy ande= at e 02 0( wao cañ,with this machire, SEA thraſh about 30 buſhls of wheat der day, whictx Py J+“ 1 4 E=; SST o 1 t 1 ze would come to TIS 3 de af tnesprelent price paid':for fAnrainung: about 70 buſhels of oats alſo per day, which would cot 0 6d. accorda RT fe ECLER DE N E LS STRa ing to the preſent price paid. But h SAL e Gone GRE M TT Fad-> cient for this heavy work.“Mr. Harp O BanK-hall, has con- raéted for a thraſhing machine, to be mnade for 40 L. which will require one horſe, and 1s to thraſh out from eight to ten buſhels ber hour, accord- ing to the length of fraw, and quantity of grain contained, F 2 by 36 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY by which the operation of churning is ſomething caſier, and M the work expedited. M A hay-cutter, in the form of a ſpade, ſtraight, and ſharp at H the point and upon both ſides, performs the work with much wl more eaſe and expedition than the common hay-knife, This ti tool was introduced from Yorkſhire by Mr. Eccleſton.:: th C] S- hy The following is a Deſcription of MR. HARPER?s Mill;; drawn up by himſelf. 1 « MY thraſhing mill will thraſh all kinds of corn, and any° Kind of ſmall ſeeds, perfelly clean*; and in’wheat that is bad to/ thraſh by the flail, will get from two to four quarts out of a thrave, more than it is poſible to get out by the fail; and if it is good to thraſh, generally about a quartz; and gets a deal more| chaff of all kinds than the flail, which is uſeful upon a farm if|| properly applied, the merits of which belong to the mill;:|: and it does not damage the ſtraw more than the flail; and if| j the corn is not well got, it does not damage the ſtraw ſo 1/ much. if: The following is the deſcription of the mill: Firſt is the| horſe-wheel, which is fifteen foot diameter; in which there are| 204 caſt iron coggs, and at the end’of a tumbling ſhaft is a| caſt iron wheel, which contains 20 co&gs, which work into the/ ...| fi horſe-wheel; and at the other end of the tumbling ſhaft within Y\ wood the barn 1s a ſpor-wheel, ſeven foot and a half diameter, which| Y .... 1 contains 100 wood coggs, which work into a caſt iron wheel| ü .. Slezs* AIE. f) of 18 inches diameter, containing I4 coggs, Which is fixed| y on the end of the ſhaft that comes through the cylinder. The|( cylinder is fix foot long and three foot diameter, and has y( fixed upon it twelve wrought iron beaters, all at an equal diſ-/ 0 tance; theſe beaters by the cylinder running round meet two| Ñ || Á The furveyor purchaſed twenty thrave of barley ſtraw, 1794, from a th y tythe barn, thraſhed with the flail in the uſual manner of the county, and i, | at the uſual price paid. When he got it home, he cauſed it to be thraſhed fy 0 | over again, and from this ſmall quantity, which was made up into ſmall elo] 1J ſheaves, he obtained one and a half buſhel of good corn, ÿ I Out N |Y e# LANCASHIRE. 37 wood fluted rollers five inches diameter and ſix foot long, which are fixed ſo as to be right in the center of the cylinder as it runs round; and under the cylinder is fixed a playboard, which 1s the whole length of the cylinder, àând goës about one third of the way round the cylinder, and is made ſo as to ft to the ſhape of the round of the cylinder; and at one fide it is fixed cloſe up to the under roller, and the other ſide of the play- board is where the corn and the ftraw come out, n ſome little that drops through the playboard, which is made with ribs of an inch and a half broad, and two deep, and half an inch diſtant one from another: the playboard is faſtened to the frame that ſupports the machinery, where the corn and the ſtraw come out on a ſwivel, turned by two wood pins; and at the other ſide up to the under roller it is ſupported by two wood levers, one at each end; which, by weight being hung on the levers, forces the playboard either nearer or farther off the cylinder: if the corn comes out foul-thraſhed, the play-board muſt be forced nearer the cylinder by more weight. "The rollers are worked by the ſpor-wheel, which has a caſt iron wheel of twa foot diameter, which contains 72‘Cogg&S, and 1s fixed right in the center of the ſpor-wheel, which works into another wheel of the ſame diameter and the ſame number of coggs, which is fixed to a ſtrong upright piece of wood that ſupports the ſpor-wheel, and this works into another caſt iron wheel of one foot and a half diameter, and contains 52 coggs» which is fixed to the énd of the under roller: theſe rollers draw the corn in from of a feeding board, which is as broad as the rollers are long; the top roller is fixed in wood levers, at cach end one, which are faſtened into the frame by a ſwwvel turn at one end, and the other ends of the lever lie looſe upon the frame, which have weights hung on them as occañon requires for drawing in the corn more or leſs. Now as theſe different motions are all connected together, they appear to be ſimple, and e E up eight foot ſquare in the inſide of the barn, by ten foot high. The gangway is eight yards ſquare, which the horſe-wheel works in at the outſide of the barn. The horſes travel at the rate of 2 miles and | | | | | | | | | Y'j H j y E E 4 wo, 35 AGRICUETURAL SURVEY and? in one hour, and at that rate the beaters on the cylin- der frike the corn 3,000 times in one minute: by the motion of the machinery, the rollers draw the corn in at the ſpeed that thé beaters ftrike it, full four times in one inch of length of the corn drawn. Expence of one day’s work of eight hours of thraſhing cor, &c. by the mill when kept in full work. To thraſhing 16 quarters of wheat. AEO 3 Mores one day— at 202 O07 Ls dE O2 men ditto= A2 O EO DoySditto e at Oe 0) To extra charge for winnowing=- is OO QE _——_ 0 17 6 To thraſhing 24 quarters of barley. GTo72 horſes oneida ato OO O Fo2 men ditto— ata 045.0 To extra man for one day- O 2O SO DoyStdittor at O 40 To extra charge for winnowng-- 0 20 — 017 0 To thraſhing 32 quarters of oats. o 2 norles Geda at 2 O4 OO So 2 men do ato OO AO ADOS AO at O/O To extra charge for winnowing#- 0 2 0 * The charge for winnowing ſeems triflingz but it ſhould be under- food, that when corn is thraſhed by the flail, and paid for by the ſcore,. the thraſhers always aſſiſt, without any additional expence paid for their hbour. D d, +” 14 E R, oF LANCASHIRE. S6 To thraíhing 24 quarters of beans, T0 2-horſes one day—4at 2CA0 50 Lis 2k Fra metditto: a=; coun âtdis dio 4:20 Mo 4 boystditto== at r= Mao 44/0 To extra charge for winnowng- O0 20 — 015 o 3s 4450 Expence of thraſhing different kinds of corn on my farm by the flail./ To thraſhing 16 quarters of wheat at 2s. 10d. 2 5 4 To ditto- 24 ditto of barley- at Is. 6d. DTO LO Torditte?— 132 dittotof oats at E 2650 To ditte= 24 ditto of beans- at 15. 6d.= 116 0 OEA To expence of thraſhing the ſame quantity of corn by the mill EE== Z E 46 Hence it appears that the míll clears 120 per cent. TO expence of the MIES D=S O 0 0 To ditto of gangway that contains the horſe- wheel, which is at the outſide of the barn- zo o 0 00 O O To the average of corn thraſhed on my farm by the flail per year---- Z30 0 0 To 120 per cent. ſaved by the mill, of thirty pounds----- LOO O To 10 per cent. for 80 pounds, for intereſt and repairs=---= S 900 (C> ATA ALG Ain o ACIERS Clear per year towards paying of the principal- io 0 q E te EE | 4 4 =S 40: AGRICULTURAL SURVEY The extra charge of two ſhillings per day for every day's work of different kinds of corn,&c. thraſhed by the mill, for winnowing, is a charge that belongs to the mill, For the thrafher that thraſhes the corn with the fail, either by the ſcore or quarter, is always an aſſiſtant hand to the win- nowing, without any additional charge on the corn thraſhed. Improvements on the thraſhing mill to be made. The firſt of theſe I am under with my null, for I have a man now making models to my own direion for caſt iron wheels, with four diferent rows of coggs in every wheel, for to either quicken or flower the motion of the rollers that draw the corn in from the man that feeds it off the feeding board; for although the mill thraſhes all kinds of corn,&c. perfeAly clean, Ict the corn be good or bad to thraſh, as the motion of the rollers are now fixed, it all gets thraſhed alike. 2dly. Gaining power in the horſe wheel, which will quicken the motion of the ſpor wheel, and eaſe friction from the horſes. Zdly. Small friction wheels for the cylinder to work of. 4thly. To have canvas fixed upon rollers, to draw the corn in more regularly. 5thly. Stones to be fixed to grind corn. vthly. To cut ftraw.—7thly, to waſh clothes.—8thly, to churn, and pump water. Now the ten pounds per year, that appears to be ſaved by the mill towards paying of the principal, as a farmer I do not mean it for that purpoſe, nor to deprive the labourer ſo much of his employ, but am happy in finding myſelf ſo ſituated as to get my corn ten per cent, cleaner thraſhed, and with ſo much diſpatch, and in ſo little time that I can take my labourers to any buſineſs the farm may require, ſuch as pruning fences, cloſe or open draining; and ſo much caſh that is ſaved by thraſhing, laid out yearly in the employ of labourers for that uſe on the farm, will pay me fifty per cent. better, and improve the farm more than keeping one man ten months in the year batting* in the barn, or even to half the time, and thraſhing with the fail. There is not one labourer in twenty but what would rather do any labour on the farm, than thraſh; and if he thraſhes it clean, * Batting, a provincial phraſe for thraſhing. 2 it E E RES E (0 the 10t ¡ch to uch ) ANY ſe or glad farm) 1 MOTE in the [9 fail, her do :(1eaN) ef LANECABHIRE. 41 it is well; and if. foul, and you find fault, the anſwer 1s“ Get ſome body elſe;’’ and he moſtly guits your employ. Mr. Johnſon, of WilmfNlow, whoſe machine is not ſo large, and conſequently not ſo powerful as Mr, Harper’s, winnows corn, and grinds oats or beans at the ſame time, Mr. Johnſon has the friétion-wheels Mr. Harper means to adopt. The following 1s 2 deſcription of the Reverend Croxton Johnſon, rector of Wilmſlow’s, thraſhing-machine: Diameter of the horſe-wheel—twelve feet, D° tumbling ſhaft nut—two feet. D° of iron-wheel at the end of the tumbling ſhaft within the barn—three feet eight inches,“ D° of the nut—one foot two inches. D®’ of the drum—four feet two inches, D° of the pully fixed on the thraſhing cylinder—fſix inches, The diameter of the tarafuing cylinder—two feet. The diameter of the feeding rollers—two feet ſix inches. The iron wheel on the feeding roller—two feet fix inches, The nut on the thraſhing-cylinder—üve inches.: The tumbling ſhaft turns the iron wheel within the barn, which iron wheel turns the nut, on the axis of which the drum is ſtaked.— The machine is turned by a ſtrap. from the drum round a pully fixed on the end of the axis of the thraſhing cya linder.: A nut is ſtaked on the ſame axis, which turns a wheel ſtaked on the lower feeding roller, Under the thraſhing cylinder there is a ſemicircular board, on which the ears of corn are beat by the ſix beaters of the cylinder. The ſpace occupied by the thraſhing-machine is ſix fect by RTEe tee EIONETNCheS A ſwing-harrow has been lately introduced, and ſeems coming much into vogue. A nut RP ES nidi FLE C d= ÉE — m| ger TL miar Sri rmer ier rd TÉ LEERE dE EE EE————— 42 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Hurdles, of an improved confſtrudtion, merit notice. They are faſtened by a wooden pin, through a ſtrong piece of oak, in a manner ſo as to be looſened and removed with leſs trouble, and leſs injury to the hurdle, than the old forms. Theſe were obſerved at Mr. Bayley?s, of Hope. Winnowing machines, of an improved conftruCtion, have been introduced, and gain ground: they diſpatch work briſkly, and fave the cha.: This machine&annot be too generally recommended, nor ſpoken of in too warm terms. Tt is admirable for its expedi-_ tious and neat manner of winnowing; and in the cleanſing of ſmutty wheat it is invaluable. I will venture to predié, that in a few years it will be in the hands of every farmer in the kingdom, who plows 20 acres of land. It is made at Aſhton, near Newton PHce 5 56: A machine for cleaning‘corn from ſmall ſtones, or earth, of which foreign cargoes are, ſometimes, too full, and invented by Mr. Whiteſide, of Lancaſter, ſhould not be unnoticed: as alſo an invention of the ſame ingenious perſon, for opening, ſhutting, and bolting the doors of granaries, or corn-rooms. He imagined, that treading upon, and walking over the corn, to ſaut the door, or window, which admitted the air, was in- jurious; he therefore contrived 2 bolt, which opens the win- dow, and ſhuts it again, by only pulling a cord, which runs upon a pully, and communicates with the ſhutter. The con- trivance has both ſimplicity, neatneſs, and ſecurity. CHAPTER cpc gr n cia ie gi ¿I ANG ASIRE. 43 CHAPTER VL O INGCEHO SI NG: MM HE ground work of improvement muſt be a general in- cloſure bill*. Mr. Elkington's principles of draining, if publicly known, would be of moſt material ſervice in all new incloſures; as from his knowledge in diſcovering ſprings, he could place the fences in ſuch fituations, that each ditch would anſwer the double end of fence and efffeual drain, which hitherto, from want of his knowledge, has always required both operations. ‘There are but few open, or common fields, at this time re= maining; the inconvenience attending which, whilſt they were in that ſtate, have cauſed great exertions to accompliſh a divi- ſion, in order that every individual might cultivate his own lands, according to his own method; and that lots of a few acres, in many places divided into ſmall portions, and again ſe-= parated at different diſtances, might be brought together into one point. The incloſures, or fields, are in general very ſmall; ſo much ſo, as to cauſe great loſs of ground from their number, and from the ſpace occupied by the hedges, banks, and ditches, This great number of fences too, prevents the air from freely circulating, by which the crops, both of corn and graſs, are deprived of the falutary effects of the ſun and air, and, after the grain is reaped, the procels of drying, healing,&c. is ma=- terially delayed. There are objedions to very large fields, which are, the cattle lying in them are more expoſed to the weather, and can- not lie out ſo long in the autumnal months. In ſtormy wea- ther, nature and ſelf-preſervation teach them to ſeek the beſt ſhelter. And with reſpe& to corn land. without ſhelter, ex- * This idea ſeems ſo generally to prevail, that I am ſure it cannot fail ef being one of the objeéts that will be recommended to the legiſlature by the honorable board.—/. Dann, G2 poſed 44 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY poſed to the ſea(as a great part of this county is) the winds blowing from thence, frongly impregnated with ſalt water, would greatly injure the young crops, and ſhake the growing corn ready for the fickle, as we but too often have experienced. Beſides, the banks are full of weeds, which often remain unmolet{ted, the ſeeds of which are diſperſed by the winds over the adjoining fields, to their no ſmall injury, The hedge-rows are but too frequently negle&ed, and permitted to ſpread their branches upon the lands. Plaſhing is almoſt all neglected, except only by a few ſpirited gentlemen. Many hedges ſeem faſt upon the decline, and muſt in a little time be renewed. Durable as hedge-timber may be, a length of years brings on old age, and, at lat, decay. The newly-planted hedges are chiefly of thorn, which muſt be the beſt, without intermixture, 2s formérly, of hazle, alder, willow, holly,&c.*‘The hedge- rows, which the ſurveyor has planted, are thorns upon the plane, without either ditch or bank, ſecured by rails, till grown up, and then trimmed, ſo as to meet in a narrow point at the top. fences are neat and ſecure;‘and are préeférabletó hedges,‘cut ſqtiare at top, which are generally thin in the bot- tom. Many fences, particularly in the northern parts, are made of ſtone, ſome from quarries, and ſome of pebbles. Buildings are frequently erected with the latter, uncouth and misſhapen as they may appear. The banks being liable to weeds(ſo are all other lands that are turned up) can be no objeétion to making them, as a mower would clean a new-made bank in a- ſhort timez and this mowing would not be reguiſite above a year or two(if cáre is taken that the banks be made of ſoil only) by that time the bank graſles over, and becomes good herbage.—Railing inay‘anſwer gentlemen’s purpbſes, but it is too expenſive for common pradice, or farmers.—I have always conſidered thor. * The young: ſhoots of the new-planted thorn are. liable to great in- jury, if nat well ſecured from cattle, who eagerly nip the tender ſprouts, an 1 greatly injure the ſtem. The hair from a raw hide, with all the im- pauritics adhering, if laid in ſmall guantities, near the roots ot the thorn, have been found ſufficient ſecurity from the teeth of cale. The cows will not approach near hedges thus defended. 8 quicks abit 204 ü —————————————————= UE SO EEE E Li A Ui Ly E N aL IRSE RG ZAR oF LANCASHIRE. és guicks as beſt adapted to fences, as they are both durable, and make the beſt fence: and as the common method of planting; them 1s liable to many objetions, ſhall give a method I have praiſed with ſucceſs; and for the better deſcription have made the figure below, where A B C D repreſent the ditch; E F the water-table, upon which the quicks are to be planted; LFG H the cop, to defend thè quicks. The land, B L, is firſt dug up one ſpade deep, and near two in breadth; care being taken not to come too near the ſide of the ditch, B, för fear of its falling in: thén the bank is begun by taking out of the ſurface of the ditch, A B, one ſpade deep, and placing them at Bs green fide in: then clean ſoil may be zot to form the water-table, E F, which ought to be eight or ten inches above the furface A EK; upon the middle of which the quicks ſhould be planted, with ſome old rotten dung, five in a yard: then proceed with the remaining part of the ditch, to form the bankE GH. Nothing more is ne- CD céſlary, except a dead hedge at the top of the bank, and kecp- ing the quicks clean from weeds two or three years, when they D E will have grown ſo as to make a tolerably good fence. The 2advantage-of making a broad water-table is, that the quicks receive the benefit of the rains, by every ſhower penetrating to the roots, which greatly invigorates the young plants, inſo- much that as good a hedge will be formed in three years as would have required ten or twelve by the old method, which is, by making a narrové water-table, as from E to the dotted line, and planting the quicks up to the dotted line(E I form- ing the front of the bank); the point E, by froſty weather, and weeding,&c. falling away, makes it one continued ſlope as B I, which ads like the caves of a houſe, carries off th rains which ſhould refreſh and invigorate the young plants, and is the reaſon ſo many new planted hedges miſcarry. Another method of planting guicks, which T thinx not 2 CIF pI As 12 10 VU (112 1 tl 40 AGRICULTURAL„SUBRVEY bad one, is planting them at the top of the bank; but the bank in this caſe ſhould not be made ſo high, and broader at the top; and the bank and ditch making one continued flope, it is necellary to take care that nothing but good ſoil be put into the bank, and the quicks dunged as before. In the firſt method it is ſometimes a pradtice to dig the bank floping down(after the guicks are become a ſufficient fence) to dung and ſet it with potatoes; and a great part of it afterwards is carted to the meadow or paîture land, as ma- nure, but ſo much of the bank is left as to prevent the‘cattle from treading upon the roots of the guicks. Tncloſures in this country are, for the moſt part, infinitely too ſmall; from two to ten fat. acres may be the medium ſize.— This unneceflary multiplicity of fences cauſes much uſeleſs ex- pence, deſtroys vaſt tracts of excellent land, harbours vermin and nuiſances of all deſcriptions, and in reality rather prevents than facilitates the eux of redundant moiſture; the hedge- banks unreaſonably high, devoid in general of timber trees, and even in a great meaſure of every thing that can. form a fence. Where white thorn is planted it 1s generally placed upon a narrow ledge or“ water table,” and an immenſe mound of earth erected behind it, which in proceſs of time drives the plants into the ditch below; if the ditch be marle, the action of the froſt ſpeedily undermines the heavy bank, and by this means are produced tioſe irregular and unſightly diviſions egually ill adapted to the purpoſes of utility or ornament. Many parts of the county are very fHlat-and wet, ſuch conſe- guently require good ditches; from this has ariſen the multi- plicity of ditches, and from that cauſe negledt.: If ſuch’ ditches as are abſolutely neceſlary were properly at- tended to, and care taken to ſecure a proper communication with the brooks and rivers, nine-tenths of the preſent fences would be unneceîlary, as under-draining would amply provide againſt all defets:— At preſent, moſt of the ditches are nearly navigable, and no attention paid to gain an outfall, ſo that they are full of putrid water, and are. a perfe& nuiſance. Many hun- dred acres of excellent arable and paſture land are ſacrificed to this ſtupid rage for ſmall incloſures. I believe they may be of ſervice fn FE ANGA SHTRE: 47 ſervice in keeping up the breed of water-rats, but T know of no other advantage to ſociety atiſing, from them. In every anſwer received to the queſtion, Whether incloſures have increaſed or decreaſed population? the reply has univér- fally been—increaſed. And how can the fat be otherwiſe upon rational grounds? In conſequence of incloſures and diviſion, every occupier has unqueſtionably the means of cultivating his lands to the beft ad- vantage to himſelf; but he cannot effet this without affording advantages to the public at large. Superior cultivation re- quires more labour, which reguires a greater quantity of hands. The lands yield increaſed returns; and produce both means to increaſe population, and give food to the increaſe upon better terns. As to increaſe of rent, the lands formerly in common fields but now divided, have doubled, in many inſtances trebled, their rents immediately to the landlords; have yielded greater profit to the tenant; and have afforded more means of ſubſiſtence to the public. ‘The commons, or uncultivated lands, which heretofore have not yielded profit either to the proprietor or public; have in- creaſed in their value from—nothing, if ſtarving a few geeſe, lean kine, producing—weeds, heath,&c. can, wich propriety, be called nothing, or, to give ſome better ratio, from one to thirty der cent%, In many inſtances, the cultivated waſtes have proved more fertile and produttive than the old lands; if, there- fore, the foregoing premiſes be well founded, the public have gained 30 per cent. of additional employment and additional produce, by the improvenient of waſtes and commons; and the proprietor has gained, not indeed 30 per cent. for he has the expence of the improvement firſt to deduct; but, on a moe- rate calculation,‘an addition of 10 or{15 per cent. to his eſtate, on the capital advanced, * Mr. Wilkinſon's improved moßs land, was, before draining, worth from 7 to 105. Zer acre, is new worth from 4 ¿. to 5 È per acre of the larze mneaſure. S Warbreck Moor, in Walton, inclofed in 1761, was not werth 1s. dcr acre in its uncultivated(tate, 18s now well worth 30S. Zer acre. Attir the incloſure ac was obtained, and a diviſicn made the fee imple of ſeveral lots was ſold after the rate of 3! per acre, large meaſure. Th aA 430 9° 48 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY The ſurveyor has been informed of only one inſtance where Aan aftempt to improve waſte lands has failed,—Elland Moor, near Lancaſter, notwithſtanding lime has been laid on, and the ground treated according to the uſual cuſtom of improving; waſtes; yet, after a few crops taken, ſcems verging back to- Wards its original ſtate of poverty. But this was owing to its being overplowed at firſt, and it is now coming round again. Hedger.— When hedges grow thin at the bottom, Mr. Har- per has the following pra@ice. He cuts the wood very low, leaving the young and vigorous ſhoots; after cutting away the old wood, he takes a hand-ſaw, and cuts away again that part of the old ſtump, ſo far as was ſhaken by the hatchet in the frit ſeparation, and faws the top level,(o that the water may not re- main. By this' praice, he ſays, the ſhoots will grow ſtronger, and more in number, in one year, than they would by the com- non Lractice in three years. When the ſhoots are half a yard, or two feet long, he bends the young ſhoots down, and, where room permits, makes a hole in the bank with a ſhovel, in which the hoots are cloſely tied down with hooked ſticks, and covered up again with carth; when theſe young branches, with a little unurling, will, by taking root afreſh, form a new hedge. Gates— Are in general made of oak, and with five bars; ſame are inferior, and made up of the materials, which the eſtate may produce, and put ſlightly together, at a ſmall expence, There are gates alſo made of deal, and painted. In ſome places rails only to hang up, and take down are made to ſuffice. About gentlemen's ſeats, there are gates frequently of fuperior con- truction, and made in different forms. A CHAPTER Ff LANCASHIRE, 4d Where. Moor, CA P- TE Ri oVIE and the ovin BLE LANDS. Ick tg»: ———LC RESI 7 to its i: nain SecT. I.—Zillage. Pann) E HE ploughmen are ſuppoſed to be as complete workmen Élar-: as in any part of the kingdom, the tillage of their lands low, being in general performed in a maſterly manner.‘There is no y the general rule without ſome exceptions; and it muſt be acknow=- att of ledged that Specimens of great flovenlineſs might be produced. e frit In laying down either for corn or paſture, particular care 0 re- ſhould be taken to throw the butts or ridges as near north and onger, ſouth as poſible, Inſtances are known where they have been ore laid eaſt and weft, and in large round lands, when che ſouth hide pard, has yielded double, here SECT. 2.—Fallowing. hich Ix ſome intelligent letters, which the ſurveyor has re= vereà ceived, in anſwer to the queries which have been circulated by ile the Board, very oppoſite opinions have been held upon this f ſubjé&t. According to ſome, fallowing is too little, according ' to others, it is too much practiſed. bars; From what has béen ſaid before, it is evident, that fallowing eſtate is here underſtood, as preparatory for wheat.‘The tenant be- JENCC ing generally under a covenant, reſtraining him from ſowing placés wheat upon clover,# whence a crop has been, the ſame years About previouſly gathered, or from a bean ſtubble,&c. as a practice 1 Coll- tending to exhauſt, and rendering the ground foul, which, by way of reproach, is called fubbling+. Upon the ſyſtem of ,% To reſtrain a tenant from ſowing wheat upon clover-lay is the greateſt abſurdity that can be, becauſe it 1s the beſt tilth kaown on molt ſoils.— Mr. Boys, of Kent.| + In many parts of the county the ground is not broken up for a fallow M till ſpring feedings are over: the abſurdity and want of ſucceſs ariſing from L ſueh management, forms no argument againft fallowing upon proper Prin=| ciples, But there is a very frong argument againſt fallowing at all in this i country, which is, that nine-tenths of the county are a ſandy loam, capable of d producing uncommon crops of turnips, cabbunges, potatoes,&c.&c. and; y that manure is every where to bc had in plenty.—What is the uſe af a 4 fallow upon ſuch land?| h TER IS green Y A pT. E KEE- | | tf LS- Oir- “Se Riis ug LS Glo ———_—- —— E ES | D QED } 50 AGRIFGUETURAL SURVEY green crops preceding wheat, by way of ſaving one year's rent, and the labour of fallowing,‘the potatoe crop ſhould ſeem to claim a ſuperiority; both from the dung given, and the clean ſtate into which, under good management, the land is brought. Yet the neateſt farmers ſeem at preſent not very partial to this mode of agricu!ture. They fay the ſucceeding crop of wheat is more feeble and worſe fed; and the bad effeds of theſe two, potatoes and wheat in ſucceflion, are cvident upon ſucceſlive crops for years. afterwards,: Fallowing may undoubtedlÿÞ be avoided, by a well condu@ed variation of crops; and ſo that the grounds may be kept clean by a full produce. Since every plant and fruit only extras from the ſoil ſuch ſubſtances as are required for its peculiar nature, and rejects thoſe which are proper for the nutrition of others, e. ¿ the pungent taſte of an/onion muſt reguire very diferent juices to thoſe which are necelſlary to yield the mild flavour of a potatoe. Therefore by a well-regulated change the earth may be ſaid to have repoſe equal to the fallow year. Gardens have been ſucceively eropped, or it may be dou- bly cropped, every year for a ſucceſſion of fifty years to- gether, Others aſſert that fallowing is a good preparatory for wheat, if the land is inclined to clay or a ſtrong nature; but if, on the other hand, the land is of a light nature, ſuch as a hazle loam, fand, or gravel, in that caſe fallowing is not preparatory to wheat, but would endeavour to come at clover roots to ſow wheat upon. There’ is much fallowing for wheat in this eounty upon light ſands, which is the height of folly.—A clo- ver root is the beſt preparation for wheat upon ſuch foils, Beans are always ſown in this county broadcaſt, generally when the land is foul lowed with previous crops of corn.—Can the landhelders be cenfured for difcouraging a ſucceflion of wheat after beans neither hoed nor weeded? Mr. Henry Harper prefers potatoe land for wheat, to that from whence a crop of turnips has been tzen, But he pre- fers a good ſummer fallow to either preparation. The grain produced from the falloyys being of ſuperior guality, and not ſo {abj ect to blights, j The ———— of LANCASHIRE. 5x The fallowing, as it is ſometimes pradtiſed, is not performed in the neateſt manner. The lands not being broken up, till too late in the ſeaſon to partake of the influence of the froſts, and to furniſh a proper opportunity for the croſs cutting, or ſtirring(as it is called), this work being the grand operation z and it is requiſite, that a dry ſeaſon be caught whilſt the land lies open, and a large ſurface expoſed to the i:fluence of the ſun and air. But if greater attention were paid to the turnip cülture, with proper hoeing and drefling, fallows would become leſs neceflary; and, according to the preſent advanced rent of land, they are too expenſive for the tenant,; SECT. 3.—Retation of Crops, OATs are univerfally ſown towards the north-eaſt and ſouth-eaſt of Preſton for years together, except this chain be broken occaſionally by a crop of potatoes, and afrerwards wheat, or wheat on a ſummer fallow. In the Filde, which, from its fertility, has been called the Gränary of the county, the ſoil has been ſtill worſe abuſed. Certain fields have been kept under cul- tivation, it is aſſerted, for more than a century, without inter- miſſion, under the following rotation. After marle, 2 or 3 years oats; baans or barley, each one year. If beans, barley the year after; but, if barley, then beans, and this alternate change of beans and barley continued for a few years. The eighth year from the firſt marling is generally reckoned a period, from which the land is upon the decline, and a complete ſummer fallow is given, and. ſome tZill*(as it is called) i is added, upon which, wheat; after the wheat, two crops are taken, one either of oats, beans, or barley; and then another fallow, with the addition of till, and two more crops of grain, aboye ſpecified; and the pradtice, it is ſaid, may be advantageouſly followed for the ſpace of 20 years, but is often continued much longer, Upon fuch courſes it is unneceſſary to dwell longer, as they can afford neither pleaſure, nor inſtrudtion, to the experienced cultiyator, * A compoßt of earth and lime mixed, Yard dung, and ſea-muſcles, have been uſed, but this laſt article is not found in ſufficient quantities, Nor 1s it durable. HE2; I ſhall R-= Y 52 AGRICVELTURAL SURVEY I ſhall proceed to ſome other practices, which are followed in other parts of the county*,—Oats, fallow, and next year wheat;z if for barley or oats, the land to be manured and laid down with red clover and graſs ſeeds. 2. Oats or barley with dung, if rich, another crop, barley, then fallow for wheat; after- wards barley, with dung, and then laid down with clover and hay ſeeds. 3. Wheat, with one furrow, barley, with dung; fallow, for wheat; barley, or oats, laid down with clover,&c. 4. Potatoes, wheat, barley, with dung, and laid down. 5. After wheat, fallow for turnips, with dung, laid down with well dreſſed hay ſeeds, from the cleaneſt and beſt meadow lands, with a mixture of white clover. 6. Early potatoes, after which a crop of turnips, then wheat or barley. 7. Early potatoes, and ſown with graſs ſeeds, and white clover, without any corn;z the hay ſuffered to fand, till the ſeeds become ripe, to drop and fill up vacancies, the ground well dunged after the firít crop of hay. 8. If the land be full of ruſhes, by only taking a ingle crop of oats in the following manner; by plowing one farrow with a good. drefling of dung, harrowed in, upon which the crop of oats, with graſs ſeed only: by which the ruſhes are deſtroyed, but the graſs roots are preſerved, and the graſs me- liorated by expoling the ſoil to the air and ſun, by turning it once over. Nothing can be ſo barbarous as the rotation of crops in this diſtri; if that can be denominated a ſyſtem of rotation which depends merely upon the caprice of the cultivator, or upon what he thinks the land is capable of producing for the moment. Near Preſton, the general plan isto grow as many crops of oats in ſucceſſion as the land can produce, then fallow for wheat, by way of cleanſing the land; and then aats again, while oats can be produced; after which weeds and ruſhes,’till reſt again # In a note, however, take the following wretchéd rotation, which has been frequently pra&iſed, and which has reduced both farmer and ſoil to an equality of poverty.) An old poor paſture broke up without being previouſly marled: 1. oats, 2. fallow, 3. wheat, 4. oats, g. vetches and wheat, 6. oats, 7. fallow, 8. wheat, and this jaſt crop probably ſooted; in which ſtate the land is ſuffered to remain till again refoved by that Power which can not only reftore, but create. L| produces O of LANCASHIRE. 52 produces graſs.— An occaſional crop of potatoes ſometimes in- tervenes, after which wheat. Wherever green crops, ſuch as turnips or cabbages, have been attempted, they have yielded immenſe returns, and fuch as ought to encourage the cultivation of theſe uſeful plants, But the application of them to ſheep has been little attempted, though there is every reaſon to imagine the introdu&ion of ſheep would be attended’ with the happieſt etedts. Diſtribution of Crops of a Field of Three Acres, of Eight Yards to the Rod, for the Years 1791, 1792s and 17933; ſhewing the Amount of all Out-goingss Rent,&c. and the Quantity of diferent Produce of each Year, and the Amount it ſold for: firſt Beans and Turnips, ſecond V etches, third Wheat. / By Mr. HENRY HARPER. LE Rent for three years, at /. 4. peracre-- 346 00 Taxes for ditto, church, king, poor and confta- BIER E AO Manure for ditto, vo tons per acre, at I5S. per: ton-—_---- EN: SERA) Cartage and putting on the land, at 3s. 6d. for every ton anda half, and ſpreading in the drills 21 5 O0 Seed beans 2 quarters, at 20S PE S020 Twice ploughing for dito--- 454 O Drilling and covering-=- Eo) Sowing beans in the‘drills-- LOLO OS Horſe-hoeing twice----= LI O Hand weeding- E- TO 2.0 Reaping beans----= L190 Cartage home----— O40 Pitching to the-cart---= O24 Thraſhino beans«R ro e S110: Cleaning for market--- 0 O29 Carting to market=«== e Ml 0E 40 Deed 4 | f Y | | Y dl =S RES ME E Pr TERZE PE np E E E BEET Y Y | 54 AGRECULTURAL SURVEY A Seed'turnips----= QI 6HLO Florſer-hoëing(or ditto ii aliis lags Q IOHrO Sowing- turnips broadca{t Ci Ot aine Ola 2E AO Covering ſeed with horſe machine----- 010-6 Hand-weeding turnips where too thick in the Making them for hay S= 2 5 Cartage home-= S= D 2 beans=-- E--== 0 2er6 Diawine 400 buſhels ofturnips—=-—- o 8 0 Cartage home,=.=—--= 0 BO Seed vetches S--= 2 O Twice ploughing for ditto--- 4 46,0 Sowing*broadcaſt---=O 25/0 Harrowing ditto S S-- OLI 5 O Mowing ditto==- SE= OTO RO 0) O O O [9 O Pitenneto the cart== 6 Seed wheat 1 quarter and half at£2. 125. bd. Per=-----= 109 Four times ploughing for ditto-= 0 00 Sowing broadcaſt=--- O20 Reaping ditto---= LOMO Thraſhing ditto:--- LO Cleaning= S-==O AS 6 Cartage home from held--= O LOLO Piteine toca=--= O4 O Carting to market=-- O O Tythe for vetches, at 6s. per acre, all others taken in kind=-= O 185,0 The average profit of three years crops, after all Eexpences are deducted, at the full coſts-- 30 10 4 RTE LS By three acres of beans, at 8X quarters per Acre 206 per=- Z= 4518 0 Byftraw from ditto, 8o thrave, at-Is. per-- 4 00 By O aids A) d LE M5 IP ANGASSBHIRE 5s By 400 buſhels of turnips, at 8 4. per buſhel, at£. s. d. 9olb. per buſhel-=== II 8 By vetches, 500. ſtone per acre, at 8>. per 3 one LO. T2. 4 de periacre-=50. 0,0 By three acres of wheat, at 8 Zz quarters per acre, at Z/.2. 12s. 6 d. per: quarter-- 6618 9 By ſtraw from ditto, 22 thrave per acre, at 2s. 6d. per thrave Z. 2. 15s. per acre 05.0 By light wheat, 2: buſhels, at'3s. 6d, per=---0 O Lo orf ERA S—_—— This was a poor run-out feld, that had been ploughed, &c. for near a century, and without any improvement at all only fince it came into my bands! For‘thè ift, I marled it, at 8 rod te the acre, of 64 cubical yards to the rod, nine years ſince which it has never done any great things: then the laſt three years before deſcribed, for which I muſt give the merits of the crops to drilling and hoeing, by keeping the land clean; and, in the firſt place, producing three buſhels for two if they had been ſowed broadcaſt, this I know by dear- bought experience: and, in the next place, 400 buſhels of turnips, which were worth f. 11, 13s. 8d. and all the ex- pences of ſeed, hoeing, drawing, and carting home, is only a diſcount of£. 2. 8s. 6 d. which is accounted for in the out- goings before mentioned, and the crop of beans even as luxu- riant and as proveable as where there were no turnips, and the land left in better condition. The manure was all put on the land for the beans and tur= nips; and after producing the other two crops, vetches and wheat, the land appears to be left in a deal better condition “than before it produced theſe crops, and 1f the rotation of- the ſame crops had been continued, 40 tons per acre would have anſwered as well as the 60 tons had done for the before mentioned crops, which would have been a ſaving of-£. 22, which is an obje& worthy of notice; but as through conve- nience 56 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY nience have changed the rotation of the ſame crops to another old ploughed field: y One acre of the threé had beén pared and burned about thirty years ſince, which, from that time, after producing two crops, never gave ſcarcely the ſeed again, and never would give any graſs;“and ſince it has been in my hands, if the crops were ever ſo luxuriant in raw, thé corn was néver ſo well fed as the othtr part of the field, nor ſo much in quantity accord= ing to breadth 5 only theſe laſt threé years it áppéars to havé come round according to the other land. The ſoil is 2 black ſandy loam of a regular depth of about ten of eleven inches, under which there is a hard pellet of four or five iñcnes thick, which is commonly called réd ore, and under that, good marle: ſix or leven yards deep. The field is called the’ Fernely lying up to the townſhip of Orrel, about half a mile north of the Greavehouſe, in the town hip of Bootle. / SECT. 4.—Of the Crops contmonly cultivated. THE grain principally cultivated is oats, which, when ground to meal, is the food of the labouring claſs, particu- larly‘in the northern and eaſtern borders of the county; it is made into brèead-cakes, of which there are various kinds, prepared by fermentation with ſour leaven; others without leaven, and rolled very hin; alſo water, boiled and thickened with meal into porridge; and’ this, eaten with ſweet* or but= ter-milk. Small-beer ſweetened with treacle, or treacle only, was in mäny families, about forty years ago, boch the break- faſt and ſupper meal, The general uſé of tea,- eſpecially ámonsg the females, has leſſened the uſe of meal at breakfaſt; and the influx of wealth has induced numbers to indulge, upon many occaſions, witi: the wheaten loal, Notwithſtanding the #* Sweet milk is a provincial term, in contradiſtinétion to the butter- milk, which in this country is ſour, and therefore ſometimes called ſour milk, confumption BEA ii= | her hn iCU- (4 it nds; hout enced but- olf break- cially gkfalt) è upul [ng tte p butter“ led ſour ¡mption > E e Ls= ————————— EE RR R ———- m 2s—— M oF LANCASHIRE. 57 conluniption of oat-meal is not ſo general at preſent as it was formerly; yet the quantity fill uſed is very conſiderable; and the growth of oats is greater in proportion, than that of any other grain. There are ſome excellent wheat lands, e, g. Low Furneſs, the low lands near the ſhore beyond Lancaſter, the Filde, and the S. W. part of Lancaſhire; but wheat does not ſucceed well, when bordering upon the moor-lands; neither does barley; which ſeems, of the two, more delicate in ſoil; and there is a greater diminution in the cultivation of this: grain, than of either wheat or oats. Beans, peas,&c. are alſo cultivated, but ſeldom drilled; a ſmall quantity of buck- wheat alſo, for the uſe of poultry, or to be ploughed in previous to a crop of wheat, but very little rye is at preſent ſown. __ The tartarian, or reed oat, for ſome years paſt, has been the favourite ſpecies of is grain, in the neighbourhood of Li- verpool. Its produce is great, but the grain inferior, and not yielding an equal proportion of meal with the early or Dutch oat. The ſtraw 1s luxuriant, and ſeems well adapted to lands exhauſted under bad management; nor is the grain ſo liable to be ſhaken out with the north-weſt gales, to which this county 1s expoled, as the other ſort. Potatoes.— Lancaſhire was the firſt county in this kingdom in which the potatoe was grown: and as it is able at this day to boaſt a ſuperior cultivation in that important article, in which it ſtill ſtands unrivalled, it may be requiſite to deſcend to particulars in regard to the management of that crop: I. A ward, or íreſh lay, is deſirable, but not always to be obtained. Good crops have been freguently raiſed from lands exhauſted. The ground being previouſly cleaned by ploughings, and planted (if the ground can be got into condition) in April, in drills* * I am confident that this method of planting either the early or late potatoe, 1s not ſo produdétive as that of ſetting them in beds of five ſeet wide, and covering them, when the ſhoots begin to appear, with mould dug from a trench between the beds. This is the general mode in the neighbourhood of Frodſham, in Ckteſhire, where the planters of this moſt valuable raot have tried all poſſible methods, for many years, and are ge- nerally âllowed to produce a greater crop on a given quantity of land, than any other people in the kingdom.—T. Wright. LT about \B0 N és AGRICULFORAT SURVEY about 5 feet diſtance, and from 12 to 9 inches aſunder, in each drill, the ſets* placed immediately upon long dung from the yard,&c.; but dung from the great towns produces a won- derful eÆe& upon lands not formerly accuſtomed to that article; and it is ſupp-ſed, will generally enrich twice as far; with equal effect, as the manure formerly uſed from the farm-yard,&c, “This 1s experienced in. the lands bordeting upon the canals, ‘The great quantity öf corn, and different kinds of provender, Diven to cattle kept in towns; muſt tend to enrich the quality of the dung, which depends upon the food taken, whether of man or beaff. 2. Although April be the prime ſeaſon for producing a crop of good potatoes for the table, becauſe this vegetable requires a certain portion of time, to acquire that degree of maturity, which renders it peculiarty mellow and farinaceous, yet it 1s frequently planted as late as May; or even June; and yet pro- duces abundant crops, but not of the ſame matured quality, as thoſe planted at a more early ſeaſon. 23. The apprehenfion of froſts(by which, if the tops are caught, after breaking the ſurface, they pine and ficken, and the hopes of the huſbandman are blaſted,) ſometimes operate againſt planting at this early ſeaſon; yet good planters riſque the chance of frofts, in order to obtain ſuperior quality, 4. The crops are kept clean from weeds by the plough, firſt by turning a furrow, left for that purpoſe, towards the young plants, as ſoon as they appear; and afcerwarás by turning the fame furrow back from each ſide óf the drill, and which is ſometimes, if very foul, harrowed by a ſmall triangulár har- row, running through each drill. After the weeds have been fo expoſed, the furrow is turned back again, and ſometimes the ſame plough, or a double-wriſted one, runs up each drill once ® The ſurveyor has made ſome experiments to aſcertain the beſt mode of cutting the ſets; for, if the potatoe be ſet whole, putrefaction does not always enſue; anda ſet of a large ſize, to a certain dégree, is better than 2 fmall one. The beſt method he bas yet diſcovered, is taking of the ſprout, or noſe end, and the umbilical, or tail end, of the potatoe, leaving the middle entirely for the ſet; the wortlt merhod of cutting the potatoe, as has been proved, 1s- cutting tbe potato down the middle, from noſe to tail end; a praGice but too common. more 5 Fd ti ET 7 7 oF LANCASHIRE: 59 more 5; beſides the deſtru@ion of weeds, the ſoil, by theſe ope- rations, is looſened, expoſed to the ſun and air, which contri- butes greatly to improve the crop. 5. There are various kinds of ſeeds in uſe.— The ox-noble, and cluſter potatoe are planted for the cattle*; the pink-eye, and a variety of others, with different kinds of kidney-pota- toes for the table. The old winter red, as it is* ſometimes called, ought to be mentioned for its peculiar goodne(s in the ſpring, when other kinds have loſt their flavour; this potatoe is then in its beſt perfe&@ion; it has another guality, that of never having been known to curl. There are alſo great va- ricties of early potatoes, and great attention is paid to raiſing . new ſorts of the beſt qualities from ſeeds, of what is called the crabs, or apples, which grow upon the ſtems. Mr. G. Green obſerves, that after many experiments he invariably found that the watery potatoe(of which there are great varieties) have fallen far ſhort of the purpoſe intended. That he has ſevera! times, both through neceflity as well as for the ſake of expe- riment, given the ox-noble to milch-cows, after the more f2- rinaceous Íort, e. g. the pink-eye, when the decreaſe of both milk and butter has been evident in a very ſhort ſpace, and the beaſts themſelves ſcemed much diſſatisfied with the change. 6. Great attention is paid to changing the ſeed occaſionally, tó prevent the curl+, the pradtice of obtaining freſh ſeed from i Scotland * Of the cluſter potatoe, the ſurveyor had an opportunity of viewing the produce of a crop, lying upon the ſurface of the ground, after being jult taken up, belonging to Colonei Mordaunt, of Halſall, in this county. He, and an intelligent farmer, were both of opinion, that they never ſaw ſo large a crop; and yet, as they were informed, raifed without dung. The hier: or conglomerated, or Suffolk(for fo it is called by Mr. Howard, who firſt introduced it to notice) was cultivated in this county 25 years ago(4) from fets left by that gentleman with the Society for the Promotion of Arts and Commerce, Vide Doffie’s Memoirs, vol. X. It has ſince been produced from ſeed, and, though much improved in ſhape, retains the red colour and ſaccha- rine-talte, (a) By the Rev, Mr. Heathcote, re@or of Walton, and Mr. Williang Haliday, Anfield. + The ſurveyor had the honour of receiving a premium from the So- cicty for the Promotion of Arts and Commerce, in the year 1789, for a letter on the Lancafhire method of preventing the curl, He has the plea- T2 ſure —__=— bo AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Scotland(as was the cuſtom 2 few years ago), is not now ſo LA frequent; a change from the mofßs lands, and vice verſa, being FA generally ſufcient. A change of land is alſo deſirable, but a net alwáys praticable: crops have been fucceſsfully taken, for ln a ſucceſſion of years, from the fame land,: E 7. The produce of a crop is, on 2 medium, from 2 to 3 hun- fit dred meaſures, or buſhels*, the ſtätute acre.‘The early po-; tatocs are generally planted in beds, in rows about 8 inches| tal diſtant, and the ſets 4 or 5 inches ſeparate, becauſe the early/ pla potatoes, being of a tels lize, require a ſmaller ſpace; but thè im advanced price theſe early crops obtain at market, render them 2{u profitable article to the cultivator+; who, beûdes reaping a} dl proft from this early produce, has his ground prepared for( another crop the ſame ſeaſon. Mr. Waring, ſteward to the|| Earl of Derby, gave to Major Atherton the following account\ of the produce of one acre of indifferent land in Knowſley. 4 1793—700 buſhels of potatoes, pink-eyes. j 1794—92 buſhels of wheat, 7olb. to the buſhel, ſold at N/ 7s 6d. per buſhel. 3 months later they would have fetched ſure to obſerve, that the fat ſeems to be confirmed, from the general opi- h nion and pradtice of the county; nor did he obſerve a fingle diſeaſed pa- tatoe in the whole of his ſurvey—thé crops were univerfally luxuriant. This thought is improved upon by Mr. Thomas V&right, gardener to John x Fazakerley, Eſq. Preſcot, who has ſent ſome favourite plants which had JP caught the diſeaf of curl, to the moſs lands, which change of lands he i i expected would efect a cure.| *“By a buſhel of potatoes, is generally meant golb. before they are{ cleaned. i 1 + Mr. Eccleſton took the ſurveyor to view a piece of ground, 39 4 perches($8 yards to the perch) the early potatoes raiſed upon which had-| been ſold for zo. in the preſent year 1793; after which a i; of turnips had been grown, which, at 6 d. per buſhel, were worth so!. per acre; after which the ſaine land was to be cropped with wheat.| Remark on this Fat.\ cc The groſs amount of‘the account of the potatoes appears to be great, ¡ that of 20. per rod of 8 yards; but if all expences of ſets, and preparig| the land, and getting them up, and afterwards marketing them at the dif-|;} ferent markets, Liverpool, Mancheſter,&c. wére deducted, 1t is a query à but the outgoings would be confiderably more than the groſs amount give,/ di although the land muſt be perfe&ly well prepáred tor the turnips; but the N account given of the turnips, at the rate of 2000 buſhels of thirty-ſix quarts i 0 or ninety pounds per buſhel, is more by 8ao buſhels 2er acre than cver T Y| knew or heard of for either large or ſmall lot, either by hoeing, or aüy other“M advantage to be taken.’=Mr. Harper. E 4? u R E— (E arzie- COO CCEE N BEER Lz: TS pi par e IOS Ât PE of LANCASHIRE. 64 X05. 6d. per buſhel, cone wheat. Mr, Waring fays, the live crops were equal to the fee ſimple of the land. He is confident that‘marle would have produced 20 buſhels more wheat.‘The markets of Mancheſter, Oldham, Rochdale, änd the neighbour- hood, are ſupplied with great quantities, not only from War- rington, but as far as from Rufford, Scarſbrick,&c. Upon the ſame ground, from which a crop has already been taken, the early ſeed potatoes are in ſome places afterwards planted; which, after being got up about November, are immediately cut up into ſets, and preſerved in oat ſhells*, or ſaw-duft, where they remain till March, when they are planted, after having had one ſpit taken of, and planted with another, of a Jeria ſufficient to appear above ground in the ſpace of 2 week. But the moſt approved method is, to cut the ſets, and put: them on a room-floor, where a ftrong current of air can be introduced at pleaſure, the ſets laid thinner, viz. abcut 2 lays in depth, and covered with the like materials,(ſhells or ſaw-duſt) “ about 2 inches thick: this ſcreens them from the winter froſts, and keeps them moderately warm, cauſing them to vegetate;z but at the ſame time admits air to Îtrengthen them, and harden their ſhoots, which the cultivators improve by opening the doors and windows on every opportunity afforded by mild ſoft weather: they frequently examine them, and when the ſhoots are ſprung an inch and a half, or 2 inches, they carefully remove one half of their covering, with a wooden rake, or with the hands, taking care not to difturb, or break, the ſhoots. Light is reguiſite as well as air, to ſtrengthen and eſtabliſh the ſhoots; on which account a green-houſe has the advantage of 2 room, but a room anſwers very well with a good window or two in it, and if to the ſun fill better.—In this manner they ſuffer them to remain till the planting ſeaſon, giving them all the air poſſible by the doors and windows, when it can be done with ſafety from froſt: by this method the ſhoots at the top become green, leaves are ſprung, and are moderately hardy. # Yulgarly called meal ſhudes. They | | 4 N —— 62 AGRICVETURAL SURVEY They then plant them in rows, in the uſual method, by a ſet ting-ſtick, and carefully rake up the cavities made by the ſet- ting ſtick; by this method they are enabled to bear a little froſt without injury. The earlieſt potatoe is the ſuperfine white kidney*; from this ſort, upon the ſame ground, have been raiſed 4 crops; having ſets from the repoſitory ready to put in as ſoon as the other were taken up; and a fifth crop 1s. ſome- times raiſed from the ſame lands, the ſame year, of tranſplanted winter lettuce. The firſt crop had the advantage of a cover- . ing in froſty nights. The aboye‘excellent ¡nformation was communicated by E Blundell, Ormſkirk, and has hitherto been known only amongſt a very few farmers. 8. The manner of taking them up varies. The three- pronged fork is in general uſe—the ſoil turned over, the weeds picked out, the potatoes gathered and ſeparated, according to their ſize, by the ſame perſon. Another practice is, for 2 ſtrong man to take a three-pronged fork, but crooked(the ſame which ¡is generally uſed to pull dung out of the cart) which he ftrikes down between every root, and pulls it over, laying the roots bare, which are taken up by two children that follow. Ano- ther pradtice is to turn a furrow from the potatoes, with a Ro- theram plough, and then with another plough, furniſhed only with a ſhare, to turn up the potatoes, which are afterwards ga- thered. After the potatoes are gathered, and ſufficientiy dried, they are put together in heaps, in the ſhape of the roof of a building, covered cloſely with ſtraw, which ſhould be drawn ſtraight, and to meet from each ſide in a point at the top, about ſix inches in thickneßs, and then covered with mould, cloſely compacted to- gether, by frequent applications of the ſpade; after which Mr. Eccleſton makes holes in the mould, at the ſides and tops of theſe repoſitories, as deep as the fraw, and about three yards diſtant, to permit the air, which, he ſays, vifibly ariſes from the fermentation, to. eſcape: after the fermen- * The early potatoe is a diſtin&t ſpecies, of which there are yet great E YD E varieties. 5 tation ( MOA D E iti0! fol 9 15 fi O ERE D oF LANCASHIRE, 63 d tation has ceaſed, the holes are cloſed to prevent the effeds of 1 frôſts or rain,| f 9. The utility of the application of potatoes to feeding ſtock, i # is ſufficiently known, but not ſufficiently pra&ifed.- fl ing the produce into immediate caſh, by taking it to market, is 1 a ftronger temptation than waiting the more tedious proceſs of E -| purchaſing ftock, and fattening the cattle; but a ſource of im- / provement to the land, and conſequently of ſuperior profit in the iſlue, is by this means done away. y 10. From the amazing quantities conſumed by ſtock, it may not be amiſs to mention the manner of boiling,&c. which is almoſt 1niverfally by ſteam, in a large hamper, or tub, perfo- rated at the bottom, and placed over the water: 1n this way ;‘they are readier for uſe than by being immerged in water; after $ which they are given either warm or cold, mixed with chaff, ) bran, hay ſeeds, barley, or oatmeal. i The method of boiling potatoes by ſteam, has been adopted } by ſome for culinary purpoſes as. an improvement, thinking by 5 this proceſs they muſt imbibe leſs water from their not being 8 immerged in the ſubſtance. But immerſion in water cavés 0- the diſcharge of à certain matter, which the ſteam alone is nca- 0- pable of doing, and by detaining of which the flavon of this nly root 1s injured.‘The cottager underſtands tb¿s kindof cookery: 4e having poured off the water, he evaporatcs the moiſture by re- placing the veſlel in which the potateo€ Was boiled, once more ey over the fire. Potatoes do not adp being put into a veſſel of 12,; boiling water like greens. If America*, whence this choice E vegetable was firſt imported, had yielded nothing elſe to the 0A reſearches of the European, the preſent generation would have reaſon to be thankful for the acquiſition, and to be grateful to the planters in Lancaſhire, fe their ſpirited attention to the Al cultivation of this excellent root. eT S2 Tr ges Qs!—- * A note in a common-place book that I wrote ſeveral years ago, in- fibiy ¿ forms me, that John Hawkins, a dealer in ſlaves, got in 1565 the firſt potatoes for ſhip provihcas from the inhabitants of Santa Fé, in New R C Spain z he introduced te root into Ireland, whence it was farther propa- # gated through all the aorthern parts of Europe. great| dn old method of cooking potatoes.—Boil, and let them grow cold, then ; eat them, mixed with oil, vinegar, and pepper. Parkinſon's Herdal. 108> EA ¿ [ Turnips M Gi. RATZ Er 64 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Turnips.—It muſt be acknowledged, that turnips are not cultivated but on a very contradted ſcale#, and even then but ſeldom hoed; and yet there are not many articles more adapted| to the ſoil and climate; there being ſeldom a crop deſtroyed, or loſt; by the flug(ar whatever that is which deſtroys the tender plant). The turnips find a ready market+ if near a great town» whilſt the inferior crops generally pay well, if applied wholly ts fceding cattle; and they leaye the land in ſo clean a ſtate, as ta be fit for moſt kinds of grain, and generally taken, by the beſt farmetsz as a previous crop, to lay down to gras or crops of E LS clovei::| Mr. Eccleſton not only ſows his turnips in drills, but every| other ſeed, and was the firſt who introduced this vegetable into a ſyſtem of crops in his own neighbourhood.| Clever.—This ſort of graſs is cultivated generally with fuc- ceſs; being greatly preferred to the white hay, by thoſe who keep horſes in‘the great towns for the draught; containing; it is ſuppófed, rnote-mitrimient. Tf opportunity offers, inſtead of(ending their horſes to graze upon a field, which is difficult to obtain, a lot of green clover is purchafed, and brought in| that Date to ihe conſumer, who ſoils his horſes in the ſtable for à fèæ weeks in the ÿear; and it acs both as food and|| phyſic, and enable: them to ſtand work the better. Some few farmers keep their cart horfes in the houſe throughout the year, and ſoil them in ſummet entirely with clover. The lands upon which dovers have been frequently grown,| it is ſaid, do not yield ſuch plentiful crops as they did ſome years paſt; ſecond crops; in this northern climate, are ſeldom worth the riſque of being made into hay, and, beſides, are thoughr to exhauſt the lands, therefore are generally paſtured. I But marte will always inſure clover; when it fails in this county it is the fault of the huſbatdman, not the land. ® Tarnips, to the amount of cight acres, wire cultivated ïîn'thé neighböur- hood of Wrightington, by William Diconſon, Efq. about 3ó years 2g0 è before this period none had been ſown but in thè dens + To raiſe an expenfiye crop of turnips merely fo!!, may be good ma- nmgement with a' gardener, but not with a farmer. The crop that is not 1 e upon the nremifes; I cannot allow to bea meliorating crop.—| RA Other IEEE of LANCASHIRE: 2 Other green crops.—N etches are ſometimes cultivated as a fs fmothering crop, and a preparation for wheat, but not very ge- dl/ nerally. Lucerne has been attempted, but at preſent not much, 1s ¡if at all, cultivated. Scotch cabbages have been planted, and h, it„good crops raiſed, but not to any great extent. Carrots are Î 9 ſucceſsfully cultivated upon ſandy loams, in the neighbourhood E d of Kirkby, Scariſbrick, Burſcough, Rufford, chiefly for the; (0 g ſupply of the Liverpool market, and ſometimes purchaſed to be î given to horſés(particularly wind-broken)—T hey are gene- î| rally ſold about 2s. 6d. or 3s. per cwt. and are reckoned a pro=- | fitable crop on ſuitable lands. | AT MES OR SON TING. ;| Wheat ſeeding is from the middle of September to the end 4| of Oâober. Mr. Eccleſton, of Scariſbrick, ſays,<< The beſt : crop of winter wheat I have ſeen this year, or, indeed, ever )| recolleét, was ſown after a crop of potatoes, as láte as the 20th(N A| of laſt March. I mention this as an extraordinary fact.” 4 t| The time of reaping wheat, from Auguſt to September. di ¿ Beans are uſually ſown early in March, and reaped in Sep=- n| tember.| cy| Common oats in April. Early oats in May and June, and len/ reaped in Auguſt, September, and Odober.. Barley is ſown y| in April and May, and reaped in Auguſt and September.| | Theſe are rhe general ſeaſons. N| Y n| But there are always exceptions to general rules; e. g. the i MEE| preſent year the produce of ſeveral fields, both barley and oats, hl dom| was not put into the barn, in the ſouth-weſt part of the county, M ae the ſecond week in November; and there was a certain field of| tured y 4 barley in T'oxteth Park, not cut the third week in November. N 1 this On the moſs lands, where paring and burning is practiſed,| both ſeed time and harveſt is very late; owing to theuncer-) j tainty of the weather—if wet, the burning proc eeds but only: 70 u the ſeed. time is conſeguently retarded, and the crops are by| | theſe means ſo late, as to become precarious from the advanced/ pd m“ ſeaſon, being frequently expoſed to froſts and ſnows, If the j 2 barley from the moſs lands be well houſed, it is in high eſti- i mation: and obtains an advanced price from the farmer, who( (tber: E: prefers M A—_— E 66 AGRICUI TURAL SURVEY prefers corn raiſed upon thoſe lands for his ſeed, Mr. Ecclefa ton ſowed one year a field of barley about the middle of June, which he houſed the following year, January 1. Bartey is generally ſown too late in this county—much of it even in June, but the greateſt part in May—in the moſs lands, where paiing and burning 1s the preparation for this grain, this prac- tice may have its foundation in neceflity; but the imitation is abſurd on good barley lands. HEARS NSG: The grain in this county has been uſually reaped by the ſickle, the quantity grown being but ſmall, and the labourers abundant. In the year 1794 ſeveral farmers however mowed their corn, amongſt whom was Mr. H. Harper, who fetched the ſurveyor to ſee his proceſs, which was neat, andtin the fol- lowing manner.. The wheat was mown 7, that is, thrown towards the ſtand= ing corn; immediately gathered and tied up into ſheaves; the ſect was two mowers, two women gatherers, and one man binder. The barley and oats were mown out, into fwathes, änd gathered.at convenience.‘The advantages of this method weite, a ſaving of expence about 14d. per acre, leſs danger of the corn being ſhook out of the ear, and gaining nearly one- third more ftraw; no trifling conſideration under ſeveral heads, eſpecially ſince it does not appear that what ſtubble is left in the field is of the leaſt ſervice, in ſome cafes evidently does harm, e. g. to clover or other young graſles, by retaining ‘moiſture through the winter, and ftarving the tender plants, or injuring the hay when mown, and which, when wet, it has a tendency to render putrid. After the corn was gathered, the ground was gone over with a rake, to collet what ftraggling ears might remain, which are generally the heavieſt, and of ſuperior quality. A wooden rake, with teeth about one inch longer than the common hay-rake, was preferred to the drag-rake, and did its work much neater—a woman could rake about two ftatute acres per day The ſcythe for cutting the corn had an addition of a bow, made out of a piece of rod-iron, faſtened into the pole, and ex- C tending — TTS PRT of LANCASHIRE. 67 VA E tending three inches over the ſcythe-heel, from wi ence it roſe ily: about nine inches in height and aue two feet in length, and V hich formed a Kind of cradle. Ehe rod was ſupported by a an upright prop from the pole about the centre, and which Me was furthermore braced and kept tight by a ſtring. 8 The Lancaſhire method of ſetting up Corn, after being au reaped, and whilſt it continues in the field, may merit to be noticed; which if barley or Oats, and in a greeniſh ſtate, 1s ſet up in four ſtandard ſheaves only, with one cover called 2 hooder, that 15, a large well-bound ſheaf is ſelected and opened, E with which the four ſtandard ſheaves, with the grain upper- j moîft; are covered, the grain of the hooder hanging downwards, Y but frée from the ground.“‘This ſhape 1s provincially called a A PucRet: But the moſt general method is, ſix ſheaves ‘fol— andards placed againſt each other, ſpread out in their butt ends, and cloſed tight at their tops, when a couple of ſheaves ud are opened, cach about one half, clapped over each end of the te ſtandards, and meet with their butt ends together in the cen- R tre, thus forming a roof or coyer fór the ſtandards. This M| form is provincially called Hattocks, and their covers Riders. 0w A PRO DUC E E| Where the land is well’ cultivated, inſtances of a great in- ef in| creaſe might be given; but the general produce of the county DE| cannot be ſtated at more than 24 buſhels of wheat, 30 of bar- e| ley, and 40 of oats.| plants, s aS| M PRESERVATION AND MANUFACTURE OP CORN: i M L Corn is kept both in barns and ſtacks: the laſt is confider- y i PV ed to be preferable, There are mills belonging to the Free| { in,| A Af Madia granted by Hugh Bexwick,| lit Clerk, e Joanna Bexwick, widow, in 1524, where a great 4 er than the quantity of grain is manufaured. In the neighbourhood of N e lid Liverpool, moſtly windmills, but there is one tide-mill lately/ Be ereéted there, which does conſiderable work. The mills 1n| e general, are private property; and, except in few caſes, the te- y R. nants are not bound to grind at particular mills. Where they y E are bound, great indulgences are granted. 01€< ) if RA SRCTse — E———————— 3 FT——— E E E> Tramin min- TRIE: e CAE SL, —— E 68 AGRTICUL FORA SURVEY ditct DIE C T- 5— Crops not commonly cultivated. the rid - ES i a CERN id e re AE _—————— n FE OQUUZO RECE Ts not cultivated in this county, 1 any ſufficient quan- | ul . JI tity, as an objeë& of proft; although upon many grounds, it might flourif, and be worthy of attention.| ES Î E S Z/ Theſurveyor has a number of plants interſperſed amongſt  3; other ſhrubs; when the root is wanted for decoétions, or othér| Fil N E E: oil uſe in the family, 2 quantity 1s taken up, and it has been found'| EEE 0 to be as well-favoured, rich, and juicy, as the Pontefrad.| IUBARB,/ eN ]J> SR NS C 1|\ Alo, has been planted in this way, a number of years, and| ü the root cured and made uſe of; ſome pounds were lately pre=- Y 0 H:|< í ai rl 1. Y ſented to the Liverpool Diſpenfary. This plant, when in| bloom, has a majeſtic appearance; its growth, at a certain| period, a little ES e ſeed appears, is amazing.‘The ſtem| has grown, in length, E inches in twenty-four hours*. 4 he The ſurveyor, has, at preſent, a moſt vigorous plantation, 4 n Having deſtroyed an old hedge planted upon a bank with a| 1 | t * Growth of a rhubarb plant, N° 2, belongin ig to the ſurveyor, and| t meaſured by him in the year 1789.\| Morning. Evening, j 2 Feet. Inches, Tenths,.\ zl May 1x 2 6 5 S- ZE TILE| UN I2 3 9 8- Zs TO 5 4 i \ 13 E| þ 14 EE E| th I5 4 IO 8 fes E N 5$ j of 16 5 2 8-- 5 7 8| STA SAG AE ES E A SRDE TAO AT j b 18 E STRE 25--(CIO SR o| 4 D 6 Î al x9 O 3 ES 27 20 GEI 2 21 GAS ZZ Ey eS-- G78 2 ESO DE=- 7 I 6| 24 TO eL ZL DS LQ KB June=S ISO i : 1795, a rhubarb plant of the ſurveyor’s, which broke ground April 1ſt, H) was, June 15s, 52 inches long; 16th June, in the ſpace of 24 hours, grew. of hi 4 inches 6-1oths; from the 22d of the ſame month, 4 inches 9-10ths.— been y Vide Geut, Mag. June 1795. ditch, / 1 E n——,—_— gn Rs e— Z N ainia>> Sdi tei TE of LANCASHIRE. 65 ditch on one ſide, a new thorn hedge was again planted where the old bank had formerly ſtood, and the ditch filled up with rich earth, in which the plantation of rhubarb was made, ſe cured on one fide by the hedge, on the other by rails, Jan, 0s, it CHECO RN. ng E Mr. Wakefield ſpeaks highly of the-heavy crops of chicory NEN\ he has mown, from the fame land, and with which he has nd ſoiled his horſes, viz. ten horſes, the ſpace of ten weeks at hard work, upon this plant, and without either hay or corn, from ; two ſtatute acres; and was cut 3 times in the ſeaſon; firſt time i about the 20th of May; that which remained for ſced grew to 2| the ſize of 8 or 9 feet high, The root of chicory is made uſe Gs|: oí as coftee in Germany,&c. in| in| MA DID EB. nl| Tt was obſerved, by an ingenious gentleman*, that madder, 4 ne imagined, might be ſucceſsfully cultivated, and with ad- N| vantage, upon mos lands, ſince the art of dying cottons a 4,/‘Turkey reá has been diſcovered, for which purpoſe madder, in the root, is abſolutely neceſſary. Madder, which previous to this diſcovery was of little value, is now worth 50s. per cwt. and, if of prime guality, worth 120. per cwt. This root was attempted to be cultivated in this county ſome years paſt, under the encouragement of a premium, by the ſociety for promotion of Arts and Commerce, but failed of ſucceís under the expenſive proceſs of drying, by artificial heat, the difficulty of grinding, peeling of the bark,&c. But of late the ſun has 5 FS LE E OPA I g CEO dR RDR AR rd Ì aet RIFT IE D IEE ige :| been faund ſufficiently powerful to eure it, and the grinding 1 5 S5 0 and peeling proceſs is better underſtood. 7 RUA BAG 3 F= e Mr. Taylor kept ſix brood mares, and two young horſes 1* Ei[« 3 years old, upon the Swediſh turnip and ftraw, in a fold-yard. * Leigh Phillips, Eſq. Mancheſter. A ſpecimen of dying with madder of his own growth has been tranſmitted to the Board of Agriculture, and been viewed with much approbatione They ——————— E SEE E INEA o. AGRICULTURA SURVEY They appear healthy, and in fair good condition, to each he gives half a buſhel a day. The Ruta Baga, or Swediſh turnip, has ſtood the ſevere froſt of 1794 and 1795, whilſt the Engliſh turnips of almoſt every ſpecies have ſufered, and upon the wet lands have been totally rotted and deſtroyed, The tops of the Swediſh turnip it is true, have ſhrunk; but the roat ſtands guite firm. This turnip is a valuable acguifſition. HEMP AND FLAX. The culture, neither of hemp nor flax, was ever carried to any great extent in this county. It is proper to remark that a crop of hemp is ſuppoſed to be an excellent means of de- ÎÑroying couch, let it be ever ſo abundant. Mr. Fazakerly obſerves, that couch ſhould always be de- ftroyed upon the land, by ſmothering or withering; and 1f el- ther carried of the land, or even burnt upon it, the ground is injured, He contends, from experience, that though the couch, whilſt living, be injurious, yet it ſhould never be taken from the lands whence produced, but the roots by ſome means there deſtroyed by putrefaction. CHAPTER ———_—_——————— ¿f LANCASHIRE. 71 ere CAr TER. VIL eN GRAS hi SEcT. I—Natural Meadows and Paftures. 11s w LTHOUGH there is a mixture of arable and graſs land, yet the latter muſt greatly preponderate, and that to ſuch a degree, that it has been frequently alerted, that the corn raifed E in Lancaſhire would not ſupport the inhabitants more than three E months in the year; ſo that the eaſieſt way of obtaining corn, E until the county is improved, 1s to purchaſe it at other markets. The lands inthe immediate vicinity of the great towns are a E chiefly employed in paſturage; at a remoter diſtance, in paſ- e turage and meadow, immenſe quantfities of hay being requiſite fs for the number of horſes and cows Kept therein. Near ſeme h,: places, ſuch as Bolton, beſides the demand for lands under hay and graſs, a great number of acres are occupied as bleaching grounds; and throughout the whole of the county there are, in diferent places, many acres of rich land, covered with yarn, or cloth, under various operations. Theſe ſeveral cauſes have had a tendency to change the ſyſ- tem of the agriculture of the county, and to convert the arable grounds into graſs lands; and this ſyſtem of management ſeems ¡ yearly increaſing, even in thoſe parts which were formerly con- ſidered as the great corn diſtricts; ſuch as that fertile ſoil under the denomination of the Filde, a tract of land from the north of the Ribble along the coaft as far as Cockerſands, to-the turnpike rvad on the eaft. At this period,(1795) the diminution of arable land is likely to become a ſerious calamity to the nation at large. The con- verſion of arable land into graſs in this county may be imputed to ſeven cauſes.—1f.‘The enormous and immoderate wages to be obtained in the manufactories, which has wreſted the arm of induſtry from the plough.—2d. The conſequent encreaſe of Y | / M the poor rates, becauſe the manufactories do not ſupport their own poor; and the manufaurers, if out of employment, E —_ TER when 72. AGRICTET URAL SURVEY when ſick, or infirm, or aged, are ſupported by taxes levied upti# agriculturè.—3d. By all capitals being veſted in the working cotton inſtead of raiſing corn,—4th. To the very abſurd rota= tion of crops uſed throughout the county.—5th. To the bar= barous cuſtom of keeping the ſame land too long under the hz plough.—bth. To an opinion, originating in the conſequence of the two laſt reaſons, that graſs is more valuable than corn. Good graſs probably may, but not ſuch graſs as is to be found N through a great part of this diſtrict.—And, 7th. To the ex-| ation of tythes in kind.:| DECT. 2:— Artificial Graſſes THE mode of laying down graſs for hay, is after having taken a few crops, cleaned and dunged the land, along with bar- ley and oats, to ſow the red clover, with the hay-ſeeds which fall È of in feeding, which are collected; ſometimes trefoil is added, J Ray=-graſs of late years has not been in much eſtimation. Mr. Eccleſton, Mr. Wilkinſon, and Mr. Philips have each of late ſown chicory or ſuccory. The laſt has already kept his coach- horſes three months upon this plant; they look well—the chi- cory is already ſufcient to mow a ſecond time—this plant cauſes his horſes’to ſtale much.| Paſture lands are, in general, moſt miſerably laid down, they being in many places left to nature, to ſupply the ground with whatever ſeeds remained in the earth, or came from other quar- ters, carried by the winds or other accidental cauſes; and in the Filde particularly the lands have, on mañy occaſions, been ſo exhauſted by repeated plowings, that they are rendered inca- pable of yielding any uſeful herbage; ſeeds that have hitherto been tried upon theſe lands have ſickened and died away, and ſome have not even vegetated; and the ſurface remains covered with weeds of various kinds, for a ſucceflon of years. White| clover, and the cleaneſt hay ſeeds, have been the beſt ſyſtem of laying down paſtures, hitherto praiſed; but in attempting £. this, many of the farmers have been too inattentive to the choice of their ſeeds, which have been promiſcuoufly colleéted as they dropped from the hay, without regard to the ſpecies of graſs, > 4 PTE I I I A=—— of LANCASHIRE. 72 . oraſs, the crops being free from docks or other ſpontaneous E. weeds, which were permitted to grow. But thé lands in E genéral âbound with varieties of natural R ad, if in tos n lerable condition, 1n a very little time will‘be covered with a i H good ſward; among which, white clover, growing ſpon=- a‘taneouſly, is Hot unfrequent. #| Inſtead of the old method of laying down land in ſmall ridges 11 (called butts in Lancaſhire) particularly in wet lands, of late the s beſt farmers have adopted the fize of ſix or cight yards broad, with but ſhallow intervals; if for mowing, the lands are in a better ſtate for the ſcythe; ¡if for paſture, the cattle not ſo liable to he overthrown in the deep drains. In very dry lands, which require no drains, the ſurface is laid as ſmooth and even as can be effeted; the whole being united into one plange, i! poſible z‘ which not only renders the ſurface ofthe land more agreeable to I| the eye, but in every reſpe& of agricultural management ſupe- ,| rior. To prevent theſe butts being too high in the centre, the | land is drawn out into breadths of half the ſize of the intended 5| butt, then a furrow is thrown together from each ſide of the two, which are to be formed into one for the centre part. Red clover is ſown alſo, but not as a matrix for wheat, to E which the land in ſome places is adapted*#. After two years crop of red clover, although hay ſeeds have been added, there is generally but a ſcanty crop, the‘clover diſappearing; and, ey: À unleſs an ample dreſſing of manure be alſo given, the produce of E hay ſeeds will be very ſcanty; this mode of manuring is by good farmers frequently practiſed. Some experiments have been made nd ES upon the AMopecurus pratenfis and Feſtuca pratenfis with great een- Á: i: E: E ES ſucceßs; as alſo the wild endive or chicory(Cichorium intybus); ICA.... but théſe trials are yet in their infancy, and the cale but ſmall. \erto rm. cg.:- Z j Trefoil, cinque-foil, rib-graſs, and rye-grafs, have been fre- de quently ſawn, but in no great guantities, but this laſt is ſeldom pra-.. è„ — found to anſwer here. But the ſame ſoil; in diferent ſeaſons, (hit md* If for paſture, red clover is omitted, white clover and ſeéds colleQed ; from the hay-iofts, are alone uſed. Some fields have been laid down to 10g paſture; with graſc-ſeeds only, without any corp, and'have been found to vice ſucceed. There is ſaid to be an evident ſupèriórity in lands thus treated, although twenty years ago: but the experiments have been few, A gen- d'as tleman at Bolton Moor has an excellent paſture the préſtit yèar, with white ç clover, ſovrn with vetches, ç 01; L y roduce caf Produces 4 4 á 4= R ns E DE ret ZE E ats TBA diminiſhed’ by:the:foulnéf i 5 UY the vigour and a [4 AGRICULTURAL, SURVEY produces different kinds of graſles, e. g. white‘clovers, which may probably ariſe from the application of different ma- M or the ſeaſons being more congenial to this or that ſpecies of gra The ſeeds muſt be originally lodged in the earth, e great E ſi for none have been fabricated, they have been only collected and e where nature has depoſited her treaſures; ſeleéted by the induſtrious cultivator to whom they offer their liberal aid. Tufts of knot! graſs, which ſcarcely any beaſt will touch, have. been removed by ſpreading a little lime over them. Another ſpecies of graſs has ſucceeded de operation. The great abundance of natural grafies-in this country, RS in a great meaſure, the neceflity of having recourſe to artifici ial ones. Sainfoin and lucern are unknown, or nearly(o. NE O N aN produces white clover, eſpecially when kept in high condition; the application of the root of red clover as 2 LE Íor RS is ſcarcely ever practiſed, though admirabiy adapted to the lighter land of the county. Itis however ſown Pretty generally when land is intended to be laid down to graſs;_ by this means the farmer obtains. two very large crops of hay the fiſt year, E his land 1s much impoveriſhed for the next. two or-thrée, as the clover diſappeârs, and the natural (] cM. ISTE L 124 grailes do not pui torWard, as the land has been generally na=- IS PES, j D Te S r afled bz 7 XNne PI H‘eVIOUsS SCE OP N) of COïn at nd clov Cl i NIS reſult 1S 7 Gt— to LEA I EE IS ISIS C Y 1 ſome IICALULS obviated DAZ HA) AIMPIe Arelng 0i manure for manure is to be purchaſed ell:7 a1 C11 SS! PEE lat(58 Ga i NOE H ZS TT AAA RE I In NIS POPUious)UTITSS ralt- quant titles Jo peon LNe W noie, ho man+ cr PEN tr the Hot Le Manti CO LOTAlS 11S DV Tat tne RIGOLE [Dj e 1 AE Mes N CEE Drenent nent of this co TUEL LALCEF 4 EE 1d had the old plan of the | 0a AS Yi< Ÿ 7 BE 1 l'e: Country leave the ſtubble of produce Whatever weeds and .« d Al|(> 1 C« 7“0 trumpery if might ¡pleaſe Heaven to ſend: of late years, the ſtubble has been well manured,: and ſown with barley and clover, and the refuſe of the hay ricks.“The R and the additional breadth of the barley butts, and the graſs ſceds were n improvemei oeneral ds advant: 12e. Was much ntroduced by the additional crop, e EU ESA undance of the; couch graſs, and the:foulneſs OS EDO E TON es o TOF| :02led ars, tué ley and E # LANCASHIRE: iz of thé hay-ſeeds. By the time the clover‘had been twic mown, tis lands were in miſerable condition, little but couc] graſs and weeds to be ſeen: but reſt ¡rom the plough, and the natural fertility of the ſoil, by degrees brought“ 1ntó condition to be ploughed again. Such management has been produdtive of much loſs both to landlord and tenant, and is the réaſon that gentlemen of property are ſo deſirous of having the tillage of their tenants ſo much reſtricted. We are, howéver, Bezie to adopt a more enlightened method of 1 aying down our lands: fallowing for turnips once or twice, if the land is very toul, and then ſowing barley ahd well-dreſſed hay ſeeds, from known good meadows, and white clover. Another method is, t manure land very well for early potatoes, which ought to H off the land in June, July, or Auguſt at lateſt, and ſowing: graſs ſeeds and white clover, without any corn; the E aÿ oicht to ſtand until the hay ſeeds are pretty well ripened the fſubſe- quent year, and the eddiſh or after-grafs to be well manured as ſoon as the hay is carted of, SECT. 3.— Hay Harveſt. IN the management and curing of clover, which, from the quantity of moiſture to be evaporated from the plant, before it be cured ſufficiently to keep, is attended with con- derable difficulty, the following method has been practiſed by Thomas Eccleſton, Eſg. at ſpirited gentleman ſo fre- quently mentioned. Hay, without doubt, cures faſter the more it is raked, as by this, more ſurface is expoſed to the influence of the ſun u als by frequent turning and fhal king:—but, in my method, a very little labour, will E vrhen è Weather 1s good. The o only difficulty 1 IS LO CULLE hay, ſo as to préſerve its nutritious juices, ſcent, and other qualities, when the ſeaſon is wet, and the graſs, through its different ſtages, is repeatedly caught with ſhowers. M. Ecclefton?s mode.— The clover 1s col N together into ſmall ſheaves, and kept EE then twiſted together, in the top part, to admit the ſheaf to ſtand upon its butt, or bottom end, when ſpread out, in the ſame manner that horſe-beans L 2, have N SP E = \ cM fj MI 4D 76 AGRTCUET URAL SURVEY have been freguently treated; and if theſe little bundles are not thrown down by the winds, they wiil refiſt more rain, if _it ſhould fall, than when lying on the ſurface of the ground; and if the weather be úne, having more ſurface expoſed and open, the clover will cure the faſter. In making hay-ſacks, beſides a chimney* in the ſtack, by a baſket placed in the middle, and drawn up by a cord, in order to ſuffer the air, generated by heating, to eſcape, and to prevent the ſtack taking fire, as mentioned 1n the Survey of Mid « dleſex,’”” Mr. Eccleſton cuts gutters in the ground, length- ‘ways, and covers them acrofs in that place whereon a ſtack is to be built. Through theſe trenches, in diferent direCions, the outward air may enter, paſs through, then aſcend the aperture left in the ítack; and this continued circulation takes away the generated heat or foul air, which, 1f conúned together without any vent, might produce damage to the hay, or worſe effedAs; and, by theſe uſeful precautions, he is enabled to colle his hay together at a more early period, and in à more juicy fate; by which good pradtice, time 1s ſaved, and the quality of the hay improved. I have obſerved ſtacks of clover hay, made with layers of wheat fraw, at certain diſtances, from the bottom to the top, which I think a good method, particularly when it has had bad weather upon it, and was got in rather damp, as the damp heat is conveyed through it by means of the ſtraw from one ſide to the other, and a greater circulation of air might fll be procured by a chimney in the centre being filled with ſtraw. Hay-barns have of late been ere&ed in many places, ftand- ing upon pillars, and covered with ſlates; ſometimes with a bottom boarded with planks, open in the joints, perforated with holes, and lying hollow a ſpace above ground, to admit a free circulation of air all under,the hay, Theſe buildings are uſe- ful, cheap, and by their great convenience in bad weather, and «« When hay is properly prepared to be put together in a fltack or rick, a chimney ought never to be made; it 1s 2 great evil, never to be adopted but when there 1s abſolute danger of the rick taking fre. Rather let an ox-fecder in North Wilts be conſulted in the art of hay-makings thau a farmer in Lancaſhire.”—T. WW. x URZ >02— MA——— E E EE — = UDI ta! of LANCASHIRE.+7 i S are Í in, if the great preſervation they afford to the hay, will Toon repay uad; the firſt expence. A: It is a good praâtice with hay in buildings, ds ſoon as it d-and© f=) is become ſolid enough to bear the knife, to cut a paſlage round the walls, about half a yard in breadth. The hay whieh m comes from the paſſage thus cut, may be put on the top of the A mow: by this method, a free circulation of air is obtained, Lid. and the tainted ſmell which is contracted by the hay which nd lies up to the walls through the winter, is by this method pre- E: vented, Ph- SECT. 4.— Feeding. he 7 takes THE common average of the beſt lands, is one ſtatute ether; acre per cow, for the ſummers acre; but there are ſome thou- worſe î ſands of acres that will fall greatly ſhort, ſome paſtures being d to i ſo very poor as to reguire three, nay four times that breadth of nore P land, not to feed, but barely keep alive, thofe poor beaſts who | the| have the hard fate to be doomed to the great labour of col- P le&ting their food ſo ſcantily and widely diſperſed. 1s of: Lands under the bigheſt ſtate of cultivation will keep and è 0D),) atten even more than one beaſt upon an acre.—The ſur- s had veyor’s ſummer paſture in 1794, was about five ſtatute acres, damp| which plentifully ſupplied five tolerably ſized cows, two large Te i horſes, and one of a ſmaller ſize, aud ſeven pigs, regularly | be| turned out to paſture twice every day, between their meals. y,| Theſe pigs conſumed a conſiderable quantity of graſs, were ad- ande i mitted into the yes when their meals were prepared, and aîter ha| having taken their reſt, were regularly turnéd to paſture again. with> This ſeems no bad pradtice in the management of hogs; they afree grow faſt, and their fleſh is rendered remarkably ſweet, which e ule cleanlineſs and freſh air might probably be the means of con- er, nd tributing towards. The bay conſumed by this ock was the produce of about fuck or ſx ſtatute acres. : The following information is from’ a reſpe@table farmer Y ¿ übe upon a large eſtate about ſix miles from Mancheſter. He ſays, 4 : that it will take two Lancaſhire acres to ſummer a milch z M Me cow 4 hh R 78 AGRLGUE TURA T; SURVEY cow about Chorton, and along the river Merſey, for eight or ten miles; but tÑat one Lancaſhire acre in other places will pro- duce not only ſummer’ graſs, but alſo hay to keep a cow all the winter, if the ſummer be moderately kind. In the north of Lancaſhire it will. take three acres for cach cow. CHAPTER pe R——_ ———— Pe em E Is C REA Rs Fmt zue E E EN e—_ M pe Bien po. MA ATS 20 E“S- a I-— mE—— EA—>- R—— Ud} tive; & LANCASHIRE, 79 fen LE GAP RE wall| wud Of GARDENS azd ORCHARDS, JN the neighbourhood of the large towns, there 1s a portion of land appropriated to Gardens. / Upon the banks of the Irwell, in the townſhip of Barton, about five miles from Mancheſter, there are ſixty-four ſtatute acres of land planted. with apple-trees. The plants are Upon borders of three feet wide, and ſevèn yards diſtance from each in the rows, and from each other every way,‘The intervals in the rows, and between each‘apple-tree, are planted with y pears, plums, cherries, and gooſeberries, which are intended to be removed as ſoon as they are found to incommode the apple- trees; and the borders are moreover dug, and cropped again with potatoes, beans, cabbages,&c. The intervals between each of theſe borders are under the following management: a part is appropriated to nurſery ground, for railing foreſt and fruit-trees; another large part is for meadow land, the craſs is ,>) I Ss mown for hay, and the eddiſh for ſoiling, and lets after the rate of 44 10s. per large acre. The plantation included in this acre ſome part ſown with grain. The plantation was begun about ten years ago, but was not completed till 1794, when the whole remaining was planted with crab-fſtock, to be in- grafted the enſuing ſpring. The trees look healthy in general, and if the kinds are well ſele&ed, and adapted to the nature of the ſoil, will. moſt likely prove a beneficial concern in the iffue, ſince Mancheſter and its environs. will afford a ready market for an article much wanted, and but little cultivated. (> It is generally believed, that there is not a town in the king- dom, London excepted, better provided with vegetables, roots, &c. than the town of Liverpool*, * There are always ſome reaſons for diſtinguiſhed ſuperiority; and it has been' ſaid, that the French neutrals(who were brought over from Ca- nada in the war of 1756, and who refided ſome years in Liverpool) re- quired ſo many vegetables in their ſoups,&c. as to raiſe the market price of there articles, which-excited a ſpirit of growing greater quantities than had before been uſually raiſed. As a ſea port, the quantities of cabbage, and other vegetables, taken out for the uſe of ſhipping; the quantities of dried herbs catiried to Africa; and onions exported, may aét as ſtimu- latives. Beſide b ERN - - ESTV TP ————— as m—— i bz. LO AGRICULTURAL SUR VEY Beſides the vegetables brought in by the milk-carts, and which really amount to a conſiderable quantity; there is a certain farm in Kirkby, about eight miles north-eaſt from Liverpool, the ſoil of a ſmall part of which is a black laamy fand, and which produces great quantities of earty, and firong, aſparagus; and another farm, 2 part of which is of the ſame nature, at a place called Orrel, about four miles north- weſt of Liverpool; both which produce this plant with leſs at- tention, and lefs dung, than reguiſite in the rich vale of Kirk- dale, about two miles from Liverpool, where the greateſt quan= tity of land in any place of this neighbourhood is appropriated folely to horticulflure: În lands not favourable to the aſparagus plant, might not this unfavourable diſpoſition be corre&ed by foil brought from lands more genial te its produ&ion, eſpe- cially to grounds bordering upon the canals?— Forty tons would be Ee ſuflicient for a plantation for a moderate-ſized family, and which when.once matured continues for a number of years. This E in its wild ſtate, is ſaid to grow upon the Bid- itone Hills in Cheſhire. The number of acres- under horticul cure:'in Kirkdale is about 28 of the large’ meaſure*,; and upon which are only employed: about one male to each acre for the year, and one female to weed, and gather the crops of peas, fruits,&e. The. máſters, it is true, are all workmen, arid join wit the: labourers- in: their taſks; by which is: ef ccted, waat otherwiſe would: not have been accompliſhed, without a greater proportion of hands to the: quantity of acres; and' yet, ſmall as this: number at firſt ſight may appear, it is al moſt: as wonderful how the matter is enábled to pay his-land- tord, his: labourers, and his ſedſman, their reſpeive:claims, npon this: portion of land, when the ealculation! is begun’; and ] 25% a year is allowed the man'for his yeady. labour; the half of that ſum for the woman’s; about 15/, more for rent and dung; beſides the expence of marketing, and the proûts that ihould ariſe to the maſter for his attention, ſill, and ſuper- intendance, and towards the maintenance of himſelf and family, with a ſmall accumulating ſurplus, to ſupport. the infirmities of ® Eight yards to the rod, or to the pole or perch. 2 Qd Ip AE #& LANCASHIRE. 8 $ and oH age. In the amount of theſe ſeveral particulas enume- VR rated, a ſum of money will appear, that would have been ſuf- rth-eaſt ficient to have purchaſed the fee ſimple of the ſame lands, half 2 black a century ago. ly, ánd The horticulture of this county is in many inſtances ſupe- ift rior to its agricuiture. The mechanic ts generally furniſhed north. with a ſmall patch of ground adjoining his cettage; and from GE this little ſpot is extracted not only health, but derived plea- CA ſure, and which may not a little contribute to E intem= iio perance not unfregquently proceeding from want of recreation ited: to fill up a vacant hour. This ſmall ſpace is devoted to nur- au turing his young ſeedlings, trimming his more matured plante, dy contemplating new varieties, in expectation of honours through Pas the medium of gained premiums. Thus ſtarting at intervals i from his more toilſome-labours, the mechanic finds his ſtaz- a nating fluids put in motion, and his lungs refreſhed with the E breeze, whilſt he has been thus ife new flowers erf of the auricula, carnation, polyanthus, or pink, of the moſt ap- Bid- proved qualities in their ſeveral kinds, and which, after being (3 \|, E raiſed here, have been diſperſed over the vrhole I angdom. ) 4h- Not only flowers but fruit have been objets of eE en ior tue tion.‘The beſt gooſeberriee now under cultivation had their of pet origin in the county of Lancaſter; and to promote this ſpirit, nel, ud meetings are annually appointed at different places, at which h 19 dl j are public exhibitions of diferent kinds of flowers and fruits, nplifbied, and premiums adjudged. Theſe meetings are encouraged by of actéó; maſter-tradeſmen and gentlemen of the county, as tending to ies dla promote a ſpirit which may occaſionally be diverted into a hs and more important channel. ye: am)"At theſe mecting 28, gooſeberries have been produced which jeotnz and have weighed fingly 15 dwts. 10 grains, e. g. Lomax’s Viétory*, ur; te hll CS Snath* has weighed 17 dwts.; and the Royal for rent md Sovereign*, grown by Geor rge Cooke of Aſhton, near Preſton, he profis tid at a meeting held 1794, weighed 17 dwts. 18 grains. 1h, ad fper A ſingle gooſeberry-tree, the Manchefter rough red, in a fmdinil&arden belong O IE ORCS, 1B EE in the year 1e ¡fmiti 0* Names of gooſeberries. M 17925 E od EE Mans 2» A EN E : O———————: 82 AGRICULTURAT SURVEY À 1792, yielded twenty-one quarts of fruit, in their green ſtates - when they ſold at 3. per quart.“The whole quantity weighed|(h EH pounds avoirdupois*,‘The ſpace this tree occu-| ni pied was th A rds, and allowing an equal ſpace to walk| C round, and ſuppoſing an acre of‘eight yards to the rod planted ti with the ſame kind of trees, and producing the ſame quantity of fruit, and ſold at the ſame price, the produce would amount| tl A AO do Y 14 a uiring but little attention, the gooſeberry hás les paid to| gel it than-it deſerves; and“ the fruit being rendered in ſuch| inf abundance, with ſolittle trouble, makes it of trifling eſtimation. i' But ſince it may be improved in flavour, increaſed in quantity, and its duration prolonged, by being allowed a folitary corner| y in a wall, e. g. on each fide. the nectarine or peach whilit in|| their„infancy, and they only occupy a ſmall ſpace’; the/ gooleberry n N be nailed down, trimmed, and trained as their| t companions; but removed as ſoon as ever they appear to| 1 incommode hel ancient tenants of the walls; for the firſt de coſt of a gooſeberry-tree is ſo trifling, that it is not w vorthy of| notice,| hy Theſe fa&s have been already proved by Daniel Daulby,| i Eſq; of Birch Houſe, near Liverpool, who for ſome years has had| Y them ES againít the walls, beſides his other E of|] ftandards. Beſides the advantäges above noticed, the fruitage i 7 ſeaſon may be advanced or prolonged according to the diffe-| D rent aſpects of the walls; and an increaſe of crop was thorough] ly proved by this treatment in the year 1793, When there was a.:| fy general failure throu gl Hout the kingdom, and gooſeberries ſold| 5 at the advanced price of 6 d. per quart. Thoſe trees which had the advantage of walls were loaded as fully as in the moſt|; plentiful years.| Î: I # To aſcertain the, weight of this fruit in different ſtates of its growth,| È the ſurveyor made thie following experiments upon the Manchetter red goofeberry.—1794, May 3» oe ale quart weighed 187XI ounces troy,| 0, — July 25, agam from the fame tree 20 ounces.— July 15, 21 2 ounces,| — July 29, 22 ounces.—Auguſt 4, 211 ounces,—M, B. He has to regret GL that he did'not-number the fruit. m: alt LL XCCpLl fe 1 fate, \äthed € OCC. 0 walk Planted uantity amount aid to 1 ſuch ALION, 10ns of uitage diffe- ughly aS a. s(old which e molt LANCASHIRE. 83 Except the orchard on the banks of the Irwe Il, in the town- ſhip of Barton, containing about ſixty-four ſtatute acres, there no orchards worthy notice.—There 1s no’ cyder made-in the county. The importation of apples from the cyder coun- tries, and even from America, has of late been very conſiderable. To cauſe fruit-trees to Dear, Þ ¿larly pears, cut a circle through the bark round the principal branches.—T'his ope- ration ſtops the growth of the wood, alters the ſyſtem of ve- getation, and gives the tree a tendency towards bearing fruit inſtead of making wood, The off-ſhoots of pear-treès ſhould be taken off in Auguſt Lime diſſolved in water, and made into a white waſh, ap- to the| IS and{ítems of trees with a bruſh, eitec- 1ally deſtroys moſs It is unfortunate ee orchards are not more attended to in this ES as cyder, with the afiſtance of hone Cys night be made into a vinous liquor, as ſtrong and as palatable as Ma- deira. The following is reckoned the O receipt for making it. « Take new cyder from the preſs, mix it with honey till it bears an egg, boil it gently for a quarter of an hour(but not in an iron pot), take of the ſcum as it riſes, let it cool, then barrel it, without filling the veſſel quite full; bottle it of in March. In ſix weeks aſterwards it will be ripe for uſe, and as ſtrong as Madeita. The longer it 1s afterwards kept the Deter; Honey alſo renders hard crab cyder pal atable. Colour and flavour are eaſily added. Honey from the flower of the buck=- wheat may be made uſe of if a dark hue is wanted. There 1s every reaſon to believe, that currant, gooſeberry, and other home-made wines, treated in the ſame way, would equal what we are at ſuch an expence in importing from fo- reign countries. The art of making it; with the aſliſtance of Father De San Martino’s experiments on the fermentation of vinous liquors(ſce Dr. Scandella’s Addenda to the Chapter on Manures)- might ſoon be brought to ſuch perfection, as to make us independent on foreign nations for this important article, * In gardens where ſhallots. are ſown, to prevent the grub eating them, they ſhould be planted very ebb. M 2 CHAFTER SL AGRICULTURAL: SURVEY CHAT ER N. WW QODS AND PLANTATIONS HERE are no natural woods of any conſequence to me- rit attention.‘The plantations are in general intended as embelliſhments for gentlemen'’s ſeats, cover for game, or ſhel- „ter from the blaſt, rather than with a view of ſupplying the country with timber, and preventing importation,: Towards the coaft it is with great difficulty that wood of any kind can be raiſed: the tops of the trees, hedges, and even the corn in the fields(in general) bend towards the eaſt, as if ſhrinking from the weſtern gale, brought over the Atlantic ocean; yet,‘near the ſhore at Formby Hall ſeveral acres of land have been planted with foreſt and fruit= trees, which are in ſo flouriſhing a ſtate- as to afford general encouragement to the inhabitants of the ſe2-coaît, to fence againſt the wintry blaſt, and to raiſe wholeſome fruits for their tables. The foreſt trees were originally planted in holes when very ſmall, and were ſheltered by ſods from the winds till they had taken firm root in the ground. A mixture of rich ſoil and moſs was put with no ſparing hand beneath their roots. The Scotch fr, the ſycamore, the platanus, and the aſh, ſeem moît congenial to the ſoil, which is of a ſandy nature, and are leaſt injured by the inclemency of the climate. In the northern part there are many acres of coppices cut down every fifteen Years, and burned into charcoal. Toward the centra] part of the county there are ſome good woods; the timber healthy: there is alſo a confiderable quantity grown in hedge-rows; but as ſun-ſhine is generally preferred to fhade—timber wood ſeems on the decline. There are many excellent plantations about gentlemen?s ſeats and pleafure- grounds, well attended(10) ſecured, and in a2 thriving fate. Mr. Leigh Phillips obſerved, that the alder was of late years become an article of great conſequence, from the de- mand for its wood, which makes the beſt poles whereon to hang cotton yarn to dry, that wood acquiring a fine poliſh by fre- quent uſe, nor does it ſplinter by expoſure to the weather, and its bark alſo ſells at near] Y One penny per pound, 2s an article for dye. o) only E\aDIeN fourtl ORN il bably : The Ne, an tent nd) pan gr Îtoo 0 forel count ture C nch TOUT Its1 fr: Ren Ing p cable (je* Duke certail of LANCASHIRE. 85 dye*, He added, that the alders planted on the ſide of the Duke of Bridgewater’s canal, upon the looſe grounds, for z certain diſtance, by way of ſecurity to the banks, had not only anſwered the original purpoſe, but had proved a proft= able plantation—the alder admitting of being cut down every fourth or fifth year.‘There are many acres of land, at Preſent of little value, which, if planted with this wood, E pro- bably turn to a good account. The oſer willow 1s at preſent in ſuch demand for hampers, &c. and there is ſuch a ſcarcity of that article, that more than twenty pounds a year have been made out of a ſingle acre of (=) land planted with it; and though very few acres are at preſent planted with them, there are ime thouſands proper for their growth, but the management of them ſeems not to be under- ſtood at preſent. On the ſea-coaſt there are ſome acres of land planted with foreſt-trees, which are flouriſhing and ornamental to the countr y. They were originally placed in holes(with a mix- ture of ſea-ſlutch' and broken pieces of turf at their roots) four inches beneath the ſurface of the ground; and ſods were raiſed round them, to guard their tender ſhoots from the wintry blaſt, Its violence is leaſt injurious to the ſycamore, the aſh, the alder, fir, and platanus.—T'his obſervation is communicated by the Reverend Mr. Formby, of Formby, who has ſucceeded in raiſf- ing plantations ſo near the ſea, that it was hardly thought practi- cable till he effedted it. * In Sweden they make beautiful tables of the root of the alder. A CHAPTER E rt ES —— EEE—————————— e———— , LY 36 AGRICUL TURAF SURNEY put ur : 5; y - CAA TER MAL: O y W A S 1B EAN DS: Z Tj | JN this county there are large tra&s of waſte lands, not leſs than one hundred and eight thouſand five hundred acres,| according to Mr. Yâtes’s ſtatement, who took the pains to e calculate the number for this particular purpoſe.—He makes A the lands, under the denomination of moſs, or fen lands, to be e ¡10€ twenty-ſix thouſand five hundred acres. Moors, marſhes, and commons, to amount to eighty-two thouſand acres. Why end ſeek out diſtant countries to cultivate, whilſt ſo much remains Ma to be done at home? ird At Lancaſter there is an excellent ſalt marſh, adjoining the lo banks of the river Lune; and of which about 500 ftatute acres belong to eighty of the oldeſt freemen of the corporation 0 of Lancafter, or their widows, and the truſtees of this cha- but rity, the corporation,‘This marſh is paſtured, and dividedinto Ten what are termed orl graſſes; that is, a privilege of turning abc one horſe or two cows of any ſize to ſummer upon this com- UN mon z ſo that a poney is reckoned equal to two oxen, how=- y ever ſmall the horſe, or large the ox. The number of graſſes or gates is equal to that of privileged burgeſles, namely 80, ot and two more to the truſtees of the charity, or 82 gates;, em and which, if let, are worth at preſent from£.T. 105, to COL f.1. 115. 6d. per ſummer.—Seven years ago they would wh not lef at twenty ſhillings a gate. the Now this marſh, if divided into fields of a proper ſize, is ſo ott fertile, that it would immediately be worth three pounds per eS di acre; and, if improved, worth five pounds per acre per| of annum. lh The preſent value is 82 ſum- ff. s d. 01 mer oraſles, at(1. 115.0 129. 3 9 dur And ſuppoſe the winter herb-: and 2ge worth_—— 50 070 7 E and Total——= 7g 20| ES Very ;‘Butz | of LANCASHIRE. 87 But, if incloſed, its annual value would, at£. 3. per Les acre per annum, be—— T5509 0-0 FExXcels#12208 17650 If improved, at /.. 5. per acres t leſ i would be—— 2500, OO FXCels 2220717 60 Cres, 18 0 Such fatements cannot require any comment to recommend ¡kes them to public attention, and that too in a neighbourhood ) be of a town diſtreſſed for incloſed land; being bound up on one and ſide by this marſh, and on the other ſide by a moor, which ex- hy tends to the very borders of the town; a moor too, which nains manifeſts itſelf capable of being rendered fertile land, as is evident from ſmall incloſurés under cultivation, which the indußïy of 1g the ſome cottager has improved from the waſte. latute In the neighbourhood of Preſton lies Preſton Moor, about ation 500 acres of good land, and abouncing with excellent marle, cha- but which at preſent lies under water, which might be eafly into removed. Fullwood Moor, too, in the ſame neighbourhood, ning about 1000 acres, and Caddeley Moor, which belongs to the ‘coms crown, with many more which might be enumerated, and “how which remain in a fate that diſgraces the county, PE Many of theſe lands are incapable of tillage—ſome confit ehy 80, of mountainous tracts, craggy, feep, and barren; theſe are pates; employed for ſheep walks, though not the moſt fertile: others Si À conſiſt of low ſwamps, overcharged with ſtagnant water; from - would which a ſufficient fall has not yet been diſcovered for draining them.“ Many of the waſtes are covered with underwood, and thers have been planted with various kinds of foreft trees. Ve 5 Sir Harry Hoghton propoſes to plant Withnell Moor, a tract R of about eight hundred acres, with ſuch trees as upon trial 1 ſhall be found to agree with the ſoil. Several parts are allotted out in what are termed dales, for the purpoſe of paring the ſurface for fuel—a pernicious pradice, Which injures the land,‘ and affords but a very inditerent fire. There are many thouſand acres capable of being cultivated, and‘made into either arable, paſture, or meadow land, of a 8 very good quality, provided thoſe waſtes were incloſed, di- i o vided, Buh 68 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY vided, and improved; and, to efffed this, there is neither Wart of inclination nor ſpirit amongſt the inhabitants. But there is 2 want‘of a general incloſure bill to facilitate that troubleſome buſineſs, and render it more expeditious and leſs expenhive, A great improvement has been ſuggeſte& by Mr. Wilkin- ſon, of Caſtle-Head, of embanking upon the ſands, and gain- ins thereby 30,000 acres. This great attempt has been al- ready noticed in the Annals of Agriculture; but theſe pa triotic and public attentions are at preſent defeated, by a dif- ference of opinion amongf individuals, claims of the lords of the manors,&c. Mr. Wilkinſon alſo, by turning the courſe of ſome brooks» has recovered lands from the ſca; by which the flux of the tide, in the ſpace of about eight years, has raiſed the lands near Lx feet; ſo that, after the water is kept in narrower bounds, by the opening of a new channel, the tide alone' docs the Work, OBSERVATIONS ON THE EMBANEMENT.OF LANCASTER SANDS. « IT is a fa, conſonant to reaſon, and proved by expe- rience, that when the courſe of 2 river where it enters the ſea, or rather tide mark, is turned another way into the ocean, the former channel, and adjacent ſand, is, from the perpetual influx of ſand, mud,&c. brought and Ieft there by the tide, raiſed gradually, till, in the courſe of a few years, it becomes out of the reach of, at leaſt, ordinary tides; becauſe the freſh water ceaſes to prevent the accumulating of theſe materials, which it iormerly did, by conſtantly removing them to the ſea. « If that is the caſe, there muſt exiſt a poſſibility-of reco- vering from the dominion of Neptune that extenſive tra& called Lancaſter and Milthrop Sands; as alſo, part of the Ul- verſtone, and Dudden or Millam Sands, by a diverſion of the rIVETrS. “The frft queſtion naturally ariſing in the enquiry is, Whe- ther an effedual removal of the rivers is praticable? and, fe- condly, Whether, in that caſe, the probable expence would not OYeT- 0 Wanf ere 18 tlome e, ilkin, Qain- en ale Das dif js of JOKS) if the S NEA 0unds, ' Cs Ie 0F - the(ea, al) the | influx „raiſed out of water ich ik f reco- ve trad f the Ul- on ot tie of LANCASHIRE, 89 overbalance the advantages that might be expected to ariſe therefrom? i « In regard tothe firſt: an ingenious and reſpetable gentle- man in that neighbourhood, Mt. John Jenkinſon of Yealand, had, for many years back, given the ſubje&X much attention, and minutely explored the track propoſed for the new channel of the Kent and other rivers running through the Lancaſter and Milthrop fands, as pointed out in the plan, Some years ſince he communicated his ideas on the matter to Mr. Wilkinſon of Caſtlehead, a gentleman of fortune, patriotiſm, and univerſal knowledge. The ſcheme attracted the notice of Mr. Wilkin- ſon; he examined the ground, and was immediately ſtruck with the notion that it might be carried into execution without inuch difficulty, A ſubſcription was propoſed, in which Mr. Wilkinſon offered to lead off with 50,000!. if the neighbour- ing gentlemen would make up the reft(having previouſly eſti- mated the whole expence at 150,000.) or, if they would begin with any ſum, he would produce the remainder, it being underſtood that each ſhould receive of the profits in proportion to his ſubſcription. The proje& being thus apparently pretty forward, a perſon was appointed to take the levels,&c. which he did; and his plans are now in the poſſeſlion of Mr. Jen- kiniſon, who alſo himſelf made an actual ſurvey of Lancaſter and Milthrop ſands, from whoſe plan I copied part of mine, « Notwithſtanding theſe preparations, the projectors unfor- tunately met with ſuch oppoſition from the proprietors of ſome trifling fiſheries, who wére nevertheleſs offered an indemni- fication for the loſs they might ſuſtain; and certain lords of manors, who, though they refuſed to contribute any thing towards recovering the ſands, were yet unwilling to relinquiſh any part of their claims to the ground when improved—that the matter was dropped at that time. « The principal river to be taken off Lancaſter and Milthrop fands is the Kent. I examined with attention the ground pro- poſed for the new channel, as marked in the plan, and found it remarkably adapted for the purpoſe. The whole length, where it runs inland, is a range of low moſly or ſoft land, except a N mall > AGRICULTURAL SURVEY ſmali tra of rocky or gravelly ground, the higheſt part of which is not more than 10 feet 5 inches above level; and I believe the average height of the whole cut would not exceed 3 feet 5 inches above level. In ſhort, I do not entertain a doubt of the pradicability of diverting the courſe of the rivers, and taking them into the Loyne, below Lancaſter.‘The fall in that courſe is ſmall, yet ſufficient for the current of the wa- Í ter. Neither do I find 2 difficulty in believing that the ulti- mate conſequence would be-the’ gaining a very large tract of fand, which would become the fineſt land. This method of recovering ground from the ſea is now, where it is practicable, univerſally allowed to be a much ſurer, and often leſs expeniwve, means than that of wholly depending on embanking on the ſand with any materials whatever.| « Whether it would be beſt to follow exaQly the plan I have preſcribed, in diverting the rivers, is the province of an experienced engineer to determine. Equal knowledge and abilities are reguired to make a talerably exa eſtimate of the expence in the execution of ſuch a deſign. I fhall, however, from all the knowledge I could poſkbly acquire of the buſineſs, endeavour to make out an eſtimate, which may, at leaſt, con- vey a2 general idea of the ſcheme; but which, my inexperience in theſe matters bids me add, muſt not be too implicitly re- lied on in particular. « Mr. Wilkinſon, as obſerved before, calculated the whole expence at(. 150,000; but in the opinion of many well-in- formed gentlemen: 50 or. perhaps{60,000 leſs might do. Various plans have been propoſed by different people; but it would ſeem beſt, in my opinion, to commence the work a little below-Dallam Tower(as ſhewn in the plan) by throw- ing a bank of ſtone, or flóne and bruſhwood, acroß the channel there: plenty of theſe materials being at hand, on a common. The bank would ſerve for a road, and a bridge at the S. E. end would admit the freſh water. The fand here'is near thir- teen feet deep, which it would be neceflary for the ſtones to bottom; that would require little or no labour, more than tum- bling inz as the weight‘of the. ſones and waſhing of the tide would ſoon bring them to the channel. This bank would EE vat of lud[ X xte tertain q N tiven, The fl the wa he ult. trad of thod of Gicahle, perſive, y on e the plan cè of an ige and of the WeVEr, uſnels, aft, con: cperjence licitly re- the wliole 1 well-in- night d0.- jle; but i he work A by frow- the channel 1 4 Comim0l at thé gl e js near di: € the ſons nre thanfut- raſbinz d ut vishat you he of LANCASHIRE. êi be about 880 yards long, and ſhould I believe be 7 yards high, 10 yards act the baſe, and 6 yards at top, and would con- ſequently contain 49,280 cubic yards, which, allowing each yard to coſt one ſhilling, would amount to£2,464. The bridge I ſhould ftate at£. 1,000.«The whole length of the cut from hence tó the Loyne is about 27,340 yards: to con- tain the greateſt land floods it ſhould not, I preſume, be leſs than 34 yards wide, and the average depth 4 yards; the number of yards, upon that poſition, to be excavated, would, therefore, be 2,992,240, which at 4èd. per yard would coſt£. 54,417. Where rocks or high ground upon the coaft renders it neceſ- ſary to keep within the tide-mark, the earth to be taken out will form a bank on the ſea ſide of the cut. A number of bridges might be neceſlary to ere; however, till the profits of the land to be recovered ſhould enable the proprietors to build them of ſtone throughout, I ſhould propoſe temporary bridges of wood, except one, for the principal road; the ex- pence of which we ſhall call£. 1,000, and that of the wooden ones. /. 3,600. i «“The next thing tobe conſidered is the diverſion of Lindle- pool, which might either be brought into the Kent, as ſhewn in the plan, or taken the contrary way into Cartmel ſands. In either caſe, as it is an inconſiderable rivulet, and the ground generally very low and ſoft, I ſhall not ftate the expence at more than{. 5,300, including the neceſlary bridges. ««Afterwards, when the ſea had nearly embanked itſelf, it might be found convenient to raiſe ſand banks a few feet high, in order to keep of high ſpring tides: the expence of which, added-to that of purchaſing ground for the new channels of the rivers, I ſhall ſtate at{.13,000. « Theſe ſands are the principal objects of attention, but ſhould their recovery be effedted, it would be found very conve- nient, as’ well as praGieable, to uſe ſimilar means-in obtaining part of the Ulverſtone ſands, A bank might be thrown over the channel, as marked in the plan, with a bridge at the end of it, the freſh water then confined to the ſhore till it entered Ulver- ſtone moſs, through which an éaſy cut would bring it to the fands again either at Plumpton Hall, or at the mouth of the new N 2 canal. E RE 92 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY canal, where there is plenty of ¡rock at hand to ſecure it, At the latter place it might be of ſervice to the ſhipping, by open- ing the channel, « By that operation, about 1,600 acres would be gained. Every expence attending which I eſtimate at /. 20,000. « The acquiſition of at leaſt 4,600 acres may alſo be effedted by the ſame means upon the Dudden or Millam ſands. A long frip of marſh land extending along each fide renders the taſk of diverting the rivers, comparatively, an eaſy one. The Dudden might be conveyed along the north ſide, and fixed, at its entrance into the ſand, with limeſtone rock: while the rivulet called Kirby-pool might with little obftru@ion be taken down the other ſide, if we except the intervention of a little riſing rocky ground extending about an hundred yards. That, how- ever, is no obje in a work of ſuch magnitude. The whele expence of this undertaking I am perſuaded would not exceed /. 26,000, Let us now collect the ſeveral ſums eſtimated: Expence of the bank below Dallam Tower-£. 2,463 Ditto ofthe bridge ât:theend there-= I,000 Nitto of the cut from thence to the Loyne= S441 Ditto of the bridges over the cut-- 4,600 Ditto of ſand banks, and purchaſing ground- 13,000 Ditto of diverting Lindlepool--- 5,300 Ditto af gaining part of Ulverſtone ſands= 20,000 Ditto of gaining part of Dudden ſands="27 26,000 Intereſt of money ſunk, till the land to be gained be- comes profitáble; ſalaries of engineers,&c. with con- tingent expences, I ſhall call--# 73,219 Total expences---£200,000 ‘The land that might reaſonably‘be expeded to be gained upon the Lancaſter,&c-. ſands, is.- Acres 32,510. Ditto upon the Dudden fands--- 4,600 Ditto upon the Ulverſtone ſands-- 1,600 ‘Total number-of acres= s iL gSE7ILO « We HEEE i E a: e D A -- R,=) Yi Cy REL Ff LANCASHIRE, 93 THA«c We are now to conſider what benefits would accrue from d) qe. the execution of the above projets. < In the firſt place, a regular conne&ion would take place be- e gant, tweén Lancaſter and Whitehaven, by a poſt road, which would ? doubtleſs be laid out between thoſe places; by which not only effected theſe commercial towns, but all the intervening country would ds, À be much benefited, Whereas at preſent, a perſon travelling ers the| between Lancaſter and Ulverítone, Ravenglaſs, Whitehaven, The|&c. muſt either take a very circuitous rout through a wild ed, at mountainous country, or wait a precarious, dangerous paſlage rivulet| over the ſands. A reflection on the number of unfortunate 1 down| people, who are annually loſt in croſſing theſe deceitful ſands, tif| touches the nerve of humanity. That dreadful circumſtance xt, how-| would be remedied by baniſhing the tide, But although the Tl| philanthrophic mind may conſider theſe matters as greac ud not grievances, others may look upon them as provincial evils only, and the effets of their removal equally confined. An- other advantage that would take place would be more univer- 2463| fally falé,«Here are tras of ſand containing 38,710 acres, 1,000: which at preſent, inſtead of being beneficial to the commu- Sub nity, are A general nuiſance. If this Tand could be recovered ies| by laying out the ſum of /. 200,000), It would be 2 purchaſe of 15000: Los Be 2 E BEr acre of land, which, I preſume, by the time all the money was paid, would be worth£. 40 per acre, con- 90 ſeguently a clear gain of /. 1,348,400. ad« This would not be like a transfer of property, where one 26,000 h eS: CRECE Ó| party loſes what the other acquires. Ït would be a property | really gained,‘the produce of which(whoever were the imme- ï;| diate poſleſſors) would expand itfelf, on every ſide, to a great 19219 diſtance; and by cauſing an increaſe of proviſions, muſt pro- ¿boda portionably affe the price; whereby thouſands of poor fa- o O milies would find an additional morſel to their daily pittance, Sp excluſive of the employment it would afford them in the exe- Me cutioû. dis 4< In hopes a little farther ſuggeſtion may not be offenſive, I 0 ſhall obſerve, that, ſhould the project be attempted, it would be ' prudent, or rather neceſſary, after it is aſcertained in whom fhe fd preſeñt property of the ſands abides, with the afliſtance of par- , liâment, to require the proprietors either to contribute their —_ «We quota 94 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY quota towards the expence of obtaining the ſame, or for ever to forfeit their right thereto, which ſhould be transferred to the firſt who offered to make good the ſubſcription. h « As Mr. Jenkinſon, mentioned before, is perfectly ac quainted with the place, and nature of the ſcheme, he would be à very proper perſon to apply to by any gentleman, wiſhing to have a further knowledge of the ſubjc&, in ay particu- lar MO:$.-S:ÆF::8, IN the pariſh of Eccles, is a large trait of moſs land called Chat Mofßs, lying between the townſhip of Worſley and the navigable river Irwell, containing ſome thouſand acres z and on the ſouth ſide the river is another piece of land called Trafford Moſs, which adjoins to the park of John Trafford, Eſq; and contains about 500 ſtatute acres. Thefe lands, which have hitherto been totally uncultivated and of no uíe wharever, except that of ſupplying the| neigh- bourbood with peat or turf for fuel, are advantageouſly ſitu- ated for improvement. The country round is populous: Chat Moſs approaches within ſix miles, and Trafford Moſs within three miles of. Mancheſter. The Duke of Bridge- water's canal divides‘Trafford Moſs, and terminates at ſome diſtance in Chat Moſs. The lands lie upwards of thirty feet above the bed of the river; and materials for improving them, when drained, are found in many parts of the neighbourhood. The nature of mofſs lands is too well known to require any deſcription—they have probably originated from pools of wa- ter fed by adjacent ſprings or rain, which. from the péculiar conformation of thé(trata below, have not been able freely to trace a fſubterraneous paſſage, and have become ſtagnant.- In courſe of time, theſe pools admit of vegetation of various kinds, which having annually ſubſided, afford a proper ſubítance for tie nutriment of ſuch other plancs as are uſually found in theſe ſituations, ir ever ((the Up a0 puld be- ilting TtiCU= 6 land Vorlley actes; called ford, vated neigh. ly fitu- ulous: | Mobs ridge- ; ſome ty feet L them, rhood, quite any \s of war e pecuiar e freely 10 7nadf ln ¡ous kind, ſtance for ad in theſe (tuation) > LANCASHIRE. 9s ſituations, which, beſides the various ſpecies of moſs, the growth of ſome of which is aſtoniſhinzly rapid, are the erica vulgaris, the ornith-galum luteum, and the different ſpecies of eriophorum‘or cotton graſs.—As theſe plants decay and depoſit their ſubſtances, a conífiderable addition is yearly made to the mol, in cutting a ſe&tion of which it is not difficult to perceive, and to divide from each other, the vegetation of each year, which appear in lamina growing more indiſtinct, hard, and coheſive, according- to the depth of the moſs.- The plants» before-mentioned, and particularly the moſſes, ſeem to find their proper nutriment in their own ruins, and grow more luxuriant as the ſubſtance of the moßs increaſes; at length the whole takes the appearance ofa large fungus or homogene vegetable: continuing to increaſe, it at length riſes greatly above the level of the adjacent lands, till the weight of the ſurface becoming too great to be ſupported by the ſpongy ſub- fance below, it begins to overflow its banks, and cover the adjoining grounds, as happened of late years atSolway Moſs, and iwas forinerly the caſe at Chat Moſs, a‘great‘portion of which detached‘itſelf into the Irwell; and, if we may be- lieve our ancient chroniclers, was carried by the Merſey into the Iriíh ſea. In the year 1793, Mr. Wakefßeld, and Mr. Roſcoe of Li- verpool, ùündertook the improvement of theſe lands, and a contract‘was entered into with the proprietor, Mr. Trafford, for a leaſe‘of them for a’ term of years‘under a yearly rent. An a of parliament was obtained, enabling the proprietor to leaſe the ſame; and the improvement-of Trafford Moſs was immediately begun by interſe&ting it with drains at x yards diſtance, which opening into wider drains at one hundred yards diſtance, convey the water ariſing from the moſs into the river Irwell. In cutting theſe drains, one precaution has been found of the utmoſt importance. If the drain be cut to its intended depth at one operation, it will be impoſſible to prevent the fidès from falling in, and no labour can afterwards efffectually repair the damage, I: is highly neceſlary, therefore, to attend to the nature and conſiítence 96 AGRICUETURAL SURVEY conſiſtence of the moſs, and not to cut deeper at one time, than will ſuffer the ſides to remain perfely firm. The method adopted on Trafford Moſs is, to open the drain at the fir cut only about one foot deep, which is thus left-to drain, and at proper, intervals is cut again till it is three feet deeper, and about eighteen inches wide; by theſe means the ſides of the drain become not only hard and finer, but are perhaps of all other materials the moſt durable, being unaffected either by moiſture, froſt, or ſun. When the drain, thus cut, has re=-- mained ſo-long as to have become tolerably dry at’ the bottom, a narrow drain is opened in the middle of it with a- ſpade, about five inches wide and eighteen inches deep, which thus leaves a ſhoulder of about fix inches on each ſide, intended for the ſod or turf, with which the narrow drain 1s covered, to reſt upon. The narrow or ſplit drain is then carefully cleaned, and covered with the firſt ſod cut from the drain, the ſurface or ſwarth being turned downwards; and the whole is then covered up‘ready for cultivation, A conſiderable part of Trafford Moſs 1s thus drained, and the reft is interſe&ted with drains at fix yards diſtance, a great part of which will be covered in the preſent year., In conſequence of theſe ope- rations, the moſs has ſunk confiderably, and acquired a great degree of ſolidity, Fhis operation being completed, the ſurface of the moßs is to be levelled, and the ſod turned under, which may be done either by the puſh-plow, or the ſpade, both of which me- thods have been tried at‘Trafford; but the latter, though. a more expenſive operation, is thought to be preferable, as the tough ſod is thus efffedtually covered, and a ſurface pro- duced, which admits more readily the operation of the air, and more cafûily minglèes- with the materials employed in the propoſed improvement.: Í The materials which have hitherto been chiefly tried, are ſand and marl, both of which are found at the ſouthern extremity of Trafford Mofs, the latter of an excellent qua- lity. Theſe have been uſed together(laying on the ſand fir), and ſeparately, and it is expected" the efe@ of each will, in ſomme degree, be aſcertained in the courſe of the pre- + ſent of LANCASHIRE, 97 1 ſent year. The land not being ſufficiently hard, in the firſt e fubey ſtages of improvement, to allow the materials to be conveyed ib ily IntEArts, the undertakers have availed themſelves of a road fie ul made of iron, caſt in bars of ſix feet long, and jointed to- ON gether by dove-tailed ſteps, reſting upon wood ſleepers. Upon this road one horſe will with eaſe take ſeven waggons of n ddl marl or ſand, of ſix hundred weight each. The extremity of either the road, where it diverges on each ſide from the principal road, bas res. is daily changed; and a fingle perſon will, with eaſe, take up, bottom, remove, and lay down two hundred yards of it in a day. A a hade, ſpace of ſixteen yards wide, or eight yards on each fide the tuch tuu road, is‘then covered with the materials employed, beginning tended ior with the furtheſt extremity of the road, and as the work pro- red tord ceeds from thence towards the main road, a perſon is employed y cleaned, j in taking up the moveable road, which is of no further uſe, he lurface and removing it to the diſtance of ſixteen yards, by which e 1s then- means it is in readineſs to begin upon as ſoon as the marling, “part of 3 or the former road is completed. The horſes have relays at Zed with proper intervals, and the marl is thus conveyed to the furtheſt 1 vil be part of the moſs. theſe ope- Of the effet of theſe operations, it is yet premature to ed a great ſpeak. About ten ſtatute acres of potatoes were laſt year planted in the moſs, manured with the common town(oil of ‘emb Mancheſter, and produced a very good crop. h mp be The ſame land has ſince had a cover of marl, and is ſown thich me» with barley; about twenty acres of the marled land have been' though 4 ſown this ſpring with vetches, and the other parts of the moſs rable, 8 in cultivation are principally cropped with potatoes and oats. rface pr0- The following engravings will explain the nature of the € the Ur operations above deſcribed. oyed in tt Ay tried, alf the ſouttern xcellent(uae (n fe ſind fen df cach (e af the pr nt O Seêtion RAINEORD ai A > a pD A gs_— <=-= 5== PA il i fl EEE H E Il u n) de A Lol 2 — ED) Li| n) 40g 941 40f 1U10 L} j r——— E— Y E) 7 Z/ |® o|[o| S/ E06| |«gi10f 341 fo 1021999//« | D—: Of/— |————€ | n 10g ui] UD fo 1011999 |——— |— m CA Lt h ) SZ‘UMA B 40 191/795| of LANCASHIRE. Gg d RAINFORD MOSS. N 1 F MR. JOHN CHORLEY of Preſcot, having taken a M part of Rainford Moſs, belonging to the Earl of Derby, upon Ñ a leaſe of three lives, and at a rent of eight ſhillings per acre, À per annum, beſides a ſmall fine,‘began to improve the ſame in y the year 1780. The land is a poor barren moſs, not of the l leaſt value in its natural ſtate, being ſo ſpongy and full of i water, as not to admit the foot of cattle upon its ſurface. After \ draining, by open drains, three feet wide at top, to the depth of two feet, and afterwards one foot deeper, and only nine inches broad at the bottom, the interval between each drain eight yards, the expence of cutting which was three-pence for every eight yards, he began with pareing and burning, with crops of oats, barley, and clover; till being convinced of its deſtruétlive effc¿ts(to make uſe of“ his own expreſſion) not only upon his own, but from the experience of others in the neighbourhood*, he totally abandoned that praétice in 1787, and has adopted{amongſt others which he has re- gularly regiſtered in a book he keeps for that purpoſe) the following courſe, ¡copied from his memorandums. Pota- toes with dung, for the firſt time; produce about four hundred buſhels per large acre of eight yards; next year potatoes again without dung— produce about three hundred buſhels. He is this year(1795) trying potatoes for a third time, without dung, and ſeems to ſpeak with confidence of ſucceſs. To return, in 1789, upon the lot under notice, he ſowed‘Tarta- rian oats,'the produce handſome—but Mr. Chorley thinks moſs lands in general not proper for grain, being more favourable to the production of graſs, which comes ſpon- aneoufly, if encouraged by a little dung—and he intends to TCUTILIFO1> diſcontinue the practice of ſowing grain; he ſows his clover without any grain, His practice at preſent is to ſow the clover immediately after the potatoes are taken up, if early in the *‘The land he has improved without paring and burning, certainly has a ſuperior appearance to that of his neighbours, who continue the prañice; but that may be owing to their exhauiting the land by too many crops of corn after they have pared and burnt. O2 ſeaſon. 70RD it— LA E I E er e en__ R 100 AGRFECUBFURAL SURVEY ſeaſon. Along with the oats was ſown‘clover, and in 17909 two handſome crops were taken; 1791 mown, afterwards marled, about one rod of fixty-four cubic yards, laid upon an acrez 1792, 1793, and 1794 mown. The eddiſh was not eaten off, but harrowed and raked away in the ſpring, and uſed as litter for horſes. His manner of planting potatoes(which are ſet always the firſt year when the ground is broke up) is as follows:—The moſs taken from the drain is put into the middle of the butt or ridge, and dug under, in order to raiſe it higher than the ſides. The ſpit is about twelve inches in depth, the expence 7d. per rod.— After being dug and expoſed to the air, the ſur- face is brokén with a ſpade(expence 2d. per rod) the butts or plots, of eight yards broad, are divided acroſs into ridges of two feet, acroſs which are planted three, but ſometimes only two potatoe ſets, upon which, or over the ſets, is laid the dung and over the whole is thrown the moſs, a foot on each ſide being reſerved for covering when firſt planted, and another for covering when the ſtems appear above the ſurface=—the whole breadth of each being four feet The (a of LANCASHIRE, LOL oo‘The whole will be beſt underſtood from the following N f ſketch: Pn an aS not 0, and PLOT or FIELD of$8 Yards. 1s the One E Gutter or interſtice betweens SS C EE e Re SOR from which the covering -The O is taken, tt or Two feet Potatoe Jets 0 o the j O O ence| One foot 5 E 5 a E H S Ÿ s T y ÉS 2 ï E Another interſtices fur- CUBO ORO butts| OHO OOO yes of i OOO OO E MAE E LES E M a v4 à 2 E Two potatoe ſets onlys E is is a 25S hole E RE ES The expence of draining, digging, dung, planting ſets,&c. for an acre of potatoes, e eſtimates at£{.50 per acre, but ] thinks he is repaid the whole in the courſe of three crops, 4 Mr. Chorley has about thirty large acres under cultivation, about ten more ditched out, and about twenty acres under po- | tatoes.—He prefers good horſe or cow-dung* to marl, which : he thinks ſhould not be laid on till after two or three crops— after it has lain ſome time under graſs, it begins to run wild, D and requires turning over again.—By a change of his po-} N tatoe ſets from this moſs, to his old incloſed lands, Mr. Chor- ley preſerves his crops from the cxrl.—His ſets are become famous on that account, and readily purchaſed for the pur- poſe of planting by his neighbours. It is with regret we add, that the curl is a general com- L# The dung brought from Liverpool colts him 10s, 8d per ton when laid down u pon the moſs, Tu i —————_——— f 4- á jE bitt E Y n ES e- iT 7M N- e E “1 eS——— CW— R RT E RE.<7 nD ta CS- TO2 AGRTFCUIF FURAF SURVEY plaint this year(1795); that there is greater appearance of this diſeaſe amongſt the potatoe crops than have been obſerved for ſome years paſt.—Recourſe muſt at la be had to the ſeed, for renewal;¡—bulbous roots, it has been found by experience, decay after a certain number of years—“ Ranunculus in « twenty-five, anemone in fifteen, and hyacinths in twenty-ſix & years*, After which period, no art and pains can pre- ſerve them, though a changé of ſoil in the mean time is uſe- ful. It is proper however to remark, that the curl may be prevented from ſpreading, by taking away any plants the inſtant they ſeem to be affected with that diſeaſe. This important diſ- covery ought to be known as generally as poſible.—T'he queſ- tion was put to Mr. Chorley; and he anſwered, that his crops appeared clear, nor did the ſurveyor obſerve any infeion, He propoſes to continue planting potatoes another fortnight from this date( 15th June) and has at leaſt thirty perſons em- ployed, men, women, girls,‘and boys, at this work. He has built nine cottages, which he has named Cheapfide, as habitations for the labourers he employs;¡—he only charges them with 205. per annum of rent. Profit from improving Waſte Lands. Bootle Marſh, in the neighbourhood of Liverpool, was let before being improved at ten ſhillings per acre, and is now worth about{.3.—Trafford Moſs was formerly not worth one ſhilling per acre; but ſuch of it as has been drained, is now reckoned worth about£{. 3 per acre per annum.—Bol- ton Moor, after an a of incloſure in 1793, was divided into lots, and only 170 ſtatute acres was diſpoſed of for the immenſe ground rent of gf. 2,600 per annum. But it was in ſome meaſure intended for building. Some of the lands in this moor have únce been cultivated. One incleſure was covered about two inches with ſoil; ſown with vetches, without ploughing. An excellent crop. White clover ſown amongſt the vetches, The prefent'year(1795) a very good paſture. In 1794, in- cloſures of 12 ſtatute acres produced 600 buſhels of oats, Win- #* gee Madox’s Floriß’s Direétory, Pp. 91« cheſter, 13y be e quel 8 CIO ON, ortnight NS eMe rt BA (DH, Id, 1aIges alned, -Bol- d info menſe in ſome 118 m00r ed about I ghung, hell AS helfe I: o LANCASTERE. 102 cheſter, which ſold at 3s. 6 d. per buſhel. Cultivation, one furrow, manure, a compoſt of lime and earth. 4,000 buſhels of potatoes grown upon this moor 1794. Before incloſure, the ſurface of inſignificant value for paſture. Produce only coarſe bent graſs. Under ftratum, clay, from which bricks were made.—PDean Moor lies contiguous, about the ſame ſize, and nearly as valuable; and near Bolton alſo there are other moors, capable of being improved at no very conſiderable ex= pence,‘and rendered worth four pounds per acre.—Kearſley Moor‘is very extenſive, ſome bad, and ſome exceeding good land; moft of it capable of cultivation, and contiguous to marle and lime. At preſent, being overſtocked, the cattle ſtarved, and of little advantage to the owners.—An at has been ob- tained for incloſing Edgworth Moor the preſent ſeſſions. But the vexatious trouble attending this work, operates 28 power- fully as the expences of obtaining the a&, If incloſed and im- proved, it would add much to the produce of this county. Whitworth Moor alſo, near Rochdale, a very large trad, is capable of improvement, and of being rendered good land. Many of the moors, if only incloſed(which, in their preſent ſtate, are of little conſeguence) would immediately become of very conſiderable value. CHAPTER 104 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY CE&P FE R NI. FAEP ROVE MENS SECT. I.—Drainings HERE has been much draining done in many parts of the county; but there remains much ftill to be done: but the ſpirit is gone forth, and the good effedts are evident, ſo much ſo, that in many inſtances that have been mentioned, the land has been ſo far improved,'as to repay the coſts by the ſuperior crops which followed this improvement, even the very firſt year, after the work was executed. AII draining is trifling, in compariſon of the practice of Mr. Elkington, of Prince Thorp, near Coventry, who is now employed in many parts of the kingdom with ſurpriſing lucceſs. The moſſes in general might be effe@ually drained, and at a ſmall expence, were the ſprings that feed them cut of and carried áway from the high lands before they reach the moſles, Mr. Elkington has improved ſeveral as above, and rendered the lands of great value. Were Mr. Elkington’s principles of draining made public, this county would in particular be benefited by his diſcovery. « The cheapeſt and moſt efffe@ual method of Improving € mos lands, as Mr. Taylor juſtly obſerves, is' that praiſed «€ by Mr. Elkington, who diſcovers and carries of the ſprings, € that cauſe the bogs.” His ſyſtem is ſo ſimple and ſo rational, that it ſtrikes with immediate conviction, As the Board is already in poſleflion L of ai SE— Y of LANCASHIRE: 105 of the principles of his mode of draining, it is unneceſſary to dwell longer upon the ſubje&t, One example of its importance, however, it may not be improper to give, though on a ſmall ſcale. A ſingle drain in a field of four acres of the large meaſure, was calculated to coſt four pounds. T'he advantages to be derived might be reaſonably eſtimated at not leſs than eight pounds per annum upon that field alone; but its beneficial effects pro- bably extend beyond the limits of one ſingle field; to what extent, further experience will prove.‘The ſource cf a wide ſpreading evil is thus, with one ſtroke, diverted into ancther channeì, and its bad effets totally cut off. J. Wilkin(fon, Eſo. on the borders of the county, has drained to the amount of 1,000 acres of fen lands; Warton Moſs has alſo been drained. Trafford, and a large part of Chat Moſs*, are taken by Mr, Wakefield and Mr. Roſcoe, on a long leaſe, with as intention to drain. Near one hundred acres are already cut upon E“Trafford Moſs, upon which Mr. Wilkinſon’s plan is purſued, 8 of making uſe of the materials upon the ſpot; cutting through lis the mofß at diferent intervals of timez by which is given OP- it portunity for the water to eſcape, the ground to acquire more firmneſs, the walls to grow harder; and as the ground would vice ef otherwiſe cloſe, at a diſtance from the bottom, a large | ſhoulder is left, whereupon a lintel is to refít, cut fram ſome ſolid rad turf, about 18 inches in length, and g inches ſquare, and which, prilng being expoſed to the ſun and air, contracts its dimenſions to j nearly one half, acquires firmneſs, hardneſs, and ability to ſup- at port the matter with which the ſurface of the drain is fand covered, nolles: The fens or moß lands thus drained have acquired ſolidity, red the and become fertile meadow, and corn lands; and, in cones public*« Chartley-More braſt up within a mile of Morley-hall, and deſtroyed much grounde with moſſe thereabouts, and deltraid much freſch water ; fiſch thereabouts, firſt corrupting with ſtinking water Glaſebrooke, and ſo 1pr0VNg Glaſebrooke carried ſtinking water and moſle into Murſey water, and JVETy, nadtiled Maurſey corrupted, carried the rowling mofſfe part to the ſhores of North || Wales, part to the Ille of Mann and ſum into Ireland, In the very topp hprngS of Chartley-More, where the moſſe was higeſt and brak, is now a plane valley as was in tymes pate, and a rille runneth in hit, and peaces of ;{maul trees be féund in the bottom.” 5 wit- LELAND, Vol, VII. p. 49. ſelon P guence ot | | | À q | H î | — = — E 106 AGRICULTURAL- SURVEY quence of the drainage, have ſunk ſome feet lower*, Warton moſs, and Mr. Wilkinſon’s, are become very rich meadow and paſture land. The only effe(ual means of ſpeedily forwarding irrigation throughout the kingdom, to the utmoſt extent, would be to eſtabliſh a company of able praditioners in that line, to whom individuals could apply for advice, to dire& the works in the beſt and moſt efffe@ual manner, or who would undertake to compleat the whole for certain ſums per acre, according to ſituation,&c. If the above aſfiſtance could be eaſily obtained, there is no doubt but that thouſands of acres would be turned to that moft valuable mode of management; in the courſe of a very few years. The ſame may be ſaid of draining, and were Mr. Elkington’s (or any, if poſſible, other ſuperior mode) made public, and a company able to direct, formed, there would not appear in this county ſo many thouſand acres of moraſs, within a very ſhort period. There is a variety of drains beſides the above; a piece of peat, the uſual ſhape and dimenſions of the common turf, has been made uſe of, after piercing the turf with a kind of punch when wet, by which a hole is left about three inches ſquare, a little arched at the top in this form N, and after being hardened in the air, the two pieces of turf are placed ſide by fide. For this the Agricultural Society at Mancheſter re- warded the inventor With a premium, Comman brick, with thin fates at the bottom of the drains, have been frequently uſed. A double brick, with a hollow through the middle, is an article cheap, ſoon made, durable, and ſufficient for the purpoſe. Broken ſtones have been fre- guently uſed, laid looſe and open, the drain firſt cut in this form.| N, andflled upas far as he dotted Ine: But the e * Mr. Wilkinſon's moſs is, in ſome parts, ſuppoſed to be ſunk fix feet lower:—before the drainage, the windows of the third ſtory of Mr. Wil- kinſon’s houſe juſt appeared from a certain point; but from that place, 2t preſent, the windows on the firſt floor are plainly ſeen. Since writing the above, Mr. Wakefield obſerves, that an aQual mneaßiirenzent has been made, and the fall of the moſs is about four feet 2nd a:half. * cheapeſt ———————— of LANCASHIRE. 107 cheapeſt are the ſod drains, made by TB Bayley, Eſq. of Hope near Mancheſter. The implements and manner are particu- larly deſcribed in Dr. Hunter's Georgical Eflays. Ï viewed the drains, which have already ſtood twenty years. The en- trances have generally a fence of brick, or ftones, to ſecure them from the feet of cattle. This work is performed at ſix- pence per rod: men were employed in cutting new drains when this well-managed eſtate was ſurveyed. More attention ſhould be paid to draining marle-pits than is generally praiſed; the ſtagnant water frequently overflows» and ftarves a large ſpace of land, till its effedts are deſtroyed by ſome ditch,&c. which cuts off the nuiſance by carrying the wa- ter of*, but the draining of the pits not only removes this evil, but is the means of gaining a conſiderable ſpace of / ground. i A good pradtice, by S. Fazakerly, Eſg. ſhould be noticed, When fall ſufficient into the main drain, to take of the water from ſome particular ſpots, is not afforded, he ſinks a kind of well where the ſpring ariſes, the ſide of which he ſecures by ſtones or brick, and thus colles the ſtagnant water into one point, and by this means he can get rid of it. Mr. Bayley of Hope mentioned an improvement upon this mode, namely, an auger-hale has been found effedive if properly applied, Mr. Eccleíton has applied his miner, this preſent year, for the firſt time, with apparent ſucceſs. The ſurveyor walked over a field where the miner had been drawn through certain intervals, only onces the run of water was not trifling, and the ground ſeemed firm.—The expence of this operation is very inconſiderabte, Obſervations on the BRICK TAX, ¿y T. B. BAvYLEY, Eſg. « Very important and extenſive ſchemes of draining meſ- fes,&c. in this county are proje&ed, and depend on tak- ing of this tax; and I have frequent applications on the ſubject, as the ſeaſon for making bricks approaches, The preſent ſeaſon muſt ſurely convince every man who has eyes to * J. J, Atherton, Eſq. has done much in this way, i E 2 lee, | À \ | rv LS 108 AGRTICUTFURNE: SURVEY fée, that a ſpirited agriculture muft be our final and beſt re ſource. Perhaps the moſt ſimple mode would be to. allow a drawback of the duty for bricks uſed in draining; though I have a great objedion to the principle of drawbacks, as temp- tations to fraud—effffeéted by perjury. < From the quantities of rain which fall in Lancaſhire, and the nature of our ſoil in general, draining is, of neceſfity, the firſt reguiſite ſtep to improve our lands. Moſt parts of the county have not any fone, and the tax on bricks has operated as a total prohibition of their uſe in draining. This circumſtance has been of the greateſt poſſible diſadvantage to our agricul- ture, and was communicated by our county members and other gentlemen to adminiſtration laft year, when the new duty was laid on bricks. The repreſentation was Kindly received, and attended to— The impolicy of obſtrué&ting the means of. na- tional improvement, eſpecially of its agriculture, was ſeen and acknowledged by the ſecond ſe&ion of the 34th Geo. II, chap. 15. But the great ſize and prefcribed ſhape of the tie or brick for draining, effe@ually prohibits its uſe, and takes away the indulgence meant for us. « A common brick of the uſual ſize and ſhape is, on every account, beſt adapted for draining, as it forms the bottom, the walls, and the coveriag of the drains*; and I really think the revenue would not be injured, if the legiſlature was generally to exempt bricks made for the expreſs purpoſe of draining from the tax. To prevent frauds and abuſes, perſons might be fill obliged to enter their bricks at thé exciſe office, and to pay a ſmall duty of three pence per thouſand to defray the expence of the officer’s attendance, and be ſubject to a very heavy penaîty for applying thoſe bricks to any other uſe or purpoſe than that of draining; they might be further required to certify to the exciſe officer the time, place, and manner in which theſe bricks are uſed, «‘The uſe of ſo bulky a material as brick cannot be eahily ſmuggled numbers muſt be privy to it, and the fear of detec= tion, and of a heavy penalty on the owner and wor&men, would, *# Bricks are chiefly uſed in main drains, or ſoughs laid at conſiderable depths, and have Rrength to bear a weight of earth which ti]es have not. amn ef LANÇASHIRE. 109 it I am perſuaded, éotally prevent all illicit attempts to defraud uk the revenue, wl« Should not this ſimple expedient be adopted, perhaps ſome td irregularity in the ſides, ends, and alſo the ſurfaces of the drain- ing bricks may be deviſed, which might not at all unfit them ta » nd form the bottoms, walls, or coverings of a drain, and yet render E their uſe in building difficult or impradicable, as À Lud M E, das Y ance G E AA cul« This circumſtance is worthy the IMMEDIATE attention of Vier the Board of Agriculture as a zational concern, q w8|« Or perhaps, on producing à certificate of the bricks uſed in ed, and draining, farm culverts,&c. to the collector of exciſe, the nc æ of na duties may be repaid; inſtead of the brick duty(which 1s 2 s ſeen VERY znecqual impoſt) it has been ſuggeſted to lay a tax per » II, foot on all houſes and walling of every deſcription, calcu- ne tile lated on the mean numbers of bricks ſuppoſed to be uſed, takes and applied to every fort of material, always excepting cottages and dwellings for the Zabouring poor. The excefſlive brick n Uy L taxis a fttong temptation to builders to ere fight and dan- tum, thé gerous edifices, which would be obviated by the above regu- think thè lation.” E SECT. 2.—QOf paring and burning. es On the moſs-lands, where paring and burning is prac=- ya| tiled, both ſeed time and harveſt 1s Very late, owing to the uncer- pence 4 tainty of the weather; if wet, the burning proceeds but ſlowly, fi jena| the ſeed time is conſequently retarded, and the crops are by han tit theſe means ſo late as to become precarious, from the advanced L; ſeaſon, being frequently expoſed to froſts and ſnows. If the jtily 10{he S5 barley from the moſs lands be well houſed, it is in high eſtima- tion, and fetches an advanced price from the farmer, who Wr prefers corn raiſed upon thoſe lands for his ſeed. Mr. Eccle- i ſton ſowed one year a field of barley about the middle of June, thele huidks not det fear of delt! | which he houſed the following year, January 1; and this crop i ud crime 00 WAS all eagerly purchaſed by the farmers, in the next ſpring, for n ſiud ſeed corn,: 6 jue 10:: Paring aB ITO AGRICULTURAL: SURVEY Paring and burning has been too much pradtiſed*, its deſtruc- tive effects are but too apparent upon many farms where it has been freguently repeated, Great crops may have been pro- cured, by this means, for a few years; but the ſoil in the end is / deſtroyed. Upon frong bent, heath, fungous moſs, matted rufhes, or turfy peat lands, the practice may be good, and if only repeated till thoſe bodies are deſtroyed is attended with ſuc- ce(s. Paring, with. the burning, is a laborious and troubleſome mode oí cultivation 5 its ſucceſs depends upon circumſtances, and one crop out of three is, in many inſtances, the amount of what may be expected to be reaped in ſecurity. After the ſods have been dried and burned in ſmall heaps, the aſhes are ſpread upon the ground whilſt yet warm, and the ground ploughed, |\ ſowed, and harrowed in immediately, if the weather permit. | If the aſhes get wet or grow cold before this operation can be effected they are injured. Among thoſe who have much diſtinguiſhed themſelves by their exertions in draining, and other improvements, James Okill, Eſq. Lee Woolton, merits being noticed in the Lan- caſhire Report. By draining and marling he has improved the value of the eſtate he occupies(about bo acres, of 8 yards to the rod) to the increaſed amount of zos. per acre per annum, ſince the year 1780. The advance of the value of land, in this ſpace, is, to be ſure, to be taken into the account,‘This eſtate was gone over the gth of June, 1795, and is in excellent: con- dition, Above 1000 yards of under-draining with ſtone was completed in a very ſufficient manner the year 1794. At an expence of úx ſhillings per rod of 8 yards, what a ſaving might have been made by Mr. Elkington’s mode! Mr. Okill has filled up and drained ſeveral old marle pits, and gained, by this method only, ſome acres of land. It may deſerve notice, that Mr. Okill ſtepped forward, contrary to the advice of ſome of his more cautious and timid neighbours, and gave excellent anſwers to moſt of the agricultural queſtions. e—— EEE E———— E TE * Paring and burning is not praiſed in this county for green crops» but for grain, SECT DC iiai iE of LANCASHIRE, II delug. Ie It\ Xe 4 i SECT. 23.—Of MHanuring. [5 eld Z is i ES E A Î MARL ÉS the oreat article of fertilization, and the tay foundation of the improvements in the agriculture of this bé county; and this earth, or foſlil, is fortunately wanting but in Rd few places. There are ſeveral kinds of this article, valuable ve" in proportion to the intrinfic quality of each, or the calcareous i matter which it contains, or the nature of ſoil to which it is n applied. To. the ſtiff clay lands, the blue or reddiſh ſlate tof marle, full of calcareous earth, is more beneficial; but to the ods light ſand lands, the frong clay marle is more genial. Thus ad not only a calcareous ſtimulus is given, but additional matter ped, 1s afforded, to corredt the nature of the ſoils, by looſening the mit, texture of the one, or giving adherence to the particles of the 1 be other, by the oppoſite qualities of the different marles applied. Barren fand lands, and poor heaths, in the ſouth of this county, by have been, under the effe(ts of marle, rendered produttive, nes but this has been done at no ſmall expence*, âan- Of the beneficial‘efffe&s of marle let the following faQ,z ved amoneſt many hundreds that might be produced, ſerve as a arûs convincing proof. 1M, There was a ſandy loam land, exhauſted by repeated plough- this ing, under the worſt ſyſtem of management. Major Atherton lute took the land under theſe circumſtances into his own poſſeſlion, 0N- After a four years lea, and the land well dunged, he gave a Vas coat of marle, carted the diſtance of wore than a mile at conſi- derable expence, and laid on to the amount of 7# rods to the A acre, of eight yards to the rod. The ſummer following a crop Mr, of oats was taken, and the enſuing year the ground was ſpring- ed fallowed, dunged, and cropped with turnips, which were re- ne peatedly hoed; after which, in 1793, five acres of the large hice meaſure were cropped with barley, the produce of which was 552 buſhels to tne maltſter, ſold at 55s. 2d. per buſhel, MA D, ° pn J 11 A 11 beſides 24 buſhels of ſmall corn dreſſed out,(a very ſmall * Improving, marling, and fencing, of Bootle marſh, coſt 22!. 14s. 14 0p» der acre, oí eight yards to the rod. proportion pm (T, E12 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY proportion to the quantity) and beſides the tytie, which is a eleventh of the whole. Tt ſhould alſo be noticed, that the buſhe! by which it was meaſured was the Liverpool buſhel of 36 quarts, Wi which being reduced into Wincheſter buſhels, and the tythe #|| added, with 24 buſhels of ſmall corn; the total amount would | be 706 Wincheſter buſhels, or 141 buſhels per acre, including the tythe, and value per acre 31!. The average produce of American lands, is ſaid to be ten buſhels wheat per acre.— nformation from Mr. Cooper, late of Manchefter. At Knowſley Hall, in the year 1794, 92 buſhels of wheat, of 70 Ib: to the buſhel, were reaped from one acre of land, of 8 yards to the rod; after a crop of pink-eye potatoes of near 700 - buſhels to the acre. Mr. Waring(the ſteward) ſeemed to |.| think, that if the land had been previouſly marled, the land | would have given 20 bufhels per acre more. Sort of wheats | ſouth cone. Theſe are two rare inſtances, and more than double the common average of either diſtri&; but may ſerve as a proof what ſuperior culture is capable. Marle has been tried as a manure after being burned, which may be in a kiln after the manner of lime, or laid over a gutter, under which faggots, Sec. for fuel, have been previouſly laid. It has alſo been burned in a common oven, and’ been found to anſwer at about ten buſhels per fatute acre, after being bruiſed into a kind of powder, and ſown with the hand as a top dreſſing. Marle is an excellent improver of the ſoil, under ſo many different circum- ſtances, that it cannot‘be recommended too-often, nor praiſed beyond its real merits. It adds to the ſtaple of the ſoïl, and improves its quality, and renders manure, of whatever kind, more effeéual, with leſs in quantity; it will admit a repetition of the proceſs, with equal advantage, again and again. Tn ſhort, ſo far as experience proves in Lancaîíhire, it ſeems the grand baſis whereon every agricultural improvement fhould be eſtabliſhed. E‘The ſummer is the beſt ſeaſon* for taying marle upon the / land, ® Where tliere is a dry head of marle, the winters in which there is a long‘froß is the propereſt time for marling, as both men and horſes are 1 LCiS P 5 1 TR n LW 5 hn of LANCASHIRE. 113 fl ad land, ſometimes immediately after a crop of hay has been cbultel taken. Its effe&s upon the graſs are ſoon viſible, from the dques rich verdure which it produces. Long experience has ſuffi- le tle ciently proved the propriety of the general pradice. of the t mui county; which is, to lay the marle upon graſs lands—the clude older the better; the ſward and graſs united cauſes a fermen- tation and putrefaction, which ſeems neceſlary to produce ) be tey| a proper ettedt. (te ef The quantity laid on is from two to three, or three and a half, cubic roods of 64 yards to every ſtatute acre; the expence wheat,| of which is, according to the diñance carried, if in the ſame 10, of$ field, or within the diſtance of ſixty rods, on the average, at eat 700 about eight pounds per acre, Itis reckoned a much better emed to pradtice to have the marlings repeated, with a gentle covering, held than a ſtrong thick coat of marle, which is intended fo Iaita “wheat number of years. If theſe dreſlings of marle were repeated more frequently(and‘no ulBaides has been found to pay ebe better), the lands in Lancaſhire, in general, would be found proof much more produttive. M The marle ſhould partake both of one ſummer?s ſun, and leva one winter's frofts, at leaſt, After being expoſed to the effects wle oí the weather, in large lumps, it begins to fall, or melt; the a particles appear un@uous and{oapy; and the quality of the ſub- ſtance ſeems quite changed from its original ſtate. Then, in 6 E the enſuing ſpring, it MOUId be divided(the parts now ſeparate A with caſe), and equally diſtributed upon every part of the ſur- Le éd face, this is, with facility, effected by harrows,&c. after which Gas it is uſually ploughed under; but, if permitted to remain a year praiſed or two longer, the lands would be more improved in the iffue, (oîl, and by the length of time given previous to the marle being ploughed er kind, in, But the marle does not produce its full SE upon the petition ſoil, till intermixed and incorporated by a repetition of plough=- gin, 10 ſeems fl leſs exhauſted in that cold ſeaſon by violent exertions, and the work 1s ſhould be- done at leſs expence to the farmer, as 1n moſt ne ighbourhoods, at that time of the year lböhreïs; are moſt plenty. Some few individuals lay marle pits dry, and have paces or roads ready made, in order to take advantage of a yon fh; EEE au Q. INgS, e154 y——— e: 114 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY ings,‘and an intérmixture of dung,‘or ôther manure, for marle is not‘effetual without‘ſuch’addition. This fubje& cannot be too-often brought under review, as from the different reports it appears‘ſo Titéle noticed in many parts of the Kingdom. The following fat nay ſerve to prove, that whatever defeêts the Lancaſhire agriculturift labours under in his genera! procéfs,‘he at leaſt does not labour under a po- verty of ſpirit.; In the year 1793, S. H. Fazakerly, Eſq; of Fazakerly, pur- chaſed nine acres of land upon Warbreck Moor, being an uncultivated part of that wretched, poor, black, ſandy waſte, Haid out for improvement ſo long ago as the year 1761. In the préſent year, 1794, this‘hitherto uncultivated lot of nine acres was marled, at the rate of nearly twelve‘rods, of 64 cubic‘yards‘to the acre'óf eight rods. Prime coſt of land,{. 33:65. 8d. der acre- 200100 Marling and carting,£27. 155.6 d.;>66 0 PeraGte==== Extra éxpencés, with-fencing-- 5000 ——_— 300 0 0 90‘that it appears, the expénce of improvement by marle only, and before 2 ſingle crop has been taken, amounts to the purchaſe of the fee ſimple of the land; beſides a moſt ex- travagant coat óf dung, the expence of which is aQually 1. 12. 15 s. pér acre,*: 794: Nov. 14.—Major Atherton, travelling in a chaiſe over Baſſage Heath, on the road from Coleſhill to Litchfield, obſerved a wretched gravelly common under improvement by marling, a kind of ſlate marle. He judged the quantity laid on Was four rods, of 64 yards to the acre of eight yards, The land the property of Lord M iddléton. “The above is noticed, as the road is frequently travelled, to t #* A farmer who was preſent at this-calculation ſaid, that the real- ex- pence of dung ought to have been£. 15 per acre, Mr. Fazakerly having allowëd himſelf too little in the calculation for carting fix miles. The ung laid on is cow-dung, purchaſed at Liverpool at the rate of 5 s. per ton, © av) a= te M Giu e E m—— hO O R LT REDE EAR TREE epa RE EEES Li arenili un A> ft mule leich y lin Má - 10 Prove, OUTS Under der d DOs 1 y pur- tine an y waſte, 1, ted lot of 00s, of by 00:00 00 0 9 y marle ts to the oft ex aually 1 chaiſe chheld, nent by (tty lad The yelled 0 he neal è- rh having hs, The /, ft 0 call of LANCASHIRE, x15 call forth the attention of the paſſenger, that the effes may be hereafter obſerved.:| ebe quantity laid on was leſs than would have been S7 nerally given by a Lancaſhire farmer by nearly one half: was one third leſs than the coat given by Mr. Fazakerly, as. appears from the preceding ſtatement. Anecdote.—Falking over the ſubje& of marling one day in. company, the ue ſtory was told, which ought to be preſerved.: A Lancaſhire farmer, on obſerving the great advantage that might be obtained from the ufe of this article in a county where its uſe Was not known, after ſome deliberation hired a farm, with intent to improve it by marle at his own expence. Having obtained a ſufficient length of leaſe to be reimburſed, he began the operation at the proper ſeaſonz but the practice was ſo novel in that neighbourhood, as to attra the attention of by-ſtanders, and was ſoon conveyed to. the ears of the ſteward, who immediately came over. to ſtop ſuch procecdings. Arguments were in vain; for what ſervice could dirt laid upon dirt prove? beſides the injury done to his lord’s lands by the digging of holes, which, as a good ſervant to his maſter, 1f was‘his duty to prevent. ‘The ſtory concludes, as the farmer?s defigns wére thus fruſtrated, he, for ſome trifling conſideration, obtained a releaſe from his contrat, and left the county. By way of contraſt, the opinion of an intelligent Lancaſhire farmer may be given, in bis own words, « Marle is a never-failing; friend to moſt lands in this county; but here is a large field for improving the management of this ufeful article: the firſt and grand obje is the diſpoſition of the pits, Thouſands of acres i can fafely ſay, are waſted, and in many places the land worſe than before. It ought to be a ſtanding rule not to ſuffer a pit. to be made, unleſs it could be laid dry, which I verily believe may be done in three fourth parts of the county, One ſingle drain in many places would lay dry fifty acres, of, from 8 to 15 feet of marie a-breaft: care ſhould likewiſe be taken, to take of the upper clay, which is EZ generally 116 AGRTCUU TORA SURVEY generally from two to three feet. Now this uſeleſs top is excel- lent for the making of bricks, and when ſtones are not to be had» a coarſer kind(not paying duty) might be made to anſwer the purpoſe of draining at a very trifling, CXPence, if nothing but ſun-dried: where a pit is laid dry no land is loft, and the farmer may marle any ſeaſon of the year, and beſides the ſaving of land, and expence in many places(according to Mr. Elkington, which 1s the only true ſyſtem) the länd below would be drained, and many ſprings cut off? Notwithſtanding there is a general propenſity to convert arable land into paſture and-meadow, as moſt convenient to the populous fate of the county, yet an intelligent gentleman* judiciouſly obſerved, that it might be occaſionally neceilary to break up graſs lands, if only for the ſake of reaping the ſupe- rior efteéts of marle, which not only adds to the ſtaple of the ſoil+, but to a certain degree improves and enriches the qua- lity of the graſs; and a greater attention to green crops during the proceſs of the plough, would certainly afford food for a greater quantity of ſtock. Beſides, in old lays, the graſs, if for hay, becomes too loît; if in paſtures, ſour. Turning over the ſo1l changes and improves the nature and quality ofthe graſs, In * J. J, Atherton, Eſq. Walton-Hall, And likewiſe old meadow land, that has been a deal manured. The hay will ſometimes, upon ſome land, grow not ſo good in guality, nor ſo.faleable, if for market; but by being ploughed two or three years, more or leſs as occalion may require, will greatly enrich the quality. Likewiſe an old paſture the ſame, when it can be made cónvenient. Land that has been exhauſted by long ploughins, &c. and laid down poor, 1s generally a long time before it will come to a roper ſward of graſs, if ever ſo well manured at the top, which the report 15, let it lie and manure it well, and it will do in time; which to be ſure it will. But my mode 1s, after it has been well manured twice, and pañuredá three or four yëars, if it then does not do as expeéted, to plough it again for a year or two, 2s may appear the beſt, and then let it lie again, and by ſo doing it will ſocner come to a ward of graſs, and the graſs will be much richer and better; for by. the manure that has been laid on the,top of the land being well mixed with the ſl, and plougbed as deep as the Jand will bear, 1t makes it much better, and leſs manure will do for the future time, and the land much improved by it, + A cubic rood of márle, of 64 yards to the rood, adds nearly half an inch to the ſtaple of the ſoil to a Ratute acre of land, iF á y E LANCASTER: 117 tel. ftiff ſoils, the change from arable to paſture or meadow may not hi[WI.* Vhad be ſo neceſſary to be frequently repeated. But all ſoils im- ker te prove by a judicious change of culture, Caution 1s however tng bt neceſlary, not to yield to importunities of tenants to break up he farne old lays, without proper reſtraints, 1aving of Marle is got by falling it in large clods; this method is kington, expeditious, but requires great caution, and is frequently at- drained, tended with danger; the piece intended to be fallen is under- mined, and looſened at each ſide, by being cut through; lon I h Py D DA[=] piles are then driven in at the top, and ſometimes water is re- convert quired to infſinuate itſelf into the interſtices which the poles Tient 0 have made. The clod falls with ſuch violence as to break nileman* the mals into pieces, ceſlary to It is no ſmall conſideration where to fix the pit, from whence the ſupe: the marle is to be obtained to moſt advantage, provided there le of the be a choice; and when there is, the following conſiderations he qua- ſhould be weighed: of deſtroying the leaſt land; of affording ine the leaſt length of carriage, which is the heavieſt part of the [v]... A expence; of affording the leaſt draught, by going down hill, 6 far if poſſible; that the water ſagnating in the pit afterwards Gehe may not be injurious to the land; and of rendering the leaſt e gamage to the lands in future, OLER: adow land, ſome länd, t by being quire, will s s when it loughing, come to 4 \ ſhe report 0 be ſure it yd paſture it again 10 ain, and bj „als willbe d an the lp s deep 1518 IL do fr thè half an ‘01 Jj {uf i The | j 1 1B a a= O 118 AGRICULTURAL: SURVEY The expence of carting at diferent diſtances may be con» ceived from the following rough draught here given. Suppoſe the Lot 1. be thirty rod ſquare, and the pit right in the center, ſo that its greateſt diſtance from. the pit be fifteen rodz every way.“The cartage will be 18s. der rod; and, to ſave fractions, call the field lix acres; then the account will ſand as under: Cartage, per rod.- 18s. NCL actes 2 O 108 0 E“. LLE RA E AAA? Ert: [} 4 EN 1 HE: ' E A y 1 1 1 0 Lot‘+; 2s 1 1 1 t 1 1 ! 9 » I 9 1) d 9 5E: or 2e [j 1 1 1 1 [1j I] S of!! 3 9 1 1[) [1j[1 [1 1} 7 9 1) 4 A:: 20 Lot 4. S ) E V o DIS 3) [N GT SA A eS SFERE Pres L= dlas So ZA cs TS) = i EE N° of rods laid|- der every acre 648 L. 32,$5,- Total amount of expence : of Lot 1. Now, if Lot 2 be marled‘óut of the pit in Lot 1, the additional expence will be 12 s. per rod, or{. 54, being forty-five rods from the pit. And, if Lot 3 beto be marled ſtill from the ſaine pit, the additional expence will be 26s. per rod, or 44s. the whole; the diſ- tance from the pit being ſeventy-five rad, and the êxpence{.79. 4%. Again, Lot 4. being as large as the Otherthiree, and the pitan the(centerithe extreme diſtance will be forty-five rods cach way, and the cartage will be 2I s. per rod, of ſixty-four cubical feet, and which will amount to Z. 113. 85. The comparative eſtimate ſtands thus: Lot 1,£. 32. 8 s.—Lot 2,£. 54.—Lot ZBL 70 45 Potallamounit of whieh1s LOs Mp (1 ROE, F LANCASHIRE. 119 Vun L. bs. 125.— Three times 2. 85/8 L-97. 4s.—Ba- { lance ſaved by having a pit in each field would be therefore Ph L.68. 8 5; The expence of Lot 4 is Z. 113. 85.; and that ls from which fubtra&£. 97. 4s. and the balance is L045. fl rol The above will evidently prove the advantage of proximity 5 jr to the marle; but a pit in the middle of a field is not ouly an € held eye-lore, but a nuiſance; therefore, if poſible, ſhould be nd 4s avoided. Nor is the advantage ſo great in the middle as at firſt-may be thought; ſince, in coming out of the, pit, there be- ing only one pace, ſome part of the ground muſt of neceſlity be gone twice over; whereas, if on one fide of the field, and Central, all the land lies immediately before the pace of the pits Expence of marling upon Bootle Marſh, about the year 1780, befides fencing,&c.; EA Getting and filling, per rod of 64 cubic yards- 010 0 unt Spreading“=---= Z oS ence Carting; the average diſtance from the middle of tl the pit to the middle of the land, 60 rods= TI 950 e pit N. B.—In this calculation there are ſix carts, e 126, five in motion, each goes the diſtance of twelve ; from rods, whilſt one fands in the pit to‘be filled.‘The , fize-of each cart is 20,736 inches(cubical), uſually fon drawn by‘three horſes; the weight of the load Il be about‘15 cwt. andtwo cubical yards of marle make IE about three loads, O The number of workmen are ſix fillers and getters 5 uſually‘two right-handed men at one wheel, and two left- as he handed at the other, with one filler behind—one getter is gene=- ety the rally ſufficient, ds each Getting, filling, and ſpreading, to the acre of Cd per roh yards to the rod, on Bootle ME EES 210 T ci wl Cartage—= fi 2= Z=O 850 Digging for the marle, clearing the head, exPpences fus: at finiſhing,&c. per acte=-> E R270 Zhot fi fid 3 Sa (1b,: There gs te E as ps 2 CI agiata ERS Sb e E R E Z E LE a R i E R EZ R E R R> Bi 120 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY There were about 6£ rods laid upon the acre on this 0c- cafion. The men got 2 s. 6 d. and the carts 7s. 6 d. per day. Getting and filling marle is very laborious work, and re- quires the utmoſt exertion to obtain theſe wagesz and this work, after all, can only be effected by yóung men in their prime, cheared by the company of fellow-labourers, and fre- quent refreſhments. Five working days are reckoned egual to lix, for they uſuallÿ begin at half paſt four in the morning» and reft one hour at breakfaſt, from eight to nine 5 reſt again from twelve till two, and then work till ſix; and generally get dut nine rods per week.; The preſent price is— 0s For getting and filling, per rod-- O 12O Spreading--=-- 02/6 Cartine eS-->-= T2 O ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON MARLE. Marle is the foundation of all improvements in the agri- culture of this county; and here the huſbandmen of Lan- caſhire and Cheſhire may afford an uſeful leſſon to‘the reſt of the kingdom: ſo well are they convinced of the necellity of attending to this primary obje, that neither labour nor ex- pence deter them from the moſt vigorous application(OIE e There are ſeveral varieties of this foſſil manure valuable in proportion to its intrinſic qualities, or the nature of the land to which it is to be applied. Shell marle or ſlate marle are more deſirable in the ſtiffer and more clayey diſtri&s, inaſ- much as they contain a large proportion both of calcareous matter and of ſand—clay marle in an inverſe ratio more ge- * This ſubje&t has been detailed to a greater length than ſome may think requiſite; but marling 1s in this county performed in a malſterly manner. The particulars here colleéted may be uſeful, on future occa- ſons, to the farmer, as the documents are only regiſtered in the memory of old praftitioners.“It 1s with no ſmall difficulty that the ſeveral data are ſometimes obtained and aſcertained, and it was with ſome labour they were colleCted for the preſent purpoſe. Æ nial mig inlta barca tender foll; pat conde need to at to lay font four t0 the acte perches ſreque in pre UE demo) hpit enſuin: the dd kind, h Ius be What on th caſe t the n Vith t this ft: : The 0 Cor of LANCASHIRE. 12Ï lige nial to a light and ſandy diſtri, as in both theſe circumſtances ; the ol defei&s of the ſoil are in ſome meaſure obviated. Vl Undoubtedly the calcareous matter contained in either marle AA is of the higheſt importance; but obviating the natural defis E ciencies of the ſoil, by adding ſand to clay or clay to fand, is nte, of more conſequence than the mere calcareous ſtimulus, which A might be obtained at a much lighter exXPence. Innumerablé O inſtances.are to be found in this part-of Lancaſhire, wherê EA barren heaths and wretched fands of all deſcriptions have been 2 rendéred in the higheſt degree productive b this ádmirable LO foil; indeed there is i to believe that by far the greateſt get part of the diftri& has been reclaimed by marle. The great conſeguence 0f making ſuch a pradice more generally known il need not be expatiated upon, Tt is of the utmoſt importance eS to attend to the application of marle:“The general cuſtom is 20 to lay upon the great Cheſhire acre, of eight yards to thé rood, JN from three to ſeven roods, of ſixty-íour ſquare yards each: From four to five rood. may be conſidered the average quantity to the acre(one Cheſhire acre contains two acres and eighteen perches and a half of the ſtatute meaſure) more and leſs are e Aſti frequently applied, but the quantity ought indiſputably to bé { Tan- in proportion to the quality of the ſoil and guality of the foſ= e reſt of il. The general experience of this country has proved to à ellity of demonſtration the propriety of its univerſal pradtice, viz. tó! nor ex- lay it upon grafs land which is intended to be broke up the n of it enſuing ſpring. This ſyſtem is however carried by ſome of able in the old farmers to an abſurd length, as they will not marle any he land land, however neceſſary ſuch an operation may be, unleſs it ule ute has been a given number of years under graſs. Sometimes 3s, inal- what is provincially called a coat of marle has been ſpread uUPp- Jcareows on the green ſward, and lefc riglourtiel many years; in this more caſe the graſs fometimes receives conſiderable detriment, as the E ſinks downwards in a body without incorporating 99 with the ſoil; though when marle has lain ſeveral years in y this ſtate, the ſubſequent crops of corn have been found to be ture 0 ENormous. O The general rule is: to begin marling about May or June, hour they in ſhort when ſpring ſcedings are OVET, Continuing aS Oppor= vil K tunicy “ii——————— e————————— 122 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY tunity ſerves throughout the ſummer months; it 1s not, how- ever, unuſual to take a crop of hay before the marling is be- gunz in either inſtance, the effects of the marle become ſpeedily viſible by the rich verdure of the graſs, which affords a paſturage of the moſt beneficial nature. Marle is fpread im- mediately after carting, but left in a rough lumpy form, that it may be expoſed as much as poſlible to the viciſſitudes of the ſea- ſons; if it contains a large proportion of clay it will remain for many weeks, perhaps months, in large unwieldy lumps, though in general the rains of the latter end of autumn, and the ſuc- ceeding froſts of winter reduces it into the form of an unc- tuous but friable material, the further diſperſion of which is eaſily effected with clotting beetles, ſpades, or harrows; this diſperſion however ought not to be attempted till a week or a fortnight before ploughing, as the moſt beneficial effedts are produced by alternate rains and frofts; and by this long ex- poſure it is more than probable that the foſſil* may acquire by áttraction the moſt nutritive qualities:—the turf, when plough- ed under, anſwers the purpoſe of a rich vegetable manure. So far the Lancaſhire farmers have conſiderable merit, but their ſubſequent condué deſerves the higheſt cenſure; many of them taking repeated crops of oats with the interval of one ſummer fallow for wheat, by way of cleanſing the land; after which barley and oats again, as long as the land will produce any thing; and then laid down again, as uſual, with weeds and couch-graſs.— The courſe I ſhould recommend would be, to take one crop of oats the ſpring ſubſeguent to the marling— plough the ſtubble immediately, in order to expoſe the marle again to the influence of the froſt—fallow with manure for turnips, a crop that under this management is never known to fail--then barley, clover, wheat, turnips fed of with ſheep, and barley again, with well-drefled hay-ſeeds, and white clover and trefoil, for a perennial lay, or at leaſt for ſome years.— Land thus huſbanded produces in a moſt exuberant degree, and at the ſame time is rendered perfe@ly clean from all weeds, without being in the leaſt haraſſed. Poor ſandy ſoils are thus rendered capable of producing a covering of the rich- *# Sec Kirwan’s Diſſertation on Manvres, An. Ag vol, XXII, p, 10s. eit elt gts upon peated ble th hene! demo! So! “ Holt 1790) Board ht baro ſeid for| the b not p molt nz dl MMW ſix in WA! muc to b gere retur] marle exen aqu ny of LANCASHIRE. 125 1 not ET: eſt graſſes, and under proper management may be depended arle bne upon in all ſeaſons, If this proceſs of marling is again re- Shih fut peated, the nature of the land is totally altered, nor is it proba- IS ſpread im ble that any Étranger to marle will give credit to the immenſe form, that it benefit to be derived from ſuch management, without ocular s of the ſez. demondftration, Ähre ‘oula be Some time ago I gave the ſurveyor of this diſtrict, Mr. DS, thouoh Holt, the particulars of a field of eight acres marled by me in the 28 1790; as I underſtand he has ſent an account of it to the MB Board of Agriculture, I cannot but add the following particu=- a lars—that it had been ploughed and harafled in the moſt bar- EEN darous manner for many years previous to my getting poſ= VE ſeſſion of it, the out-going tenant paying about£{. 2. per acre ed for it, and under no reſtri@tions—that ſome years ago one of elleds are che beſt acres in the field was manured for barlèy, which did long exe not produce more than one quarter in return, the crop being cquire by moſtly deſtroyed by weeds, and the land incapable of nouriſh- plough- ing grain—that when in graſs it was frequently unfit foc re, mowing before September, and then the graſs not more than \erit, but ſix inches long—that in 1786-7, when I took poſleſſion, it Y was manured at the rate of 50 tons per acre of horſe and cow valof one muck and night-ſoils from Liverpool—that it was attempted and; afer to be paſtured from that time till 1790, but that the cattle 1 produce were all always diſcontented with the graſs, and the land was weeds and returning by degrees to its original ſtate of moor—In 1790 I ld be, to marled it at the rate of ſeven roods and a half per acre—the arling— expence was very great, as F carted the marle near a mile and he marle a quarter, anure foc 1791.—Oats, 720 meaſures, of 36 Wincheſter f/f...& d. er known quarts each, at 3s. the meaſure-= TO8- O--Q ith ſheep 1792.— Turnips manured, and twice hoed— hite clover drawn for cattle:— paid the expences of the 1e Year menure, the hoeing,&c.&c. ut det 1793:—s5 acres barley produced 576 meaſures, n fon dll of which 552 meaſures ſold to a maltman dj oils AE E ES--= 142 7I2 20 ‘de rich- 3/açrés. oats, 330 meaſures, ah 35 7-49-10:.0 1794.—Clover, two excellent crops, and now I[, p.105:“ ¡n wheat, REZ March el R—————— mE gr mgr E maa— m 4 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY March 1795.—I ſent 4 ſpecimens of the marle from the ſame pios pit the above-mentioned cight acres were marled from, to Mr, vill M. Renwick, Chymift, in Liverpool, to be analyſed: the pro= by duds were, from 100 grains of each: ¡dea : ano : rou |} tol NSA NS gina NSN 2. N N 1 Flinty Sand«« Gr.| 405 4E 34: 32% D abd Clay and filicious Earth-| 39è| 39.| 44| 472% E C=(IO 20 O| i SEU Poli OO bo Gr.|100| 100 100| 100 Þ N Jour cubi This average, however, is not friWly juft, becauſe the de depth of the ſtrata were extremely unequal:—of I4 feet, pro- bably there were, of N° 1, 2, and 4, not more than I foot each; the remainder of N° 3, which is beyond all compariſon the beſt marle in itſelf, and beſt adapted to a deep loomy But ſand, i m Vhe reaſon the Leiceſterſhire farmers object to marling, is, D that it is inimical to graſs,—in Lancaſhire we know we can get-no good graſs without it. What is the reaſon of this dif- ference of opinion? Itariſes from the application; if marte, y 1h according to the Leiceſterſhire ſyſtem, is put upon a turnip atei fallow, and immediately ploughed under in its crude fate, no|| wonder it produces no graſs and little corn.—In Lancaſhire, f E, it1s expoſed at leaſt five months, and always to a winter’s froſt: 4 e and hence ariſes the benefit to graſs.“Fhe ſheep walks and j Jg rabbit warrens of Norfolk were reclaimed by marle; the| 0 original marlers and their ſucceſſors grew rich, and the land 9 produced WÄ: ef LANCASHIRE, 125 tame n, Mr produced exuberantly: at preſent we are told, that the land tiem, will not bear marling twice(an ¿dea utterly diſcountenanced by the prafice of this country); znd from this miſchievous idea it ariſes, that the county of Norfolk is ſaid to want another ſyſtem of cropping, that turnips and cloyer come i round too often,&c.&e,(See Kent’s Survey}. What are we to infer from this? that the ſame material which cauſed the ori- 4,“ ginal improvement will reſtore it to its former fertility—at any 5} rate the experiment 1s warth trying. ¿JL.. 4 m During the late hard froſt, 1794-5, I have been marling 11 about 45 ftatute acres of ſandy loam, in order to keep my la- 1h s bourers employed, who muſt otherwiſe have applied to the 0 pariſh for afſliſtance, I carted the marle near a mile in the large three horſe carts of this country, which I ſhould conceive brought about 26 cwt. at a load. j 0 Tínd, in the Ann. Agr. Vol, XIX, p. 476. that Mr. Col- ts houn performs his claying, in carts that cube 35 feet; my carts cube about 21 feet; of theſe 175 loads bring about two roods the ſtatute acre, 1e the bh pr0- D 2207/5 [lt 195. X35 E„3-075 pariſon loomy But Mr. Colhoun prefers. 80 loads per acre on a blowing ſand; that is, 1,400 loads to 2 Cheſhire acres— 18, 15 ye can 2 Cheſlilre acres= 4 0 237 ſtat, bis Uf: f marke, 5 I bring 350 loads to a ſandy loam. This matter merits the a turnip attention of the Board. ſtate, no ncalir, Herefordſhire, which is al! marle, produces from 2 grs. 4 b. r'sfroft to Z qrs. I b. per- acre of wheat; about 4 grs, 5 þ. of badley; about 3 qrs, of beans;- peas the ſame*, # Clark’s Report, Heref, p. 26, Corſe x26 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Corſe Lawn, and the Foreſt of Dean, in Gloucefterſlire, are all marle.‘The clay pits of Feverſham, and the brick earth of Kent, in general, are marle. The clays of Nottinghamſhire comtain excellent marle. The fineſt marle I ever ſaw in Eng- land is dug out of the coal road near Mr, Tate’s houſe by Loughborough. Mr. Bakewell has marle upon his farm. What are we to think of the, abſurdity of carrying Norwich marle 40 miles by water, to a ſandy country abounding with a clay, that in the open air breaks into ſmall die-like pieces, and which, upon analyſis, yields from 100 grains Of impalpable clay—— 50 grains, Of fand o= pi Calx=—_—— R 100 grains*. Sea ſlutch, from the Ribble and W yre, is, in ſome places ad- Jacent, made uſe of as a ſubſtitute for marle, to which it is reckoned equal, but in general not ſo durable+. It is fre- quently uſed as a ſubſtratum for fruit trees at Formby. The quantity is a load to each tree; its effecs are wonderful. ‘This pradétice, however, may not prove beneficial where the foil is denſe. At Roflal in the Filde, where there is no marle, after a ſtratum of ſtrong clay under the ſoil, they paſs through a ſand with cankered veins, next a ſand with ſky-blue veins, with thin ſhells like barnacles, called in the provincial phrafe hen- fiſh; and this proves a good ſubſtitute for marle. Sea-fſlutch, particularly at Weſton, a village in Cheſhire, near Frodſham, is found to be much more fertilizing and more permanent than marle, I mean that part of a ſalt marſh which has been graſſed over for a few years; for that which is overflowed daily con- tains more fand, and is leſs enriching. I do not think that all * See Marſhall's Norfolk, Vol. I. p. 24. and Vol. II. p. 193« + Mr. Standen, ſteward to Bold Fleetwood Heſketh, Eſq. ſays, more durable than marle. b the D e ai Fertil UJ Chal ſort 0 coll ad prat enſue el Uo tillage With 4 cc an Ds and 2 Ains, TZITTA 4 1411« derful, re the marle, roupi with hen- lutch, (bam, 1t than graſſed e# LANCASHIRE. 127 the manures in uſe in the kirgdom combined could have a better effet either upon arable or graſs land than the above-mentioned foil has. This manure, where the plough is not immoderately uſed, will laſt thirty years. It is uſed in much the ſame manner and quantity as marle. Beſides the dung got from the farm-yards, there are great quantities raiſed by the cowkeepers and ftiablekeepers in the large towns. At Liverpool horſe-dung fells at about 5s. 6d. der ton, cow dung from 4s. 6d to 5s. b d, per ton, butchers” dung bs. per ton, the aſhes mixed with privies, fcraping of the ftreets,&c, under the denomination of night ſoil, about 2s. 1d der ton*, Liverpool alſo occaſionally has the dregs of blub ber from the whale fiſhery after boiling the oil, which mixed with ſoil, is a rich manure, but not laſting. Soap aſhes alſo, if put upon old lays, have been found very advantageous, and very durable in paſtures, but not fo durable either on ploughed land or in meadow+. Soap aſhes, like lime, do not at all an- ſwer upon a black ſoil with fand underneath, neither have they their immediate effes, like dung upon any-ſoil, but are very fertilizing and durable after the firít year, when applied upon âry paſture or meadow lands if they be fox ſoils, and very much change the nature of the graſles; viz. from very indifferent forts to wild clover, trefoil,&c.—Rape duſt has been found to anſwer, laid on at about ſixty buſhels to the acre, and cofts about 10d. per buſhel$. Soot is alſo uſed in the ſpring, and thrown with the hand upon the corn; this is often praiſed upon poor exhauſted lands, and, if rain immediately enſue, with ſucceſ; but there ſcems ſomething at prefent in- explicable about the proper application of lime, or its operation upon diferent ſoils. It has been freguently tried without any apparent utility, and it ſhould appear that lime teguires ſome * At Mancheſter, cow and horſe dung are about 1 s. Zer ton higher. + Quantity 40 to 50 ton Ser acre, from 8s. to 10s. Zer tan at Liver pool. t There muſt be an error in the price of rapeduſt, as it is no where to be had under 2+. 2er buſhel, and ſome places 2s. 6d. it is a very uſeful tillage upon cold lands, eſpecially upon meadows, but not durable. particular D e | | E RE {28 AGRICULTURAL«SURVEY particular ſubſtance in the ſoi! wherecon to a, to produce any good efect. Lime has in general not been found to anſwer ſo well a ſecond time as at E rſt operation, It alſo requires a ward, or vegetable roots, to produce fertility*; and it more frequently ſucceeds when mixed properly with earth either on fallows os ſwards. Lime 1s the beſt manure for graſs lands, ei=- ther laid on by itíeifor in compoît, 1f uſed din /ufficient quantitiesz In 2 farm ofa.cold clay foil, after draining near twenty yearss the ime was laid on the ward in ay and Line to the amount of two hundred buſhels on a fatiute acre; the lands have not been ploughed, but have yielded the fneft graſs for tay and paſ ture, and yet appear to be ina ſtate of improvement. The uſe of lime as a manure has nearly ſuperceded that of marle. Im= meníe quantities of lime-fſtone are brought by the rivers and ca nals from ales. Great was our alarm laſt year when the tax en fone was propoſed, but although the ſixth ſeion of the 24th Geo. III. c. 51, exempts Our ui tais imported from the tax, yet the requiring the z/ual cof diſpatches, and certificates for the ſloops employed in this trade, occaſion great expence and delay, and operate as an heavy and unneceflary impoſt, without any advantage whatever to the revenue. This is an overſight eaſy to be remedied, and from good authority, I learn has in a great meaſure /ruftrated the wiſe tntentions of the legiſlature re- lative to the taking off the duties on coa! and alt exported coaſt wile in Scotland, and calls for the eſpecial attention of the repre= ſentatives of Arth Britain. But neicher marle nor lime produces any good effeQAs upon the exhauſted lands of the Filde, which have undergone the cen tennial ordeal. Upon theſe occaſions the arm-yard dung ſeems 41 to be principally wanted, to reſtore the oily part extraGed by fuch a continued ſucceſſion of exhaul fing Crops. 90 great a quantity ofland 1s ploughed without a proper rotation of green crops, for the ſtock which ought to be kept, there is no re ſource for raiſing dung but from the cattle, as there-are-no towns ſuf- ficiently larze to afford proper afliſtance, nor E canals to bring; it from diſtant places. ® There are fome exceptions, neverthel-fs, èven to this. Ïn 2E a H 1 hurt ſurv jut ſure clol days bon adler them {ſmoke ſœtid mel a of LANCASHIRE. 129 In the Leiceſter Report it is mentioned, that ſome perſon had lo xs burned bones with lime for manure. In November 1794, the à TO ſurveyor mixed about equal quantities of bones with lime(of the ON latter what is ſold at Liverpool for 40 meaſures, at 8 d. per mea- : j ſure) in diferent rata, and cloſely covered with fine OU well. Ab cloſed with the ſpade. This heap continued burning about ten llg days, after which the whole was mixed together with earth, the en pean) bones being chiefly reduced into ſmall parts, or if the parts yet e amount adhered, flew aſunder with a ſmart ſtroke. Tt 1s imagined that “e got the moſt eſſential or oily part of the bone would eſcape with the; LU LUA ſmoke during this proceſs, the ſmoke being great and the ſmell a fœtid. Not having convenience to bruiſe the bones, this method was adopted by way of experiment upon the hint g1Iven. i. Bone-duft, or bones ground in a mill, have been uſed with 0! the 34) ſucceſs by William Mayor*, the farmer at Aſhworth-hall, near Pa) Rochdale.‘ He has two fluted iron rollers placed at the end of 2 cates fo corn-mill ſhaft, which grinds them expeditiouſly; he applies ence and them to his own grounds, and diſpoſes of them to different pur- i Without chaſers. Near the ſea good compoſts have ſometimes been i Ferighk made of land-lime, earth, dung, and ſeca weeds, with a ſpecies IN bas ina of ſhell-fiſh growing upon the rocks, wh hich is found to be an illature res. excellent manure for barley. The ſcra s from the ſtreets, arted calls along with aſhes and night(oil, 1 have E an experienced farmer+ (the reptea been mixed together with lime in the following prc j to every twenty tons weight of this black muck(as it is ſome- ‘fs upon times called) he adds about forty buſhels of lime, which he: mixes together before the lime runs to mortar(his own expreſ- ſion) abieK LLA the good effedts, and prevents a proper in- corporation, and whièh anſwers well upon either dry or wet lands, particularly when Haid down to either paſtures or mea- dows. The drainings from the farm-yard have been of late, by ſome good farmers, colle&ted into one place, and, if they cannot Un be thrown over the lands any other way, are conveyed in caſks OWNS II y PE- Lis by carts, and. diſtributed upon the land by means of a trough Na) mla s d SG erforated with holes. * And by George Clayton, Eſq. Loſtock, near Pieſton, Y 8 y g 25, M E+ Mr. Henry Harper, Bank Hall, la“ 5 The & o AGRICULTURAL SURVEY The ſkimmings of ſugar under refinement, when boiling, is a rich manure; ſo much ſo, as to take three parts of ſoil to mix together, Three loads of earth, and- one load of theſe ſkimmings, which conſiſts of American clay and other fertile Ingredients, make four loads of rich and durable manure. Exberiments on Manures, by MUMr. Henry Harper. « The following experiments of diferent kinds of manure will ſhew the diffference of both guantity and the quality of produce on the different kinds of land on my farm, on which I imanured half an acre of eight yards to the rod with every Kind of the following manures; and when made into hay, as nearly all alike as poſible, I weighed one average ſquare rod from every lot. Lot the 1ſt&.—Horſe, cow, and butchers dung, all mixed to- gether, of each about an equal quantity, which lay in that ſtate about two months, and then turned it over, and let it lie eight or ten days, and then put it on the land before it had done fer- menting, and ſpread it immediately."This was ſet on in Sep- tember 1793.—The produce 3 fone 15 pound per rod, at 20 pounds to the ſtone. Lot the 2d.—Horſe and cow dung, mixed and turned over the ſame as Lot the 1, and ſet and ſpread on the land at the fame time.—Produce 2 fone 14 pound per rod. Lot the zd.— Horſe dung, turned over and ſet on the land the ſarne as Lot the 1ſt&.—Produce 3 fone 13 pound 8 ounces per rod. Lot the 4th.—Cow dung, AN over and ſet on the land the fame as Lot the 1.—Produce 2 fone 13 pound 8 ounces per rod. Lot the 5th.—Nigkt-fſoil, coal-afhes, and cleaning of the ſtreets, and about 40 meaſures of lime to every ton weight, and turned over while the lime was in its floury fate, and not ſuffered to run to mortar, for then.it is of little benefhßit; one part of this was ſet on in è September 1793, the other part the middle of Mar 1794, but no difference in the crop to be erceived,—Produce 3 fone 13 pound per rod, Lot — R— D dhs ———————— ELIE ſe Ff LANCASHIRE. 13x vluy| 18 o y Lot the 6th.-—Night-ſoil, coal-aſhes, and cleaning of ſtreets, d of hſe ſet on the land in the ſame manner and times as Lot the 5th, ther feria and no difference in the cropping part.—Produce 3 ſtone ure, i 2 pounds 8 ounces per rod. Lot the 7th.—Marle freſh got, and mixed with an equal Ï qüantity of horſe and cow dung, and lay about three months di and then turned over, and lay a month and then turned over 4 again, and put on the land in ſix or eight days, and at the ſame E diferent times as the tvyo laſt lots, but no difference in the e ſ ropping.—Produce 3 fone 8 pound 12 ounces per rod. Lot the 8th.—Water from a reſervoir that all the urine from the ſtables, cow-houſes, and all drainings from the dung- hills, farm-yard, hog-ftyes, and all the waſte water from the houſe runs into, and is carried on the land in a warering- cart made on purpoſe that holds four hundred gallons; and the water was put on the land in April, about 12,000 gallons to tat fate the acre of 8 yards to the rod, and again in May 12,000 more, le eight=— Produce 3 fone 5 pound per rod. ne fer- Lot the gth.—Blubber, the offal of whale-oil, mixed with (A ſoil, and ſet on the land the 1ſt of April 1794.—Produce 3 ſtone od,& 2 pound 8 ounces per rod. Lot the 10th.—Soct, ſowed on the land the middle of April 1794.—Produce 3 fone 1 pound per rod. Lot the 11th.—Plaſter of Paris(gypſum) ſowed on the land in April, the weather then ſhowery and favourable for it, the land— Produce 2 ftane 2 pound per rod. $ guiices Lot the 12th.—No manure at all.—Produce 2 ſtone 2 pound per rod: ſo much for gypſum, that has been made ſuch ac- he land| count of. Gouna Lot the 123th.—Soap-aſhes or muck, ſet on in March 1794, — Produce 2 ſtone 10 pound per rod, (tie Lot the I14th.—Lime, ſet on in March, clean by itſelf,—Pro- duce 2 ſtone 8 pound per rod. An improvement by way of experiment upon Lots the 1, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th, water. from the reſervoir put on E 7 put lots the beginning of May 1794, at the rate of 12,000 gallons Oe+| per acre,—Produce 4 ſtone 8 pound per rod, \ bt 5s Y as it E E pe e RL(a M iti. a is PS e Ko Ati— aS IE 2 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Lot the 1f.—Produce 4f- 1s1b. per rod, is 6009 fone per£f. s. d. E LA: ner 2 Horſe, cow, acre, at 57 d- per ſione—— 13 15 O and butchers After. graſs, per acre m D 2 O dung./ T7 O Manure 30 tons, at'5 5 per ton== vem 7 LOO Balance in favour of the farm= TO Lot the 24.—Produce 3 ft. 141b. per rod, is 592 fone per eX== Horſe andiców acre, at 53 d. per fone_— 13/11 4 dungs After-graſs, per acre a= ——— 5 TS IZE 24 Manure 30 tons, at 5 s. per ton=_— 710 O Balance in favour of the farm_—=_= 834 Lot the 3d.—Produce 3 f. 13 Ib.$ oz- per rod, is 589 fone per acre, at 53 d. per fone_—— 13 9.6 2 N, Forſe dung. ç FE WSS After-graſs, per acre— EET SARO Manure 40 tons, at 5$. per ton——_— 710 O Balance in favour of the farm— OT=O Lot the 4th.—Produce 3 fſt. 13 Ib. 8 oz- per rod» is 588 ſtone EE per acre, at 5F de. per fone—= IO ow dun i Se After-graſs, per acre— e AZZ O = > T6 17.70 Manure 30 tons, at 5s. per ton——_— 710 O Balance in favour of the farm—— QTL ¿0 Lot the çth.—Produce 3 f. 131b, per rod is 5834. ſtone per I A acre, at 5F d. per ſtone— e aſhes, cleaning After-graſs, per acre——m— 20009 of the fÑâreets,{ a and lime, Ÿ ES Manure 30 tons, at 4s. 6d. per ton E 12% 7 Mo) Balance in favour of the farm“—— 812 8 Lot the 6th.—Produce 4 ft. 2 1b. 8 oz. per rod, 1s 500 ſtone 3 P»1s 5 per acre, at 57 d. per ſtone a=—_— II 9 2 Night-ſoi!, coal i 0% 0 CREO) 4 a== E ET R e Y aſhes,‘cleaning After-graſs, PENACIE TE of the freets»— 13250#-8 Manure 45 tons, at 2$. per ton=—_— 410 0 Balance in favour of the farm== OLO Lot À? a Tan= mt Arii pn R E TE O # LANCASHIRE: 132 Lot the 7th.—Produce 3. 81b, 120z, per rod, is 550 5 de Me here ſtone per acre, at 57 d, per ſone— I2 12 I and cow dung» After-graſs per acre_— AT IIO A Lr RT 4 s Manure 45 tons, at 2s. 6d, per ton wm 512.6 Balance in fayour of the farm_—==#G AT LT Ps A 1. Lot the Sth.—Produce 2 fſt. s1b, per rod, is 520 fone per : Water Cos acre, at cF d. per fone_—_—_ 11 18 4 7 reſervoir. After-graſs, per acre——_— 111 6 T2 910 No expence for manure only labour, and that not ſo much as the other manures, Balance in fayour of the fam=—— 13 910 |- Lot the gth,—Produce 3 f. 2 Ib. 8 02. per rod, is 503 per | acre, at 4 d. per fone—_—— Blubber and E AS IS F ſoil After-graſs per acre—_— 015 ZS Manure, the expence per ace= OO h> / Balance in favour of the farm_——_— 628 Lot the 1oth.—Produce 3 f.-1Ib, per rod, is 488 fone per Sec acre, at 4d. per fone 0— S8 6-0 After-graſs, per acre_—_— 015 0 E (5) 25 Eo) Manure, expence per acre=_— 210 0 ——————————_ Balance in favour of the farm_— OTI O / Lot the 11th.—Produce 2 f. 21lb. per rod, is 336 fone per 2 E d. per fſt—— Gypſum. acre, at 57 d. per fone TB endo. After-graſs, per acte_— ez! BLL iti SEN Y SITO Manure, expence per acre——_— 210 0 Balance in favour of the farm—— 69.0 Lot the 12th.—Produce 2 f. 21b. per rod, is 336 fone per EL R: Acte, L 55 de. per ſtone—— 714 9 After- graſs per ace—— win: 2+ Te 0A >= 8 19 0 No expence for manure Balance in favour of the farm— SISTO Lot Y | | LY | | Y FCN ZA E ra- 4 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Lot the 13th.—Produce 2 f. 10 Ib. per rod, is 400 ſtone per Va EE A acre, at‘57d. per ſtone_—= Soap=-aſhes, è E LP After-gra(s, per acre_——_— TT 10 O =S TO 1322 Manure 16 ton of ſoap-aſhes, at 9s, per ton= 7 420 E Balance in fayour of the farm=— Od Lot the 14th.—Produce 2 â. 8 1b. per rod, is 434 ſone per ; è acre, at 57 4. per fone_—— 10.0 Lime, Í After-graſs, per acre=— 110 0 E 10 60 Manure, 12 ſcore meaſures of lime, at 135. 4d. per meaſure—_——_—— 82.0 O > Balance in favour of the farm=— 260 Experiments upon Lots the 1, 2d, 3d, 4th, and sth'—Pro- duce of all theſe five lots equal, 4. 8 Ib. per rod, is 704 Kone per acre, at 5#Z d. per fone, îs_— O8 Afſter- graſs on all the five lots egual pue ee—_— 2d —————————— E Amount of produce of Lot the 1— R—= ————— Balance in favour of-the reſeryoir-water= A2 TOS = LES land-all of one quality, the ſoil 11 inches deep, and a ſtrong loam betwixt ſand and clay with a reddiſh caſt, and is what T call fox-land; and under the foil js a black loam fand ſi inches deep, and then marle 6f four yardè deep, and bottoms on a red ſand.: This field is not to be conſidered as a poor worn-out field but has been regularly manured every third year; which if it was worn out and kept poor it would not e one-third part of neither hay nor after-graſs, which I d: aily ſce on ſome adjoin=- ing land of the ſame quality, for which I take one-t! Bird part of the value of Lot the 4th, both of I hay and after-graſs, which ISI O Now theſe lots T0L one field, which is old meadow. of LANCASHIRE. Lot the 4th.—The amount of hay and after-£f. s dd. rals, af PS IL O Per ACTE OL three years, 1s-———- 46 14 6 Diſcount for three years manure_— 710 O —— Balance to the farm——— 394 6 ‘The amount of hay and after-graſs for one è ai, year, without manure,‘is Z. 5. 3% 10d.: which ſay three times-—— I5 IT Balance in favour of manure—— 2313 0 Now it is to be conſidered that the farm fup- i ports the expence of all labour and other i expence: but to ſhew the neat balance in favour of manure, ſay, the manure brought to this field on my farm is four ſhillings for every thirty hundred weight— Thirty ton twenty load, at 4s. per load, is——_——— 4 00 : To ſpreading on the land, allow- y ANCE, QC—-— 0 7 60 AO y CEE ERES TETE EE y Clear balance to the farm for three years [ in favour of manure, for one acre ES 2 DES PESE OE EE A i: T approve moſt of the manure the five firſt lots are manured 5 with, although it comes higher; they require the leaſt labour, &; which moſtly pays.the beſt in the end, although it appears E that ſome of the other lots afford more clear profit; but the A moît profit comes from that manure that continues ifs fſrength Ze the loncef ind, i noft’clear profit T experience is from lot the 8th, wa- i t eſerva-hich is no coft but labour, and that ſo much as any other kind of manure; but it will not an- ſwer put on in hot dry weather, for it burns up all before it, EXCePt {36 E AGRICUETURAL SO OBV EY except it was to be kept conſtantly wet, of which the ſupply is moſtly ſcarce at that time. Lots the gth and 1oth.—Blubber and ſoot I would not put on land for meadowing upon any condition, for the| hay 1s bad; and, by a conftant uſe ¿G6 them, they exhauſt the land, ſo that it won’t produce any thing at all; and they are only manures for juſtthe crop, with tde or no after-grafſs. Soot is good at wheat, and’ other ſpring corn,‘if it is ſown in ſhowery weather. Lot the 11th.—Gypſum is of no uſe on my farm, neither for corn nor gras, Lots the 13th and 14th.—Soap aſhes and lime, they do not anſwer on my farm; they keep me too long out of the profit. What they might do in time, I have not experienced z, but I always ink the quickeſt return pays the beſt, ſo that the ma- nure is not exhauſting to the land. The water from the reſervoir paid not amiſs, which was ſet on the five firſt lots, which was an equal’ improvement of 24 10s. 8d. per acre; and‘if the extra labour was to be charged, it would be a diſcount of fiftéen ſhillings, which would reduceit to 1! 15s. 8d. clear profit per acre. Now, to try the quality of all the lots, T'put a ſmall hand- ful from every lot in a dry clean place, where there was little or no grafs, and they were laid promiſcuouſly down, and re- gularly marked and numbered, to avoid miſtake. And I had for the experiment ſix horſes up in the ſtable, all well fed with clover freſh cut: and I turned one out, and let him go of himſelf amongſt the lots promiſcuouſly, and when he got amongſt them, ſome he ſmelled at, and others he taſted(there were 19 different lots); the firſt lot that he ſettled at was N° 8, and he eatit all ciean up; and he then ſauntered about as before, and got to lot the 5th, and eat it all clean up; and then faun= tered ¿s before, and got to lot the 7th, and eat it all clean up; he then ſauntered as before he had done, and ſmelled, and taſted, and went of from amongſt them. I then put him up, and turn- another out, which dic E in the ſame manner as the firſt : had done. N. B. And he then fixed upon the ſame lots as the it horſe had done, which were immediately taken away with CALE, BRIE LANCASHIRE. 139 tare; ſo as not to diſturb the horſe, which through the whole of the lots were always replaced with the ſame kind of hay; and out of the whole ſix horſes there Was little or no Variation, for the next horſe that came out always fixed on the ſame lots as the laſt had eaten up, after being. replacedle=3-Andbe tic fixed upon lot 8, as the firſt hor(e had done, and eat it all clean up; and then upon another of the ſame; and continued till he häd eaten four out of the ve, and then went o from amongît them. Ithen pút him up, and turned another out, and he did as the others had done, and fixed upon the firſt lot, N° 8, and eat itall clean up; and then to lots the third he eat all up, and then fſauntered oE* JT turned another out,- which did exactly the ſame as the: others had done, and fixed upon lot the 2d, and eat ic Ups and then he fixed upon lot the Lith,- arndeatit up; and then he fixed upon lot the 6th, and eat it ups and hethen went off. And L put him UP, and“ turned another out, which did exaly the fame as the others had done; and he fixed upon the laſt expe- rimental lot,» and eat it all UP; and then to lot the 13th, and eat it all Up; and then to lot the I4th, and eat it all UP 5; and he then went off. And I put him up, and then turned thé laſt horſe out, which did exactly the ſame as the others had dóne, and juſt taſted of lot the 12th; but the gth and Ioth lots fill remained, and never a horſe out of the number of ſix taſted of them, only ſmelled at them. together, and they and fourth, which then put himup, and And I then turned them al] out made to where the lots had been, and eat up the remains of lot the 12th; left the gth and 1oth lots unnoticed. And let them remain in the up in the evening, and never but they all went of and ir places till the cows care 2 Cow, out of thirty, taſted of them(gth and 1oth lots); they ſmelled, and even bellowed and roared, and ſcraped with their feet, and fung it about wich their horns, Now 1 will leave it to every reader to judge for himſelf, which of the lots were of the beſt quality, and the moſt ny=« tritive; for myſelf, I prefer thoſe that were eaten the fir. The beíore-mentioned ſtatements fully prove the profits ariſing from iman Iring, to that of letting it lie by in a ſtate to produce ”- Hi ies iidi LT i HSE: Si iia germer tt ſtir. vtt EEC E E 6 EE a | 138 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY L produce what it will do with little or no improvement, and te land to be equal as good in quality. But the difference of improving good land, and land of in» ferior quality, differs from five per cent. to a hundred per cent. in its return of produce; but there is lite or no land but whad will anſwer. in ſome degree of profit towards the encourage- ment of improving, except ſome barren mountains, and low boggy land, that lies ſo low that. there is no fall for raining to be come. at; but the‘naked eye 1s often deceived, whence Ï ſhould recommend a level, for this kind of land moſtly an- ſwers the beſt if it can be laid dry. - There is a great difference in diferent kinds of manures, anſwering in different diſtriéts; and there are ſeveral in this diſtri that have not been brought to trial, ſuch as burnt marles &c. LI have an experiment of it now on trial, which, as a top manure, by hand, appears to anſwer every expeCtation for graf land. The mode I prepare it is, to get the marle quite freſh out of the pit, not to take any that has been expoſed to the weather, and burn it in a brick oven; and when burnt through, draw it out, and pound it into duſt, which is done with little la- bour; and then ſow it on the land quite dry, at the rate of about 15 meaſures to the ſtatute Acre z and the expence of fire, and all trouble attending it, is eight pence per meaſure. But this is a new experiment with me, and I have only cried it this latter end of the yéar 17945 I mean to proceed with it for freſh experiments for different crops of both corn and graſs this next year 1795 5 and as ſoon as' LT have proved its qualities, I mean to explain them to the public. I manured the ſame quantity‘ of lots of land that had lain two years, for a third crop of hay, with the ſame kinds of mnanure as the firſt mentioned lots were manured with, and with the ſame experiments in regard to the quality, which nearly anſwered every deſcription of the before-mentioned lots, only ſeventy ſone leſs in quantity per acre, of eight yards to the rod. The mode of burning marle above alluded to, and the ufing it when burnt as a top drefling,' 18 particularly recommended ‘9 the attention of the Norfolk farmers. : COAL Ff LANCASHIRE. COAL ASHES, This ſort of manure bas been known to Kill ruſhes. The ſurveyor has tried their effects this year(1795), not With total, but ſome effe&t. The beſt cure, without doubt, is draining the land, Take away the pabulum, and the plant periſhes, LI NS EPD. Dr. Ormerod of Rochdale made the following trial, véhich he thus relates:= « With linſeed flour(it is linfeed ground to powder) this I ſtrewed on meadow ground, but ſo lately that I cannot per- ceive any evident difference in my crop of graſs, but, per- haps it may anſwer in the fog; it appears to do well to corn, and to paſture ground, and I find the cattle extremely fond to eat where it has been, buc fear the expence of it will prevent it being of any ſervice to the ſociety, as it coſt me f. I. Is. for every cwt. I uſed. I have alſo been trying the blue and white ſoap manure, which anſwers well to corn, but not better than aſhes with neceſfary nîanure, « I have been uſing lime in a variety of forms, both next the ſoil upon black manure, and mixed intimately with mould, and laid up together.” SEASON OF LAYING ON DUNG. Much has been frequently ſaid on the beſt ſeaſon of laying dung upon the lands—the ſurveyor has been favoured with the following obſervations on this ſubje&, by an experienced farmer*. « If cow-dung, the freſher the better, provided it be the pro- per ſeaſon for putting it upon the land; which is, if meadow, from the time of getting the hay of the land, till the middle of Odtober. For, if the graſs has done ſpringing, the dung lies expoſed all the winter to rain, ſnow, froſts, and the viciſſitudes # Mr. Henry Harper, Bank Hall, 12 of 140 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY of ſeaſons, which exhauſt the fÉtrength, ſo as to deſtroy much of its good qualities: if.it cannot be accompliſhed in autumn, then the enſuing ſpring; and if the ſeaſon ſhould. not ſuit, the Ñrength of the manure will be reaped the enſuing crop.’”—He recommends turning over the dung previous to its being put Upon the land, and. to lie till it begins to ferment; then to carry 1t upon the land, and even ſpread it before the heat be gone of, and by which the dung ¿ates to the land the better, He prefers mixing cow-dung, horſe-dung, butchers-dung, and night-ſoil, together, in preference to each ſeparate;‘and this mixture 1s in its beſt ſtate fron ſix to eight months old. \ DECT. 4.— WF eeding. A GooD crop of grain and weeds cannot exiſt together; therefore, in order to ſecure the former, if the latter abound, they muſt either be eradicated, or the crop greatly iajured. Except in the potatoe culture, and what little has been done in hoeingz turñips, hand-weedins; is in general alone praiſed, Fallows are introduced to kill weeds, where the lands- are foul by Ul’ management. When lands have been full of couch- 4 tals, a crop of. hemp upon ſuch lands, if wel] dunged, has ZS Dg Þ 2 Pon luci Ss| N2Cd, proved an efffeual remedy*, But at preſent, there is very ji dT I. little of either hemp or flax ſown in the county. E N Pi a: À here are many flovens, who too much neglect clearing their g, foul crops; and[many are as remarkable for their great attention, and employ both women and children to nand-weed the corn, when about ſix inches nigh. Mäny paſtures and meadows are carefully overlooked that nó dock,‘&c. appear. Mr. Bailey's eſtate of Hope is a ſpecimen of cleanlineßs.: DECT. 5.— Watering, _ WATERING Lands 18, much neglected in this: 2s well 2s molt other counties in England, but more particularly in the hilly or mountainous parts of this‘province, where they have the greateſt abundance of water. * This communicated by an old and experienced farmer. ‘Trials FAA NC ASUIRE, r4x ‘Trials of throwing water over the lands, have been made in ) 5.. L different parts of the county; and it appears, that wherever the Vp ô Ó 4 ë. t irial has been made, and conducted upon proper principles, the L attempt has proved‘highly beneficial to the grounds over which vt the water* could be thrown, except it had à mixture of metal. (0 lic, or other noxious matter. ty..(-- is y Notwithſtanding the fact has been ſufficiently proved, in 2 9)| variety of caſes, upon different foils, it is a matter of aſtoniſn- 0 ment, that ſo rich’ a ſource of improvement has been hitherto 1 neglected, when ſuch an extent of ground is capable of receiv 7 a ad Y ing the advantage, Fhé value of water, in this point of view, is not yet ſuf- ficiently known+; like many other bleſlings of life, being, when very liberally beſtówed, the leſs valued. Streams of water, a which for ages have paſſed unnoticed, have within a few years d, proved a ſource of wealth to individuals beyond conception, L What was probably confidered a nuiſance, has proved, in many n| inſtances, of more real value than the fee-ſimple of the whole 11 manor, through the vales of which it had ſo long ſtrayed, by ul turning machinery,&e. M. Thé many rivers, rivulets, and rills, flowing through the 12S mountainous part of the county, offer their rich ſtreams to me- eV liorate the lands tirough which they deſcend. Many thouſand y acres might partáke of their fertilizing effedts, at an inconſider- Ell M* See‘Treatiſe‘on watering Meadows, by Mr: Boſwell; and Mr. “ Davis’s excelleut account of Wilts. rn,+ The value of water is not known in a variety"of ſenſes, as ît Mould 98 ſeein from the following faŒÆ: the ſame freehold had been in poſſeſlon of y the ſame family for threz generations; the preſent poſſeſſor had enjoyed ey s/ it about fifteen years; and all this while, without having a drop of water for any purpoſe whatever, but what was cartied at great pains for 2 con- ſiderable diſtance froni a ſtagnant pool upon the head, in a pail. A reſo- lution was however formed,‘and the work begun 1n 1794, of ſuking a well about two yards diſtance from the kitchen-door; and the whole work was completed for the ſum of ſeven ſhillings and ſixpence. For this ſmall á ſum an excellent ſpring of water has been obtained, and no ſmall portion Wl of labour iaved, arly In ſome placés, where they are almoſt drowned in winter, as in Altcar, A by the overflow of the river Alt, till lately drained, the families were ney frequently 1n ſuch diftreſs as to flee from home, 1nd ſeek refuge at the Hill-houſe; and yet, in ſummer ſeaſons, this country 1s diſtrefied for want of water, and that to a degree, as to require driving the cattle the ſpace of a nule to drink, the ſprings being exhauſted, L/ able L14415 142+ AGRICULTURAL SURVEY able expence; lands too, at preſent poor, barren, and un=- productive, at a diſtance from other manures, might be ren=- dered competent to maintain an increaſed number of valuable animals, by which the quantity of yard-dung would be increaf= ed, and applied, in much more abundant portions, to thoſe lands which are beyond the ſalutary efffedts of the overflowing waters, The preſent ſyſtem of converting the arable into meadow and paſture grounds, to which the water, with peculiar propriety, ¡nay be applied, is a ſtrong argument in favour of irrigation. The following neat pra&ice may be worthy of record, as the thought of an ingenious man, game-keeper to R. W. Bootle, Eſq. Latham; for which he was honoured with a ülver cup, by the Agricultural Society of Mancheſter. From the ditches above his houſe, he colles the water, and brings it paſt his buildings, from which his lands have a regular deſcent. This water carries along with it all the drainings from the farm-yard, which is thrown upon the lands according to the uſual cuſtom of irrigating:—but he has ſunk a refervoir, the lides of which are ſecured with pounded clay: in this reſervoir he preſerves his water, ſometimes till a dry ſeaſon; then throws it upon the land, when the earth wants moiſture. He puts marle into the rivulet through which the water runs, and finds it of great ſervice.: William Fitzherbert Brockholes, Eſq. of Claughton, near Garſtang, has made a moſt maſterly improvement upon a large morafs, by means of draining and irrigating—it is a good exam- ple, and deſerves the attention of the farmers in the vicinity: alſo by Mr, Richard Jones, of Pecl, in Little Hulton, near Bolton. TE _rapociaenia de ft.— ES —— Py Z hw= Tm CHAPTER z : E Ee PER== a—- BY Arret and un. might be Tens 1ber of valuable uld be increaſ- » t0 thoſe lands Wing waters, 0 meadow and liar Propriety, of irrigation, y of record, as per to R, W, onoured with a cheſter, From er, and brings it regular delcent, ings from the ording to the reſervoir, the his reſervoir ealon; then ifture, He Er runs, and hton, near jon a large od exam- nity: alſa Bolton. APTER | im E A Er METRE POTT= e B-- x aan 5j äl E 2 AZE Tie EE CSG SES ZZ N OCEAN VTA TES T2 DES e iZ“U © A RR LL IE PUT (CRIE M, US-|V I y FT TDI> 4) LLO vA ESS REZA LI 408 NS EL ATD H SISA Va 1s 6 TU Le ANCASH E CuaPrrTER XII. NE C TAO K.| SECT. L= Cattlé*: z: "THE Lancaſhire long-horned cattle are known all over the kingdom, and found in almoſt every part of the county, Y| the prime ſtock of-which is bred in the Filde, whither the pur- M chaſers from diferent parts of the kingdom have uſually re- | ſorted; but applications have not of late been ſo freguent as À formerly t. The breed having been almoſt entirely neglected, * The following obſervations merit to be preſerved. A ÿ‘To trace the origin of the breed of cattle now prevailing in Lan- Z i caſhire, would probably, at this time, be a difficult taſk. But that they were famous over the whole kingdem, is evident from being ſo frequently and in ſach eſtimation as to be ſought after from all parts of the / kingdom. In fuch repute were they, and of ſuch ſuperior quality, that : that great judge in caitle, Mr. Bakewell, thought proper to make them the A | ſource from which he has, by croſfing,&c. made ſuch iaprovement. Burt di 46 the breed has been únder a progreſſive ſtate of melioration in Leicefter- j ſhire, it ſcems to have been in an equal ftate of retrogradation in Lancaſhire,| as if over-awed by competition, has hlently yielded to a conqueror-| It is not long nce, however, that a celebrated traveller made the fol-| Ì lowing obſervations in his tour through Lancaſhire. « Breakfaſted at Garſtang, a ſmall town remarkable fór the ne. cattle | produced in its neighborhood. A gentleman has réfuled thirty guineas | for a three year old cow; has ſold a calf of 2 month's age for ten guineaë, and bulls for one hundred; and has killed an ox weighing twenty-one ſcore per quarter, excluſive of lide, entrails,&c. Bulls alſo have been ict out at the rate of thirty guineas the ſeáſon; ſo that well might honeſt Bar- naby(4) celebrate the cattle of this place, notwithſtanding the misfortune he met with in one of its great fairs. Veni Garſtang, ubi nata Sunt armenta fronte lata.(| Veni Garßtang, ubi malè Intrans forum beſtiale, Forte vacillando vico Huc& illuc cum amico, In juvencæ dorſum ru! Cujus cornu læſus fui.” (a) Better known by the name of Drunken Barnaby, who lived the beginning of the lat centurys and publiſhed his four itineraries in Latin rhyme. / noticed, FRA 4= RTE CETET AA IN +——_—--—-- 727A — ¿7 Pennant's Tour in Scoiland in 1784. } Alexander Butler, Eſq. of Kirkland, has frequently ſold young hei- fers at the advanced price of 50 /. per head i: the M y AEREE PEE a—> FREE EE netta ÍA— A EC2CADEE DA SS dina pauta— 144 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY the pail is become the material object; and as it is an eſtabliſhed fact, that animals calculated for ſpeedy fattening are ſeldom it ever prime milkers, good points of ſhape and make are leſ attended to than the milk vein, Some years a4g0, the Lancaſhire breeders ſuffered thoſe of the mere ſouthern counties, as Leicefíterſhire, Warwickſhire, Sc. to pick and purchaſe their beſt ſtock. Thus the nor- thern breeders leſſened the valuc of their own remainder: and the others made improvements upon that which they Had ob- tained from them on the new principles laid down by Mr. Bakewell, and adopted by Mr. Fowler of Oxfordſhire, and others, Nothing valuable is now brought fouthwardly, out of the more northern counties, once ſo famous‘for breeding Îtock, i Amongſt the cow-keepers all varieties are found; they change lo frequently, that when a cow, likely to be uſeful, and at the point of dropping calf, is brought to the market, they purchaſe it, without paying much regard cither to the fpecices Or country./ Thomas Eccleſton, Eſq. of‘Scarſbrick=bäall has introdücéd upon his farm the Suffolk polls; and he remarks, they ſtand the climate, although they have a thin ſkin and fine coat; and they have, upon proof, been found to anſwer ſo well in milking, that frequent applications have been made by the ſurrounding neighbours to purchaſe them*, Mr. Wakefield of Brook farm, near Liverpool, and Mr, George Green of Aughton, have hitherto preferred the Holdernefs. But the long horn of the true Lancaſhire breed is the prevailing ſtock of the county, and ſeem in general well adapted to the ſoil; doing leſs damage to the clay lands, than the heavy Holdernéfſs; and being much eftcemed by the feeder and butcher for their carcafe. A againft nine Derbyſhire cows of the improved ſort; the former gave the greateſt quantity of milk, but that of the latter was conſiderably more produdtive of butter and cheeſe. By the im- # Theſe ſock fem well calculated for the ſpongy ſoft lands, being ter upon the ſurface than ihe long-horn,: H +o A proved E LE LE F# LANCASHIRE. rs proved Dérbyſhire cow is meänt ſuch as was bred by croſſes 4 írom Lancaſhire, Warwickſhire,&c.' and' what the Leiceſter- M ſhire breeders and others call the old-faſhioned ſórt, before delicacy of fleſh, and the feeding properties, wére ſo much ¿ TR attended to. This ſort of cow 1s generally the homé-bred 4 ſtock of Derbyſhire. The milch ¿óWs bróught by the dealers j .- to Derby market throughout the ſpring in great numbers, y, are chiefly of the Yorkſhire Kind, from the neighbourhood of M Rotheram. Theſe the farmer croſſes with a Derbyſhire bull| of the above mixed breed. Shortly there will be few bulls in the ſouthern parts of Derbyſhire, without much of the Bake- d| well, or, which is the ſame thing, the Fowler ſort in them. More attention is requiſite in Lancaſhire, in the choice of good bulls, than has hitherto been paid by the breeder towards| the improvement of his ſtock. Mr. Bakewell has fully con-| vinced the world, what. may be effected by perſevering atten-\ tion on this ſubje@t*, h Of the importance of dairy farming, no doubt-.can be en-| tertained, hÍ It is true that cheeſe may be imported; but milk muſt| be raiſed nearly upon the ſpot where it is conſumed, and freſh- butter docs not improve by carriage. Milk is the cheapeſt || food, and probably the healthieſt, that can at this day be- | purchaſed, It is no wonder then that the demand for this j article ſhould be great in this populous country, and near the great towns on the north-eaſt part.| There is much cheeſe made in this county, and alſo of ff 2 excellent quality; in many reſpe&s egual to the Cheſhire, in| | ſome ſuperior.‘The cheeſe made in the. vicinity of Leigh, | Newborough,&c. for its mildneſs and rich flavour, always / bears an advanced price at márket+; and it is ſomewhat re- s| markable that the very beft dairy(as is uſually reckoned) is i y the very worſt lard; the foil not being above two or three‘O I: inches deep.$f Superior, if otily on the following account— 0 SOT PS DIME OEDT “— E STDE TE CÉ EIR TIE E PAS PPI I CELA EISTEE AT= * Mr. Bakewell may have improved ſtock for the grazie, particularly j where oxen are kept; but who will ſay he has been a trtehd' tóthé’ dairy i: +{'About 16. per cwt. È 254 i:;/ Í 5 4A 4 H| |/ Ft Thélañds in Welt Leigh and Weſt Houghton, A j Ï il EE RY F# LANCASHIRE. 147 imeals of milk, the night's milk and the morning?s, fometimes the night’s milk is ſkimmed, and part of the cream taken from the cheeſe, but this not every where, for the bef dajries put all in; in the morning when the cheeſe is to be made, the night?s milk is to be heated till it is juſt as warm as from the cow, and then mixed with the new milk as ſoon as it 18 milked;z—into this is put a ſmall quantity of rennet juſt ſuf= ficient to come the curd, and no more; for on this juſt pro- portioning of rennet and milk, they tell me, the mildneſs of the cheeſe greatly depends. The rennet is made from the ſtomach-bag of a calf, ſalted and dried, which they call a bag- /.... 9 ſkin; a piece of this, no bigger than a much-worn ſixpencez is put into a tea-cup-full of water, with a little ſalt, about twelve hours before it is wanted, and this is ſuMicient for 18 gallons of milk, which it will come in about an hour and 2 half, if the bag-ſkin be good; then the curd is broke dowti, and, when ſeparated from the whey, is put into a cheeſe-vats and preſſed very dry, and after that broken very ſmall, by ſqueezing it with the hands; the new curd uſed is mixed with about half its quantity of yeſterday’s, and which has been kept for that purpoſe; and a part of this new curd is put by for to-morrow, if it can be ſpared; if not, all to-morrow’s is put by to mix with new, as convenience ſuits, for the beſt cheeſe is always made with part old curds. Some mix the old and the new together, after both have been worked very ſmall: others put the old curds in the middle of the cheeſe: either of which ways will do very well, as I have often noticed When the curds have been thus mixed, and well preſſed and clofed with the hands in a cheeſe-vat, till they become one folid lump, it is put into a preſs for four or five hours; then taken out of the cheeſe-vat and turned, by means of a cloth put into the cheeſe-vat for this purpoſe, and again put into the preſs, where it fands till night; then taken out, well:ſalted, and put into the preſs agan till morning, when it is taken out, and laid upon a flag, or board, till the ſalt is quite melted, which will be in a day or two; then it is wiped, put into a dry room upon A turning board, turned every day, till it becomes dry enough for the market, The uſual thickneſs of the cheeſes when dry, 1 C2 not AGRICULTURAL SURVEY not more than three inches, ſo that in five or ſix months it ig hard enough to carry to market; and a great deal of it at this age 1s ſent to London, by perſons who are commiflioned ts At a year old I think it is in its Kept longer it grows too dry; and for this reaſon it is always ſold o as ſown as poſſible it The cheeſe is mild; and when toaſted it keeps all its tn within it, which makes it This property of its mixing together when hot,-is ſaid to be owing to its being put together cool when made, for this makes the curd abla and tender, and likewiſe the cheeſe, ſo that its more ſolid particles, when heated, are eafil ly ſeparated, and the whole ſo looſed 2nd broken, that room is made for the butter, which adheres tothe ſmall particles of cheeſe, and forms one pulpous conſiſtence. Not ſo when the cheeſe is over= for then more of the butter runs out, and the purchaſe it from the farmers. greateſt perfedion, for if it is 1 can be carried without damaging. eat ſoft and rich. heated in making curd 1s faſter Rd together than before €; and when’ toaſting, the parts are looſened, the butter is run out, and the indes of the cheeſe-1s left hard and dry.— The land round Leigh is M—— being ebb of ſoil and cl ay under, which makes A few 3 years linc e of the fi farmers, en- E M RZ hj e rice of E E and ploughed their farms, which had be quence was, the plo e the conſe- > them A and left them oorer‘than ever. The e that came was coa ne cheeſe made off t and dry, and hed farms of an inferior quality, which had like the whole into diſrepute. y; the paſtures have come ——— SS to tetch as But fince the Dg about, and the cheeſe much at market as el eſe, the quantity made from a cow 1s about: 56910. fit for the market; a ſmall quantity beſides uter the proper cheeſing time, which ebins wien the co nerally the old May-day, a1 for the winter, which is Es whica 1s C CSN S ol No- iE EE 2; Stas SEITE AEZ IR Apr FRE E y nia TI—— R e | LA N CASTIRE E. 149 ;| i: F COM CLINS. 11S i The cows kept in the neighbourhood of Liverpool, and it vithin the compaſs of ſix miles, are, after ſupplying the family, y:: principally for the purpoſe of furniſhing the Liverpool market Vit| with milk#* and butter{. There is milk, it is true, brought já to town| from.a conſiderable greater diſtance(10 miles) Bie á the general diſtance ſeems no more than what 1s above ſtated. A In the town of Liverpool alone, there are a conſiderable num- Y ber of cows kept, to the amount of 5 or 600. A ſingle field, for an outlet in the day-time, i 1s procured at a very advanced N rate; but the principal food 18 hay, and grains from the y = breweries,—In the town of Mancheſter, at the preſent Junc- E ture, there are not more than ſix cows kept within the pre- ra cincts of the town, for the ſupply of its inhabitants. There Cr AS|> pe Comes aquantt Y Every day by the Duke s canal. : i Thoſe who are ſuppoſed to follow the beſt ſyſtem of ma- ©)/ nagement, with a proper capital, ſeldom keep the ſame cow is more-than one calf, except ſome particular favourite. They A are purchaſed at the time of calving, and the calf is immedi- NS ately ſold to feeders for the market, and who keep cows for 25 y that purpoſe, and diſpoſe of their milk, and procure a livelihood leir that way. The- cows, when they fail of yielding a certain quantity of milk(about 6 guarts per day) are, if in Proper % em nd* A few farmers there are that do not carry their milk to mar Ket,- but ty D: oſe of it at home. 0- Butter-milk 1s an article of food throughout the greateſt part of this ite, county. When made into por ridge, and thi 1ickened with a little oatmeal, La| and ſweetened with treacle, it becomes an ao greeable, nouriſhing, whole- | ſome, and che ap food: the ſweet, mixed with the acid of the nui, makes n a8 e it very pleaſant; mixed with water it is rendered a g good beverage at meals, nity- cool, refreſhing, and quenching in ſummer. It is ſometimes ed with // butter, and thus uſed 5 P votátoes. 2106S$ The cor nveyance of milk has of late years been in wooden veſſ:ls in elne carts, 16ſtead of the backs of horſes, as LON MErlY, One horſe can convey 5 a greater quantity in a cart, with more eafe, than on his| ack, beſides ge- affardir y more comfortable accommodations E the good woman. who alſo n UP| can Carry al ng with her milk ſome little garden-(tuft, according to the/ te ſeaſon of the ye: 2; and there are but few milk- carriers that do not take 4 No- few greens,&c. from their gardens, which th ey Ca n diſ poſe of amo NC(E tRSIE CUI mM 15, wh ¡1 they are ſell) ne off ie milk Of late theſe miikK- carts have been covered with Py unted canvas upon; 100PS, affording a very good ſcreen irom the ſeverit ty of the weather.“u: è COt 1T101 0 W- « / LG. ti: is AGRICULTURAL ¿SURVEY condition, diſpoſed of to the butcher; and, if properly keptz to advantage, ¿. e. for more than the firſt coſt. Mr. Mayo, who has 2 milk farm upon the eítate of T. Butterworth Bay- ley, Eſq. of Hope, near Mancheßer, informed us, that he ge- nerally ſold his ſock of to the butcher, at an advance of two guineas more than the original purchaſe*. But his landlord has furniſfned him with the greateſt conveniencies, and the completeft farm-yard obſerved in this ſurvey+, from which he has profited, and merits praiſe for his great induſtry and excel- lent ſyſtem, which is to feed them with the choiceſt hay, and ópening food in winter; ternpting their appetites, by offering his cows only ſmall quantities at once, but this is frequently repeated; and during the ſeafon they are upon graſs, they eat Corn, ground or bruiſed in a mill, of ſuch different kinds as can beſt be purchaſed; a very ſmall portion of time is employ= ed in grazing, for being well ſupplied in the ſtalls, and from the luxuriant rich graſs in the fields, they lie at their eaſe and ruminate. Mayo generally keeps his cows about 18 months, „and contrives to fell off in the ſpring, when beef is at the deareſt. *« TJ do not underſtand the mode of Mayo’s cow-keeping; to keep his cows only one note of milking, and generälly to keep them 18 months z which way he keeps them to profit 1s a myſtery to me that I cannot find out, and ſelling thenr at two guineas per head more than the firſt coft. « The general mode with me, and the cowkeepers in and about Liver- pool, when they are kept only one milking note, is from ſix to nine months at the longeſt, for that 1s as loyg/as any cow can pay at one note, except a prime cow that may be kept for ſcveral calves, or as long as ſhe does well. Cows, that only milk one note and calve, from July to No- vember and December, are mofßtly turned of in the ſpring following, when beef begins to be more ſcarce, and to ſelt at the dearelt; by which means the paſture is eaſed at the beginning, when mik is the moſt plenti- « ful, and coming in great plenty out of the country at a far diſtance. Some coves that are turned off, when beef 1s ſelling the deareſt, and with additional keep, may ſell for more by two or ſometimes three guineas than tHe firſt cof; and as that additional keep. 1s ſcldom or never accounted tar, it always appears as if it vvas ſo much clear profit; but without the debtor and creditor account be clearly fhewn, it is not fairly explained to the public. I generally ſee groſs amounts given of prime cows, but never the amount of an unproving cow, of which there are more than prime cews, particularly for milking. Ir. Harper. 4 ipa + Among other conveniencies, a ſtream of fine water runs through the Fard; and by opening a cock, he-can throw a ſtream through the cowhouſt, to wah away the dung,&c. left after emptying, and this water 1s obtained by draining the higher lying lands. AI C= E E o REY if N cent; colt, Mr, M Yo, Utterworth ly 2d us, that he ges N advance of two But his| landlord uencies, and the » from which he uitry and excel noiceſt hay, and tites, by oflering his ig a Uy pon graſs, they eat Cilterent kinds a ag ot time 1s employ the falls, and from 1e at their caſe and about 18 months, Jen beef 1s at the C EeDI PINS) to keep his E, them 18 months; me that I cannot find than the firſt col, rs in and about Liver is from ſix to nine | Can pay at one Ot, Ves, Or à long 2 as ſhe it, from July to No- ſpril- following, : des et; by which X js the molt plenti- ry ata far diltance, the dearelt, 2nd wit three gul Incas A Ccounti ed ver de COU or ne; f Han oeDe more lan pfilliv er runs tl through the ght the cow vhou! u!ey ; fl(Tl is obtained All SS ) 5 VN Y des ny di GA E, : Ly 71 DT dA ZA P LANCASHIRE COW, EE M dF A M PER SELES efi LANCASTER. 151 All the cow-keepers do not follow this good pradtice 5 and ſome, who régularly change their cows, do this frequently ie the loſs of two guineas per head, A cow at dropping calf, is generally worth, cæteris paribus, two guineas more to the cow- keeper than ſhe would be to the butcher.—If ſhe can be ſold after nine months milk, for the firſt coſt, or any advance, it muſt depend upon the beaſt being well bought, the ſeaſon of the year when ſold, or extra keep to promote feed. 1794. October 22d. Mr. Edward Aſhcroft, farmer, at the Spellow houſe in Walton, ſent down, for the ſurveyar’s inſpec- tion, the butter of a prime cow, colleéted the preceding week, the milk kept by itſelf, and churned the day before:‘the amount of which was 16 Ib. of butter of 18 oz, cach. T he butter had a fine yellovr colour, and acknowledged by all who viewed this great curioſity an excellent ſpecimen. The cow which yielded this aſtoniſhing quantity of butter, has had five calves, is eight years old, calculated to weigh about five hundred. RE colour a light red, a good deat of white, of the Lancaſhire breed, a very long horn, which was un- uſually thick towards the root. She had calved about a month before; her food eddiſh, but not of the firit bite, or beſt quality, with grains from the brewery, or ſcalded bran; the quantity of milk Me gives at preſent per day 22 quarts; a ſpecs of which accompanied the butter, and was tried by Dicas’s lac- fometer, and which was 96; after ſtanding 30 hours, and the cream taken off, 103.‘There ſeems no lune ior richneß in" the milk, therefore the great quantity of butter ariſes from the large quanüty of milk yielded.— But this is her prime ſeaſon, ſhe will gradually fall of in quantity, but not it is ſaid infe- rior to the general quantity by the remaining ſtock. It muſt appear aſtoniſhing that notwithſtanding the progeni- tors of this beaſt poſſeſſed, and her ſucceſſors ſill i inherit, the good qualities of this prime cow, yet there appears an indolent negligence in the propagation of the‘breed. A bull has never yet been thought of to propagate from full blood; for, beides this diſpoſition to milk, when that can be got rid oh there is a general diſpoſition to fatten, The Liverpool cowkceper does not aim at making butter D C E 12- AGRICULTURAL SUBV E y his ſyſtem is, to ſell milk and cream; but in the ſon, when milk flows into the town from man market ſufficient to take of the whole may not always be found, and then he is under the neceſlity of churning it, and making butter, or diſpoſing of it in cheeſe, or ſome other Way; but the conſumption of milk and cream is univerſal; and to theſe two articles his greateſt attention is directed, A good cow ſhould give daily 12 quarts, cream is generally 14d. per qua and inferior milk 1d. per quart* ſummer fea- VA quarters, aL and the price of rt; new milk 2d. per guart, « A cow ſtands the keeper in about 1 s. per day, for food, attténtion,&c. ío that with contingencies, and loſies th at frequently happen to the ſtock, there is but barely a living profit+ left to a buſineſs, which reguires much attention, and not a little{Rill in purchaſe and management, Mr. Henry Barper’s ſtatement of the Cexpence of keeping, and produce of a cow per ann. averaged out of a ſteck - of twenty-five cows, kept upon the Bank Hall eſtate. — The ſales of produce, and expence of keep, to the preſent price of the diferent articles 1/94 according mentioned, Average butter of one cow for 52 weeks is 41b. per week; 208 Ib. LEG OPD at IA 910 8 è Milk of all kinds, 52 weeks, at 35. 3d. 8 Gre O Price of calf--= Ou O Three tons manure, at A Od. A© 1276 Cartage ſaved, by the dung on the premifſies-- - O76 SEE O LS 4 V NA\ Ne SS nHnAy le a AF Lalk] 7 * Dearer at Mancheſter market a trifle; probably the quality may be ſuperior. T In calculations we too frequently find that no allowance 1s made for ngenc1ies, or falling off cf quantity, Twelve quarts der day is the king quantity; and though ſome cows may have givén more at Ls: Kind of ſock more rapidly fall oin quantity, whil, at € lame time,-the guality was of leſs value, in proportion to the excefs of auantity D- SCG 8 LA IJ[2 Expences R RUE SEN | A Æ PA= A E FLA N CUES HERE. : LL d Expence of graſs for the ſummer- 2 50 Hayy r6o0ftone, at 8a= 512 4/ * Provender, 26 weeks, at 3. 6d= 4 II 0: After-graſs or-eddiſh-- TIO O Loſs in cattle 5 per cent.‘9s. per head 0 9g 0 Catt-horſe and keep(to carry the produce tomalkeO a== 0 26 Dairy-maid--“ Ss TP O! O Attendance to milk= SML 2 O VWearandtear mue NC OT O OPT O Salt for 208 Ib. butter, 16 Ib.- ORTS 7 PrONC Per aun 2 7 ———— "The average milk of Mr. Harper?s ſtock is ſeven quarts of 2 P q milk per.day the year through; although ſome prime cows in their full perfe&ion, and in the height of graſs, may yield when freſh calved eighteen, twenty-four, or even thirty quarts, of milk in a day; but this ſuperabundance is-but of ſhort du- ration.—From every twelve guarts of milk is produced one pound of butter, of 18 oz. to the Ib. * The provender conſiſts of two feeds, morning and evening, each day, half a peck of potatoes or turnips cut and given raw, value one penny halfpenny z; one pint of oats and ohe pint of barley mixed together, and boiled with chaff, cut ſtraw, bran, or malt-duſt, mixed with the potatoe or turnip, value one penny halfpenny, or three pence each meal, The corn is boiled in plenty of water till it burſts, and the water is uſed in the mixture. 2 a SS=——————————— tg E ZE in RS e etc eO OO dr REO E R EE= R Es————————————— 1j 4 AGRICULTURA F SURVEY Average Price of BUTTER in the Liverpool market from the ſame, for the years 1791, 1792, and 1793. 4 I79T. 1792. E793. = d LE Wd= d.$ dd.= d E 72—_— 7 0 1611= 14 8 18.412= IS O 10 TE i DT 5 41= Qi O 813== 20S ZUL Se TIT i210— 10.0 14.11—_—_ JO I I IOL= O JO De T3== E LT 410=_= 36 138,10= I5 O OIS O7 76 115.= O S5 CE R) 8 92=_= 64 2,14= 2/4 2 TOS LD 2 IS 2 I 52 Weeks= 45 113|——|— : 52 Weeks= 46 55| 5> Weeks- 51 42 Average in 1791, Average in 1792» Average in 1793» 10 ZZ per Ib. 10{#Z 117 27 - Average price of butter for the three years 15, per Ib. 11« The ſyſtem at Mancheſter is nearly the ſame as at Liver- pool,(ſee the preceding note upon Mayo’s good management). It does not, however, appear, that ſo many cows are kept within that town, it being ſupplied by a whole circle of furrounding country; whereas Liverpool has only half the quantity of land, from its maritime fituation. The price of labour too, about Mancheſter, is ſuch, that the milk paſſes through the hands of retailers, who buy it wholeſale from the farmers,—who carry it generally upon horſes, and whoſe ſervant, upon diſchargig his load, can immediately return and become uſeful at home. There have been lately introduced milk ciſterns, formet out of a black cloſe-grained ſtone, ſomewhat ſimilar to black marble.‘The Rev. Mr. Johnſon has one, containing 13#f feet, another 152, the expence of which were 25s. 2d. per foot, theſe are furniſhed“with lead pipes at that price, Theſe cifterns are remarkably neat, and ealily cleaned, TN The Y e 4 ES os C= eer Detti n, 2 ÄL ero Pd C A> Ta VE A PES Ver- ent), ithin ding land, about nds of arry it argit ome, formed 0 black 1g 135 1d, per Thele e The e LANCACHIRE. 155 The praâtice of managing the milk for butter in this county, might be of ſervice, if followed in other places, Except in the county of Cheſter, it ſhould ſeem(as the ſurveyor underſtands) peculiar to this diſtri&.‘The mode is, dividing the milk into two parts; the firſt drawn, being ſet apart for family uſe, after being ſkimmed; the cream of which goes into veſlels appro- priated to receive it; as alſo the whole af the ſecond; or laſt, drawn milk, provincially called afterings*; theſe two being mixed together, are ſtirred, but not 2 great depth, to prevent the bad efes of foul air accumulating on the ſurface: and kept, according to the ſeaſon of the year, expoled to the hre, to bring on fermentation and ſourneſs; which is accelerated by that which may remain in the pores of the veſlels; to prepare this fermentation, they are not ſcalded, except after having contra@ed ſome taint: and then to accelerate it(the quicker it ¡s the better) tie veſlels are ſometimes rinſed out with ſour butter milkz in which ſtate the milk is ready for the churn 5; and, In conſequence of. this treatment, more butter is ob- tained, and of a better quality, than if the milk was churned wect. And the butter-milk, as it is called, after the butter is extra@ed, inſtead of being given to the hogs, as is generally the pra&tice in many counties, becomes, under this proceſs, an excellent food for man, both wholeſome, and pleaſant, as before-mentioned, This is the ſort of butter-milk which, it has been remarked, is neceflary for ſuch labouring poor as live en potatoes. EXPERIMENTS REGARDING MILE. Thomas Wakefield, Eſq. Brook-farm+, about two miles * About one half from each cow, each meal; but the quantity taken frſt in ſome meaſure depends upon the conſamption of milk in the fa= mily, + Mr. Wakefield has applied the ſteam of warm water for ſome time paí, in his ſtoves; and, by its efes has produced ſome very luxuriant fruit, both pines and melons. Mr. Wakefield ſeeins to think that a new field, in the proceſs of vegetation, may be diſcovered through the means of this application. But he is preparing to lay before the public the parti- culars of the proceſs, and its effects.| N 2 and =—== OTO 4 Again, 4lb. 140z. butter worth, ſay=— O40 IVe..“I Butter-milk 4 gallons 1 pint, at 2d. per galon- 0 0- ge re- tile SG can But 4 gallons of cream, at 4s. 8d. per gallon. or 14 d. your per quart, worth--= OIS 8 7 in C————— -; n favour of crea= OHT 2 s Gi jl our of cream L 3 Ae Upon his farm at Aughton Mr. G. Green obſerves, that the average milk by his cows has been nine quarts of milk by the (hort-horn, and ſeven quarts of milk per day“ by che long-horn ne,:; z cows z-and of butter eight pounds per week by Le former and 3 leven Qu “26ô AGRICULTURAL SURVEY ſeven pounds per week by the latter. This quantity is three pounds per week more than either Mr. Wakefield's or Mr. Harper's cows yield, which are equal in quantity, namely each 4lb per week. The two farms are about equal diſtances from Liverpool, e. g. Bank Hall, two miles north weſt.—Brook Farm two miles ſouth eaft. LACT TO METER A laQtometer, to try the diferent qualities of milk, has been invented by Mr. Dicas, mathematical-inſtrument-maker, in Liverpool, and patentee of a neat, ſimple, and acurate inſtru- ment to try the ſtrength of ſpiritueus liquors and worts. This lactometer aſcertains the richneſs of milk, from its ſpecific gravity, compared with water, by its degree of warmth taken by a ſtandard thermometer, on comparing its ſpecific quality wich its warmth: on a ſcale conſtrued for this parti- cular purpoſe, and‘by which, if the pri inciple be right, may be diſcovered not only the qualities of the milk of diferent cows, paſtures, foods, as turnips, potatoes, grains,&c. but alſo pro- bably which may be the beſt milk, or beſt paſtures for butter, and which for cheeſe.-- This inſtrument, however, is yet un its infancy. The ſurveyor took one with him upon his j journies, and made experiments at different places; but time ſufficient for a full and complete-experiment ſeldom offered: other cir- ‘cumfſtances intervened, and prevented a fair trial; but, at his own houſe, he has made a number of varied experiments, Upon diiterent milks from diferent farms. Obſervations on the canftruétion of the LACTOMETER for determining the goodneſs of* Milk, and the advantages to be derived therefrom:‘By Mr. Dicas. The LACcToxETER is conſtrued with ten diviſions upon the tem(fimilar to the patent brewing-bydrometer) and with eight weights, which are to be applied DN one at a time upon the top, to obtain the we ioht of the milk: an ivory ſliding-rule accompanies this inſtrument, upon the middle or fliding Fare of Weight of th E going E which 18 laid down ¿he lactone ter „PP CXP) Y NI ecTç NT A 1 AAE\ (( \ vl C GL NGCOS VEeEY Dx ICE i L220 777/77 LAL Z BIODD DED : 2 A—“S] <5»-— gg_<‘ 3 Aen H as-»- A A= D= E eS-D PS GSS 2-2 E PLoS— R E E= L= == 0e=== I o EEE EC SEZEN pe a es D AES BR So (EA cs E—— 4 c<“O cs Da E EN E=| ar NL ER E bard ZO n E E os E 2 M DO Z= SS{ x E: N EL A pe— TL ALC n==: L E dr) Ss o 2[S5 as— FE==S ME= E Les 2)"—/-—=--- E—_—_-_ R<<_ 2© G&G=—= E ER Es===< E E AT So=<‘a=: A e L= tat Toni e— E D— 4 R— E A E>"— gy Er__—_ A A È ee“A ax——— re TS m O A A SS[—] LA LA 1100 cowl ZI R: and \ u DIESE FATENTEE I I M M til| u HEI 3/0 0 [I | | _ Ts New MII AEN BBE LIVERPOOL. E _Skinvd M II MY oF LANCASHIRE. 169 SECT. 3:“Hlorſes. A GREAT number of horſes have-of late years been bred, owing to the advanced price they have generally fetched at market; but proper attention in the choice of either the brood mares, or ſtallions, has not been paid. The ſtocks, both of cows, of ſheep, and horſes, are capable of great improvements, which merit the conſideration of every breeder.—T'he ſame paſture will rear the young ſtock, of either cow, ſheep, or horſe, of the beſt kind, at the ſame coſt as a ſtock of the very worſt quality; but a three-years-old heifer, of the firſt kind, will ſell for double the price of one of a ſimilar age of the latter deſcription; if a colt, the proportion is fill higher, ac- cording to the ſuperiority of its breed. If the above ftate- ment be true, is it not to be wondered at, that greater atten- tion has not been paid by the breeder; ſince both the climate and lands are capable of producing good breeds, and there are purchaſers enough to excite encouragement? Strong horſes are molt in uſe, except among gentlemen, who breed for them- ſelves. Horſe-ſurgery of late, under Mr. Moorcroft, and by the eſtabliſhment of the Veterinary College, ſeems making rapid progreſs towards a degree of perfeétion unknown in other countries. Unfortunately no attention has been paid to the diſeaſes of neat cattle, ſheep, ſwine,&c. Were the noſtrums of'indi- viduals for thoſe animals communicated to the Board, probably there would be found ſufficient remedies for the diſorders they are liable to,/ Should another circular letter ever be emitted by the Board, might not that be a proper article for enquiry? Or would it not be adviſeable to ſend a circular letter to practitioners in the far- riery line, and farmers,&c.&c. ſpecifying each diſorder; and by way of encouragement, to grant honorary rewards or me- dals to ſuch may make known the moſt ſatisfactory receipts for cure or prevention? Mr. Eccleſton ſuggeſts the following hint. He imagines, that the number of horſes bred in this, ſurpaſſes that of any Z other E TE ME E E E RELE IE Z EEE 570 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY other county in the kingdom*. He propoſes,“ that a yearly tax be laid upon ftallions of five times the ſum p they receive for ſérving each mare, for the ſeaſon z it would prevent the uſe of the inferior ſort of fallions, which only ſerve to procreate thoſe of ſmall value which are nearly uſeleſs, with which al- moſt every part of the kingdom abounds. A very conſiderable ſum would annually accrue to government, were each ftallion to pay hve times the ſum for a licence, that he ſerves each mare at, viz. a horſe that covers at one guinea for the ſeaſon, ſhould pay five guineas for a licence; and others, that cover at 20/ ſhould pay one hundred{. would * The farms are exceedingly ſmall, and each farmer almoßi keeps a brood mare, + Who would venture to breed at ſuch an expence?—A tax upon ſtallion horſes would undoubtedly be a very great ſep towards improving the breed of horſes in general. 1 The improvement upon horſes in the preſent mode of ſerving mares along the ſea coaft, 20 miles north of Liverpool, has taken place for theſe 30 years paſt, ſo as now to be one-third more 1n ſize and bone, and better ſhaped; and if the preſent breed had-been then exiſting, would have then ſold for double the price in any market, not ſaying any thing of the ad- vanced price they have ſold for of late. A tax upon traveiling allions, if ever ſo ſmall, would much diſencourage the breed of horſes, and farmers would be keeping ſtallions for their own uſe, of any breed that may fall into(heir hands, and the ſtallions that now travel the country have moſtly ſome merits-in them, either for ſize, bone, or good ſhape, or of ſome partì- cular good breed; and the light breed of middling ſize and bone are the moſt uſeful horſes for the tage coaches, and mail coaches, poſt horſes,&c. and many other purpoſes that will not beaï a hgh price: the riſk of miſ- fortune is ſo great upon horſes that are employed in that bußineſs, and they will equally ſerve the purpofe, as well as one of a higher price, and often much better; and I have been informed by a gentleman above ſeventy years of age, who lives 20 miles caf of Liverpool, that he has obſerved that the breed of horſes has much improved every ſeven years for half a century paſt; likewiſe by-.a gentleman that is a dealer in horſes, who now lives in Liverpool, but who was born in a field country, that he has had perfe& knowledge of that country for thirty years paſt, and that the breed of horſes that are now in being there, are as good again as they were thirty years ſince. I cannot help lamenting that more attention is not paid to cows being ſerved with bulls of good breed, and fuch as would beſt ſuit the diſtri, as trials of different breeds might be made with little or no expence more than the preſent mode. If ſuch a fpirit could be generally excited in the diſtri& that is 20 miles north of Liverpool, and in almoſt every other diſtrict in the county, ſave the Filde and about. Preſton, Lan- caſter, and Hornby Holme, for the breed of cattle is much the ſame as it was thirty years nce, for little or no attention is paid to the breed, neither ſi large nor ſmall, ſo the cow has a calf.—Mr. Harper. Accidental A ia SA as early receive ce vſe TOCtEte hich al. iderabla 1 ftallion ch máre y(hould ‘at 201, would oft keeps a pon ſtallion roving the ng mares for thele 2nd better have then sf hie ad» ſtallions, f nd farmers at may all ſome parti- zone re the t horſes,&c, ilk of mil ylinels, and , an bove ſeventy has ddſgrved (cs for hall a (65, wo Now \d he has had that the bred hey were thirty js not paid 10 || A M } woutd DELAS ch the WE /(, neitner Ur* of LANCASHIRE, r71 « Would the produce of ſuch a tax be leſs than 50,0900!. per ann. throughout Great Britain? By the above tax, the, farmer?s ſtock, in the horſe line, would in a few years become of infinitely more value. Fewer, being ſtronger, would be equal to his work, our cavalry better mounted, and a greater ſum would annually be rettirned by foreign nations to this country, for the ſuperior and fine horſes we ſhould then be able to export.’’—In this northern diſtrié&t, and mountainous country, the land is more particularly expoſed, and its pro- duce more uncertain. Therefore experiments cannot be made with egual advantage as in the more ſouthern parts of the kingdom. Many of the lands in this county, are ſuitable, and would pay well, tobreeding*. An improved ſtock, as before hinted, would return the greateſt profit. Accidental Experiment in the Year 1792. By the ſame Farmer. I had a heifer calved in the field, and it was Tome time before ſhe was fetched home, which was not before the calf had ſuckled itſelf, by which means ſhe would never give her milk to be milked by hand, for which I put calves ko her. After ſhe had fed two for- the butcher, I then put two young, calves on her for rearing, which were on her about ten weeks, and then weaned; at which time they were better calves than thoſe of four months old, reared in the cuſtomary way, that is by poor milk, with the addition of water, meal,&c. The calves did not run on her conſtantly they were only turned on her at milking time, morning and evening; and each of them ſuckled about one halt of her milk, as near as could be judged; and the calf that went on her firſt in the morning, went laſt on in the evening z and they are now two years old, and both in calf, and better bealts by 205. Zer bead than thoſe reared in the cu(tomary ways and equally of as good a breed; ſo, for the time coming, I ſhall conclude one quart of milk, ſuckled by the calf ¡itſelf from the beaſt, to be as good as two of the ſame quality given aRxy other way 5 for it is more natural, nouriſhing, and, Rrengthening to the calf, while young, and ſupports it to be of ftronger body, and ftraighter limbed. If fuch a ſpirit for rearing calves could be brought forwards with the help of fuch bulls as would beſt ſuit the diftri&, ihe breed of cattle would ſoon be much improved, and with a benefit of upwards of 20 fer cent. more than the preſent mode. My opinion 1s, that if a tnedal,@r a ſmall premium, was to be given to the breeder or farmer that could ſhew the bef ſtock of horſes and cattle of his own rearing, it would greatly encourage the breed of both more than a taxe * cc J think not; if the land of the county was managed as it ought to be, it would ſoon become too valuable for breeding. « The lands in this county, in the’ ſouthern parts eſpecially, are rented too high for breeding.—F.#Æ. Z2 There ACC ‘ 5 12 AGRICUE URAL: SURVEY There has certainly been a degree of attention paid to the breed of horſes at leaſt, for this half century paſt, in this county. An attentive obſerver on this head remarked, that within the ſpace of thirty years, horſes have doubled their value in real goodnels of quality; whilſt the horned cattle, inſtead of a progreſlive improvement, have been upon the decline. Mr. Bakewell has made the Lancaſhire breed the baſis of his im- provements, Oxen haye been made uſe of formerly, but always upon a contracted ſcale. Horſes at preſent are univerſally preferred for huſbandry buſineſs. The paved roads of this diſtri& do not agree with the feet of oxen. An attentive farmer will make his horſes pay more profit for their keep, than it is poſible for the ox, chough this is urged as a ſtrong argument in favour of preferring the ox. For if cir-- cumítances permit the farmer to breed ſtack, he works them| from two years of 2ge, to five or ſix, and then ſells them of.| If the farmer do not breed, the proceſs ſhould be the ſame,| to purchaſe young cattle, which the eaſy. and ſlow operations N of agriculture admit to grow and improve. When matured,: they become ft for the carriage, road or field, and will then ſell, if properly ſeleÆted, at an advanced price, and ſo as to afford a profit for their maintenance, beſides the work gained;| beyond what is in the limited power of an ox; to gain in weight i of carcalſe. On this important ſubje&, the following obſervations by Mr. Henry Harper merit to be attended to, They aroſe from 2 conſideration of the comparative eſtimate between horſes and oxen, in the Suſſex Report, p, 82. are as follow: « I am no advocate for horſes in preference to oxen; but prefer that mode in which buſineß can be done with mofßt caſe and leaſt expence, Mr. Harper?s ſentiments “ I have on my farm ſome ftrong heavy land as any in the kingdom, and iome as light.— Three horſes, with the allowance of two buſhels of oats per week each horſe, are able to plouch an acre a day in the heavieſt and ſtrongeſt land(if ever broke up before) and plough it to any depth from four to’ eight inches t+t A ad of LANCASHIRE. 173 i at 2 proper ſeaſon of the year.—When a fccond ploughing is vdd neceilary, two horſes will be ſufficient to plough one acre and ind a half per day in the ſpring or fummer months, and by which i al there is a ſpare horſe, for harrowing in the ſeed, or any other M9 extra work.—I plough ſingle, or the horſes abreaît, as ſuits the M, nature of my work the beſt, $ Im-«‘The average wark done upon the heavy and light ſoils on - my farm, with a three-horſe team is ſeven ſtatute acres per oN 4 week the year through, which, at 7 ſhillings per acre, is 49 fred ſhillings per week*, and have a ſpare horſe eight weeks in t do the year out of this team, |« My ploughs are the common ſwing ploughs with caſt-iron nt for mold-boards, of different degrees of ſtrength, according to the zed as nature of their work and land under tillage. Single or double É cir- È wheels may be uſed with theſe ploughs, as occaſion requires, them and drawn by a chain fixed to the axis of the plough. n« The following is the calculation of the rſt purchaſe, and m0, keep of three horſes for one year: 01s o Gt ited, Three horſes, at 425 each-— 7 O O \(ell, Hafneſs for ditto, at EA Ae= 1212 0 il Oats, at 6 buſhels per week, for 6 months TO 10. O Oats, at 3 buſhels pér week, for 6 months SOLIS TO Hay for ſix months, at 14 Is.- E275 OO raſs and green crops for ſix months, at 155. per Mr,| week----= 10.105 O oma Wear and tear of two ploughs, perannum-- 3 30 5 and Wear and tear of horſe-gear, per annum<== I 5/0 ments Horſe-ſhocinsg, at 10s. 6d. each horſe= ETT O -. Farrier---- O TO 4 A M 170 750 e Prime-coſt,&c. of ox-team, as ſtated in the Suſſex Su, report E-- TATO O ind— pyance Ín favour of the ox-team, balance-> 2A 710 Muet Zis Siae Ses 48* N. B. Mr. Harper obſerves above, that in ſecond ploughings they M are able to plough xÈ acre per day; therefore he averages'levcn acres the inches year through, and allows nothing for loſs of time by bad weather,.ma- zt gining the two acres per week ſufficient for that purpoſe, My AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 174 GS> #* My horſe-team will earn 49s. per week per an- num--==iI292 Bi o Profit on two young horſes each per annum, beſides eight weeks ref for one horſe, or any extra work 25 O0 : 129 8 0 The ox-team will earn 30s. per week LE FOr NINE Months fR 4.0 O Profit on the oxen-- 0 0.0 Y E 1 678‘0 D Balance in favour of the ox, firſt purchaſe-- 23 2:6 è Neat balance in favour of the horſe per ann.- LAL 0.06>= i 4_— B> « The above ſtatement is what a horſe-team will do on my E farm, and I think may be done upon any farm in England, E where they have proper implements and properly applied.” HA Thus Dodtors diſagree in Opinions!= But fince Mr. Harper's management of a horſe-team is ſo a good, might not an ox-team under his management be alſo more Y S Z produdive? i® pa LS N y KS MOE SECT. 4— Hogs, E PoRK is not an article of great coniumption with any claſs of people in this county. The application of the beſt and moût farinaceous kinds of potatoe being chiefly for the food of| iman, the refuſe alone, and the coarſer kinds, ſuch as ox-noble,| champion, and Surinam f, are given to the cows, horſes, and. poultry, and to the hogs which may be kept on the farm,| which ſeldom amount to above four,| two acres every week to make up defi- E VE $ * An allowance is made. of ciencies for the whole year, as before Éſtated. + The earnings of the ox-team, as well as the earnings per acre of the horſe-team, is according to. the calculation made in the Suſſex Report. 1 It is ſuppoſed moſt of theſe coarſe kinds have b-en raiſed from the ſeeds of the Surinam, and of which they are only varieties, indeed they bear ſtrong reſemblance to the Surinam, in leaf, be 4E D Cr Y (€ SNA SY A SE SÉIKR SSS (c 1.1 7 | SE I AS iE MIDIGANIA : VO AAA AN ONEN N EE EELS| SIMI E 2%| A ONE< IA ZZ j| SS( C db) IF 4 = 4| M > A — CIA ja E VAIN \ UAT AN u ] UNITA, ! / y 02/0 0 L/ Fr(/ > Mis Ve WF è MA 0130/6 SL A ————= Y (ag 06 A Les M] N will do on my S n in England, À \ applied.” AO \ Gi AN° IS; Zh N Y y) 0 N p E i 4 e horle-team 1s(0 e Vae al EA( U ment be allo mord: wt th Y Y WA gon vith any C2 _ of the beſt 30d 4y for the{00d 0 * cb as 0x-n0v!) €“0WS horleS) all + 00 the aM) ( A D Vl Ci LP 4 ke up 061 WF, Zee veek to MAY T7 D 2 > L > EZ E 2 e rr J SERT DR E R y————— E a+ Ff LANCASHIRE: 175 ‘The’ idea of hogs being numerous ina potatoe country is very natural; but the fact is not ſo: few are bred here, and thoſe few that are képt are bought from itinerant drovers from Shropſhire, Yorkſhire, Cheſhire,&c. Pork does not ſce to be a favourite food with any claſs of people in this. county, though more is uſed than formerly. In fhort, the potatoes ge- nerally grown by the lower people are of the beſt farinaceous kinds, which they are particularly nicé in, and conſume in their families, or fell to advantage in the market. Some gentlemen and farmers, who grow the ox-noble and other coarſer pota- toes, uſe them in general for cows, horſes, and poultry, ſcarcely any one kteping more than three or four hogs, which, how- ever, are kept in good condition, and in ſome degree fatted with the help of potatoes, but are fatted of at laſt with da- maged ſhip’s wheat, India corn,&c. which can often be pro- cured upon reaſonable terms from the córn warehouſes. Boat loads of ox-noble potatoes are brought to Liverpool from Cheſhire, which are bought up for the uſe of cattle, Xc. The ftock of ſwine are in general purchäſed from herds- men who travel about the country, and who bring them from Cheſhire, Shropſhire, Wales, and Treland. Mr. Eccleſton, how- ever, has a breed between the wild boar and the Chineſe, which have very light and ſmall bellies. Upon the fame food, Mr. Eccleſton thinks, they will yield one fourth more fleſh than either the large Iriſh or Shropſhire. Their fize is but ſmall, weight from 10 to is ſcore, generally about 12 ſcore. Mr. Wakefield has the ſame breed: anengraving of one of which ac- compares this report. Pigs ſhould, during the ſage of their growth, be regularly turned out to graze, where there is a conveniency. beſides the advantage of graſs, which is nutritious 2nd helps digeſtion, by the freſh air and exerciſe, cauſes a diſpoſition to take their reft, anú ſleep after a meal, contributes to their cleanli- PS ne, and renders their eſh of ſuperior flavour. SECT. 5.— Rabbits, THERE are ſome lands along the coaff, employed as rb- bit-warrens; but theſe animals make excurſion® into the adjoin- ing lands, and commit depredations upon the corn: they are all 1L - TY capadie 179 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY capable of cultivation; moſt of them poſſeſs marlez either below their ſurface, or within reach, and are not at all inferior to Bootle Marſh.: It is a fat; however, that neither cows nor fheep will produce ſo great a profit as rabbits will afford, on that land which is ſuit- able for them.‘Their ſkins, when in ſeaſon, are nearly as valuable as their carcaſe, and they are prolific to a proverb. A gentle- man converted a tra of land into a warren, which anſwers well. SECT. 6 Paultyy. Tu€ Filde is the principal diſtri in this county which keeps a ſurplus ſtock of poultry. Poulterers alſo collect the chief part of what is brought to the Ormſkirk market on ‘Thurſday, from the cottagers and farmers, and retail them out again at the Liverpool market on Saturday. On Martin Mere, are turned a number of flocks of geeſe, on a certain day, brought from diferent parts of the county. Theſe flocks are ſo marked, as again to be known. Upon this Mere they continue till about Michaelmas, and on this water they can find ſufficient of food for their ſuſtenance from the diferent graſſes, aquatics, fiſhes, and inſects. The pro- prietor of the water claims half of the ſock that remains alive for their ſummer's keep. SECT. 7. Pigeons. A GREAT difference of opinion is entertained in regard to the utility or the diſadvantage of keeping pigeons. In ge- neral, however, it is acknowledged that their dung, in ſo far as it can be procured, is of the greateſt importance to the farmer. SECT: 8— Deer THEsE laborious and uſeful inſe&s, have not been hi- chertotreated withthat degree of attention they merit. The pro- duce of their labour is not only pleaſant, but nutritious; and beſare the introdudGion of ſugar, by the diſcovery of America, honey muſt have becn in high eſteem, by enriching the flavour Ed of AL ASEGASHFRE 15x low| bt many articles, which have only yielded to the intrödudGion Mid| and ſuperabundance of ſugar*.‘The wax too is an uſeful | article, and valuable in many of, the arts, in which it makes a duce conſiderable part of the compoſition. Tt is almoſt incredil I» è IE indeed, how much can be afforded in the conſumption to which able it is frequently applied, that of wax lights. ule- Bees ſeem to require as little attention to their well-being, well, s can well be conceived. A fſtraw-built cell, with very ſmall accommodation, 18s what is commonly ſufficient, and for which thoſe induſtrious creatures, in a ſhort ſpace of time, generally 81 repay IO per cent. upon the capital advanced.‘The paſtures from which they gather their rich ſtores, ſeem not the leaſt 0. ES injured; or, in other words they colle&t and depoſit in their A cells, and which comes out afterwards either wax or honey 2E(whether by any proceſs of their own, will not, on this occa- n ſion, be inveſtigated); a ſubſtance, which, if not colle&ted TS by theſe induſtrious creaturès, would be a loſs never to be re- ny gained, 0 Theſe conſiderations have induced many to contrive me- S8 thods to preſerve their lives, at thè expence of their ſtores, by TOM collateral and other devicés in the application of different boxes, Pſde Theſe ſchemes, ſeemingly humane, have proved in the iſſu alive certainly cruel, as a lingering, inſtead of a ſpeedy death, muſt be-termed ſo. Too.often a bare ſubſiſtence for the winter is collected, and if part of that is plundered, the remainder, after a ſhort ſubſiſtence, leaves the legal poſleſſor to famine.‘There- oard aS/ duk EE 9* It is in the memory of a perſon(42), now living, that a family on the | je borders of the ſouth eat part of the county made a complaint, that their ar 48 bees had not afforded ſufficient honey for common uſe, and that they had been under the neceſſity of purchaſing half‘a pound of ſugar to ſupply the mer deficiency in one year. The ſurveyor, when a boy, recolle&s that at the return of the wake(an annual feſtival, always highly celebrated, by procuring a few ſuperfluities to cheer their friends, who might call upon them), a conſultation was held. in a certain family, whether a pound of ſugar was to be added to the articles intended to be purchaſed, which was decided in the negative, and Ma N: ae te 2: 2 S another pound of beef was added to the bill of fare, inſtead of the pouná : 1I0- of ſugar, u N. B.—T'ea not then introduced. dn) Z:(a) Mr. Titus Hibbert, Mancheßer,“ TICAS 2 your i rs ¿ AE! Íore, 78 AGRTICUF FURALZ SURVEY fore, if plunder be legal, immediate deſtru&tion, by fire er ſulphur, is the greateſt humanity*. An accident happening to a hive of bees, belonging to Thomas Dugdale, of Walton, 1794, the honey was taken, and after being cleared from the combs was weighed, which amounted to the aſtoniſhing quantity of 18Ib. in the ſpace of twenty-one days after ſwarming. Mr. Lowas, 2 elergyman in this county, is at preſent employed in e the lives of theſe hitherto devoted and induſ- h ſome utetul experiments and improvements, ertained, will be preſented to the public. devifing ſome mcans to 1 i2ious infects; together w i al; E H E R 1a SPESEN E whuch, when ſufficiently alc Ÿ t CHAPTER Uil of LANCASHIRE, 179 CHAPTER NUV. TURA LE CONO MN. SEcT. I.— Labour. ES price paid for different kinds of labour, varies more in this county, than probably in any other in the king- dem. An ingenious correſpondent obſerves,“ that the rate of wages Is in proportion to the diſtance of towníhips from the ſeats of manufacturers; e. g, at Chorley the wages of a com- mOn Iabourer 2 with dle at EUNton 25 Oo. 25. bd. Eccleſton 1 s. 6d. or 2s.; at Mawdſley and Biſpham, I am i RES i told you may get them in harveſt time, for 1 s. 2d. and 1s, 4d, a in Wrightington the price of labour was lower two years ago, tkan the laſt mentioned ſum, and does not now exceed it.” Under this head it may not be unproper to give the follow- ing ſtatement of different prices of labour,&c. at two periods; taken by the ſurveyor after a reſidence of thirty years in a village where no manufa@ory has yet been introduçed— namely, IVaîton, near Liverpoal, - An 7 mb a Anbig) “O u«mus- 1. CODA ail Ug Y D ÉE E E e E— E— 180 AGRICUEFFUCRAL SURVEY A comparative Price of Labour, and other Articles, in the courſe of thirty years, taken April 1791, In the year 1761, In the year 1791- Eid REG: Head-man ſervant wages 5 Perann== 0 10/0— OOO Maid ſervant- OO— AOLO Maſons and carpenters, per day E=- O2— O22 Labourers wages+-- 0 0101s 6d. 1792,0 1 df Mowing perce-- O0 3 0= 0$ O8 Thraſhing wheat per ſcore 0 5 0_—- 07 06 Batley and bels=— O 256— 420 Oats-- OLS—0 2-6 Taylors wages per day and fcod- O OO— OL 2 M hatener Per dy LO TEO— O Butcher for killing and cut=- ting up a pig R O—— OAT 6 Ditto calé, and ſelling carcaſz 0 ï— O26 * At the ſame time was taken the number of inhabitants, under their various denominations and occupations; number of horſes, cows,&c- 13 each village z quantity of grain grown,&c. 2 copy af which was lodged in the pariſh cheſt(the ſurv-yor being churchwarden that year) in hopes that more ingenious ſucceſſors in that oftice might improve upon the hint, and occaſionally regiſter peculiar circumſtances or events. This was done without knowing that the Preſident of the Board of Agriculture was then engaged in a fimilar work over the whole kingdom of Scotland; which he underſtands will be completed in the courſe of the year 1794. + The hours in ſummer ſhould be from fx to hx, allowing half an hour at breakfaſt, and one hour at dinner; but the labourer in general now comes, or rather leaves home to go to his work, about ſeven o’clock in the morning, nor continues his labour till the hour of ſix, as was the pradtice 30 years ago—but calculates the time to be taken in his walk home, that he inay arrive at the hour of ſix. In the winter the hours of labour mult of courſe be curtailed, as âre yet, in ſome places, the wages—but this pradtice, of late, is become les general, ; LAS: SRS + And an attempt to raiſe them in the ſpring of 1793 to 2s. Zer day; but the calamities, which came on at that period, produced a great change, l» PT Ss S and every efffort was made to procur employment for the induſtrious. S Eight yards to the rod, Ó Cri a E ef LANCASHIRE. 181 j In 1961. In-179%, bUrie 11° 4 Butcher for killing a cow, L. s. d. Ls Sar de ( and ſelling carcaſe ts O 2° 0— O 50 501, Price of good cart horſes- 10 0 0, 05 OO Pair of men's ſhoes--, 0 3 6 theſame perſon 75s. and advanced the end of that year to 7s. 6d. 0 Sett of horſe-ſhos-- 0 10— OAO Carpenters work—price of ſeveral particulars uſed in 2 ALT ICRAUT€ In the year 1701. In the year 1791. Bs EL ; Large cart 7 feet 3 inches, s wheels 5 feet 2. inches ó high, with flakes, com- plete, twice painted(to : the carpenter)+= 5 0_Q_— AEO 7 Ringing a pair of wheels= 018 0— L-T5/ O0 ; New axle-tree, and work-«. 0 4 0— 0 06 0 W heel-barrow, and trundle o 5 0— OTZ O 6 Plough--=O 70— OLEO j Harrow, 3 feet 6 inches- o 3 6— o 5 6 n Pair of homes-= OCG O—— OOO E Spade ſhaft- OO M= ovs(GE AS hat Common five barred gate O 5 0— OTO O (2 Ladders, 1 5 ſtaves, per ſtave 0 0 4= OO A Ditto, from 15 to zo ftaves 0 0 0— OOO E Swipels, ſens, and ſets for A carts--= 10.02—— OL OLO ] nov Wheat per buſhel——= Or. 7:0 the Barley—— E E Es Oats———= O 2.20 Beans_———_— OA 210 * The journeymen butchers in Liverpool, about thirty-three years ago, 02) 5 ſlaughtered at the following prices: a bull 2 s.; a cow I1s,; A ſow 6d: a | ſheep 13d.; a calf 3d; of the laſt, about twelve were one day’s work z 6 alſo one ſcore, or two dozen of ſheep, were a day’s work. The prices are z now doubled, E: Wheat= SL GZ e eZ O— D_—, E E ee— ¿OZ AGRIC UE FORAL SURVEY L. In 1797. LS dA A 7A v) Wheat-ſraw SEA O 5,70 per.ftone of 20Ib. E e A ſtraw per thrave-- O0..0 2È—- CO 68 Qat-ſtraw. per E= OO 5—— 0018 E E C eE dotes Se o SSS golea ZOE, * D WeGCEt MIK Per quat= o QT== O TOLE ‘289„two and three for 1 d. from Id.to 2d. per egg. Ín the winter of 1794= Ss= AS per egg. N. B.—Exnpended upon the poor írom Eaſte: 1760 to Eaſter 1701---- O 2 From Eaſter 1790 to Eaſter I791I SES TIS E E There have been twenty additional houſes built in the ſpace of time Detwixt E and 1791. The above ftatement ſeems to confirm the opinion of fome, « that the poor-rates increafe as the price of labour advances; which in ſome places,(as appears from the anſwers given to the agricultural queries) have been as high as nine, eleven, ; ES and.thirteen fillings in the pound, « A Piece Work,'or by the Great. Ma? king new fence, ditch, hedge, bank, ſeven ſods in height, backing, and covering with theſe ſods, planting quiekſetts, bearding, from Is. 6d. to 25s. per rod. Cutting hedges, opening and ſcouring the ditches, putting freſh earth to ife guicks, from 8 d. to 14d. per rod. - Delving or trenching with dung, one ſpit or ſpade deep, 10 d. fo Ts: 2d two DIES 1.04 WOO IO PErLOO ECIPINS Or E A beans 6 d. and 8d. per rod; double gutters 1E foot cep, 42 d. to 6 d. per rod(of 8 yards); common ſpade gutters L a LOE 0 DEN tod; feighing two yards deep, or if undex, 22&. to 2d. the ſolid yard Mowing. from 3s. to 4s. per ftatute acre 5 reaping from D OL LOS PEV ACTE: *‘To what cauſe is the unvaried price of this valu able article to be aft ti cbuted? It is flattering to the modern improyement of meadow lands,| the growt th of various graſles, formerly hardly know n, and by the cul:1va tion of this land in Sener), if this indulk y and attention may- have effected ſa eſſential a benefit, N D St À OEA 2 Thrafhing 1 L= of LANCASHIRE. 12:14 Thraſhing is done fometimes by the thravez and ſometimes " 1..- ELN.: E j Gs by the buſhel—the price generally paid by the piece 1s about M one twentieth of the value of the grain, or one buſhel of the ¿4 9 grain thraſhed at every ſcore. If Efftéits of Piece Work. L In many caſes Piece=Wwark is deſirable, as it encourages a fpi- S0| rit of diſpatch, and, in conſequence, proves a ſource of benefit to 5! an induſtrious labourer; at the ſame time it 1s a temptation to labourers te over-work themſelves, which ought to be avoided. ti Gentlemen who employ a number of w orkmen together l ſhould be extremely guarded, not only in their choice of men, but. alſo a proper inſpector; ſince wherever one 1s. diſpoſed to loiter, either by telling his ſtory to divert his companions, or by any means cauſe an intermiſkon of labour, all the company muſt of courſe became liſteners, and the ſpace of five minutes, in the company of twelve, is equal to the loſs oï a whole hour?s labour ‘tg of one individual.- Nor is this the whole of the evil. Bad ex- Cli, amples are contagious. Thoſe who might be formerly induſ- y trious, become by fl ſlow ſteps more indolent, The contagion fpreads wider, and the evil increaſes, SECT. 2.— Proviſions = BUTCHERS meat, like other articles in this county, is varies in price. It is generally deareſt towards the ſouth and ſouth eaſt, many cattle being driven from the northern part to 0 j ſupply thoſe diítriéts; but Me it 1s there generally more than a penny per pound under the London market-price. Corn, at 100, Liverpool, is always above the London price, nearly one Fe ſhilling per buſhel, as appears by the returns publiſhed. IÎn D: thoſe parts of the county where oat-meal is chiefly uſed for i: bread,&c. when enquiry was made afîter the price of provi- 10 úons, the firſt anſwer was univerſally the price of oat-meal, the ſtaff of their life. fon At Mancheſter market, October 9g, wheat ſold that day from 23 to 345: per load, as it is terme 1 or ſack, of Oats 33 to 245. per load of 9 W ats buſhels. Beans 30s, load of 5 Wincheſter buſhels. Potatoes 4s. 6 d. to 5 s.-per ' al of 12 ſcore, 12lb. waſhed; unwaſhed, E ſcore. ¡S/ pi ER, « 184 AGRTICUCT CRAL SURVEY Fine flour 365.; ſeconds” 34.; thirds 26 and 28s. pef 12 ſcore; oat-meal 36 and 37 s. per load, of 12 ſcore. No barley at this market. Cheeſe from thirty to fifty ſhillings per cwet.- The price of proviſions, unleſs the ſeaſons are very unfavour=- able, is more likely to fall than to advance, if trade continues to ſtagnate. In eſtimating the prices of meat, due regard ſhould be paid to the qualities of the meat, different values of the diferent Joints of meat of the ſame quality, and the different ſeaſons of the year—veal being generally clieapeſt when beef and mutton are the deareſt. In the year 1793, the prices of beef might be from 3d. to 5d. per Ib.; mutton from 3d. to 6d.; and veal from 3d. to 6 d. per Ib. The writer of this paid the whole of that year 42@. per Ib. for his meat, all(except lamb) weighed together.‘The ave- rage conſumption in his family 100lbs. weight per week.— The meat was of the very beſt quality, and of which the top part of the buttock, provincially called a 7aund, a ſhoulder of veal, and hind quarter of mutton, almoſt univerſally made three ſtanding joints every week in the year=in the other joints ſometimes the butcher and ſometimes the purchaſer was accommodated, W hence the Markets are ſupplied. The principal fatting diſtri&s in this county are from Claughton to Hornby, a rich paſture there called the Holmes, and from thence through that fertile vale as far as Kirkby Lon(- dale*; alſo ſome gentlemen’s parks, and private incloſures, but the whole of theſe amount to a mere trifle, compared to the conſumption reguiſite. The dehciency is made-up from the counties of Weſtmoreland, Durham, Yorkſhire, Lincolnſhire, Derbyſhire, and Shropſhire; the principality of * A calculation has been made by two perſons, who ſeem comtpetent for ſuch work, by knowing every farm, its ſize, and nearly the number of ſtock kept on each; and their account js 2,000 head of horued catile, and 5,000 of ſheep. VV les; oF LANCASHIRE. 18 Wales, the kingdoms of Îreland and Scotland, aré alſo applied to, to ſupply the county of Lancaſteë with beef and mutton. The county itſelf furniſhes a very ſmall proportion of the bread and meat aually confumed there, Nay, the poultry and the pigeons are ſupplied from diſtant parts.- Beſides what comes from the Filde(the only diſtri in the county which, with a few trifling exceptions, has añy ſurplus of ftock) the id Liverpool market has ſupplies from Cheſhire; Wales, Iſle of Man, Scotland, and Ireland. Mancheſter alſo receives great of ſupplies. from Cheſhire, Derbyſkire, Lincolnſhire, and even IN Nottinghamſhire. Eggs of courſe muſt be purchaſed, and come from the ſäme quarters, and ſoine at a greater diftance, packed ta up in caſks, Some come even from Kendal, and Penrith* DECT. Z.— Fúel, CoALs in general abound, and are cheap, iniſomuch that a S ſinall family may ſupply itſelf with fuel for about zo ſhillings D per annum. No wood conſumed, but thé refuſe of ſhip-car= 0f penters, and other workers in wood. Peat from the different de molles,” is än article of fuel in the vicinity of thoſe places, but her ſeldom without the addition of ſome- coals. Faggots; which V8 were formerly an article of conſumption amon® the. bakeré of ſea-buiſcuit, and other bread in Liverpool, has för ſome years been diſcontinued; coal is preferred, and by éxperierice find it more advantageous. This circumſtance is well worthy thé H attention of other towns, as the faggots require latge room, and $: may be attended with danger. * Some of the eggs ſold at Mancheſter are packed up with layers of ſtraw between every row of eggs, about ten thouſand in one cart,‘The man A brings two carts, end comes every fortnight during the ſeaſon thac a ſuf- y ficient number can be colle&ed; which is chiefly done by women who UP travel the country with mugs and other articles, which they exchange for Mire, eggs in Cumberland,&c. There are two or more higglers(gu. egglers?) E who follow this pratice, beſides the old man who gave the information y 01 above, and who was counting them out to the huckſlters. Few eggs arè broken by the carriage. The man is four days upon the road. It ſeems aA the colleêtors of the eggs are paid 6 d. per hundred for colle&tion. B b CHAPTER 786 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY- CHAPTER AV. POLITICAL ECONOMY. ———— _SECcT. L—Roads. A AR. YATES obſerves, that there is 2 greater length of 1 roads in this county, in proportion to its extent, than in any other county in the kingdom, and of ſo little public utility, that many might be ſpared 5 and he alſo remarks, that if early exertions had been made upon this head, land ſufficient in value, might by that means have been obtained, to have kept the whöle remaining roads in proper repair. This opinion may have been too ſanguine, and the beſt op- portunity for accompliſhing ſo deſirable a work, may have now paſſed. But, no doubt, much advantage to the county might yet be obtained by proper exertions, if roads, that at preſent are of little public utility, were ſtopped, the lands fold, and the caſh ariſing appropriated to ſupport the remainder. In proof, however, of this aſſertion, of the vaſt length of roads in this county: the pariſh of Gooſnargh contains 3703 acres, and the length of the roads in that pariſh is nearly forty miles, beſides three miles of bridle road, and three miles of road repaired by certain individuals, The townſhip of Walton, near Liverpool, which only con- tains 1988 ſtatute acres, has 2 public road two miles and a half in length; parochial roads, elcven miles two furlongs, beſides occupation roads. In the northern and north-eaſtern parts of the cdunty, ma- terials for making roads are found upon the‘ſpot, the lime- ſtone, which, when broken, binds together, and makes an excellent road; but in the midland and ſouthern parts, the materials, except what the rivers afford, are brought from the Welſh and Scotch coafts, and at conſiderable expence. Theſe are Boulder ſones, and they are not broken, but + paved, ES et Saa D coN- a half belides ty ma- e lime- akes an rts, the om the paved: & LANCASHIRE. 187 paved. The whole cxpence of which is from 1s. 24. to 25. per ſquare yard, according to the diſtance of the materials to be carried.‘Two quarries of pebbles have lately been diſcovered. Copper ſcoria or flag, from two works, Ravenhead and Liver- pool, have been ſucceffully tried. This article makes an excellent ſide road to the pavements, and is preferred to pave- ment both by the horſeman and drivers of carriages. Great exertions have been made of late years, at very con- fiderable expence*, to improve the roads; the effets of which are very apparent, both upon‘thoſe which are public and parochial. Pavements are the moſt expenſive, and moft diſagreeable of all roads, but we have no other material that will ſtand heavy cartage, Near Warrington, Mr. Kerfoot, who undertook the ma- nagement of the Prefcot and Manchefter turnpikes, has made admirable roads with the copper lag. Mr. Holt, who is ſurveyor for one pariſh, made an attempt with copper flag, but it is difficult to get the flag ſuf ficiently broken,; The town of Liverpool is a great enemy to turnpikes. There are only three toll-gates within eight miles of it, none within four. Commercial and manufaQuring towns have 4 /yftem of throwing every poſlible burden upon the land, The toll-bars here, as well as in other parts, from private views and intereſt, are improperly placed—ſhould they not in cach a, be placed in the moſt advantageous ſituations for the benefit of the road by frangers, commiſſioners appointed for that purpoſe, and private intereſt totally be laid afide? Moſt of the great towns have had ſufficient intereſt to place the toll- bars at ſome miles diſtance from them. The toll-bar on the road to the ſouth from Liverpool is placed at 5 miles diſtance from the towa. Would it not de a fair clauſe in the general #“So.great, that at the time when Mr. Yates took his ſurvey, about ten years fincè, the average paid through the county, was not leſs than eighteen= peuce in the pound. Bb2 aQ& H /! 8 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY ac of parliaments when the inhabitants of a town objet to a bar being placed near to the town, that they ſhould engage to Keep in repair the road from the town to the bar(which is in general the moſt expenſive part of the whole) without re- ceiving the leaſt benefit from the money collected? The diſ- tance the bars are placed from the great towns in this county, 1s almoſt the ſole cauſe of the A condition of the turnpike roads, An ingenious road-maker in the neighbourhood of War- rington, has of late exploded the common convex form, and adopted that of one inclined-plane; the inclination juſt ſufficient to throw off occaſional water, By this alteration he finds that a road becomes more durable; for when it is conyex, all heavy carriages uſe the center of it, and keep in the ſame track; there- fore the center is ſoon deſtroyed, and the ſides ſeldom uſed: but when a road has only one ſmal I inclination, the whole ſur= face is uſed, for, in this caſe, you will ſeldom ſce two carriages take the ſame line, Z With reſpe& to improvements, an ingenious gentleman obſerved, that the tolls in general ought either to be raiſed, or the number of bars increaſed, in order that the public at large might contribute a proper quota, for their eaſe in travelling, by the iraproved fate of the road, and the farmer,&c. of courſe eaſed; and candour muſt EO that the facility, expedition, and fecurity of travelling over the roads, in their preſent ſtate, is worth mere than deuble the money paid for this convenience. Domme method ſhould be deviſed to eaſe the labourer, and- lay the burthen upon the traveller, T he tenant has trequently been charged with an unexpedted tax, Anounting to 4 or 55. in the A upon a- ſhort leaſe, when a fine has been levied; and though, in the iſſue, this claſs receives as great beneßht as any‘others fill ſome method ſhould be deviſed to eaſe thoſe contingent poſleflors, by more heavily taxing the travelling C y Fa) ¿ /|| ſtranger. 4 Under this head, the indulgence ſhewn to the mall coaches in fneir exemption from tolls, merits reprehenſion, : In of LANCASHIRE. a 189 & In the firſt place, the obje is too trifling and mean, for il n the interference of government, Ie 1s alſo an encroachment upon private property, and upon a capital, the intereſt of which » M was expedted to be paid upon the credit of certain tolls, with 18 an accumulating ſurplus, to repair the damage done to the My roads by the paſſing of theſe carriages—and with the remaining Dpikg portion, to liquidate the principal advanced to áccommodate the is| public in the execution of theſe undertakings*, But here is a LL check upon theſe ſpirited endeavours by encroachment. If-the and_ price at preſent paid for the carriage of thz mail be not ſuffi- pens| cient, it ſhould be increaſed by an addition taken from the com=- that i mon ſtock.' Icavy But the profit ariſing to the proprietors of mail coaches is at ere- preſent great. The ſurveyor was informed lately of the fol- uſed:| lowing ſtatements as proofs of the aſlertion:‘The receipts of - i he mail coach from London to Liverpool, and backward, ages amounted, in the courſe of one“ month, in the ſpring of the preſent year, to twelve hundred pounds+. The other ftate- iment is—that the profits ariſing from the length of one fage man(10 or 12 miles) were lately ſold, and transferred, for the neat 0, 07 ſum of three hundred pounds, large; As this buſine(s is, at preſent, condudted in a ſpirited manner, ling, and probably the moſt expeditious, ſafe, and neat conveyance in ourle} the world, the proprietors and condu@ors of ſuch public ac- tion,| commodations, ought to have, not only certain, but handſome ſtate, profits, What is here obje&ed to, is the infringement upon NCE,| private property. And if theſe tolls were not allowed, they day would be charged at laſt upon the paſſenger, upon whom they ently ought certainly to fall, 56 in Ì But again, the tolls allowed to be taken for this ſpecies of evied; carriages, if they were even extended to the mail coaches, are ehit as: hole E Mail coaches prevent much travelling poſt—conſequently injure the MA; toll-bars more ways than one. yeiug+ Theſe ſtatements are here given as related to the ſurveyor, and are not to be depended upon as authenticated fas. When a ſubje@t becomes a topic 7. of converfation, there are generally ſome grounds for the 1fſertions, which nes IN flould however be received, till fully authenticated, with difädence. ln carriages, 190 AGRITUDTURAL SURVEY not ſufficient for the damage done by them, in proportion to the rates paid, and the damage done by other carriages to the roads. The weight of a mail coach, loaded with paſſengers and parcels, may be near two tons, the heavy eoach nearly three , tons.; ‘The efleâs of four horſes, ſcampering and pulling with all their might, are very injurious to the roads; for, after the ſtones have been nearly diſplaced by this exertion of the horſe-feet (very different to the cffed of 2 road-horſe), followed by a heavy carriage, ſupported and dragged upon four narrow wheels, every obfrudion is diſplaced by the violence of the motion. The fNlow pace of 2 waggan, moving upon a nine- inch ſurface, or 2 heavy-loaded cart, under two or three tons burden, upon fix-inch wheels, makes a compariſon ftrongly in favour of theſe carriages. Again, the tolls ariſing from many turnpikes are very in- ſufficient to maintain the roads, The townſhip of Walton, at the preſent jun&ure, is meeting the truſtees of the public road, which runs through that diftri&, with not a leſs ſum than four hundred and thirty pounds, beſides ſtatute labour; upon a length of two miles and 2 half; whilſt the ſame townſhip is burdened with other roads of the length of eleven miles two furlongs and a hals, 2s before obſerved, All the townſhips through which this turnpike paſles ares at preſent, contributiag their aid, and that to a degree in ſome places not a little burdenſome to both tenant and Íree- holders; of which the townſhip of Aintree is a frong ex- ample*, The propereſt roads for this part of the county, particular the neighbourhood of Mancheſter and Liverpool, and all the coal diſtri&, would be roads ſimilar to thoſe of Ftance and Flanders: a pavement in the center, made of large fragments of granite(which might be imported from Scotland, at no « 4 The remarks which the ſurveyor makes on turupike roads, are worthy the obſervation of the honourable Board, for they are ßRubbora FACS great A C - F LANCASHIRE: 191 ton great expence). on each ſide of this pavement ſhould be a gravel the road, of the beſt material the country could afford, and made ‘of ſufficient breadth, and kept in ſuch good repair as to induce and all light carriages to prefer it to the pavement in the center: I bree prevailed upon the ſurveyor of this townſhip to make an ex- periment of backing up a high pavement with copper flag 1 all|(ſcoriæ) ſome years ago, and to cover it with the looſe ſandy nes rock of the country. It is now the beſt part of the turnpike. leet ya* In addition to the above, it may be neceſſary to fate that OW from the vaſt increaſe of carriage in this county, and the ge- the neral uſe of waggons, carts,&c. with. exceſſive weights, it is ine- become almoſt impoſible, by any means, and at any expence, tons to ſupport the public roads. The climate is wet, the ſoil y in oft, the ſtone and gravel found in the county are not hard or laſting, and the only matcrials that have ſtrength and durabi- lity are the paving tones imported from the coaſts of Wales, at the heavy price of ſix ſhillings per ton. Some of the n i turnpike roads in the ncighbourhood of Mancheſter, paved us with theſe ſtones, coſt from£. 1590 to£. 2000 per mile. zh Fortunately theſe ſtones were exempted, in the ad of laſt ſeſ- vad ſions, from the tax on ſtone exported, or Lancaſhire muft have Sd been at once reduced to a miſerable fituation. Yet the oblig- ing the ſloops employed in colle&Æing and carrying theſe 2 paving ſtones, to take out coaſt diſpatches and certificates(as i in the caſe of coal and ſalt exported coaîtwiſe in Scotland) by M the delays and expences hereby incurred, adds a very confde- i rable impoſt on theſe articles, without any benefit to the re- A venue; and this hardſhin is too apparent not to be imme- | diately remedied. The legiſlature has at all times been ME& wiſely provident, not only to authorize and require the making e of good roads,(which are unqueſtionably the firſt improve- nd ments in any country) but alſo to ena rules for their preſer- e vation. dg The encouragement of broad wheels, or rolling wheels, or carriages ſo conſtructed,“ as fo enable them ts carry great a € By T. B. Bayley, Eſq. weights," eat 92 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY weights, was always a doubtful meaſure. Experierice now puts it out of queſtion, that theſe heavy weights ſoon deſtroy the beſt conſtru@ted- roads, and exhauſt all the common ma- terials for their reparation.‘The turnpike truſts are thus more deeply involved in debts inextricable, or diſproportionate tolls are levied to ſupport an injurious ſyſtem, oppreflive to the country, and ruinous even to the carriers and waggoners, who purſue this mi/iaken ſcheme of buſineſs. The reſtraints of weighing machines are found to be ex- penſive, partial, and quite ineffe@tual; and the only remedy for this great and increaſing evil, is that pointed out near thirty years ſince ¿y the Rev. Henry Homer, of Warwickſhire; în his« Enquiry into the Means of preſerving the public « Roads,” printed at Oxford 1767, viz.< fuch a conftruétion < gf carriages as will óblige them to carry LIGHT loads.%* In ſupport of this ſcheme of preſerving our roads, and of ſav- ing an immenſe ſum of money now annually ſquandered away, there is a vaſt body of evidence in the excellent volumes of the Statiſtical Account of Scotland, and the Surveys of Coun- tics, reported to the Hon. Board of Agriculture.‘Theſe all prove what is ſtated‘in the Survey of Cumberland, page 48, that© two horſes, yoked in Sngle horſe carts, will draw as much « as three horſes yoked in one cart.” "The general uſe of /ngle horſe carts would be a vaſt ſaving in the number of harſes kept for labour, and of hay and corn expended in their maintenance, would be gainful to the car- riers,&c, and would preſerve the roads, and take off the in- creafing änd oppreſſive burden of taxes now raiſed(but inef- feQually) for their ſupport.‘The exemptions from toll, or be- ing weighed, given to carriages employed in huſbandry, are in moît places(eſpecially in the neighbourhood of great towns) very injurious to the roads, and not warranted by any fair anälogy of taxation, which ought equally to affect all who are benefited by it, and by what mode ſoever. The regulation reſpe&ting the flat conſtrudtion of wheels, ſo as to preſent an € See alſo Mr. Jacob's Treatiſe on Broad Wheels,&c.(Diliy, 17743 and Annals of Agriculture, vol. xvii p. 178. even E NOW troy 1 m- more è tolls 0 the » Who CX nedy near (hire; public ruin 4671 i ſav- Wa); es of oun- (e all re 48, much ſaving dd corn € Car the in- t inef- „or be- jz âe in towns) “anf fai ho are egulatiot relent an illy, 1774) even FF LANCASHIRE. 193 even ſurface to the road, alſo of the fat tire and counterſunk nails, are ill defined in our general turnpike ac, and worſe in practice. By the 16th Geo. III. c. SOME 2E it 18 enacted, « that ſix inch wheels ſhall be deemed fat, as ſhall not de- cc yviate more than one inch from a flat ſurface.” This figure will ſhew on how few points of a good road this flat wheel Will bear, and how more injurious„it n narrow wheel, nut be than a common ——i AZ é- The truth is, this ¿portant ſubje&t is little underſtood, or attended to, and requires a careful reviſion. Thi 1s may ſpeedily be hoped for from the exertions of the Board of Agriculture. The a of the laſt ſeſſions(34th Geo. IIT. c. 74.) ſeems to be formed on the eld miſtaken principle of fixing what from fituations and times muſt ever be various and fluétuatin- NIZ. the price of labour. Parliament cannot fix its maximum or its minimum.‘The higheſt price for compohition for a a team per day is fixed now at 6s. whereas eight or ten ſhillings per day is paid in many parts of this county for the labour of ſuch team.‘The better way would be to leave the prices to be an- nually ſettled, and publiſhed by the magiſtrates of the ſeveral diviſions whe SINE renting 1 they appoint ſurveyors of the highways. ſtatute duty, or compolition, taken from labourers under fve pounds a year, had better be zoholly abro- gated. It is an odious burden, is rarely collected, and with “difficulty and expence(in counties like this) not to be con- ceived, [he relic propoſed to theſe poor people in the fifth ſeion D) CC would 1 E uae M a —- I94 AGRIC OR UV EY would be attended with ſo much loſs of time and money to them, and ſo much inconvenience to the ſurveyors of the high- WAYS, that it is plain it never can have any operation. We have generally, during the two laſt years of diſtreſs, omitted to call for the ſtatute duty or compolition from this de- ícription of inhabitants; and by law to free them from the ob- ligation would, at this(ERA eſpecially, be a juſt and a popular meaſure, which I earneſtly recommend.: With reſpect to turnpike roads, in this, as in other counties, there is not a due regard paid to the general public conve- lience, in making the roads in the moſt diredt lines, or on the eaſieſt levels. And if there ſhould be a neceſſity of making ſhort turnings or’ elbows, they ſhould be at leaſt eE as broa: as in the other parts, that the hill horſe may have not the whole load to draw, whilſt the others are turning; and fuch place ſhould be made level as poſfible.:—but hills of even one íurlong in length, are ſometimes ſo ſleep as to reguire an ad- ditional horſe for that ſhort ſpace; and if the road is often to be paſled, the additiona? expence of keeping one horfe, one might imagine, need only be pointed out to obtain their removal, There is indeed ſcarce any part of the kingdom that might not have been laid out, ſo as to ſuperſede the N of uſing that badge of barbarity a chain to a waggon-wheel,—“ When « gur deſcendants ſhall become more E than we ſeem to be of the advantage of level roads; no expence will perhaps « be conſidered too great, to remove an evil, which nothing but « habit could EA iufferable*,?” The obligation on ÿarifpes to repair roads by preſcription S t TE): (fee Hawkins’s Pleas of the Crown, part If, page 202) wants to be limited by /Zátute. j This plan has, under the late great change of circumſtances, brought an intolerable burden on the pari/ſp of Mancheſter, which includes a great extent of country, and an immenſe * Herefordſhire Report. population LO a- LE=———————————— o L'ANGAS HERE. 195 SAFE, population, to repair ways, hitherto little known or uſed, but N tes now become public ftreets in the town itſelf. C I would propoſe a clauſe to limit to- 30 years back the, b A proof of uſe and repair by the pariſh, and to allow pariſhioners EN to be competent witneſles on either fide. Amongſt the various objets of enquiry, and to which anfwers have been returned to the Board of Agriculture, there is none of more general importance than the ſtate of the public roads.- As a meaſure of national police, this has ct hi- therto been ſufficiently atiended to by the legiſlature: the 13th ES, Or on the Geo. III. chapter 84, commonly called the General Turnpike CR NTE: At, is very inadequate and greatly miſtaken in many of its proviſions.‘The introduction of turnpikes into England is of 0ave not e a very late date; they were at firſt eſtabliſhed for the confined ; and fuc limits of local convenience; and have gradually been ſo mul- en one tiplied and extended, as to form almoſt an univerſal plan of quire an ad- communication through the kingdom, ſupported by a public 2d 1s often to tax of vaſt amount. 1e horſe, one In this zational view of the ſubje&, connecting the public their removal, convenience and proſperity, and the large ſums raiſed through- night not out the kingdom to render the general communication eaſy y of uſing that and certain, it cannot be denied, that the: reviſion of the ge=- |,—“ When neral law, the adoption of a better ſyſtem for making roads, is now become necellary; a ſyſtem founded, zo! on ſpeculations of mere local or private convenience, and as affe@ting parti- 4,“adio cular towns, diſtrié&s, or even counties, but on the more ex- i Y tended conſiderations of general intercourſe and common be- - preſcription nefit. In fa, we may obſerve in every part of England the ad A0 n Jjobbing trade, as it reſpe&s turnpike roads, very induſtriouſly ts purſued.‘The old courſe is generally followed, however cir- EE cuitous or difficult. Ext e i 5 Heavy carriages are fll to be“ dragged over the ſummits LA Î el of ſteep hills, formerly ſcarcely acceſſible to the pack-horſes of the country, whilſt the eaſy and obvious levels of the adjoining vallies are overlooked. Happy would it be for the country, KA if all plans, for iurnpike roads were ſettled in the manner de- E ſcribed by Dr. Anderſon in his“ View of the Agriculture of Aberdeenſhire,” p. 135.; C C2 As 196 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY As turnpike bills have been uſually too much corídered as private bills(though none are of more public concern) the committees of the Houſe of Commons have uſually done little more than confirm the agreeinents of the meetings previouſly held in the country, in which perſonal and local intereſts fre- quently ſuperſede a due conſideration of general benefit. The experience which theſe committees have had on various occa- ſions of this ſelfiſh ſpirit, has produced ſome very fſalutary < orders relating to bills for making turnpike roads.” To enable theſe committees more accurately to judze of ‘the propriety of future application for making new or amending eld turnpike ats, I would ſuggeſt another ſanding rule and order z viz. «‘That, together with the eſtimate of expence, and the account of the money ſubſcribed(as ordered by the 3d rule) there be delivered to the committee an exa plan of the pro=- poſed road, on 2 ſcale of to a mile, ſhewing its con- nedtion with the neighbouring towns; together with an accu- rate /ecion of the whole line of road.” SECT. 2— Canals. IN granting new bills for cutting navigable canals, care ſhould be taken by the legiſlature, that lime or manure be car- ried upon low terms. The introdu&ion of wealth, in conſe- quence of ſuperior cultivation, by the means of manures,&c, will introduce the carriage of more bulky articles, and ſoon repay the proprietors the trifling indulgence. A gentleman obſerved, that, as a certain portion of land was loſt to the com- munity, either for tillage or paſture, by cutting canals, care- ought to be taken in the banks to preſerve as much graſs as políble, by burying the rubbiſh under ground, and applying the beſt ſoil to cover the ſurface of the banks; trifling as ſuch an obje& may be, as canals are daily increaſing, the amount, in the iſlue, would be ſomething, and would repay to the public 2 fum ſufficient for the genera! attention requiſite. The many canals already begun, and intended, have had confiderable Idered as cern) the Ione lite previouſly reſts fre. fit, The OUS occa- y falutary Judze of amending J 1 TITI) TUE and and the Zd rule) the pro-| its con- 1 accu- ls, care be car- 1 conle- res, Kc, nd(00n nileman he com- nals, Care grafo 15 lyiog the 5 ſuch an mouth N he public aye had iderable e& LANCASHIRE. 197 conſiderable effÆs both upon the agriculture, manufaQures, and general ſtate of the country*, The Sankey canal was the firſt inland navigation in the kingdom, and was opened in the year 1756; after which the Duke of Bridgewater’s canal; and then the Leeds canal, as far as Wigan, were completed. The canal from Kendal, through Lancaîter, to Weſthoughton, is a great undertaking, ten miles of which are already completed. The Bolton canal, already begun, the Rochdale canal intended, with the navigable rivers Merſey, Douglaſs, Ribble, Wyre, and Loyne, render the car- riage of heavy articles, through the internal parts of the county, more eaſy and leſs expenſive, than where ſuch channels of con- veyance are noi found. They have no ſmall eſes upon the agriculture of the county, in conveying dung, lime, and other articles, into parts whither, without their afüſftance, they could hardiy have been tranſmitted; as alſo upon the manufactures, by the conveyance of coal and raw materials, the groſs weight of which would have been too expenſive upon carriage by land. SECT. Z— Fairs. IN the year 1780, Auguſt 2, a fortnight fair was eſtabliſhed at Harrington, near Liverpool, oppohite St. James’s church, by the north-country graziers, to ſhew fat cattle and ſheep, which was encouraged by the butchers in Liverpool and the neigh- bourhood. Accommodations for the cattle and ſheep were ef- fected by Mr. Samuel Sandys, who then held upwards of forty Cheſhire acres of land, which was appropriated to the purpoſe, and was continued every fortnight until the 12th of February, 1783; when it was removed to Kirkdale, for convenience to the butchers in Liverpool; during which period there were ex- poſed for ſale 39, 160 ſheep, and 8, 309 head cattle, and upwards: in the year 1781, at one ſhow, in September, were 1,489 ſheep and'279 head cattle; and ia Oâober, 1782, at another fair were 1,691 ſheep and 343 head cattle, which was thought very con- * Particulars of what buſineſs is done in each, and their conne&ions with the trade of Liverpool, will be given in the intended hiſtory of that town, ſiderable x98 AGRICULTOR AE SUR EY ſiderable. After the diſlolution of this market, Mr. S Sandys had applications from cow-keepers for the land, which was much improved by the paſturage of drovers, ſheep, and cattle; alſo by the quantity of manure which was collected from his fall- feeding thirty head in ſhades built on the premiſes, which was declined on removal of the fair; therefore Mr. Sandys pro- poſed finding milk cows, and keeping them at graſs or hay for 5 d. per head per week at his own riſk, or keep their cows at 4d, per week at. their riſk; and when any cow declined ſo much as not to pay the farmer, he had a freſh cow found, or an abatement in proportion to her decreaſe: this mode kept the land in high condition from the quantity of dung colle&ed on the eſtate, Xc. The old eſtabliſhed fairs are not here noticed, ſince they are publiihed in the uſual es of theſe things. SECT. 4.— PF ecekly Markets. THERE are faid to be twenty-ſix market-towns in the county, which are ſuppoſed ſufficient for the inhabitants, becauſe in every little village or hamlet of houſes, there are retailers of the difterent articles, which are of daily conſumption, in great abundance.‘The two large towns, Mancheſter and Liverpool, have each two market days every week; but of late years, butchers meat, garden-ſuff, and a number of the necefſlary articles of life, are expoſed to ſale, and may be purchaſed any day in the week, Sundays excepted. DECT. 5 Commerce. THE foreign commerce carried on by the county of Lan- caſter, is extremely conſiderable, but its nature and extent docs not come within the obje of this Report. It is material, how- ever, to collet information reſpedting that great branch of the trade of the county, which interferes with its agricultural in- tereſts, namely, the importation of corn; ſome idea of the extent of which, may be formed from the following ſtatements of the e of corn imported to and exported N Liver- pool alone, in the years 1791, 1792,&c. WHEAT, from Forei nA fI797-» AE n>| r797>» LAN| / o Liverpool during the years 1790, — A i E ted int E, pur‘paxnponui 8 $ atado payuaaI pue uMez‘s1ap[noq an[q 211 SPAM "Ano 2] YIM ure.Iq 34] Jo 20M Y) UT SJuNUWDAOIdWII oY] auI ALY «I10ÁoA.I1j ol} 0}*JIEg‘UOJYSOFH *s1oded anjq ur se: ot) 014 Jeſu‘spunod ojur dn op -29I0 ÁIPUIPIOBIIXI UO‘PaJegand DIE SIJEJ 321 LT, vA(UY piet“u n Dal < sno1od‘e‘auogy I Sn EA RE , 5 J i} l dn doy OUILII UII oſ 5pIr AISNE€ yuan uU — a Me— a PS— n i>=<== E— SES E E ES e St EA AS SS Ts E E e E DO 02> Zad 1 lh 7s e— E a ISU U39 SEY IOY S1ifſJ Inq 200 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY This extra@ from the Cuſtom-Houſe books, with both the imports and exports, will ſhew the great conſumption of grain in this county, and how inadequate the land, in its preſent ſtate, is to the ſupply of its inhabitants. The exportation of corn is trifling; and, except upon the weſtern borders of Yorkſhire, upon the eaſtern boundaries of Cheſhire, and ſome parts of Derbyſhire, the corn imported into Liverpool is chiefly for the confumption of Lancaſhire. ‘The average of the Liverpool import of grain for the laſt three years‘is-- 78,980 The average of the Norfolk export for laft three Years is----- 63,046 Liverpool importat. L. x. 4s<‘is 722 Norlolk export at=(4— i 128,701 34,510 more value imported into Liverpool, than exported from Norfolk. There are about: 1,500 tons of ſea-biſcuit manufactured for the diferent veſſels that fil from the port of Liverpool, which is eſtimated to take about 60,000 buſhels of wheat, and ¿o reguire the labour of about fifty men with boys.- This is about the average in the YEA 17928 Otfervations by Major Atherton. Mr. Kent, în his Report to the Board of Agriculture, having tated that the four Norfolk ports export as much corn as all the reſt of the kingdom put together, and having entered into an accurate detail from the Cuſtom-Houfſe books, it occurred ta tne that 2 comparifan between the exported produce of the county of Norfolk and the corn imports of the town of Li- 2j oh, and I am confident that it is fill extremely defeâive; ſuch IL DI LZ ¿# LANCASHIRE. 20t fuch as it is, however, it may be the cauſe of further enquiries from thoſe who are better talculated than myſelf to examine a matter which is certainly of high importance. The differ- ence&f weights and meaſures produce éndleſs and almoſt in- ſuperable difficulties in enguiries of this nature, D d TABLE SE TE I UREA A E E N= LN GT LR 9 0 NLO DTS/ | S LUOAX AT 2491 PUre rodea 7 I° e, TITO SLO 6 8 z1Cebg9“FA}£ T 96 Ne, A vey uonriodx ¡[CJIoO N 4° 1nOAr]J uU! 2\XUV]e 6 LL oog‘ozÞ|-- aaoqge se(uoneziodwy] uÏia104 D CN E- 10d joodiaaT O DE SOS ge O LT ST TZZZ EA ET 0 gtr zroSgr Ff Y O F gelbor- qIad‘sgS w- s¡ung TD 1gS‘LE ano, 1624 M o g 19€ paag adry | o br 6btS'g CSA ZTE= ORO Cnel ES lo) Ie, SECTIONS TO OT COI SSID 0 0© odge- oC 12d«bear- 0D_Sel‘of-- Gopirg o.o epSogr=- JF/Y|| [ o gr CbotL J-‘ID 12d‘sbÞ je—= O Feet== JU AM ep 1 F| T9| Cuno)[O dial] 01111 zyÎaoq JO1 19D Þ2C]| Y |, 110] ot jo s210dx7F ajſoyM oz Jur| j|| -=YNpoP 12e‘ojIMyroD pr40dut UiP1) jo DUFFY| OLOT ZS CT OCA E s110dxg 1v2u[10 J,| ||———/ | EEN| OEI TOLOSE I- Í- STOUT D Sd TSR| 6 LOOS I= uonrjiodu] udrazo y 1r10 J,| cpaji0odxo uv aou payzodui s3eQ SID GgE S1 Yap2g| AGRICUE TURAL SURVEY j 6 or Lgzig- pro 1ad‘p€+s£7 ge Spro EET L= Irxunrg|——-—-| ¡ OTRO MTIVY 4q- aauend 12d«gz e= og gSt== MAMSIPO ALO IB TOCE q Had OSE= CA“e= paog adey M , O0 1001= Joze tod«rde ze= q 6ST== guey 0 01 bor CCE gd LOE ACM 5912 A 4 Y OROT TONGIE-“Japiend 12d«5s Sz jr= ca Ret-—-{Y| O RCI Zur In ATwE tr E nei RC ZE 204 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY I have many powerful reaſons to believe that the account of the corn,&c. imported into Liverpool, as ſtated in the firſt re- port, is erroneous, that the importations are much greater, and, at 21y rate, that it is extremely defe&ive, The article malt is entirely omitted; now in the year 1794, from the 1ft of Janu- 2ry to the 28th of April, ſay four months, there were imported at Liverpool coaſtwiſe, 95,0970 grs. 7 buſhels, or 72,567 buſhels Wincheſter. In the fame four months were imported 105,726 buſhels of barley, and 46,072 buſhels of big, coaſtwiſe; and 44,635 buſhels of barley, from 5th January to 5th April 1794 In the week ending March 12th 1795, Liverpool import- ed from Irel2nd only 45,627 quarters of oats, befides 1,699 quarters from Engliſh and Scotch ports In all, * 47,326 Quarters---at20s%s-£.47,326 0 0 at preſent price-- 245.- L- 56,791 Imports of the town of Liverpool at Liverpool prices=£. 704,834 10 3 D°---- at Norfolk prices= 643,312 8 9 ——————————————— Superior value at market or profit to corn-dealers, after de- duêing freight, inſurance, intereſt,&c,&c.-=L--Gsygae 1.“5 p= Norfolk exports annually, Wheat=- 63,046 Quarters, at 44£«- Liverpool imports annually, Wheat Flour, D2_* 26,714 1 14“at pêr peck>-- S —_ Wheat-- Coaftwiſe 32522 Wheat Flour, D°,. 37,58 per Quarter- eds E 16,593 Quarters, at 2 LL. 138,701 4@ Wheat Flour- 37,135 Quarters, at 56%> F 103,978 o. o Beans=-+ 15,148 Quarters, at Zi=- 18,187 12 0 Si———— In all- 115,329 Quarters-==£.250,85612 o Wheat, Foreign 80,413 Quarters,= AL 7 A E. 187,473 9 8s 3 do 4 15072 - 115,719 14 of - 27447 11 9 e Le 428,765 0 6 dr LTEN E Ea E A E LIA i A STE CUE UAT _— e LS SÈ E (LANCASHIRE: 209 Tt appears from hence that there is a market in beans and wheat alone to the annual value of /.428,765. 0s. 6 d. more than the entire diſtrit produces, and for nearly£{. 177,908. 8s. bd. more than the whole county of Norfolk exports, Ts this, or is it not, an argument for converting the unpro= _fitable graſs land of this county(of which, I am ſorry to ſay, the quantity is immenſe) into good cultivation Ls it a reaſon for marling?—Will it pay for manure and tillage? Beans, managed in the Kentiſh manner(ſee Ann. Agr. vol. úl, p. 70,&c.) are amonsft the beſt of preparations for wheat. Few or none are grown in Lancaſhire and Cheſhire, and thoſe few univerſally broadcaſt. L At this moment, wheat is ſelling at Liverpool and at War- rington for 10s. and 10s. 6d. per buſhel, of 701b. The common preparation for wheat in this diſtri is a ſummer fallow, even upon light ſands. For clover the ſale is ready, and the conſumption profitable; and it ought to precede wheat upon all barley lands, No county can produce better barley, or in larger quantities, when properly cultivated. It always fetches a fair price, being not only uſed for malting, but made into bread, either by itſelf, or mixed with wheat.—The great miſtake of this diſtri is, ſowing it too late, and ſowing it after wheat. There is no better or ſurer land for turnips in England than in this county; and there is every where a good market for them, where it is not convenient to eat them of the land with ſheep. Marle and manure are every where to be had in great abundance, The material obſtacles to improvement are tythes, poor rates, and the immoderate wages to be obtained at the manu- faGtories. A quarter of wheat-flour in Norfolk, weighing 448 Ib. is worth PE E== 2 1076 At 206 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY At Liverpool the ſame weight-and. quantity may ave- E LA=S BI deL af lucie of) gia 1p 2 16-6 / Superior value at Liverpool- o 5-7 or: Per-büſllel, neal= 70.0482 Say 7d. per buſhel wheat, equals 8! 4. flour; and ſay 32 buſhels, of 70 Ib. each, is an average crop upon a ſtatute acre; the ſuperiority of market is, per acre, then /.0 18 8 Double it, per Cheſhire acre- O06 Advantage per Cheſhire acre-£.1 17 4 At five quarters per acre, it is- f e 68 a—_—_ a— ES There are vaſt trads of land in this county, rented at leſs than 40 ſhülings per Cheſhire acre, capable of producins the above quantity, This country then has three powerful in- centives to Improvement, j Marle, Manure, and Markets. I have heard it confidently aſſerted that this diſtri(the counties of Lancaſter and Cheſter)* do not ſupply the con- ſumption for more than ſix weeks in the year, and that the county of Lancaſter in particular, does not grow more grain than would feed or be conſumed in it in two weeks. I am ſenſible of the great imperfe&ion of many of the above ſtatements; and poſſibly there may be many notorious errors in the calculations: I hope, however, the ſubje& will be taken up by ſome perſon whoſe talents are equal to the taſk,: Such are Major Atherton’s intelligent remarks on the table inſerted in the original report; but that the beſt authority might be gained, application has been made by the Board to the Inſpector General for an account of three years, which is alſo inſerted, and in addition to it the value, at the Liverpool prices.| — a RRE i UN- Ty e—- E An AC Wheat D° Flour- | Barley | Beans | Oats 5 | Oatmeal | Beale e EC E | Do Flour | Indian Corn Foreign Wheat D° W, Flour Do Beans Ï D9 Oats i Do Peaſe è) D° Rye) Eritilh Malt| ny Ve= 0 l 7 b 9 No. 1, to face Page 206, An ACCOUNT of the EXPORT and TMPORT cf all Sorts of CORN and FLOUR, Foreign and Coaſtways, at the Port of Liverpool, in the following Years. NE s | a—|| m| E| 0 1791.| 1792:| OS: 1794: 1| SS||— \1g g FOREIGN PARTS.| COASTWAYS.:| FOREIGN PARTS, COASTWAYS.| FOREIGN PARTS. COASTWAYS. FOREIGN PARTS. COASTWAYS. EA| 08 EE| ES A u Imported. Exported,[Brought in. Carried out,| Imported. Exported,|Brought in.|Carried out.| Im orted, Exported.|Brought in.[Carried out.|| Imported.| Exported.|Broughtin.|Carriedout- dA P|| 8 p p 8| Top 8 |||| A1 4|| LETTE—-||\ TERZE EL Fany Qr. Bu.||>|| M 6g Wheat. ISO I O_— 31,274 0| 95192© OTA 30|71,236 0| 5,148 0|} 96,149 7_— 16,462 0|134,013 0 122,212 2|_— 51,499 0| 11,020 0 : Cwr. gr. ib.| Cwt. gr. 1b. Cwt. gr. Ib.j Cwt. qr. 1b, Cwrt. gr. lb. Cwt. gr. lb.| Cwt. gr. ib- Jamas D° Flour- 45,834 3 5[25147 950——| 6,4839 2 9 1412834 0 14—_—_ 331468 3 5(4,693 3 11—_— 2 ZEN SOI gE20 19 at leſ Barley- Z 9-947 6 15 0|18,z009©| 9,597 0 19,250© 27 4|245308 0| 3,052 0 LO ZEA_— EO 3,424 of 15,439 2_— 34,124 0| 6,275 9 On; the Beans-- 4,147 0 870—— 28,607 7 94 0_—= 6,045 7 230—— IT 225 4bI© ctu in- Oats- TTC, 93910 322 4| 99670©|12,273© 249,008 3 3920| 71719 0|21,059©| 127,239 5 155 0| 3,623 0| 8,610 0 228,647 4 150 0| 95491 9| 2,459 0 Bolis. Ib. NEEBoOU Salb: Bolls. 1b. Oatmeal+- TIT 402 0—— 7,309 46 Y 0203—— 6,001 14 36 2—_— 2,611 19 750 0 Peaſe S L 72 3 34 0—_— IAO 41 1—— 4834 6 TG_—_— 3,041 5 70 > id(the i:: dl Rye LS 6,975 2 o_— 3,975 0 2,570 4— 160| 3,416 0 9,946 2=_— 17,236 0 2,2732_— 17 0| 35361©, E che con- Cwt: gr. 1b,': E hut the D° Flour-- Z28 221 R QU 1 grain Indian Corn É 329 9 eis==— 5,095 0 5 Foreign Wheat)— 2147706—_——- 2,663 3—_—— 2,3150 vn_—_— 22,584 7 UH the Cwt. gr. 1b. Cwt CYE 10 D° W. Flour|_— TACO_—_—_— 8,523 0 26_—=— 1,386 3 9 gi0torious Y; 4 y P° Beans==. 20 ZL= je will e UA 7 459' 44 4 D°9 Oats=_—=——; to the Z ST 1,159 4 2 EE N D° Peaſe= E EE—> 436 4_—_— ze 4426—_—|—s 251 » Me D° Rye y_—= a m== 2,076 6—=S LERE 955 I| -ithority E| dto de Pritiſh Malt-—== 43,937 9| 2,942 0= am AOT[TIO C e—_— 26,632 0 130 0| a=_ 21,533 0 139$ giverpool Inſpe@or General's QMce, THOMAS IRVING, Cuſtom Houſe, Lon 1ON5 Inſpe&or General, Jane 10th, 17955 ————————————— e————————————————. 2 LZ FALL 4 Cc L Le D L LCC, relCrviIng to te XII n COunctl!l, Aa POW OTIATEFICrEe TI EEES E O Cat and IUCGCeEn emercency C CXPence ol the etes trou E rn refurns throughout England, is very conſiderable. In IE Sr eBNEE A E ELEA ES Z 5 EE a rden of near 000 ¿. per annum is ſuſtained far s CA EEN- Z S M: MRE lE E inma As REER SE E ty E EE CE+ Le 12:arles OÈ Corn-1nipectors 5 although OIM ECS C0 QC lE | E EER LTI REER E PS RE 2 aS ſuppoíed ls the CGUiICs On} A L 2 COMTE unported, Were 24D)L DrO- î 5 L1C5s» 7 Ero te pay all tbej/e la Tpthes* are univerlally acknowledged to operate as obſta- - Cies to 1nprovements; and they fall more eile, upon the ted agriculturiít, than upon the indolent farmer. The greateit ſervice the Board of Agriculture can perform to their country, will be to dewfe and carry into execution ſome rea- fonable plan for their commutation, ‘The prohibition from e xporting wool, in its raw fa ate, 18 ano= ther obſtacle againſt encourag eing the increaſe of ſtock, or Daving that attention to the quality of fheep, ſo as to produce the < = s © © v D 1d E are reckoned the beît ſtock for enriching either the arable or paſture farm, ti liberty were given to ex- port the raw EL Ul e r certain duties and reſtrictions, the tarmer would be benefited, E 1anufacturer would not be unjured, and the revenue incre: ed The bigh duties upon ſalt operate as great obftacles to- the application of this article to the advar Nntage of their cattle, in N TO e are fond of. It afiſts certain Cates. E618 20 article MOI. Catft to E prevents certain Ld) Qu. D [®) a O elo) O ERS Ls RESE QUIT CIL1O!1 5 Promotes S N P72 EE RY Aan= EL, Arto STS E CREES 5 dilorders'; and, in foreign parts, tney ute 1t in large quantities, TO ELS ARA A ESE RL lI 1 224 477 not being loaded by hugh duties. it 1s alerted, entirely 7 * Should not the incumbent of the day have a power to grant a leaſe tor 27 years certain, cn ſuppoſition cyen of his dying the day after? ») E ER ER 6 Prey ents LE HE E À i a [Vp—>< E 0 ga 2 E ee AEREE : to De uied without wd Ul LO ſmall LV INOS[ urchaled Dy the bounty of( i LCs di le 19 hh ment, AN ET REA 7 SE y INOLT CeCrtiíaini 5 are À 117 far= ER TA 8 PISS O R LE EARL 2 I E Se N mers wauld merit hariher ej tnets, than they are at preient Ì]«1, 7 n NT ta ES Ls 1OaGeCed Y N, WCre the tO VENn{ure Upon-1pinited 1mproye- 4- Lay n-<“- MENTS TOr a iNnort term. Att EEA A ents i“pae EEA a aF 2 Anothe1 ODÍTACIE LO ImDrovement TSZIRECC Y OCCAalii1oned LA the obftinacy of an adjoininæ neighbour; e. cg. one is diſ- y poled to drain his lands, but cannot efect this without the piy ſecond, DI aDiy a ï and IOUrth, fo alllit RE es IPA LE and ne CULITENCE, 15S, I iay, a great O bſtacle to many ImMProvemen£ss | Where water proves injurious to rc K, OT-= ERASE= effected, by application to juſtices of A8 4 ES not admit of a iimilar ODCration, io ſumple and 17 CI 2: 2 ELS D 82S C A 5 caſy to efect, in the pradice of ag LY NE“MA t= Ate Pa D E PARTS a LOA thod Hic notBéher CL 15S(O DE iaAmen Lal 10OmMe DELLET MEeTInod has nof hif{tnel be E to ſecure the duties upon this article of ſalt, different from penúve mode of colle&ing it, by numerous officers; andy at th time, to take off the check given to the fiſheries, and agriculture, the high duties. | The money raiſed upon the pablic, on the article of ſalt, in Great Britain, | is£. 900,000, of which only one-third is received at the Exc hequer. : e 1- TESTA Ko) 1n 1776, was-- Le. 895,409 KL» D 3, and diſcounts£. 622,865 - RE of managcement== 26,410 ties, ICAO 27a Neat produce=-£. 246,214 f 7. r R— q=. (C Vide’ Kæox's Tour, p. cxlvüi. ERE AA /TE/B \ R RI TR 224 AGRICTULTURAËE SURVEY Vermin This is an obje that requires more general ate tention than has hitherto been paid to it. Individuals may have exerted themſelves, and incucred great expence; but theſe exertions are of ſmall avail, whilſt ſur- rounding neighbours are arbouring nurſeries, to make future depredations upon thoſe premiſcs which they find untenanted, Several town(hips have, of late, aſſociated together, and en- gaged a mole-catcher, at the rate of four-pence per acre, for a term of ſeven years; in which period of time the mole- catcher imagines he can nearly have deſtroyed the race of thoſe animals in the diſtri&t, This effort, towards a total extirpa- tion, muſt bé more efffflMcacious than the greateſt exertions of in- dividuals. Itis a doubt, after all, whether moles may not be uſe- ful animals in the deſtrudtion of certain noxious earrh-worms. Kats are a very deſtruQive animal, not only amongſt grain, but other articles; they are frequêntly brought in abundance into the ſea-ports in corn, and other veſſels. The ſame mode has been very lately adopted, by particular townſhips, towards a general deſtruction of theſe very troubleſome and voracious animals#,: Sparrows SSSR, € THROUGE the vehicle of Mr. Young?s uſeful Annals, T am informed of the eſtabliſhment of a moſt excellent and honour- able Board of Agriculture, under whom, I find, you are appointed to the furvey of this county. To you therefore, I beg leave to addreſs this, though it is not a diret anſwer to any of the queries propoſed by the Board; yet, I truft, it may be conſidered, as having ſome relation to the former part of the laſt. This country 1s, to a very great degree, infeſted with that moſt deſtruétive vermin, rats: I ſhall not, now, attempt any îtatement of the probable damages they may be ſuppoſed to do us; but the annual loſſes we ſuſtain by them in our buildings, corn, and other goods, is very confſider- able. I, and mott of the principal farmers, and others, for a circuit of about 20 or 30 miles, have, for ſome time, employed Edmund Heathcote, of Ormſkirk, who has a very expeditious, efffeCual, and ſafe mode of de- ftroying them; but this affords us only a temporary relief, for we are, (perhaps from our neighbours, who had not theirs deſtroyed) before long, again infeſted. <“ In ſome townMips they have employed him to clear the whole for a ſtipulated ſum, paid annually, out of ſome pound-rate-ley, which is fo trifling, as not to be felt by any individual: and has, IL hear, nearly the wiſhed-for effet(a). But even this is ceriainly a plan too circumſcribed to zuíwer any great end. My reaſon, therefore, for troubling you with thisy (a) About one halfpenny in the aſleſled rates» nanted, nd en CN- re, for ‘thoſe tirpa- in- be uſe rmec iillde grail, dance mode Vards COUS LE RRE ETRE. 20S Sparrows, and ſmall E del 3 and ſums of money have been bourhood, towards the A deſtru&tion, for many years paſt; and although the amount of the ſum, from the number of years the cim has obtained, is become pretty large, no decif ial 25 IVC CITO have been produced; the As paid may have been too F/ trifling to ect a total cure, and the meaſur Ss, Bitheito talen, too languid, In this work, there ought to be an aſſociation, to declare war againſt the common enemy; and VIZOrous exer- tiens ſhould be enforced, by ſufficient Preu Ss TOF€ ſtruction occaſioned by theſe ſmall creatures is of greater CX tent than many people could im agine. The amount of a hun- dred loads; ſacks of whe cat, have been calculated to have been deſtroyed by theſe diminutive devourers, in the courſe of one ſeaſon, in a townſhip of no very large extent, beſides the oats and barley, Magpies, carrion-crows, kites, las wks, and jays, fnould be included 2m ongft the cemmon enemy. Dogs are in general a nuiſance. The butcher freguently ſuſ- 18 Inf OPes, through you, to obtain, from the w{dom of the Honourable B>20: as ¿ome ſuggetiions 8 tne Inoult eilg ible pian oí EX TEeI ndin o the empioy- i O) „for the extirpation of this molt deſtructive E Es STR WIGAN, zn the County of Tour very humble Servant, FEANCASTER Dec, 155 ée CSKILL SUMNER- INO ‘The ſurveyor hath employed Mr. E mun A HIESRE tioned 1n the N. ipace oí fime, tl ery ſober and attentive to h!s the has been en NPioy le A E ne!ghbourhoo: Ît 15 greatly to De lamented that Mr. Heathcote rats and tnice 1s not gener ally known and pradétiled; if be à total extirpation of tROole CODNOXIQOUS and One EEN he tot 1/ ſs them(wher j be the S AR EN+ 3 ERA 1 St NE RE 1 NUITCIOUS, aS CAN atteſted by hundreds in the neighbourhood of :: n EEE SSS OrmíikKir<, who have emp The compolhition he makes uſe of he puts in their Ne Ss Or UTO and from the very ſmall quantity he uſes, it 1s aſtoniſh 3g ut ſhould have ſuch an effedt« it will keep good two years. A farmer COn Tende for the deſtruCtion of rats, one ouncz of pounded quick-lime to four oun tallow cake, to be beaten together and mad r runs, which has cleared many] 1 l experience, that an ounce of aerated ces of e into balls, and Placed in \Gings. But it has been proved 4 41 y Dà Li) E> 26 »arytes finely powdered, mixed with è! vil uil the tallow, 1nplace of lime, 1s more effeétual, Gg tains 226 AGRLCULTFTODRAL SURVEY tains heavy lóſles, in the deſtruction or diſperſion of his ſheep, in the vicinity of great towns, by marauding dogs; and tlioſe who breed ſheep frequently complain of their flocks being greatly annoyed by the yelping of curs, and who will ſometimes wantonly encroach upon théir borders.‘The paſſenger is but too’ often attacked by their troubleſome and vociferous ſaluta- tions. They ate certainly a fit objet of taxation, if thoſe of real uſe could be excepted. Dogs are ſo great a nuiſance in many parts of this country, as totally to prevent all ideas of keeping ſheep. E wiſh to Heaven we had a dog-tax. SIX perſons have ah died in the neighbourhood of Man- cheſter, from the bite of a mad-dog, and with dreadful ſufer- inas; and twegty perſons, under the apprehenſion of being affected, were received into the Mancheſter infirmary in one eek. T: B. Bayley. Nothing can be more deſireable for this populous county, than an univerſal tax upon dogs. Mr. Taylor. Weeds, eſpecially thoſe which bear winged fſceds, as the thiſtle, dandelion,&c. ſhould be declared common enemies, and treated accordingly. It is to no purpoſe that a neat farmer cleanſes his ground from ſuch noxious enemies, if a leſs atten- tive neighbour permit them to flouriſh in the adjoining pre- miſles; the winds will diſperſe the floating emigrants over the well, as the ill-cultivated field, where E will take poſſeſfion, without the on of the owner. Another deſtructive ſpecies of vermin 1s a kind of ſnail or flug, which, during the day-time in April and May lies under ground, devouring the roots of corn; in the evening comes out, and attacks the blade. Three or four may be found ſometimes Upon the ſame plant, and this is the time that ſhould be ſeized for their extirpation; by drawing a heavy roller over theſe lands whilſt the E is at work, parti ¡cularly i in a moon-light night, they may be ettedually deſtroyed. By this ſep, a crop of corn may ſometimes be preſerved,: When the air is warm, and the atmoſphere moiſt, the greateſt ſlaughter may be made, the whole family being then abroad. They ſku E under ground on any approach of Cold, CHAPTER IGLU CI <4 EE it ÉE FF LANCASHIRE, CHAP FER NVI: MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS SIC I.— Agricultural Societies. MENGE SER SOC HERE has been a ſociety of agriculture eſtabliſhed at Mancheſter, for a number of years, which is conducted with ſpirit; and the ſeveral premiums offered annually, have been frequently claimed, and adjudged. A report is annually publiſhed, e the premiums, which are offered for the eniuing Year, and a lift of the perſons to whom they have been already adjudged, is made public; but they have not yet publiſhed any volume of papers which they may have received on different ſub- a! c jects; and of which tl ey are In poſſeſſion, The ſurveyor, when at Manchefter, A upon the ſecretary, and examined theſe pers, with a view of collecting ſomething that might be of ſervice to him in this Report. The papers are many of them upon important ſubjeds. The Rev. Mr.-J. Stainbank, of Halton-ha 1, writes,& That the principal great towns, through the diferent Counties, a where they chooſe to form- themſelves into ſocieties, ſhould be connedted with the Board of Agriculture, as emanations frora that great body, and be ſupplied thence with books of inſtructions, and other aſiſtance during their infant ſlate; and that each ſociety ſhould adapt ſuch a ſyſtem of premiums, as would be moſt E for exciting a ſpirit of agriculture in, and Pome the greateſt poſible i improvement 05 its r tive diſtrict. t lealt CIPEC Similar hints have been dropped by other correſpondents, but not ſo fully explained, Ge 2 Mr. 228 AGRICUE LURATE SURVEY Mr. Eccleſton conceives,© that a ſpirit for improvement might be excited amo— A SS by occaſional tours, every three or five years, undertaken by a perſon appointed by the E whoſe report E 1d be printed, the names of the improvers and improvements to be inſerted, with proper eulo- giums for their ind ll and E IN OLE CO EXECItEs By emulation, others to ſimilar exertions.?”” The ſame gentleman obſerves, The moft certain way ta bring the cultivation of this iſle ſpeedily to the utmoſt degree of perfection wouid be to eſtabliſh a ſchool or college where the elements of Agriculture, with its neceſſary attendants, cuy A4 batany, êc. ſhauld be tar ght, and the moſt approved R n25 plowing, ſowing IN principle 2 LS floating, tencli drill and broad-cafſt, the difference of manures aſce Red and FLEE ¿nE ncies pointed ou O operation to be fnewn the N R la ds IPER,; 204 WS BLR SU r FZ: »IDLIS 111 DYAacCtICe, On a Tam-hablithed for the purpoſe, under the L 2 AE n b) JS SET ZA Gi Board of Agriculture, E O A A:: « Were fuch an eftabliſhinent in being, and properly attended A E EA E E EE SS LO, INO Men OT TOrTUuUne WoOUuid WL: Rer ſons to 70 through a EE EL CRE EE QA E courſe of the juít principles of a ſcience the molt beneñciai to . CIA Fai mankind, which would give a turn of nu 1d CO Re At CIaſs Of ei l Ar n encrenf 1 JY Dalignratin men 1n the king dom, to encreaſe its reſources, by ameliorating re add to the LE of the ] 2( ER TAS their private fortunes, and greatly ns n/ LS R> SaR A ESSA 5A labourine Claſs of people. The agents‘or ſtewards of large C; RES gg as E) 4[01 cilates, who at preſent, from vant of early inſtruction, are 1 us e AIL unequal to their fituation, from the confined ideas of their 1 education, would be able, along with the opulent fa rmers, to fend their ſons with advantage, to receive all neceſiary and ſolid in- ſtruction, requiſite fi r their line in life, befi e Arithmetic, Piannins, and ES which at preſent 1s all that has been taught, even to the moſt enlightened of that claſs, T may almoſt ſay of opponents(from want of better education) to modern SS The moft’ eſſential obje&s for the improvement of this county, are, the improved C of draining: the plaſhing or making good tences: the introduction: of green fallow crops, and the ſtocking with ſheep, for the fecurity of which ſtock, in theſe populous parts, a dóg tax would be highly advantageous La TETAS: a pry Tae SERRE E TOE TREE ad  eL ANCASERE. 229 Vf EA aui AIl other improvements would of courſe A follow. of the: QLD HAM SOCIE TN. eulo- There is a ſociety of botaniſts in Oldham, eſtabliſhed te, by about twenty years ago, begun originally by Dr. Haulkyard, George Hyde, and John Newton.—The ſociety meets nine ay to months in the year, and each member contributes ſix pence 2 2e Of month,(the preſent members are all artificers) two pence of the| which 1s reſerved for the purchaſe of books, and the remaining nts, four pence ſpent in liquor.—They have purchaſed by this ved cans about twenty volumes, and are poſleſled of 1,500 ſpeci- 7 in mens of plants, properly clafied. and| The time by many dedicated to paſtime, or ſometimes to 1 the worſe purpoſes, is by the members of this ſociety uſually em- the ployed in the purſuit of their favourite amuſement of either ſe= leéing or arranging their ſpecimens. ded id In collecting plants different members have gone as far as ha: Liverpool, Lancaſter, Cheſter, Nottingham, Hull,&c. and one | tg( of the members has undertaken a voyage, and to proceed as (5 of| far as the weſtern parts of America, to botanize, under the pa- tino tronage of. John Lee Philips, eſquire, of Mancheſter.— f the/ On the 21ſt of June, in the preſent year, one of the members laroe: being upon the mountains near Oldham, diſcovered for the fûrſt i time the zva urfa. This ſociety 1s not unknown to Sir Joſeph Banks, Dr. Wi- Î thering, and others, from whom they have been favoured by d in- j correſpondence of letters.—They are a wonderful and re- ſpectable ſociety for their perſeverance, ſobriety, and the great knowledge acguired in the purſuit of this ſtudy. Le] cp D —] 2 molt Their great ambition is to viſit the botanical gardens at Lon- oder den; for which purpoſe the ſum of five guineas, they think, would ſuffice: but alas! that ſum is not to be found*! pe tioned, that upon Mr. Philips noticing to one of the members, that he had obſerved a certain rare plant whilít riding on the northern coaſt of Liver- pool, he immediately ſat out in ſearch of it, and brought it to Mr. Philips z; and the plant 1s now growing in his gardens at Mount-pleaſant. * As a proof of the zeal of theſe indußtrious people, it may be men- Names AGRICU SURNEY E TURAL Botanical Society there: Z I, Anthoxanthum, very common} 2 Alopecutus, DS 2a Dac lus DS i 4 Po= DS o eſtu OS 7] E A | GO Bromus—= HDS Haz gals: | Te Aven DS h dE= DE “A Weight of crops 1s in general Alopecurus, Poa, and Bromus. J e n 1 N very Cammeon| = LS: 2A Agroſtis,= De | 3. Secule,- not very common(Paſture land. 5 A Aun D° 5. Lolium,- very common) SECT. 2.— Weights and Meaſures. THE difference of weights and meaſures in this county are ſo many, that if they cannot with OBEY be called obſtacles, they may with truth be termed incumbrances to the general in- tercourſe of bufineſs, and clear comprehenſion of what time-an under ſimular terms, but with diferent ideas annexed to them, according to the object. The rod in Lancaſhire is of no leſs than fix diferent lengths in different parts of the county; namely, the ſtatute or 5 È yards, 6, 61, 7, 72, and eight yards, to the rod, pole, or perch*, € The * To hazard a conjecture SS the ety o! ogy of the word, and the va= rious lengths of the m ealure, the rod or pole got out of an adjoining foreſt, was molt r the primitive mealure, but without any certain fiand- ard, A ſtraight A or pole, of 55 yards long, preſented itſelf; and this ſerved to meaſure 2 certain diſtri. Another rod, or pole of a diferent E length, preéented itſelf to a different meaſurer, and that became his fſtand- ard Names of the GRASSES moſt common in the neigh- bourhood of Oldham, given by two members of the a Ly 2 C EES ¿EA N CASEY: BOT The meaſures are equally variable, At Lancaſter a load of wheat, beans, and peaſe, is four and a half buſhels(Wincheſ- ſer); barley, ſix Wincheſter buſhels; oats, leven and a half Wincheſter buſhels*, N. B.—W heat has been ſold lately by the weight of 280 Ib. At Ulverſtone, a load of wheat is 45 Wincheſter buſhels; oats, lix Wincheſter buſhels. At Mancheſter, a load of wheat is ſixteen ſcore; a load of oats nine Wincheſter buſhels; a load of beans five Wincheſ- ter buſhels; a load of potatoes twelve ſcore and twelve pounds, waſhed; unwaſhed, thirteen ſcore. At Liverpool, the town?s buſhel is 34> quarts for oats, bar- ley, and beans, making exaQly 36 quarts Wincheſter, or one- eighth more than a Wincheſter buſhel; and by the cuſtom of trade, one given in at every ſcore, or twenty-one buſhels; of late wheat, barley, and oats have been ſold by weight, but never yet beans: wheat 70 Ib. to the bufhzl, barley vo lb. and oats 451b.; and probably this mode by weight is the faireſt for both ” buyer and ſeller; for, beſides the difüculty of getting a true ſtandard buſhel or meaſure, the dexterity of corn-meters is ſuch, that it is aſſerted+ they can gain either to the buyer Or ſeller from 10 tof 20 per cent. in* different modes of meaſurement; that 5 per cent. can be“obtained by thi pradtice by even bunglers in the buſineß: this is an eN profit, and the unfairneſs of ſuch practices merits the ſevereſt reprenhenfion{. 0 _< ard for another diſtri. Theſe rods, or poles, being purpoſe, and uíed again when cccaßon called- a; 3 eſtabliſhed andard of the diſtri. Hence, /z2!!, from the f. which covered a certain length. 1d 1 A a * A load, ſo denominated, it ſhould ſeem, from the horſe load. j the weight a horſe could conven!ently carry on his back. Evy grain,&c. was conveyed this way till very lately, The load is in the mountainous parts. na iacx, { By a conſiderable corn-merchant. E Tt is enatted by 3xGeo. TIT. thas 2 Winchefer buſhel of cc Mould weigh as follows: Ib. Ib. Wheat 57 avoirdupoiſe,— Wheat meal SIRI A É Barley 49 E ta es di: Flour 48 L LON ASES W N L 28- 42==-- ditto 41 LEE RE 20: Oats vt 38 dü A À_ R LS V 1INCNeiter DUuilei, Rye- E N Z EES Ss unSground, FS Î I TET BLR REIEN 232 AGRICULTURÄË SURVEY At Lancaſter they have a meaſure called a windle, which is three Winchefter buſhels, At Preſton the windle of wheat, beans, and barley is three and a half Wincheſter buſhels; but of late 220 1b. has been reckoned a windle of wheat; they have alſo a meaſure at Preſ- ton called a peck, which is twenty-eight quarts, four of which arc called a windle. Weights.— There are three different weights expreſſed under the general term, hundred weight; namely, 1001b. 1121b, and 120lb. The'ſtone varies. In Liverpool 201b. is the weight allowed far the ſeveral articles under that denomination, as beef, hay, ſtraw,&c. and probably all the articles produced from land, Butter is required to weigh 18 ounces, avoirdupoiſe, or nay be ſeized by the magiſtrates. À Bis “f Y PBL TR 4 i Pe AE. Im did 1 Cunt cultu: ſures,| diftrid toke i adopting I ben, 1s cap moſt| 1 in this attende for the wail Produc} yield ot Game ki 4 07 if LANCASHIRE; CONC US RON Means of promoting the Improvement of the Ccunty of Larxca after 3; añúd Hints t%znce to be Diived for the L mprovement of other Counties. REPORT formed on fo great a ſcale, as thoſe which at drawn up for the conſideration of the Board of At culture; ought to conclude with a general view of thoſe mea- ſures, which are beſt calculated‘for the EE of the diſtrict to which the ſurvey relates; and allo with a fate of thofe improvements which have taken E there; and by 2dopting which, other diſtricts mi; ght be beneûcted. V I. Confiderations reſpecting the farther SLA Tmprovement of the County of Lan- cafter. Ix the preceding obſervations, a number of hints have been given, PE out the improvements of which this country is capable; and it 1s only neceſlary to recapitulate ſome af the moſt 1mportant. I. WASTE LANDS.—The cultivation of the waſte Iznds in this county, is undoubtedly the firſt obje that ought to bz attended to. A county like that of Lancaſter. diſtinguiſhe for the opulence and ſpirit of its inhabitants,(hould never ref, whilſt a ſingle acre remains, that does not yield ſome valuable production.‘There is ſcarcely a rood in it, that might not yield ſome ſpecies of grain, or ſome ſort of uſcful paſture, or ſome kind of valuable timber, Were thoſe waſte lan ds mzde ELS AB 234 AGRICUETOR AS UR E as produdtive as they ought to be, there would probably be no occaíion for the importation of grain from other countries; and thus the manufa@uring induſtry of Lancaſhire, inſtead of being a market to encourage the agricultural exertions of other countries, would be the means of promoting thoſe do- meſtic improvements, which, in every point of view, are ſo much entitled to be preferred. DRAINING—In a wet climate this mut be the baſis of all improvement. Mauch in this reſpect has been already done in Lancaſhire, but much ſtill remains to be effeCted, par- ticularly where the ſoil is of a clayey nature. The perfed&ion however to which this art will probably e. brought, in con- ſequence of the attention which has been late] y paid to it, and the diſcoveries which have been made by Mr. Elkington, will ſoon enable the people of this county, to clear their lands of ſuperfluous water, whether it ariſes from what falls upon the ſurface, or is occalñoned by ſubterraneous ſources 3. GRAINS.—Oats ſeem to be the natural grain to be extenſwveiy cultivated in this part of the iſland: nd as 121 all countries an early ſpecies is deſirable, it may not be unworthy of the Lancaſhire farmer, to try a PS O oat that has lately been much œulüvated in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, known under the name of the Red Oat. It is remarkably early, being ripe before almoſt any other ſort, and produces more ineal than any oat of the ſame ſize; its ſtraw alſo is good for attle, and it 1s not liable to ſhake. It is probable, on the whole, that it is one cf the greateſt means of improvement that couid be introduced into Lancaſhire. - TURNIPS.— An increaſed culture of this valuable root, E an objet well entitled to the particular attention of thoſe, who wiſh to promote the improvement of this county. A great part of the ſoil of Lancaſhire is ſuppoſed to be particu- E well calculated for the culture of turnips. The advan- tages which other counties aped from this culture,- ought to induce the Lancaſhire farmers, to/pay particular at- x tention FA LANCASUIRE: 235 tention to this ſource of improvement, the nature and princi- ples of which are too well known to reguire any elucidation in this place. There are two modes of cultivating turnips 5 thé one is by‘the broad-caft, the other by the drill ſyſtem of huſbandry. Which 1s the moſt productive, has not yet been decidedly aſcertained; but the drill ſyftem is the moſt eaſily introduced, on the account of the greater facility of hoeing.— For the broadcait ſyitem of turnip huſbandry, the ſurvey of the county of Norfolk may be conſulted;¡—for the drill ſyſtem, that of Northumberland. 5. CATTLE.—lIt is acknowledged that the Lancaſhire breed. of cattle, do not equal what they were ſome years ago, and are certainly much inferior to the improved ſtock of the ſame breed(namely, the long-horned) in other parts of the king- dom. As Lancaſhire muſt always be as much of a grazing» than of an aráble country, it is particularly deſirable, for the advantage of its inhabitants, that the herbage it produces, ſhould feed as profitable a ſpecies of ſtock as poſible; and hence par- ticular attention to its breed of cattle cannot be too ſtrongly recommended,; 6. SHEEP..—It is impoſkble to ſee without regret, that ſo valuable an animal, ſhould hitherto have had ſo moderate a ſhare of the attention of the Lancaſhire farmers, as there is none by means of which fuch great improvements might be effected. Notwithſtanding the humidity of the climate, where the ſoil is dry, or capable of being drained, no apprehenſion’ need be en- tertained of this animal's ſucceeding to a wiih. At preſent, the greater part of the county ſeems to be principally devoted to the moſt unprofitable of all that ſpecies of ſtock, namely, the black-faced Scotch, whoſe fleece is of little or no value, whoſe reſtleſſneſs renders it difficult for them to be confined in any common incloſure, and the wildneſs of whoſe diſpoſition make it extremely difficult to fatten them, Inſtead of theſe, there are two ſorts of ſheep, the Cheviot for the hilly parts ofthe country, and the Bakewell or Culley breed, for the lower diſtri, which cannot be too ſtrongly recommended to the people of Lancaſhire. ‘The Cheviot are to be found on the borders of England HEDE, and 236 AGRICUL FURAT SURVEY and Scotland, and are the moft valuable breed, for a moun= tainous diftrict, perhaps any where to be met with; but for a manufacturing country, where the paſture is ſuMciently rich, the Bakewell breed js undoubtedly preferable to every other; producing, from the ſame extent of herbage, a greater quantity of meat, and of a ſort peculiarly well calculated for general conſumption. In a manufäuring diſtrict alſo, it is extremely deſirable, to have a raw material of ſuch value as wool, on which the indußry of the people may be exerciſed, ſhould other branches fall of.: Theſe General Obſeryations might be extended to a much greater length, and might include a number of other particu= lars: but if the waſte lands of the county are properly culti- Vatei—if draining is properly attended to—if the beſt ſpecies of oats and other grains are propagated—if the culture of tur= nips is carried to that extent of which it is capable—if the cattie of the country are improved, and regain their ancient eitimation—and, above all, if the beſt ſorts of /heep are ſpread over the county, Lancaſhire will have no reaſon to regret the attention that has been paid to i¿s improvement by the Board of Agriculture. I. Hints for the Improvement of other Counties. THF attention of the people of Lancaſhire, has hitherto been principally devoted to the extenſion of mahufadtories; at the ſame time, an aQive and intelligent race of people, muſt always diſcover a number of particulars, by which its own agriculture, and that of its neighbours, may be improved. A variety of hints to that effe@, will be found in the preceding pages of this Report; but there is one point which requires to be particularly adyerted to, namely, the management of marle, in which this county ſeems to excel every other, and by imi- tating whoſe pradice, there is no part of the kingdom, where & marle 77 => Ed EME marie {tate very ſults do li! porta adval tentio top di de tod trious Preced have 6 valuabl and pr be no the co à ou, Ut for 4 Hy rich, y other; Juantity general remely 0, on (hould much artiCU« ‘Culti= ſpecies É tur- if the cient pread [epret \ y Ne 1108 EE LEE >“ESR Ff LANCASHIRE. 237 marle might be found, that might not be brought into a high ſtate of cultivation. The quantity laid upon an acre ſcems very great, but is amply repaid by the laſting benefit that re- ſults from it. It is probable indeed, that a ſmall quantity may do little good, whilſt a great load may produce the moſt im portant benefits. The marling alſo a ſecond time with great advantage, is a circumſtance entitled to very particular at- tention; and.the burning of marle, and uſing it when burnt as top dreſling for corn, is a mode of improvement which cannot be too ftrongly recommended to the attention of the induſ- trious farmer, who has an opportunity of putting it in prac- ECE. On the whole, it is believed, that no man can read over the preceding pages, without being ſatisfied, that great pains muſt have been beſtowed in colleding and arranging ſuch a maſs of valuable information; and if a ſimilar account is drawn up and printed of every other diſtri&t in the kingdom, there can be no doubt œf its proving in the higheſt degree ſerviceable te the country. APPENDIX, d AGRICULTURAL SURVEY AP PAE ND EX. HE following deſcription of the Lancaſhire cattle,&c. will ſerve to explain the engravings which accompany this Report. LANCASHIRE BULL, Was bred at St. Michael’s in the Filde, and is now the property of Edward Aſhcroft, Spellow-houſe farm, in Walton. DIMENSIONS, Inches. Length of the head— P28 Depth from ſhoulder to breaſt-bone Breadth from hip to hip== Height from ſhoulder to fore-foot Length from root of horn to rump LANCASHIRE COW, Purchaſed, when in the poſſeſſion of James Balmer, T'oxteth Park, for exportation to America, as one of the beſt ſpecimens of the Lancaſhire breed. DIMENSIONS. Length of the head- Depth from ſhoulder to breaſt-bone Breadth from hip-bone to hip-bone Heighth from ſhoulder to fore-foot Length from root of the horn to rump LANCASHIRE MARE, Bred at Weſt Derby; is of the uſual breed of cart-horſes in Hat vicinity, ſtrong and bony; the colour black, not ſo heavy but that it might occaſionally be uſed upon the road, or to draw in a Chaiſe, The rt teth of LANCASHIRE, 239 The Mare from which the original drawing was taken, is in her 22d year, notwithſtanding which the teeth are yet good, eyes clear, and perfectly ſound. It has been one of the beſt of ſervants, to its preſent maſter, for the ſpace of nineteen years. MIXT BREED OF HOGS. The Hog, an engraving of which js inſerted in this work, is a boar belonging to Thomas Wakefhßeld, Eſa. Brooke Farm, near Liverpool.‘There is a, mixture of the Chineſe and of the wild boar in this breed. Its chief properties are a large carcaſe, ſhort legs, ſmall entrails, and great weight of meat, in proportion ,to its ſize. DIMENSIONS. Feet. Inches, Length of head--- Depth from ſhoulder to breaſt- Breadth from hip to hip 2 N Heighth from ſhoulder to fore-foot Length from ear to rump- CGrirth round his body E s [BT E> E E E D OOORO No. Mode of preſerving CREAM, for ſeveral weeks oc months; particularly calculated for ſca voyages. AK E 12 ounces of white ſugar, and diſſolve it in ſome ounces of water, over a moderate fire. After the ſugar is diſſolved, boil it for about two minutes in an earthen veſſel; after which add immediately 12 ounces of freſh cream, and mix the whole uniformly aver the fire: then ſuffer it to cool, pour it into a quart bottle, and cork it carefully. Keep it in a cool place, and it will continue ft for uſe for ſeve- ral weeks, or even months. 4 | 240 AGRICULTURAT, UV RVEY i :, O countic ?+ N° to be;| Je L returſl z defra SIN CE the above Report was drawn ups the following pa- An ; y ¿E réd i the! per was tranſmitted, by an a@ive and intelligent magiſtrate E =(C Ccountl for the county of Lancaßer.: 2(Geo 3 to the( Obſervations on the Corn ACH 21 Geo: TIL. chap. xxx;- a reſpeding, the Salaries of the Corn Inſpectors. he fam Tt is inſiſted, that the clear meaning of the Tegiſlature Was, to Zl .. Ej defray the expences of its€xecution;, and amongſt theſe the N falaries of the corn-inſpectors, from the duties to be paid on N the Importation of foreign corn. paid t In proof of this— E #4 there 18 DE 1f obſerved, that by the 15th, rôth, 17th; and 13h* E clauſes, various duties are impoſed on foreign corn imported; of and are put under the management of the commiſlioners of the vita 111 cuſtoms. 2. That by the 74th clauſe, and the two following Ones, bil expreſs proviſion is made for the re-payment of the monies paid fue fu by the county tréaſurers; viz.(55. for cach return) charging uft fo, ajo the deficiency(if any) to the general cuſtom-houſe account and to( to make good, dom, to adequate That the regulations for the port of Londán, in clauſze by the 43 445 45, and 46, provide for the ſalary of the corú-in- In fad: ipedtor there, from the duty of one penny on Britifþ corn, and “wo pence for foreign corn imported, Hte u This is plainly done from the juſt view of the ſubjet—as 4 of national, and not of Loca! Concern; and therefore no partial burden is thrown on the city of London to pay their corn-in- Ípeétor; and there can be no doubt, that on the ſume principle * eftequity, all other parts of the kingdom were intended to be «gually exempted from Local impoſitions, 4: That Wing pa. magiſtrate 14D, Xxx, € Was; to theſe the * paid on A 18th ported; s of the 2 Ones, 6s paid 4 aging “Count clauſes rn-in- n, and as partial N-inl- 1ciplé to be That o LANCASHIRE. 241 4. That the reaſon of the allowance made to the Scotch counties(by the 33 Geo. III. c. 65. ſe. 20.) is declared to be, that the former allowance of twenty ſüuillings for each return(by 31 Geo. III. c. 30. ſe. 74.) was not ſufficient to defray the expences,&c. This fully explains the meaning of the legiſlature in the corn ad, zot to burden the particular « counties’ by the payment of extra ſalaries, Nc. Theactof 33 Geo. III. c. 65. puts it out of all queſtion, with reſpect to the counties in North Britain; and as both parts of the united kingdom are under the regulation of this corn ac, the ſame meaſure of equity muſt apply to both, gs. Tt was calculated when the ad paſſed, that the duties on foreign corn imported would be more than ſufficient to defray the expences of the ad; for the“ ſurplus” is ordered to be paid to the receiver-general of the cuſtoms. And the ſums aëually remitted on this account from Liverpool, will prove that there is no neceſhty(if that were to be adrfitted as a plea) to burden the county rates of< Lancaſhire” with the payment of /. 500 per annum for the ſalaries of the corn-inſpedtors within that county. 6. If it was judged proper to order the /mall payments<< of five ſhillings?’ for each return to be repaid to the counties, it muſt follow that the legiſlature never meant /ocally to burden, and to ſo great an extent, any diſtri&ts within the united king=- dom, to ſupport a ſyſtem of general regulation; and for which adequate proviſion was intended to be made in the corn act, by the ſmall duties laid on foreign corn imported; and which in fa, are ſufficient for this purpoſe. Tope, near Manchefter, April 1795. mee Dt 7 aunt TTE E aa dente SA Li i R ER SEHR i Zi rei is I DL Es 00 a5, Ls ES EPR Cati pe A azi i ai E_ i ES Ti E : F D 4 & \ / i) Direttions to the Binder. Map of Lancaſhire--= to front the title. Lactometer---== to face p. 160 Lancaſhire Bull=----= þ. 143 ji--Cow-----= DSL DE NMate=--=-= þ. 169 Mixt breed of Hogs==- DITA EEE SIP rea « TETES‘rTP Dp e R NA % hs zs - a . . a R, a ZE LL RE k e—————— E RT————————————-— Zp—————— EE Wuyr tle ral ar ace p. 160 -J. 143 . B1 .). 169 1 6p — 5. 174 —— — — 5 p 5 —— — —— — ꝗ — ☛—·y—— —