Univ-Bibl. Giessen WIT! Be Bookse' And ° LMT S WEEINELLOAC Lo TIO" 242 JO dd VW? F? ee ae~ H fi a|. os° AQYL' SN|| |:) UMD AISIOLE i\<{| Ko‘// oo ae oad U NO'\ i ese POULT EET|, H Y‘} iUL0 QYUA 2;, F\: | s oc PLO PULO T i‘ A | é i OTAMS NVA{°| &° wopuna) lan E Z ai Se. a. ZL| || i/ yore?” z|| i° Fo; ISS) LU PPP EIUY DAUD AT CL Off OG., Y i k P| / Oo MASMALT‘ a |‘ fUOpL HO=\ y f AQSALOY J,‘ > A RUM) i X> i so, w(>-\ le =i aworxay,} UOPMNGLD) F K' Ss ee ae° fo H® | rt ys 1p f Loop;"| ‘ IPULVYIO, f 2 POL apeay©” Hospioyy O UMDYIYODS fea { dAOSAUOM FF A eee AAOAD 0| a! / ras\ } As CWO dL AT Og J“J C 7 UWOpLIAIT if ISVa ra! i ° ss; Jee NG| ) YOMLIQGYRT j U0NMDD 0} \ i' o iS i'> f'' Ws ge ae; i HLAITG 7:' NS Gi OZ ge BF ee . P)( Lonacccuna ar. rs y? PN“SOW Wag UDYOULYIIT|, p aS L © S YROMLDLL sf N F oe’= UMPIAG©: y em ey BOAR 98 AWLMY Fy 9 a[ se ry‘ S prea Senet aa.*+ bel': Ay ‘a eee\ Jine Oe aoe 0 oe= Ni i k: : Ne w Vy| AG) Gude, Ores\ df hed? ay e f Vi Py€} E|; / Af\ E J (eas& Y teed yes Tar BT vrg HiT— Ta qvvienuienere priwinnin's a a2 Tah Ti ANNA Latin hi iii INVIVY ov o ag olk©. ov giz ole Long tude Weg p. a TET—_— Veele weeeger 9g 52 S>> WO Lordaor rien fe Dany Lica GENERAL VIEW OF THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF NOTTINGHAM, WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEANS OF ITS IMPROVEMENT. Drawn up for the Confideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement, EB WY.|> ea) OF OXTON. Lonnon; PRINTED BY W. SMITH, For G. NICOL, Patz Matt, Bookseller to HIS MAJESTY, and tothe BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, And fold by Mess. Ropinson, Paternoster Row; J. Seweix, Cornhill; Capet and Daviess, Strand; Witt1am Creecu, Edinburgh; and Jonn Arcuer, Dubjin. 1798. PRE Tae. undertak! to state, ¢ course of practices suggested to enter subject of must ther thon, PRELIMINARY OBSERVATION. Tue Surveyor begs leave to premise, that in undertaking the work he proposed to himself only to state, as far as came to his knowledge, the usual course of husbandry used in the county, the new practices introduced, and such improvements as suggested themselves to him; without pretending to enter deep into scientific disquisition, or the subject of political regulation, which the reader must therefore expect to be but slightly touched upon,. (( \\ CONTENTS. CHAP. I1.—Gzeographical State and Circumstances. SECT. SEcT. SEcT. “DEGE. SECT. SEcT. CHAP: Seer. SECT. Co NO om PAGE Situation and Extent. Divisions Climate Dryness=.-- 2 Soil and Surface Division of Distriéts according to soil, 3, 4, 5 Minerals and Fossils--= 5 Stone~--- 7b. Coals=-=== ib. Lime=---- 6 Gypsum---- 78. Marl----- ib. Water--- ib. Rivers and Brooks- ate Tt I1.—State of Property. 1. 2. Estates and their Management- 8 Farms==--- ib. CHAP. IN.—Buildings. Houses, Farm Houses, Cottages,&c. 9 Staddles=~-~ 10 Fother Room--- 7b, Particular method of laying barn floors 1d. vi CONTENTS. CHAP. IV.—Mode of Occupation. PAGE Sect. 1. Size of Farms, Character of Farmers 14 Sect. 2. Rent in Money, Personal Services~a10. SECT.y9-05 Laythes=. a 15 Sect. 4., Poor’s Rates=<= 20. Sect. 5. Leases-=== Sect. 6. Expence and Profit-- ib. CHAP. V.—Jmflements of Husbandry. Various Ploughs=- 17 Harrow==== ib. Threshing Machines=- 18 Waggons and Carts== ib. CHAP. VI.—Jnclosing, Fences, Gates. Whitethorn Fence bie- 19 Birch ditto=-- ib. Gates Oak=-- ib. =—— Wallow=- aa 59D: Hedgerow Planting== 7b. CHAP. VII.—Employment of Land, Arable Land, Cultivation, and Rotation of Crofs. Sect. 1, Employment of Land in Forest Distrit 21 Forest Breaks=-- 7b. Clumber Park-- ONE Newstead Park-= 23 Beskwood Park-- 75. Cultivation and Employment in Forest Inclosures-=:= 24 Particular Articles in Forest District 27 Weld>=- 7b. Hops-=- 7b Liquorice“ 6 i 98 = e« ~~ > pet >° CONTENTS. Vii PAGE Cultivation in Trent Bank District 28 Arable, course of=- 1b. Winter Tares--- 29 Grass Lands“~~ 1b. Tongue of Land east of Trent- ib. Letter from G. Neville, Esq. of Thor- ney, on Cultivation, Stock, and Planting of the above Land= 930) Paring and Burning.- 31 Lime=“- 1b, Whale Blubber-- B2 Sticklebacks==- ib. Sheep== 2, he Skegs a 3=- 33 Planting--- 34 Uses of Birch-- ib. Occupation and Cultivation in Clay District North of Trent- oat Winter‘Tares--~ 38 Hops- Pus ta- 1b. Pasture z;=- 4.2 Occupation in Vale of Belvoir Distri: 44 Ditto in Nottinghamshire Woulds ib. Ditto in Lime and Coal Distri@ a+i 545 Course of Crops on Limestone- ib. Ditto on Coal Land-“ 1b, Crops commonly cultivated-- ib. Wheat==- ib. Rye---- 46 Barley~~~ 7b. Oats===~ 228. Skegs~=~ ib. Beans 4 2: ib: Pease=~- Eee yf Buckwheat- ee 47 vill CONTENTS, a CHAP. VIII.—Grass, Natural and Artificial. SECT. 1. SecrT. 2. Red and Broad Clover-= 46 Trefoil=-- 1b. Rib Grass--= ib. Burnet S-~ 1b. Sainfoin Z ee ib. Lucerne-== 49 Hay-harvest-=~ 1D. CHAP. IX.—Gardens, Orchards, and Nurseries. CHAP. X.—Woods and Plantations. In Forest District~- 51 Hays of Birkland and Bilhagh- ib. Plantations==- 53 Method of Planting at Clumber~. 54 Account of Plantations on the Duke of Portland’s Estate=- 57 Woods and Plantations in Forest Dis- trict and Borders~ 70 Duke of Newcastle’s Ash Plantations, and Value of Land- get Ditto Plantations of Oak- 1s Woods and Plantations of Hon. R. Lumley Saville,- 75 Ditto of Charles Pierrepont, Esq. now Lord Newark-- 78 Plantations of F. F. Foljambe, Esq. 80 Ditto of Charles Mellish, Esq.= ib. Ditto of Taylor and Wollaston White, Esqrs.-=- ib. Ditto of Joseph Cowlishaw- 1b Woods and Plantations of D. Norfolk, at Worshop Manor.~ 82 ww CONTENTS. ix PAGE Woods in Trent Bank Distri&. 83 Lord Middleton’s- 84 — Mr. Duncombe’s=~ ib. —— Roger Pocklington, Esq.- ib. J. Pocklington, Esq.- ib. Plantations at‘Thorney (vide Mr. Neville’s Letter, p. 30) Woods in Clay District north of Trent 84 Thorney Wood Chace= 85 General List of Woods and Plantations in Clay District north of Trent 86 Account of Ossingham Woods- 89 Epperstone Woods-- 90 Woods in Thorney Wood Chace allot- ted,&c.=-= Ste, Vale of Belvoir and Woulds= 91 Lime and Coal District 4 1b. Lord Middleton’s Woods- 1b. Further List of Woods in Lime and Coal District=- 92 Particulars of Mr. Roulston’s Woods 76. eet of Lord Bathurst’s- 93 of Mr. Knight’s- 94 Soil of Woods==- 95 CHAP. XI.—lWastes. ‘ Sherwood Forest-= 96 CHAP. XII— Improvements. Sect, 1. Drainage- z= 93 Mr. Dixon’s Letter on ditto= ib. Covered Drains a i 100 Seer. 2: Watering= za e 101 SecT. 3. Manuring, Paring, and Burning 103 Farm Yard Dung in Forest Distri@ ib. ’ Xx CONTENTS. PAGE CHA Lime"-- 104 Dove Manure-- 108 Gy Bone Dust--< 109 Rape Dust~-~ 1b.{ te Green Manures-- 110 i =Malt Combs_-~ tb.| Scrapings of Oiled Leather- ib.| CH. Bog Earth--- 1b. Gypsum or Plaister-- ib. Skerry Stone Pounded-~ 111 Nc Whale Blubber--- 1b.\ict, Soot==-- ib. Tit Compost Dunghill-- 1b. ti Paring and Burning== chee tt Sect. 4. Weeding=~~ 116° i Sheeping Beans~. 2b. Letter from Mr, Calvert, on Weeding 117(if Sect. 5. Planting s a- as Cultivation of Willows- 118 Fencing Inclosures-- eA| Hedge-row Planting~- 129 CHAP. XIII.—Live Siock, ANY Sect. 1. Black Cattle in the different Distriéts 123 Sect. 2. Sheep in the different Districts* 194 Different Crosses in Breeding£25,“196 Experiment in feeding different Breeds 125 me Sect. 3.. Horses and their Use in Husbandry compared to Oxen- 130 APN Oxen used--~ tb.; Sect. 4. Hogs--- 131 Sect. 5. Rabbits-= 2 ibe SecT. 6. Poultry=:= Ae SECT. 7. Pigeons--- 132 Remarkable Fa&t.- 2. NEC. 5.- Bees===- 10. as CONTENTS. Xi CHAP. XIV.—Rural Oeconomy. 0 PAGE SecT. 1. Labour, Servants, Labourers; Hours of Labour-- 133 SEcT. 2. Provisions-~- 10. Sect. 3. Fuel=--- 134 CHAP. XV.—Political Occonomy as connected with Agriculture. Sect. 1. Roads--- 135 SecT. 2. River Navigation and Canals- 136 Sect. 3. Fairs and Markets-= 137 Sect. 4. Commerce and Manufactures 138 SECT,.5:°«Poor~---- 140 SEcT. 6. Population-~= 7b, CHAP. XVI.— Obstacles to Improvement. Execution of the Laws of Sewers de- fective--- 141 Queries as to Tythes-~ ib. CHAP. XVII.—Miscellaneous Observations. Agricultural Society-- 143 Weights and Measures ue‘ ib. CONCLUSION.~--~ 144 APPENDIX. No. 1. Measure of Rain fallen at East Bridgford,&c.~~ 145 No. 2. Account of Skegs No. 3. Statement of Cultivation and Im- provement of Clumber Park 149 No. 4. Private Inclosures from Forest and Borders=~= 150 xii Y 10. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. or -I 10. Le 14, CONTENTS. PAGE Account of the Cultivator- 151 List of Open and Inclosed Town- ships, in the Clay District North of Trent-- 154. Ditto in the Vale of Belvoir and Notts Woulds-= 155 Extent, Jurisdiction, and Officers ‘of Sherwood Forest= 156 Letter from Mr. Calvert, on Mis- cellaneous Articles of Culture 158 Observations of Mr. Green, of Bankwood, on Reading the Sur- vey of Mid Lothian and applying them to Notts=- 167 Cotton and Wool Mills in Not- tingham and the County 170 Lists of Births, Burials and In- habitants in the County of Nottinghamshire- 172 Paper B—Account of the number of Inhabitants in the Town of Nottingham, in 1779- 179 Way of Making Ponds in dry Pastures=- 187 Cure of Diseases in Corn and Cattle=- ee Ey Smut in Wheat-- 2b. Rot in Sheep-: 189 The Water=== ib. Letter from Mr. Raynes, with Account of Cultivation of a Sand Farm== 194 al vt AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. CHAPTER. 1. Geographical State and Circumstances. SECTION I. SITUATION AND EXTENT. aL es county of NOTTINGHAM is situated between fifty-two deg. fifty min. and fifty-three deg. thirty-four min. north latitude. It is about fifty miles in length, and twenty-five in breadth; and is supposed to contain about 480,000 acres. It has Derbyshire on the west, Yorkshire on the north, Lincolnshire on the east, and Leicestershire on the south. SECT. II.—pivistons. This county is divided into six wapentakes or hundreds, three of them south of Trent, viz. Ru sheliff, Bingham, and Newark hundreds, containing betwixt a third and fourth part of the county, and three north of Trent, viz. Basset- law, subdivided into North and South Clay, and Hatfield divisions,(which make it equal to three hundreds) Broxtow- Hundred and Thurgarton a Lee.— In the usual divisions of this shire Bassetlaw and Newark are equal to or set against the other four wapentakes, the town of Nottingham being left out. B AGRICULTURAL SURVEY SECT. II].—cLiMATE. Being situated between fifty-two deg. fifty min. and fifty-three deg. thirty-four min. north latitude, it may be supposed to be later in its harvests than the more southern counties. There is however an exception to this with. regard to oats and rye, which, in the warm gravels about Newark, are as early.as in most counties, being often brought to Newark market before the first of August. The seed time and harvest may in general be stated as follows:.. Wheat seed time, fromthe latter end of Sep- tember to the beginning of November, and often later; spring seed time, from the beginning of March to the be- ginning of May; turnips, from the middle of June to the latter end of July, hay harvest, from the middle of July to the middie of August; corn harvest, from the beginning of August to the latter end of September. The only parti- cular circumstance that seems to deserve notice in the climate, is its dryness.* From my own observation, and that of many experienced persons| have consulted, I have reason to conclude, that much less rain falls in this county, than in the neighbouring ones to the west and north, which may perhaps be naturally accounted for by the clouds from the western ocean breaking upon the hills of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and exhausting themselves before they reach Nottinghamshire; and even those from the German ocean may be supposed not unfrequently to skim over this more level country, and break first on the hills before men- tioned:. the greatest rains are observed to come with east- erly winds.‘The drought of the summer 1793 was par- ticulary experienced in this county. SECT. IV.—so1L AND SURFACE. ‘The surface of this county, except the level through which the Trent runs, is uneven, and may perhaps be said ® Vid. Appendix No. I, and compare with the Staffordshire Report. be hard pany don ¢ de clay and on ito li rou te Th WN( MON fanfor Out, taki Of bicker I; fd 0 i Areet tle val nf “CTE! of t "le clay| Ae al 0 Til at 1) ty tea t i 1 | n. and nay be athern with, about often gust. d as Sep- iter; > be- the ly to ag of artl- the and ave ty, hich from ‘shire they rman r this mens 1 east- 5 pal ough , said tts OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. g to be hilly, though none of the hills rise to any consider- able degree of elevation. In point of soil this county may be divided into the three districts of 1. Sandor stone and coal land. gravel. 2. Clay. 3. Lime- The sand or gravel may again be conveniently divided into, 1. The Forest country, or the borders of it.. 2. The Trent Bank country. 3. The tongue of land east of Trent, running into Lincolnshire. The forest distrié——consisting of the ancient forest, and the borders of it, of the same kind of soil, is in length(as may be seen by the map) about thirty miles, and in breadth from seven to ten, more or less in different places. TRENT BANK LAND. I consider as Trent bank land, the level ground accom- panying the Trent, from its entrance into the county, down to, or a little below. Sutton upon Trent, where the clay soil comes down to the riyer on the west side; and on the east, a poorer sand runs in a tongue-shape into Lincolnshire. I include: in it, likewise, the level grounds running up the river Soar, from its junction with the Trent, up to Rempston,—as the townships of Ratcliff upon Soar, Kingston, Sutton Bonington, Normanton, and Stanford; and those lying on the back of them,—as East and West Leak, Cortlingstock, and Rempston, which, though on higher ground, are much lower than the W oulds, and of a good mixed loam, convertible, and equally fit for tillage or pasture; not let at less than twenty shillings an acre through- out, taking upland and meadow together; as well as the strip of higher land, on which are the townships of East Bridge- ford, Kneeton, Flintham, and Stoke, which, though above the level of the rest, are of a mellow mixed soil, different from the clay of the vale of Belvoir, adjoining. This level is, in general, of a,mellow soil or vegetable mould, on sand or gravel, though in some places these rise to the surface, It is of different breadths; in some places, not above a mile B2 4 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY and a half; in others, three, four, and five miles wide; and is mostly inclosed. The tongue of land east of Trent, is of a sandy soil, in some parts rather better than others, but in general very poor. A great part of it is taken up by low moors, much flooded by rains. The clay country of Nottinghamshire may properly enough be divided into I. The clay north of Trent, consisting of the north and south clay divisions, and the hundred of Thurgarton. Il. South of Trent, comprehending 1. The Vale of Belvoir. 2. The Nottinghamshire W oulds. [must observe that the clays north of Trent,are in general not of so tenacious a nature, as in many counties, being more friable, from containing a portion of sand and falling more readily by the weather; particularly the red clay, of which there is a great deal in the country round Tuxford, and in the hundred of Thurgarton, which might perhaps be more properly called a clayey loam, and a blackish clay soil, commonly called a woodland soil, in which there is plainly a mixture of sand. The Vale of Belvoir having no precise known bounda- ries, as soil with me is the chief distin€tion, I shall call by that name the country lying between the hills called the Nottinghamshire Woulds, and the strip of land running along the Trent on which stand the towns of East Bridge- ford, Kneeton, Flintham, and Stoke; which, though not on the same level with the rest of the Trent bank land, is of a mellow mixed soil which will bear the same cultivation, quite different from what I term the Vale. The soil of this latter is generally a clay or loam. THE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE WOULDS Are a range of high bleak country; the townships are some open, some inclosed, as in Appendix, No. VII. The soil is generally a cold clay. des and oil, in I very much ough and > of reral eng ling yr, of ord, laps clay € 1S nida- Il by | the ning idge- ot on 3 of a quite latter are The OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.§ LIME: AND COAL DISTRICTS, The lime-stone and coal distri@ may be defined to lie to the west of a line drawn from the river, at Shire-Oaks, pretty nearly south by west to the river Lene, near Wool- aton and Radford, no lime being found east of the Lene. The lime-stone, which may be called a hungry lime-stone, rising up to thevegetable mould, commencing at Shire-Oaks, and beginning to abutt on the coal near Teversall, runs af- terwards between it and the sand. The line of coal begins a little north of Teversall, runs about south and by west, to Brookhill; then south to Eastwood; afterwards about south- east, or a little more easterly to Bilborough, Woolaton, and the Lene.‘This line’is scarce’ above a mile broad in this county, and above the coal is a cold blue or yellow clay. Between this and the sand of the forest, is the strip before- mentioned of lime-stone. SECT. V.—MINERALS AND FOSSILS. Stone.—At Mansfield is got a very good yellowish free- _ stone, for the purposes of building and paving, staddles,&c. and for cisterns and troughs, a coarser red kind. At Maple- beck, is a blueish stone for building, of which Newark bridge is built, which bleaches with the air to a tolerable white. At Beacon Hill, near Newark, is a blue stone for hearths, ap- proaching to marble, which also burns to lime. At Linby is@ Coarse paving stone, much used at Nottingham. Coals—are got in the line described in the Coal and Lime- stone distriét, and conveyed by the Erwash and Nottingham canals, as well as by land carriage. The price of them is of late greatly raised at the pits, owing probably, in great mea- sure, to the enlarged demand occasioned by the extension of the navigation into Leicestershire, and the supply by the open- ing of new pits, not yet corresponding with it, but that evil is beginning to remedy itself, as many are now going to be worked, and the price is already considerably fallen at Nottingham. 6 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Lime—is made of a weak kind, for land at Kirkby, Skeg- by, Mansfield Wood-House, and Warsop, of a better more soapy kind at Hucknall. On Beacon Hill near Newark, of a good kind, from a blue stone. At Linby is exceeding good lime for building. Gypsum or Plaster—is got of an excellent kind, on Bea- con Hill near Newark, and much used for plaster floors.— A good deal of it is sent to London in lumps for the colour- amen, and of the white, ground, in hogsheads, for other uses. At Red Hill, at the junction of Trent and Soar}. is-a fine plaster quarry, from which Mr. Pelham, of Brocklesby in Lincolnshire, now Lord Yarborough, had columns of twenty feet high, in three pieces, used in his mausoleum. Lord Scarsdale also used the same in his house at Kedleston. Plaster is found alsoat G. Markham, and the Wheatleys, and in many other places, amongst the red loam; but I do not know of its being got for sale any where else than near Newark and at Red Hill. Mar!l—Marling land is not used in this county, nor do I know of any marl pit opened; though there is reason to believe that there is much of it in the clay soil, as a red crumbling stone, and a blueish, are both found at Halam, Kirklington, Oxton, Gedling, and in many other places; effervesce strongly with the vitriolic acid, and if found in sufficient mass, there can be no doubt of the improvement of land from the use of it. The blue is in narrower veins than the red, and has a smell of sulphur when the acid makes it work. N.B. Lam since informed that Mr. Green of Bankwood, has lately found good marl on his farm at Saxendale in the Trent bank diftii€ty and is now beginning to lay it on his grass lands. SECT. Vi.==-wA TER, re 5 ye This county may be said to be well watered for different purposes.“Phe navigable river Trent enters the county near Thrompton and runs through Nottinghamshire on both ailehy 1 orth tan ', Skeg. er more ewark, | Bea- ree lour- uses. fine y in s of Sum, ston, leys, t 1 do near do I n to red lam, ACES§ nd in ‘ment velns acid wood, in the nn his erent neat both OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.“ sides, till a little below N. Clifton, from whence to the northera point of the county it forms the boundary between it and Lincolnshire. The Erwash forms the boundary between this county and Derbyshire for ten or twelve miles down to its junc- tion with the Trent, alittle below Thrumpton. The Soar forms the boundary between Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, for seven or eight miles above its junc- tion with the Trent, a little above Thrumpton. On the Forest side no less than five fine streams cross from east to west almost parallel to.each other and afterwards run to the north forming the river Idle. The Rainworth water runs from near Newsted Park, to Inkersall Dam and Rufford, and joins the Maun at Ollerton. The Maun goes from Mansfield, by Clipston and Ed- winstow, to Ollerton. The Meaden, by Budby, and through Thoresby Park, joining the Maun near Perlthorp. From this junction the river is called the Idle. The Wallin, through Welbeck Park, and after receiving the Poulter from Langwich and Cuckney, by Carberton, and through Clumber Park, into the Idle, near Elksley. The Worksop river runs from Worksop by Scofton, Bilby, Blyth, Scrooby, into the Idle, at Bawtry. T'wo other riyers run southward. The Lene, from Newsted Park, by Papplewick, Bulwell, Basford, and Lenton, into the Trent, by Nottingham Bridge. The Dover, or Dare Beck, from near Blidworth, by Oxton and Calverton, Eperston, and Lowdham, into the Trent, near Caythorp. In their course through the forest these rivers run mostly through boggy bottoms.. {n the Clay Distriét, N. of Trent, are the Dover Beck, the Greet, and many smaller nameless streams. In the Vale of Belvoir, are the Deyon, the Smite, and other smaller rills. w« AGRICULTURAL SURVEY CHAPTER II. State of Property. SECTION I.| ESTATES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. ESTATES in this county are from about 12,0001. downwards to the smallest amount: nothing particular occurs in the management of them. Gentlemens’ estates i are, asin most other counties, under the care of stewards.’ Some considerable, as well inferior yeomen, occupy their own lands. SECT: 41. TENURES: Lands are holden as in most other counties, under a variety of tenures—freehold, copyhold and leasehold. A good part of the small copyholds are borough English, i z. e. descend to the younger son.|' There are many leaseholds for three lives absolute(or freehold leases) holden under the archbishop of York, or\ a the church of Southwell. Some pretty considerable estates formerly belonging to the priory of Thurgarton are holden by lease for years under Trinity College, Cambridge; i t The greatest part of the farms are let at will. | 00). ular ates rds. their c,(or states olden ridge OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 5 CHAPTER III. Buildings. HOUSES OF PROPRIETORS, FARM HOUSES, COTTAGES, &C FEW counties, for their size, contain more seats of noblemen and gentlemen; a description of which, in an agricultural treatise, cannot be expected. As many gentlemen keep a good deal of land in their own hands, they, as well as many substantial farmers who occupy their own, have made themselves extremely good farming coveniencies, so that in this respect, there may be said to be a very great improvement of late years. Several of the latter have indeed built themselves dwelling houses, much beyond the idea of farm houses in the laft age. Farm houses and offices are in general not very spacious, and in most parts of the country, excefit in new inclosures,* situate chiefly in the villages, and not contiguous to the land. Houses and barns generally,(except in the ftrip of country adjoining to Derbyshire, where there is plenty of stone, which is applied to that purpose) are of brick, and tiled, sometimes thatched. Poor cottages and barns, in the clay country, now-and then of stud and mud; but new buildings of all sorts are universally of brick and tile. * As a remarkable instance of this, Jonathan Ackom, Esq. of Wiseton, enthe inclosure of Wiseton, Mattersey, Everton, Misson, and Scrooby, pur- sued the plan of placing new farms central to the respeétive grounds, and com-. pleted seven, with large appurtenances, dove cotes, granaries, cow-houses,&&¢. The same has been done more or less in other new inclogures. = 10 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Ground floors are generally laid with stone or brick chamber floors almoft always with plaster, which is a great preventive against fire. Excellent plaster is got at Beacon Hill near Newark, and is run at nine-pence per square yard, or six-pence a strike. There is generally a good fold yard, and in the Clays North of atone very frequently a large good dove-cote. It is the custom of this country to put corn mostly into ticks, often set on stone staddles, or brick pillars, about three or four feet high, with stone caps; some- times on brick hovels, open on one side, with pillars, or timber frames, about eight feet high, which leaves underneath a good shelter for cattle, or for carts and waggons. This custom, besides being thought to keep the grain sweeter and freer from vermin, is a great saving in the barn room expected in southern counties. It is of late come much into use with good farmers, in building stables or cow houses, to leave a space parted off three or four yards in width, behind or between two stables, into which the hay seeds fall from the back of the rack, and are saved for use, cal- led a fother room; the rack is upright in the stable, and imclined on the back side. In improved cow-houses, the standing is made no longer than the cow herself. She stands on a kind of step, so that the dung falls down below her. Mr. Calvert of Darlton, has built some in this manner, but it is mote used in Yorkshire. Mr. Chambers of Tibshelf, in a letter to Sir Richard Sutton, describes a particular method of laying barn floors, as under: STR, About twenty years ago I laid a barn floor with oak beams, fourteen inches square, and three inch oak plank, the plank was fourteen inches hollow from the ground, and the beams about two feet asunder; in two years after, some part of the plank broke down, without any other use than common thrashing upon; I examined the reason, and found the under side of the plank decayed by the damp rot, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, il nearly through; upon which I had the floor taken up, and found all the planks in the same situation, and the beams almost totally perished; upon which I consulted a very experienced architeét, who advised me to lay the next floor still higher than the former, and if possible to admit a cir- culation of air under the same, as the situation of the barn must be very subject to the damp rot. I relaid the floor with new beams and plank of the same thickness as the former; the.beams were fixed upon brick piliars, fourteen inches high, so that the floor lay twenty-eight inches hol- low; and under each door-sill was two grates, about one foot square each, that gave a current of air under the floor through the barn, and by the beams being laid upon sup- porters of brick, the whole floor was hollow except the nine inch pillars. ‘*‘The current of air was not through the middle of the floor, as the doors were more to one side than the other. In about two years the planks that were farthest from the passage of air fell down, all reduced to rotten wood, but about# of an inch at the upperside; upon taking up the floor, I found the beams nearly reduced to rotten wood, except those that lay near the current of air, which were very sound, as was also the plank. that lay over them in that situation.: “¢ After these trials in the usual way of laying barn floors, I determined upon the following experiment:—to lay the next floor solid, im lime and sand mortar; upon which I removed every part of the former materials, and fixed fresh beams upon a spreading of mortar, at about six feet asunder, so as to suit the piecing of the planks to pin to; between each beam I filled the space with stones and thin mortar, that the whole was made solid with the upper sides of the beams; when this preparation was sufficiently dry, I culled the best of the remaining planks from each of the former floors, and before the workman laid down each plank, the space that I covered was spread with fine mortar, even upon the beams; then the plank was laid 12 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY down and pinned; so that every hollow part, either in the beams, or decayed parts in the planks, was filled solid with the mortar. The floor has now laid about sixteen years without any amendment, except one of the planks being so weak in sound wood, that it started from the pins a year ago; after taking the same up and examining the underside, 1 found such of the plank that was sound when last laid down, was still perfe€tly so, and the rotten part was firmer and stronger than when laid down,_ <¢[ have mentioned the above circumstance to several workmen,&c. but few will follow the practice without peremptory orders, which I have followed up, with twenty different floors m sixteen years; some of oak, and some of deal planks, in different situations, and all appear as if they would stand for ages, unless they wear through from the upper side... ‘¢ About ten years ago I ordered a floor to be laid, with ash plank(in the method above) as oak could not be got without cutting down oak trees to considerable loss; the ash was fallen, sawed up, and laid down in the floor imme- diately, as the saw had left it; the joints did not open much before the last summer, upon which I had the floor taken up and relaid, as the plank must be well seasoned in nine years use; the under side of which was as sound as when first put down. «« There are other advantages. by laying barn floors solid with lime mortar, as a barrier against rats and mice, worms,&c. Prevents the joints from wear, by quivering, &c. and also prevents any loss in the corn through the joints. ** Tam pretty confident that the same method will hold good in laying ground floors with boards, in gentlemans’ houses, that I have frequently seen them rot and eat through with worms in a few years. Both of these mala- dies the lime mortar will prevent, and will make the floor warmer also. OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 13 *« It will hold good to cover the lath and pin, or nail, in the under side of slate and tiled roofs, by starting or rough drawing the same, so as to cover the Jath,&c. close. My first observation of this simple method was about twenty years ago, being witness to the pulling down of an old timbered house, dated 1564; between cach beam was pieces of ash wood, with split ash and hazel laths, and plastered on each side with lime or plaster mortar; where the plaster was free from cracks, the laths and the bark of them, was as sound and fresh as if they had not been cut down three months, but where the cracks had admitted the air, every part of the lath,&c. was reduced to nothing. I have lost no opportunity since my first observation, to examine the old ruins, and where I-have found any old timber within those walls that had been run with thin mortar, the same has been sound and fresh, though the building has been in ruins for two centuries. 14 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY CHAPTER IV. Mode of Occupation. SECTION 1. SIZE OF FARMS—-CHARACTER OF THE FARMERS. THE farms may, in general, be said to be small, few exceeding 3001. per annum, and more being under 100I. a year than above that sum; many(efpecially in the Clays) as low as twenty pounds, or under. The largest farms, as might be expected, are on the forest in the poorest lands, and which have been lately brought into cultivation. Many of the principal farmers carry on agriculture with great{pirit, adopting the best practices of other countries; nor can it be said that the lesser farmers are backward in following good examples, of which they have seen the success. A very great differ- ence may be seen from the face of husbandry twenty years ago. SECA: RENT IN MONEY~IN PERSONAL SERVICES. Rents, as in other counties, are now universally in money. Some few boons(as they are proyincially called) a.€. obligations to perform some carriage(chiefly of coals) for the landlords, are reserved, besides the rent, but to no great amount. On the other hand, it is not uncommon OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. L& for farmers to give the carriage of coals to the cottagers who work with them as labourers, sometimes receiving their dung or ashes in return. SECT. Wl.—trrues. Are in many places taken in kind, but are more fre- quently compounded for, at a much lower rate than they could be valued at by any surveyor. In the new inclo- sures, land has universally been given in lieu of tithes. As in other counties, there are modusses for different kinds of products, and some lands, which were anciently in the occupation of religious houses, are tithe free. SECT. IV.—poor’s RATES. Poor’s rates vary extremely in different parishes. It is impossible, as well as useless, in a work of this kind, to enter into the detail of them; I can only observe in gene- ral, that they do not run so high as in many counties, where manufactures haye formerly flourished, which are now come to decay: but at the same time, it is a matter of concern to observe, that the manufactures, particularly that of stockings, whilst they increase the population, in- crease at the same time the burthen of the poor’s rate on the occupiers of land; which may be ascribed to the lower manufacturers too frequently spending all their earnings, without looking forward to a time of old age and infirmity. The most obvious remedy for this evil, appears to be the exténsion of the Friendly Societies, which haye already met with the encouragement of parliament: or the making of some more comprehensive provision by the legislature, on the same principle. 1@ AGRICULTURAL SURVEY SECT. V.=-UPASES- The greater part of the lands in this county are, i be- lieve, let to tenants at will, who in general do not feel themselves uneasy under their tenure, and frequently suc- ceed to their farms from father to son for generations. Where there are leases, the covenants are the usual ones,- as to repairs, not cross-cropping,&c. without any special provision that I am acquainted with. SECT. VI.—EXPENCE AND PROFIT. The expence and profit depend so much on the par- ticular management of individuals, that I cannot pretend to enter into the subject. There is certainly room to make very fair profits on the farms in this county. Many for- tunes have been made by farming, and the rents of many estates considerably raised without complaint or injury to the occupiers. QF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 17 / CHAPTER WV: Implements of Husbandry. THE plough generally used in this county, is the Dutch swing plough, which is found to answer very well, their gate or bottom being from two to two and a half feet, with a pair of hales or handles, at a proper height to hold. In the Vale of Belvoir the two-wheeled plough is used, which is made at Moor Green, near Nottingham.veral wood Iman that the oak yhen 0 be sup- reign which it Was 2e Was t per- nee| 1d cut with but it . fat, . from d with have vith a r into d re- and f ye- wick elbecks OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. a Wood. Since they have been shut in from cattle, the young trees are springing up surprisingly, from the acorns. For the woods and plantations in this distri¢t, vide general list, and subsequent ones of particulars. Piantations—The spirit of planting has prevailed much in this district since about forty years. Unfortunately, the first plantations were chiefly of firs, whether from the desire of making an early appearance, or from the notion that forest trees were not easy to rear in this soil. It has, however, been found since, that trees of all kinds, well planted and properly sheltered, succeed very well. His Grace the Duke of Newcastle’s plantations within Clumber Park, amount to one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight acres.| In the extensive inclosures made by his Grace in Elksley, Bothamsell,&c. the quick hedges, which are remarkably fine, were raised with posts and rails, the thinnings of these plantations. I was assured, some years since, that sixty miles running measure had been done in this manner; and by this time it must amount to double that number. 54 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY On thé METHOD OF PLANTING, as fradlised at Clumber, by the Duke of Newcastle, under the management of LT’. Marson. Communicated by Mr. Marson, the manager of his Grace’s improvements. THE method in practice here, for the management‘of a sandy soil covered with heath, whins, or furzes,&c. and which is intended for planting, is as follows: The ground is first cleared by stubbing and burning the heath,&c.(if found too strong to be ploughed in); it is then sown with one or two successive crops of spring corn, as oats and barley, and afterwards with turnip seed, the ground being first thoroughly cleared of twitch and other weeds.‘The turnips are fed off early with sheep, and the ground is immediately double-trench ploughed from twelve to sixteen inches deep, if the soil admit of it. We then proceed to sow it with acorns, ash keys, and haw- thorn berries, and to harrow them twice over. The same ground is afterwards planted with oaks, ash, beech, elms, birch, larches, and other sorts, which you may occasionally have, from six to eighteen inches in height, but not to . exceed that size. Spanish chesnuts are then put into holes made with a dibble, from three to four inches in depth, and covered over. In general we fill our plantation with a various assort- ment of American plants; as firs, pines, cedars,&c. besides Scotch firs and birch. These are not only a shelter for the young forest trees, but have a pleasing effect for fifteen or twenty years, for their permanence of verdure, and variety of their foliage. They are then taken out to give room for the oak, Spanish chesnut,&c. This is the last process of our plantation. ‘mbey, ‘nt of hager it‘of &e. hing Naat pring seed, h and , and from We naw same elms, onally ot to holes depth, \ssort- 5 eee shelter A for dure, ut to s the OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 55 For a more particular account of the rearing and ma- nagement of oaks, on a sandy light soil, I beg leave to refer to the communications of the very ingenious Mr. Speechly, of Welbeck, which are inserted in Evelyn’s Sylvia, published by Hunter, page 90, first part,(in the note) which explain every thing that can be practically useful on this subject. EXPLANATORY OBSERVATIONS ON THE ABOVE SYSTEM. The quantities required for one acre, are nearly as follows: Plants of different sorts, from six to eighteen inches, about two thousand. Acorns, from four to six strikes. Ash keys, four strikes. Hawthorn berries, one ditto. Spanish chesnuts, one ditto. The ash keys and hawthorn berries, are to be buried one year in beds or pots of sand, before they are sown in the plantations. Six strikes of fine large acorns are supposed sufficient to sow one acre of ground,-at one foot. asunder. The plants should be heathful, strait, and firmly set; not drawn up too luxuriantly, but raised in a soil of a si- milar quality and temperature to that wherein they are intended to be planted.‘This is a very necessary caution, as they will hence be much more likely to flourish, than if they should have been raised from a richer soil or warmer situation."They should also be always transplanted from the seed beds into fresh ones in the nursery, from four to six inches asunder. If the heath can be ploughed in, the best time will be in autumn, as it will then have the benefit of the winter fal- low. It may be cross-ploughed in the spring; and after having been repeatedly harrowed, may be burnt, and then sown, 56 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY With respect to the season for planting, I prefer the autumn for a dry sandy soil, and the spring for meadow or low ground; and also for sowing the acorns, berries, keys,&c. At that time of the year they are not so lable to accidents by vermin or frosts, as when they are sown earlier. When,.,however, planting and sowing is intended to take place in the same piece, both must be completed at the same season, that is, early in the spring. Precautions should be used to guard them from crows, hares, rabbits, and other noxious animals, till the chesnuts, acorns, and plants, are sufficiently grown not to be exposed to such casualiies. If the land be hot and dry, you may sow some rye or oats, with acorns, and other seeds, but not so thick as to produce a regular crop. Tam never under any apprehension of planting too thick, for many reasons which it is needless to enumerate. When the season proves favourable, and there are more live plants upon the ground than are necessary, they are thinned at a proper period, and made use of in the next year’s planta- tion.‘This mode permits me to appropriate the nursery to other uses. About fifteen years after planting, the trees may serve for a variety of purposes; such as posts, rails, pails; punch- wood, for the colleries; cordwood, charcoal, hop‘poles, brush heads, birch brooms, joists, rafters,&c.&c. This observation is to be confined only to such trees‘as are cut down in the course of the second or third thinning. The plantations are in general inclosed with quick fences. These, independently of their ornament, not only secure the young trees from being injured by cattle, but prevent the oa from depositing their dung, which in that case, as a manure would’be of no use to the& farmer. It is well known, that, both in extreme hot or in extreme cold weather, the sheep always have recourse to the woods for shelter.* et the Neatoyy bernie, - Table SOWn tended ted at: utions bbits, and such ye or as to y thick, When plants dat a lanta- ery to ve for punch- poles, . This are cut Fences. secule revent case, s well cold ds for - OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.| Account of PLANTATIONS upon the estate of his Grace the Duke of Portland, by Mr. Sheechly, gardener to his Grace. Extraéted(by permission) from Dr, Hunter’s edition of Evelyn’s Sylva, page 90. FEW noblemen plant more than his Grace the Duke of Portland; and I think I may say without vanity, none with greater success. But as no man should think of planting in the very extensive manner that we do, before he is provided with well stocked nurseries, it may not be amiss before I proceed further, to give a short sketch of that ne- cessary business; as also to inform you of the soil and si- tuation of our seat of planting. The greatest part of our plantations is on that soil, which, in Nottinghamshire, is generally distinguished by the name of forest land. Itisa continuation of hills and dales. In some places the hills are very steep and high; but in general the ascents are gentle and easy. The soil is composed of a mixture of sand and gravel; the hills abound most with the latter, and the vallies with the former, as the smaller particles are by the wind and rain brought from time to time from the high grounds to the lower. It is on the hilly grounds that we make_ our plan- ‘tations, which in time will make the vallies of much greater value, on account of the shelter they will afford. After his Grace has fixed on such a part of this forest as he intends to have planted, some well situated valley is chosen(as near the centre of the intended plantations as may be) for the purpose of a nursery, If this valley is surrounded with hills onall sides but the south, so much the better. After having allotted a piece of ground, consisting of as many acres as is conyenient for the purpose, it is fenced 58 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY about in such a manner as to keep out all obnoxious animals, At either end of the nursery are large boarded gates, as also a walk down the middle, wide enough to admit car- riages to go through, which we find exceedingly convenient when we remove the young trees from thence to the plan- tations. After the fence is completed the whole is trenched, (except the walk in the middle) about twenty inches deep,| which may be done for about 31. 10s. or 41, per acre, ac- cording as the land is more or less gravelly. This work is best done in the spring, when the planting season is over. Tf after the trenching, two or three chaldron of lime be laid onan acre, the land will produce an excellent crop either of cabbages or turnips, which being eaten off by sheep in the autumn, will make the land in fine order for all sorts of tree seeds: but as the oak is the sort of tree we cultivate in ge- neral,| shall confine myself particularly to our present me- thod of. raising and managing that most valuable species. in the autumn, after the cabbage or turnips are eaten off, the ground will require nothing more than common digging, So soon as the acorns fall, after being provided with a good quantity, we sow them in the following manner: draw drills with a hoe in the same manner as is practised for pease, and sow the acorns therein so thick as nearly to touch each other, and leave the space of one foot between row and row, and between every fifth row leave the space of two feet for the alleys. While the acorns are in the ground}| great care must be taken to keep them from vermin, which would very often make great havock amongst the beds, if not timely prevented. Let this caution serve for most other sorts of tree seeds. After the acorns are come up, the beds will require only to be kept clean from weeds till they want thinning; and as the plants frequently grow more in one wet season, where the soil is tolerably good, than in two dry ones, where the soil is indifferent, the time for doing this is best ascertained by observing when the tops of the rows meet, ney, 55 a Car. lent lan. ned, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 59 Our rule is to thin them then, which we do by taking away one row oneach side the middlemost, which leaves the re. maining three rows the same distance apart as the breadth of the alleys. In taking up these rows we ought to be anxiously careful neither to injure the plants removed, nor of those left on each side. he rest of the young oaks being now left in rows at two feet apart, we let them again stand till their tops meet, then take up every other row, and leave the rest. in rows four fect asunder, till they arrive to the height of about five feet; which is full as large a size as we ever wish to plant. In taking up the two last sizes, our method is to dig a trench at the end of each row, full two feet deep, then undermine the plants, and let them fall into the trench with their roots entire; and here let me ob- serve, that much, very much, of their future success depends on this point, of their being welltaken up. I declare that I should form greater hopes from one hundred plants well taken up and planted, than from ten times that number taken up and planted in a random manner; besides, the loss of the plants makes the worst method the most expen- sive. But before I leave this account of our method of taising oaks, I shall just beg leave to observe, that we are not very particular in the choice of acorns; in my own opinion, it matters not from what sort of tree the acorns are gathered, provided they are good; for although there seems to be a variety of the English oak, in respect to the form of the leaf and fruit, also their coming into leaf at different seasons, with some other marks of distinétion; yet I am of an qpinion that they will all make good timber trees, if properly managed. It is natural to suppose that a tree will grow low and spreading in a hedge row; on the contrary, it is very improbable that many should grow so in a thick wood, where in general they draw one another up strait and tall; and I have observed, that the same dis- tinétions hold good amongst our large timber trees iu the woods, as in the low spreading oaks in the hedge-row. 60 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Though I have not as yet taken notice of any other sort of tree but the oak, yet we havea great regard for, and raise great quatities of beech, larch, Spanish chesnut, Weymouth pine, and all sorts of firs, the Scotch excepted, as well as many other kinds, by way of thickening the plantations, while young; among which the birch has hi- therto been in the greatest estimation, it being a quick growing tree, and taking the lead of most other sorts on our poor forest hills; and as we have an inexhaustible spring of them in the woods, where they rise of themselves in abundance from seed, we at all times plant them plenti- fully, of different sizes. As to the elm and ash, we plant but few of them onthe forest, though we raise gr pat quan~ tities of both; but particularly the ash, which being a use- ful wood,(but a bad neighbour amongst the oaks) we plant in places apart by itself. I shall dismiss this subject concerning the management of our nurseries, after saying a word or two relating to pruning. We go over the whole of the young trees in ike nursery every ee but in this we do little more than shorten the strong side shoots, and take off one of all such as have double leads, Having thus pointed out the mode of forming and ma-~ naging our nurseries, I shall now proceed to the plantations, The size of the plantations, at first beginning, must be in propostion to the stock of young trees in the nursery; for to undertake to plant more ground than we have young trees to go through with, for thick plantations, would turn to poor account on our forest hills. We always plant thick, as well as sow plentifully at the same time, pro- vided it be a season in which acorns can be had, so that all our plantations answer in a few years as nurseries to suc- ceeding plantations, As to the form of the plantations they are very irregular. We sometimes follow a chain of hills to a very preatidis: dis- tance, so that what we plant in one season, which perhaps t Sort > and “SNUt, -pted, r the $ hi- ick $ on tible lves ntl. lant ane U8e= ) we je aying rhole this and OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. GE is sixty, eighty, and sometimes one hundred acres, is no more than a part of one great design. If the ground intended to be planted, has not already been got into order for that purpose, it should be fenced about at least a twelvemonth before it is wanted to plant on, and immediately got into order for a crop of turnips; two chaldrons of lime being laid on an aere will be of great ser- vice, as it will not only be a means of procuring a better crop of turnips, but will bind the land afterwards, and make it fall heavy, which is of great use when it comes to be planted, as some of the forest land is so exceedingly light, as to be liable to be blown from the roots of the young trees after planting; therefore we find it to be in best order for planting about two years after ithas been ploughed up from pasture, before the turf is too far gone to a state of decay. It willbe necessary to have a part of the tur- nips eaten off soon in the autumn, in order to get the ground into readiness for early planting, for we find the for- ward planting generally succeeds the best. After the turnips are eaten off, we plough the ground with a double furrow trenching plough, made for that purpose, which, drawn by six horses, turns up the ground com- pletely to the depth of twelve or thirteen inches.. This deep ploughing is of great service to the plants at the first, and also saves a great deal of trouble in making the hoies. After the ploughing is finished, we divide the ground into quarters, for the planting by ridings.[It will be a dificult matter to describe the laying out the ground for this pur- pose, especially where there is such a variety of land as we have on the forest; much depends on the taste of the per- ‘son employed in this office. Between the hills, towards the ploy outsides of the plantations, we frequently leave the ridings from sixty to an hundred yards im breadth, and contract them towards the middle of the woods, to the breadth of ten or twelve yards; and on the tops of the hills, where there are plains, we frequently leave lawns of an acre or 62 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY two, which makes a pleasing variety. In some of them we plant the cedar of Libanus at good distances, so as to form irregular groves, and this sort of tree seems to thrive to admiration on the forest-land. On the outsides of the woods, next to the ridings, we plant ever-greens, as hol- lies, laurels, yew, junipers,&c. aud these we dispose of in patches; sometimes the several sorts entire, at other times we intermix them for variety, but not so as to make a re- gular screen or edging. Our design, in the distribution of these plants, is to make the outsides of the woods appear as if scalloped with ever-greens, intermixed sometimes with rare trees, as the lilicdendron tulipifera, or Virginian tulip tree; etc: After the ground is laid out into quarters for planting, We assign certain parts to beech, lareh, Spanish chesnuts, &c. these we plant in wregular patches, here and there, throughout the plantations, which, when the trees are in leaf, have the most pleasing effect, on account of the diversity of shades; especially in such parts of the: forest where, four, five, and sometimes more of the large hill points meet in the same valley, and tend as it were to the same center. After those patches are planted, or marked out for that purpose, we then proceed to the planting in general. We always begin with planting the largest young trees of every sort, and end our work with those of, the smallest size: were we to proceed otherwise, the making a hole for a large sized tree, after the small ones are thick planted, would cause the greatest confusion. Birch is generally the sort of tree we make our beginning with, which we find will bear to be removed with great safety, at the height of six or seven feet, though we com- monly plant rather under, than at that size. This sort of tree we are always supplied with from our plantations, of five or six years growth. But before I proceed to the taking them up, it will be proper to inform you, that in the planting season, we divide our hands into four classes, ” the hol. f in mes sae 1 of r ag nth whip ung, nuts, here, re In "the rest hill© ) the rked ng in irgest hose the ones OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 63 which we term makers-up, pruners, carriers, and planters; and here I shall describe the several methods of doing this work. First, in taking up we have the same care to take up with good roots in the plantations, as was recom- mended in the nursery, though we cannot pursue the same method; but in both places, so soon as the plants are taken up, we bed them in the ground, in the following manner: dig a trench at least fifteen inches deep, and set the young trees therein, with their tops aslant, covering their roots well as we go along, and almost half way up the stem of the plants, with the earth that comes out of a second trench, which we fill in the like manner, and so proceed on, till we have a.load, more. or less, in a heap, as may be convenient to the place from whence they were- taken. In our light soil this trouble is but little, and we always have our plants secure, both from their roots drying, and their suffering by frost. We have a low wheeled waggon to carry them from the heaps, where they are bedded, to the pruners, and generally take two loads every other day: when they arrive, the planters, pruners, &c. all assist to bed them there, in the same manner as before described. We have a portable shed for the pruners to work under, which is also convenient for the rest of the work people to take shelter under in stormy weather. From the above heaps, the plants are taken only so fast as they are wanted for pruning, which work we thus per- form: Cut off all the branches close to the stem, to about half the height of the plant, shortening the rest of the top to a conical form, in proportion to the size of the plant, and in pruning of the roots we only cut off the extreme parts that have been bruised by the taking up, or such as have been damaged by accident, wishing at all times to plant with as much root as can be had. As soon as they are pruned, they are taken to the planters by the carriers, who are generally a set of boys, with some of the worst of the labourers: the planters go 64 A SURVEY OF in pairs; one makes the holes, and the other sets and treads the plants fast, which work they commonly do by turns. In making of the holes, we always take care to throw out all the bad soil that comes from the bottom: if the planting be on the side of a hill, we lay the bad soil on the lower side of the hole, so as to form a kind of bason; for without this care our plants would lose the advantage of such rains as fall hastily. We at all times make the holes sufficiently large, which is done with great ease after our deep ploughing. Before we set the plant, we throw a few spadefuls of the top soil in the hole, setting the plant thereon with its top rather inclining to the west; then fill up the hole with the best top soil, taking care. that it closes well with the roots, leaving no part hollow: when the hole is well filled up, one of the planters treads and fastens the tree firmly with his feet, while his partner proceeds to make the next hole. The fastening a tree well is a material article in planting: for if it once becomes loose, the continual motion which the wind occasions, is sure to destroy the fibres as fast as they are procured, which must end in the destruction of the plant if not prevented. It is to guard against this inconveniency, that we take off so much of the top, as has been described in the article of pruning. We plant about three or four hundred birches of the large size on an acre, and nearly the same number of the first sized oaks; we also plant here and there a beech, larch, Spanish ches- nut,&c. exclusive of the patches of the said sorts of trees before planted. We then proceed to plant plentifully of the second and lesser sized oaks; and last of all, a great number of the small birches, which are procured from the woods at about three shillings or three shillings and six- pence per thousand: these we remove to the succeding plantations after five or six years. Of the several sizes of the different kinds of trees, we generally plant upwards of treaty turns, throw f the il on SON; ifage the ease s of 1 its with . the filled armly > next ting: hich st as n of t this Op, as plant on an oaks; ches- trees ly of great n the s1X- -ding es of ‘ds of NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 65 2000 plants upon an acre of land, all in an irregular man- ner. After the planting is finished we then sow the acorns (provided it be a season that they can be had) all over the plantation, except amongst the beech, larch,&c. in the aforesaid patches. Great care should be taken to preserve the acorns intended for this purpose, as they are very sub- ject to sprout, especially soon after gathering; the best method is to lay them thin in a dry airy place, and give them frequent turnings. We sow these acorns in short drills of about a foot in length, which work is done very readily by two men, one with the acorns, the other with a hoe, for the purpose of making the drills and covering the seed. We are of opinion, that the plants produced from these acorns, will at last make the best trees; how- ever, I will not pretend to say how that may be, as the oaks transplanted small, grow equally well’for a number of years. But it is probable that a tree with its’ tap root un- disturbed, may in the end grow to a larger size. After the whole is finished to a convenient distance round the pruners, we then remove their shed to a second station, and there proceed in the like manner, and so on till the whole be finished. It would be well to get the planting doné by the end of February, especially for trees of the deciduous kind; but from the disappointment we met with, occasioned by the weather, we are sometimes detained to a later season. I have several times made trial of twelve or fourteen kinds of American oaks sent over to his Grace in great quantities. I sowed them in the nursery, and also in the best and most sheltered part of the plantations. In both places they come up very plentifully, but I now find that seyeral of the’‘sorts will not stand the severity of our win- ters; and those that do, make so small a progress as to pro- mise no other encouragement than to be kept as curiofities. Towards the end of April, when the ground is moist, it will be of great service to go over the whole plantations, and F 66 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY fasten all such trees as are become loose since their plant- ing. After this, nothing will be more required till the month of June, when we again go over the whole with hoes, cutting off only the tall growing weeds; for the sooner the ground gets covered with grass, in our light soil, so much the better. I own there is something slo- venly in the appearance of this method; and, on some lands, I would recommend keeping the ground clean hoed, for some time at first; as also planting in rows, which in that case would benecessary. More than once I have tried this method on our forest hills, and always found after every hoeing thet the soil was taken away by the succced- ing winds into the vallies. Besides this inconvenience, the reflection of our sandy soil is so very great, that we find the plants stand a dry season much better in our present method than in the former; and whoever fancies that grass will choak and destroy seeding oaks, will, after a few years trial, find himself agreeably mistaken: I have even recommended the sowing the poorer parts of the hills with furze or whin seed, as soon as they are planted. We have sometimes permitted the furze to grow in the plantations, by way of shelter for the game, which, though it seems to choak and overgrow the oaks for some time, yet after a few years, we commonly find the best plants in the strongest| beds of whins.‘This shews how acceptable shelter is to the oak whilst young; and experience shews us, that the oak would make but a slow progress on the forest hills for a number of years at the first, were it not for some kind nurses; and the birch seems to answer that purpose the best, as I have already observed. The several: sorts. of fir trees, from, appearance, seem to promise a great shelter; but on the forest land they do not grow so fast as the former; and what is worse, the oak will not thrive under them, as they do immediately under the birch, Where a plantation. ison aplain, a screen of firs for its boundaries is of singular ‘plant. 1] the e with or the hight -slo- some oed, h in ried fter eds| the find esent , that a few even with lave ; by i$. t0 ter a ngest 18 to t the 3 for kind best, res, t On and hey on ulax OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 67 use, but the situation of the forest land denies us this ad- vantage. We continue to cut down the tall growing weeds two or three times the first summer, and perhaps once the next, or second season after platting; which is all that we do in: respect to cleaning. The next winter aftet plant- ing, we fill up the places with fresh plants where they have miscarried, after which there is little to be done till. about the fourth or fifth year, by which time the small sized birch, and seedling oaks, will be grown to a proper size. for transplanting. In the thinning of these, due care must be had not to take too many away in one season; but be- ing properly managed, there will be a supply of plants for at least half a dozen years to come. About the same time that the lesser sized birch wants thinning, the large ones will require to have their lower branches taken off, so as to keep them from injuring the oaks, and this is the first pro- fit of our plantations; the birch wood being readily bought up by the broom-makers. This pruning we continue as often as required, till the birches are grown to a sufficient size to make rails for fencing; we then cut them down to make room for their betters. By this time the oaks will be grown to the height of twelve or fourteen feet, when they draw themselves up exceedingly fast. Each plant seems as it were in a state of strife with its neighbour, and in a stri@ sense they are so, arid on no other terms than life for life: and he whose fate it is to be once over-topped, is soon after compelled to give up the contest for ever. After the birches are cut down, there is nothing more to do but thinning the oaks, from time to time, as may be re- quired, and cutting off their dead branches as frequently as may be necessary. We are very cautious in doing the for- mer, knowing well that if we can but once obtain length of timber, time itself will bring it into thickness; therefore we let them grow very close together for the first fifty years. And here it may not be improper to observe the progress ' 2 68 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY the oak makes with us, by describing them in two of our plantations, one of twenty-eight, the other of fifty years growth. In the former they were in general about twenty- five or twenty-six feet in height, and in girth about eighteen inches.‘The trees in the latter, planted in 1725, are some- thing more than sixty feet in height, and in girth a little above three feet, and these trees are in general about fifty feet inthe bole, from which you will easily conceive the smallness of their topsevenat this age. It would bea dif- ficult matter to describe their farther progress with any de- gree of certainty; therefore let it suffice to make this last observation on them in their mature state. I should have observed to you, that in both the aforesaid, as well as in all the young plantations, the Spanish chesnut keeps an equal pace, or rather outgrows the oak; but it is doubtful _ whether ever they will arrive at the same size; for the largest of our Spanish chesnuts, which have much the appearance of old trees, do not girth more than twelve or fourteen feet, which is nothing in comparison to some of our large oaks, which girth from twenty-five to thirty feet; indeed some of them a great deal more: for istance, that remarkable tree called the Green Dale Oak,(from its growing ina valley of that name near Welbeck) which in the year 1724 had a hole cut through its body large enough to admit acoach to go through. This great curosity is yet living, and frequently bears acorns, which we carefully save, to be distributed as presents amongst his Grace’s ae- quaintance. I may not omit describing to you the present state of this piece of antiquity, as I have herewith inclosed a drawing of it taken on the spot a few days ago, from which you will see, notwithstanding the uncommon size of the lower part of the tree, that it has never contained any great quantity of timber; I mean in comparison with several of our largest oaks; some of which con- tain, in their tower-like trunks, between seven and eight hundred solid feet of timber, exclusive of their stately ) of out ty years ‘Wwenty. ighteen some. 2 little t hifty e the a dif- y de- s last \ have in all 1 equal oubtfuk for the ch the twelve some thirty tance, rom its hich in enough y is yet irefully es ac- present closed from size of tained aTISON con-~ eight stately OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 69 tops; and some of their large branches are even like trees themselves. You see, Sir, what a surprising mass of wood may arise from a single acorn: indeed it is really wonderful to see, on some soils, to what an amazing size this king of trees avill sometimes arrive. Welbeck, June 16, 1775. a a The uncultivated lands which have been improved by agriculture and planting, by the Duke of Portland, within the last twenty-five years, amount to between two thousand and two'thousand five hundred acres; of which number about one fourth consists in plantations. 10 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Woops and PLANTATIONS in the distri of the forest and borders, the greater fart within thirty years. fo) Martin Woods a Mattersey Woods Worksop Manor Welbeck Park Carberton,&c, Clumber Park Apley Head, Bothamsell,&c. Blyth,&c. Serlby and Farworth Scofton Osberton Rufford,&ec. Thoresby,&c. W iseton Carlton, in Lindrick Ditto Ditto Ditto Wallingwells Linby and Papplewick Farnsfield Ditto : Acres Duke of Newcastle’s(oak spring, few poles good) timber getting up 190 Jon. Acklom, Esq.and others 50 Duke of Norfolk’s 781 Duke of Portland’s near 400 Ditto-- about 600 Duke of Newcastle's 1848 In this district, ditto 349 Charles Mellish, Esq. chiefly ‘fir between 300 and 400 Lord V. Galway 126 Robert Sutton, Esq. about 60 fir, some of old stand- ing, very large, the rest oak and beech about 200 F. F. Foljambe, Esq. 184 Hon. R. Lumley Savile(in this district) 49! Cha. Pierrepont, Esq. g8I Jonathan Acklom, Esq. 25 Robert Ramsden, Esq. upon strong soil, and bog earth, oak, Spanish chesnut, and ash 148 Forest plantations 48 Charles Meliish, Esq. 154 Taylorand Wollaston White, Esq. 107 Mr. Joseph Cowlishaw a Taylor White, Esq. 28 Right Hon. Fred. Montagu 34 oak, ash, elm,&c. 40 acres in preparation Sir Rich. Sutton’s 20 Robert Lowe, Esq. 18 There are besides these a number of dispersed clumpss and plantations of smaller extent. es} and Am ak 1) 90 TS 50 781 Ir 4.00 t 600 1848 349 y nd 400 126 ut nde est uf 200 184 iW 4g! gdI 25 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Th An Account of His Grace the Duke of NewcastTuE’s ASH PLANTATIONS, and@ Valuation of the Lands before they were filanted, COMMUNICATED BY WILLIAM MASON, ESQ. Value Yearly A-*:R.=P: per Acre, Value. HAUGHTON. Spree i See Bog Close, lateGeo. Padley 10 0 22 8 o gt gl at Ditto, late Dewick 20 O 34 20 220%.§ Great Kennel in Dewick’s bogs-- Jeez<0 7 0 ta Little Kennel, in ditto 2 0 Oo fo 0 10 oO Dobson Hopyard~ FS 70" nOn.. TO 470 010 Oo Gosling Carr- 8© 3% 5 0 2 2) 0 Crow Park-- fon 2.50 9 0 zo 6 Decoy Plantation, including the banks about Fat Close Ponds:- 7 0. If 0£1226 Cross Close Plantation Re ek On oO ey Bog ground O1,5:3 13 20 12. 0 BEvERCOTES, Farny’s Plantation Sir 20 8@ 2010 0 Clay ground WALEsBY. Some pieces of land laid to Bevercotes wood I, O27 125.0 014 0 A piece of land laid to Nich- haghbushwood Iou2 32 216.0 O37"6 Clay ground 2 3°19 iit 0 12 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Value Yearly Ase Rear. per Acre. Value. West Drayton. seeld. pet Suite Schol-house Close Plantation 3 0 o 8 Oo 4 4% Bog ground GAMSTON, Land adjoining the wood 2 2 O be..0 OLR? 26 Ditto upon the common Bir On. O 10 Oo 2 10...0 Clay ground 7a 2 2.0 32-208 6 In BoTHAMSELL and ELKSLEY. In Patmour-- 41,0 1.0 54 OT Oga 2.0 Crookford-- ia 0. 0 5.-0 3 10.0 In Elksiey hop-yards by the fish pond below Elksley wood-- Og 52" OG 710 70 Of 52,0 Bog ground 55 82 0 14,‘0,. 0 Asu PLANTATIONS collected. In Haughton- 625 3518 o Oo 20 12.0 Bevercotes-- fT. ero o oO 20210 0 Walesby== Z 3: 19 Ceo Ill 26 West Drayton- zi29. 0 OO tye YghtaG Gamston-- yO o Oo 2 ZENG Bothamsell and Elksley ch eee O Ont0ss Tt 2:0 O LO142 3432 60 19 6 The above 180 acres, now planted, are worth upona moderate calculation,40s. an acre~- 1806-00-20 240.0 360500 The expence of planting the above 180 acres, at 151. an acre, amounts to 2,700]. for which his Grace will have an addi-« leh f tional rent of 300], a year, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, PLANTATIONS OF OAK. Mr. Ormand’s hill at Gamston- In Haughton park, by Elksley wood In Walesby warren, by Gosling Carr OTHER PLANTATIONS. In HAUGHTON A. In Richard Rawson’s warren- I At Haughton chapel~- In Park Meadows~- 2 In BoTHAMSELL. In Peck’s farm, two plantations Jn Dewick’s farm, one ditto- In Moss’s farm, Broom plantation Border, between Moss and Mr. Bower Fivethorns plantation-= In Wood's farm--- In Hunt’s-~- In Mrs. Padley’s- Hill above Ousedale, from Padleys watering place, to Normanton coach road gate.-- 16 bh On OM RW DEO: OL” ON) Sa ho) In NoRMANTON. Border, from the coach road gate, by Mr. Bower’s farm, to the house 16 From the stack-yard, along the west road, down to the white gate 7 Below the above white gate, next the bottoms=~- II Large round clump in the low wester- most piece--~ 7 Three small rounds in the piece east of the above--~ South and east side of the above piece Kennel plantation in the rye piece Small border south of the lane- Some other pieces of planting, suppose oO mW YW tom Wd om= b O AiR. oP, Ree<6 TOe 08 0 Teer: 0 £3 3° O P. oO oO oO oO o 36 32 oO oO oO o 5 9 33 2 8 34 24 35 20 fa) 16 oO — 68 2 19 T% AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Brought over OTHER PIECES TAKEN IN TO BE PLANTED. Ave on Pe One piece->= 8 2 32 Another--- ig. i186 98 Another-~~ 48 gore 72+%i9@ Deduct as above, it being included in the above three pieces- oe Ove Dato 62©1-1o Aphyhead~-- 139 20° 26 Deduct for the six avenues, suppose SIX acres each-° 26° 0-8 AG 68 ——— 103 ROR, 2 49 Oo 36 spa N.B. All these plantations, amounting to 410 acres 1 rood, bave been made within twenty years. 00d, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. wis The account of the WOODS and PLANTATIONS of the Hon. R. LUMLEY SAVILE, L'sq. 15 contained in the following letter? Rufford, Jan, 28, 1794, SIR RICHARD, ACCORDING to my promise, I send you the number of acres of the Hon. R. Lumley Savile’s woods and plantations, which is the best account he has; but don’t pretend to say it is exact, for want of surveys of part of them. Have also sent you some observations about the woods, and some other things. Part of these are oak woods; the rest are oaks, and planted with ashes for hop-poles, Acres, Wellow Park, and Birkhill-- 266 clay Egmanton wood-~- 100 clay Eakring Brail-~- gz clay Lound weod in Rufford--- 24. clay The rest of the woods in the liberty of Rufford 200 100 cl, Bilsthorp woods-~- 22 clay Worney wood---~ 35 clay Oak plantations in Rufford-= 50 sand Pittance Park plantation in ditto part oak and the rest firs-~-- 218 ditto Rufford fir plantations--: 50 ditto Bilsthorp ditto--- 50 ditto Ollerton hills ditto--> 23 ditto 1090 Woods require great attention to make them profitable. In the first mentioned woods, which are oak timber, and young oaks, they have been thinned, and most other trees cut down to make room for the oaks, where they were 716 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY likely to make good trees. They have been thinned by de- grees, which draws them up high enough, and gives them room to thicken. here are a few Spanish(or the best) chesnut trees, which is a quick growing wood, and grows tall and strait; from experiments made about twenty- five years ago, it is found to be excellent wood, much resembling oak, both in colour and quantity. In those woods, which are oaks,&c. and hop-poles, they are cut about every twenty years, leaving the small oaks, and here and there an ash, elm, or beech,&c. The largest oaks, worth about three pound and upwards, are taken down; also all the crooked bad ones. The hop-poles are cut off neatly, and the year following the vacant places filled up with ashes; the crooked shoots are pruned off, and any small bad oaks, damaged with falling, cut down, Great care is taken to keep cattle out of these woods. In the oak plantations the land was fallowed, and the greatest part of it sown with acorns about forty-four years ago. Some of them were sown in drills, and ploughed be- twixt, which answers the best. The trees were pruned and thinned about twenty years ago, and are now nearly ready for pruning again,‘These oaks are now about twenty feet long, are fronr twelve to twenty-four inches in girt, and are thriving oaks.. Some oaks were planted at that time, but there is little difference betwixt those planted, and that sown with acorns; if there be any difference, those raised from acorns are the best. Two extremes ought to be avoided; not to thin them too much, till they have grown a sufh- cient height, nor leave them too thick to kill one another, A considerable part, Sir, of those plantations were planted with firs, by the late Sir George Savile, Bart. at the same time the acorns were sown, viz. about forty-four years ago. These firs have made great improvement. Larch is the quickest growing wood of all firs, and is the most useful, Scotch and silver fir seem to be the next. Spruce grows more slowly than any of them. The larch now measure from thirty to fifty feet long, and from twelve, to iN OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. at forty-eight inches in girth.‘The Scotch are from twenty to thirty feet long, and are from twelve to thirty-two inches in girth. They were planted rather shallow, were pruned and thinned for hop-poles, when about twenty-five years old; at thirty were fit for fencing, and now at forty years old, they are fit for building timber, fencing stuff, and some of them boards. From experiments made of some older firs, it is found that larch is the best of them all for enduring, especially in wet. The others will last very long if kept dry. Some of them were planted in tribes, which seem ta answer the best. Firs ought always to be planted by them- selves, as they are apt to kill most: other trees near them. All firs ought to be felled in summer, because they are then° fullest of turpentine, and heaviest. If furs are suffered to grow too thick till they are a great height, they will die in patches, after they have exhausted the ground; and if they are thinned too soon, they will never rise a great height. Upon the whole, firs are likely to prove of more value to this country than was expected some years ago. The late Sir George Savile inclosed the following lands, since the year 1776: ACRES Ollerton forest, about----- 500 Bisthorp clay-felds-/-*-""'--—"8=" 100 Ditto commons-=---+ 280 Morton Grange forest----- 1080 There are yet open fields at Eakring, Ompton, Wellow, Laxton, Egmanton, Walesby, and Cirton.; Rufford is now almost the only uncultivated forest Mr. Savile has in this county. Improvements, Sir, in husbandry are best promoted by example; for one capital manager living in a neighbour- hood is, or might be, a benefit to all near him. The drill husbandry for beans and pease is particularly useful, as it prepares the land for wheat. If the same attention was paid to the breeding of horses, beasts and pigs, that is paid to the breeding of sheep, it would be of great service to this country. 3 18 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Growing carrots for horses, and potatoes for milch cows (which produce sweet butter) are among the newest im- provements here. Potatoes are of the greatest use, cheap and wholesome: the poor have never suffered so much from want since they have been so generally cultivated. I am, Sir Richard, with the greatest respect, your most obedient humble servant, JOHN PARKINSON., ? Sir Richard Sutton, Bart. Account of the WOODS and PLANTATIONS of CHARLES PIERREPONT, Esq. now Lord NEWARK. Whitemoor, January 21, 1794. SIR, HEREWITH you will receive a copy of Mr. Calvert’s measure of the different plantations in and about Thoresby Park, returned to me yesterday. I have col- leéted into columns the best and the worst sort of trees, and the number of acres of each, which I should think would be sufficient, rather than to insert the names of such a numerous quantity of clumps. I forgot to mention in my paper respecting Mr. Pierre- pont’s spring woods, that we have adopted a plan of filling up every fall, the following spring after it is cut, with ash plants, all the vacant places; and I think it a good method, where a kind young ash tree was left the fall before(for a husbandry pole) and bears keys, to leave it the second fall, and if you see occasion the third, that the wind might dis- perse the keys, and be a means of replenishing the woods with ash plants without any expence. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, W. PICKIN. To Sir R. Sutton, Bart. N, Mr. bout col- rees, think es of jerre- alling h ash thod, for a fall, r dis- oods KIN. OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. ie PLANTATIONS in and about THoresBy Park, belonging to CHARLES PIERREPONT, L£sq. P pees ag 2 Oak, ash, beech, Spanish chesnut,and elms 797 f 13 Firs of different kinds, and birch- FASY O13 Ashes, ollers, willows, and sallows_ R070. 27 Total’ 98% 6 o N.B. There are 306 acres now in preparation for planting. Mr. PrerREPoNtT’s WOODS in the County of Nottingham. Communicated by Mr. Pie xin, Steward to Mr. PreRREPONT. [The letters denote the distri€ts; L Limestone, CL Clay, N. of Trent.] BN ee Sin 92 85 Kirkby(L) Coalfield-wood- 8 0 Oo Holbeck(L) Old Hag wood 20:07 86 Lexington,(CL) East Park-wood 31 0 o Ditto Saw-wood 38° 0:0 Ditto Middle Spring 45 o o Knesal(CL) Green-wood~ 64 0© Eakring(CL) Hobheron-wood 16 050 Brail-wood- 29 0 Oo White-stubbs~ 12). 0..@ Weston(CL) Lady-wood ic. 0,9 Gedling(CL) Marshall hills, about 100 0 o ACRES: 38- 0;_ 0 N. B. The above woods(excepting the last) are spring woods, and cut about every fifteen years, at about eighteen acres per annum; the underwood consists of hop-poles, husbandry-poles, and hedge wood; and the weeding of the oaks generally applied in the reparations of the buildings upon the estate. Water Meadows.—About twelve acres in Whitemoor Farm can: be well watered, and with very good effect. Mr. Pierrepont has about twenty acres of boggy ground capable of that improvement. 80 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY An Account of PLANTATIONS at Osberton, belonging toF. F. FotyamBe, Esq. Rufwood- 7 acres, new planted. Crowood Bie 6 ditto Broomwood- 14 ditto Whincover- 1z ditto, new planted. Grote planting— 414 ditto Grote border,- 30 ditto, new planted. Square wood- 8 ditto Side border- 16 ditto, new planted. Ash wood.- 12 ditto ‘Twenty acres wood 8 ditto Danbottom wood 5 ditto Yewtree wood- 5 ditto, new planted, Spring wood- 10 ditto Parks, ditto- 7 ditto Keniwell spring 30 ditto, new planted. 184 An Account of Lands filanted in the Parish of Carlton, in Lindrick, in the County of Nottingham, as follows: CHARLES MELLISH, ESQ. A Ree Great plantation-- 100 0 0 Five other plantations- 54. 240 164) a O TAYLOR WHITE AND WOLLASTON WHITE, ESQS. Plantations in the Calf Spring 22.0 Carlton wood-- 20822 0 Coal Pit wood--- Sieh va Plantations below Holme field 0% 92120 Owday wood--- Aa 3,<0 107) 3° 0 COWLISHAW JOSEPH. Plantation~~ ic£40 ~- OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Si elonpiye I, Letter to W1LL1AM Mason, Lsq. of WELHAM. SIR, I FIND from the person who overlooks Mr. White’s woods, that Mr. Edwards(when last down) took with him all the books and plans respe€ting the estate at Wallingwells; but that you might not be disappointed in your inquiries, I the other evening took a survey of the un- » dermentioned woods, which is much at your service. Lam; Sir, your most obedient and very humble servant, : 3 JOS. YOUNG. Carlton, Feb. ton, Ws: WOODS and PLANTATIONS belonging to TayLor Wuite, L£sq. at WaLLINGWELLs, zn the County of ‘ NoTTiNGHAM. 0 Au; Ae Bae 0 Lingby wood--- 22>@ oO pf‘Plantation north of the park- 203% £08, One small plantation near the last o 3 o New planted in the park, about 3 09 0 0— 0 251-2. 8 0 0 0 0 G ) 82 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY A Particular of WOODS and PLANTATIONS belonging to His Grace the Duke of Nor¥Fouxk, at and near Worksop Manor, zx Com. Notts, viz. Munton Plantations, Near Worksop, planted from 1762 to 1764, oak, ash, larch, Scotch, and other firs,(sand) 168 o o Sharking-Hill Wood, Near Worksop,(sandy soil) pisnteds in ee oak and chesnut- PEu.Or.© Hannah Park, Near Worksop(sandy so pee in 1744 beech and firs-$8 o@ Kilton Plantations, Near Worksop(sandy ee pene e 1763, oaks chiefly-- 36.70-'0 Tranker Wood, Near Worksop(soil clay) planted about the year 1727, oak with beech intermixed- 10 O O Tranke+ Wood, in dispute with Mr. Howe tt, Near Worksop(clay soil) principally” 0! oak. of kee| ancient growth- 60 0 0 Clumfis, In the park and on the waste(sandy soil) oak, larch, firs of all sorts; elm, beech, and chesnut, planted in 1758, and subsequent years<9 4% 8°© Small Plantations of Spring Wood, Near Worksop, different soils-<4 50) 0,0 The Menagery,. A plantation of oak, elm, chesnut, beech, cherry, larch, Scotch, and other firs; planted in 1733, and subsequent years,(sandy soil) 20 0© OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 83 The Wilderness, longing ee Near the Manor Housé, planted at different times orksop from 1713 to 1738; soil clay in part, and part sand; consists of oak mostly, but inter- mixed with elm, beech, chesnut, larches, pines, Scotch and other firs of great mag- nitude---- 53 0 0 He? we Manor-Hil! Plantations, Were in great part planted in 1734, and subsé- guent years(soil sandy) consist of various sorts of wood, viz. oak in great quantity; ane beech, elms, chesnut, pines, larches, spruce, Scotch, and other firs, so disposed as to form a pleasing mixture of variety to the distant view; contains in the whole= 5 es O40 pore An Oak Woed, At Stirrup, of ancient growth=- G..0),50 0 0 Total of woods in Com. Notts 781.6 0 g0 0 0 0 00 There is little wood in the Trent Bank Distrié, but in hedge rows.—In 1771 and 1772, the cliff opposite Hasleford Ferry, in Flintham, which had formerly been coveréd with good timber, was planted was ashes for springing.‘The Ae extent thirty-one acres, three roods, fourteen poles.‘They were cut in 1791 and 1792. Thirteen hundred pounds were offered for them standing in 1791, making above forty 0 9 shillings an acre for the time of. growth. Five acres, one rood, eight perches, were planted in 1792. In Kneeton, in 1781, six acres of ash wood sprung seventeen years before, were sold standing for seyenty pounds. » 9 0 G2 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 1 have since obtained this further list of WOODS Au: Tien, Bank. Divide EORD MIDDLETON'S AT WOLLATON. Ac A. P* Paddock Wood--- 5722.41 timber Groups in the park--~ 25 o o ditto Shepherd’s Wood~- 26..-1..§ ditto Little Leek, one 12, one 4- 16 o o ditte PLANTATIONS. Little Leek+-- 267 0.40 Wollaton park~~-- 10. 0. 0 Brickhill plantation--- Pie 2.25 Dovecourt--- 22° 40:1.0 Goss plantations,&c.-- 200.1 oO LANGFORD PLANTATION. Mr. Duncomb’s 59 not many poles. Earl of Bute’s”-= tls some timber, about 1000 poles an acre, rol. an acre. Duke of Newcastle’s about roo sprung for hop poles, not 300 per acre. Duke of Newcastle's ga Ditto== 12 Robert Sutton, Esq.{2 Lord Middleton’s- gt odd J. Denison, Esq. about 400 Hon. R. Lumley Savile 564 Charles Pierrepont, Esq. 283 Prebend of Southwell 5Q sprung OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 87 belonging to Acres Brought forward 2030 Epperston Earl Howe's- 349 odd Ditto Other Proprietors- 26 mth Lowdham Springs F. W. Edge,‘Esq. Mr. Broughton,Mr. Wright, and Miss Briggs 126 Burton Farl of Chesterfield 100 timber oak, sprung once in eighteen years, chiefly ‘: hasel and thorn, timber ; oak and ash much de- creased. Eastshaw Wood Earl of Chesterfield’s 44 Winkburn Woods W. Pegge Burnell, Esq. 400 sprung once in twenty years, pays at least fif- teen shillings per acre yearly. Formerly much neglected, now the va- cancies are filling up with ash.| Kirklington Woods Mrs. Whetham about 100 small timber for fleaks, &c. Sprung about every fourteen or fifteen years, Fine poles, not many oaks; worth about six- teen shillings an acre, annually. 00 Averham Park G. Sutton, Esq.(including thirty new’ planted) 100 Sprung in fifteen or six- ga teen years; in the whole 14 about sixteen shillings ! per acre. Good young y1 old oak and ash, 00 Comb Woods Archbishop of York’s 48 fe oak trees, few of them j 0 i’) 1? 4 timber, ash for poles, and brushwood, r 3326 ie) Os Halloughton Oxton Marsha]! Hills Bevercotes,&c. AGRICULTURAL SURVEY belonging to Brought forward Sir.R. Sutton, under Southwell prebend of Halloughton, formerly much neglected- Small oaks from stools; now bringing into re- gular springs; vacancies filling with ash Mrs. Sherbrooke’s- ill planted Mr. Lowe's new plantation ten or twelve acres of Huntingdonshire- lows, the rest oak, ash, &c. The willows an- swer by far the best. Mr. Pierrepont’s- open wood in Thorney W ood Chace now allot- ted. Duke of Newcastle’s plan- tations on clay,- Acres 3326 42 10a = ed 42 4 pO ET LOOT OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 89 Ossington, Jan, 26, 1794. SIR, I YESTERDAY received the letter you did me the honour to write, requesting f would furnish you with an account of the extent and manner of occupation of my woods, to assist Mr. Lowe in his survey, which I take the earliest opportunity of stating. They are nearly four hundred acres ash and oak; about twenty acres are annually cut down for hop-poles, round poles, and country uses. Such oaks as are stag headed, and not likely to improve against another fall, are felled at the same time. The hazels and thorns are afterwards mostly stubbed up, and young ashes planted in their stead; by which mode, with the addition of draining the wet parts, these woods have been very considerably improved. I last year completed the whole round on this plan, which has taken an immense number of plants. I have some years planted from eighty to one hundred thousand, and mean still to pur- sue the same plan, though in a diminished proportion. Some of the young plants make poles the first fall; but in general, they are nat supposed to be produétive till the se- cond, and many die. Oaks in this soil do not grow to any girth, but are mostly straight, solid, good hearted timber. Should you or Mr. Lowe wish for any further particulars, I shall be happy to give you every further information in my power. Lam, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, | JOHN DENISON. To Sir Richard Sutton, Bart. 90 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY COMMUNICATED BY MR. DUE Ys. Asey. OP, Epperstone Park, 208 2 o| The whole of the wnder- Lingar Wong, 5 Omg wood is cut down once Brockwood Hill, and in seventeen years. Eastwood> 136 0 o Aviom Ba fe? 2 Lord Howe’s 849.22 33] 20) 2 108, upon average per year, 4 Mr. Bingham’s Stubbings, 4 0| Woods belonging to other Mr. Barnard’s Wood,- 2 2 proprietors in the parish Mr. Smith’s, about- 20© of Epperstone. N.B, These woods of Lord Howe’s are begun to be filled up with ash WOODS in Thorney Wood Chace, allotted. In Gepuine. As oR, oP, Podder Coppice,- ce 3 20 Leeson, ditto, oR ae: ee Allotted] Quscah, ditto,- 20° J:.1g0@ infarms,} Park Well, ditto- 61 o Lie and cul- 5 Stone Pitt, ditto- 6c 2. 6 tivated,| Harbor Hill, ditto 3 AA 2 ek Pismire Hill, ditto, 65 3 20 Old ditto,- Zi-.Q.‘0 An OR, Wap. aa 308 3%, 35 Plains- ea Ae East Haw,—Earl Chesterfield,- 47§ Allotted, but re- Marshall Hill,—C., Pierrepont, Esq. ne main in wood, 147 In LamaBrey. Allotted and cultivated, Coppices,- 408 Q2 0 In ARNoLD, Now in tillage, Coppices,-- 50 0.0 Acres 854 2 3¢ erage ‘ar, ther ish B, fo) 1° OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 91 On the Vale of Belvoir are no woods of any account. There is yery little wood in the district of the Notting- hamshire Woulds, Bunny Woods, belonging to Sir Thomas Parkyns, Bart. are about seventy acres. In the Lime and Coal Distrié are considerable woods, as will appear by the following accounts: Account of the WOODS,&s'c. ia the Lime and Coal Distriét on the Estate of Lord MIDDLETON, communicated by Mr. REYNoLDs, Gardener to his Lordship. AnaR. Pe Broomhill Woods- 13105525 Addess Wood- PISA Oma! Asply High and Low Woodstr' 1 4 At TRowEL Short Wood- 67 0 37+All Timber. Lawns Wood~ 20. 9.19 Grange Wood- Iz 0 30 At Broxton Slang Wood- 56 xr 6 Cinderhill Wood Sprung 17 3 37 Odworth One Small Wood 4©© Plantations At TRrowELL Shaw’s Hill Plantation= F072 Grange Wood New Piantation 4 2 1}\ plantedJune 1782 §2 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Further List of WOODS 7n the Limestan? and Coal Disiria. BARI, Cuckney,&c. Earl Bathurst’s, vide page 2, 190% aT 22 Warsop,&c. J. G. Knight, Esq. vide De Sas.gl 39922. 6 William’s Wood, Chapter of Southwell peel.<0, LO Greasley Woods, Lord Viscount Melbourne 285 0 oo Selston Wood, Ditto-- ie O°} 9 These two last are timber woods of good oaks, some stubbed, none fresh planted; no ash, Nuthal, Honorable Henry Jedley ty a5 Watnal, Roulston, Esq.- Saeees 28 ry Acres 916 0 24 N.B. Lord Bathurst and Mr. Knight’s woods, and that of the Chapter of Southwell, standing just in the division of the Sand and Limestone, and most of them partaking of both, I have thought it better to put them here all together, than split them into the several districts, Particulars of, Mrs ROULSTON Wood: A, Rogeps Thorp Wood~ 523° sho Hill Hole=~ 455039438 Starth Wood- 2b in 0 heed Leyhill Wood- 162.493 2 es, 88 2 28 Oe tee ed Sa OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 93 An Account of the Wood Lands belonging to the Right Honor- able Earl BATHURST, in the County of Nottingham. Wood’s Names. Quantity.| Quality. AS pRAVPs CUCKNEY TOWNSHIP. Elksley Hill 7| 2| 6) Planted with firs, beech, ash and birch. a Forest Head 1| 2/37| Planted with firs and birch. Church Plantation 11 0/36! Planted with firs, oaks, Liseed beech and alders. Mill Hill 3| of 6| Planted with firs, oaks, beech and birch. Deadman’s Grave 13} of13| Spring wood and fine oak timber. LANGWITH TOWNSHIP. Cuckney Hay 145] of17| Spring wood and fine oak timber. Langwith Plantations} 9} 1/33} Planted with oaks, firs, beech, ash, and sundry or- namental trees and shrubs Boon Hills 8} olzo} Oak, elm, ash, and lime timber, and planted with firs, ash,&c. Lady’s Grave>| ol13| Spring wood and fine oak i=, timber. 94 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Letter to Sir R. SUTTON, Bart. HON. SIR, Warsop, Feb. 4. 1794. THE following are the accounts of Mr. Knieut’s woods at Warsop in this county: Names. Extent. Collyer Spring, 75 Ack. A spring wood, with fine growing oaks, underwood, as hop poles,&c. Lord’s Stubbing 37° ditto A spring wood as above, but the oaks not so thriving. Coppice 26 ditto A spring wood, much as last. Parson’s Spring 12; ditto A spring wood, with growing oaks and underwood as above. Rough Wood 7% ditto A spring wood, as above, but the oaks not so thriving. Moscarr Rough Wood zi ditto A spring wood, much the same as last, KIRKTON, in this County: Norton Wood 8 acr. A spring wood, with fine growing oaks, underwood as hop poles,&c. Thorney Wood 8 ditto A spring and timber wood, withvery fine growing oaks, &c. What I mean by tim- ber, some part of this wood is rather strong growing oaks, and thick upon the ground, WILLowBy, near Kirton, in this county: High Sprin ACRES. A spring wood, with fine gn spring 4 pring growing oaks, underwood, &c. Yesterday I delivered your inclosed letter at Mr. RoBin- Son’s house myself, but he was not home. If, Sir, you want any further account or explanation, I shall be glad to render you eyery service in my power. And Iam, Sir, Your very humble servant, SAMUEL JACKSON. 1794, IGHT’s 1 fine Wood, » but ng. last, owing od as e, but ing. h the fine vood WOod, * oaks, y tim- wood owing n the IN. © «4 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. To Six R.-SUTTON,. Bart. Warsop, Feb. 15, 17194. HON. SIR, AGREEABLE to your request, the following is the statement of the soil in the sundry woods: Collyer Spring Half sand, the other half loamy. Lord’s Stubbing Woodland clay soil, bordering upon limestone. Coppice, Ditto; Parson’s Spring, Half limestone, the other light clay. Rough Wood, Limestone. Moscarr Rough Wood, Woodland clay. Norton Wood, Thorney Wood, ie good clay soil High Spring, Lord Bathurst’s wood, half sand, a fourth limestone, the ether fourth a loamy soil. S. JACKSON 96 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY CHAPTER XI, Wastes. LITTLE waste land is now left in this county, much the greater part of the forest being inclosed. What remains is chiefly in the line between Rufford and Mansfield, and between Blidworth and Newsted, and is mostly poor bar- ren land.—A good deal of it is in rabbit warren; and it is to be doubted whether it would answer so well in any other shape. Some part has formerly been taken into cultivation, and thrown up again. Planting might perhaps be found to answer. In the tongue of land east of Trent are some low flat commons, very much drowned in winter, and not easily im- improvable without good drainage, and whether the outfall is sufficient seems questionable. The ancient royal forest of Sherwood is in extent, from Nottingham to near Worksop, about twenty-five miles; and in breadth, seven, eight, or nine miles, more or less in different places. Several traéts of land, particularly in the north part as far as Rossington bridge, lying in the same waste state, have been usually called forest; but from the survey of 1609, appear not to have belonged to the forest, or to have been disafforested before that time. In it are comprehended several parks taken in at different times, as Welbeck, Clumber, Thoresby, Beskwood, Newsted, Clip- ch the Laing 9 d, and or bar. ind it is y other ation, ind to r flat y im- outfall from niles; less in in the same m the rest, are a8 ‘lip- OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. OF ston, and several villages or lands belonging tothem.* The whole soil of the forest is understood to have been granted off from the Crown to different lords of manors, reserving only, in forest language, the vert and venison, or trees and deer. The latter were formerly very numerous, all of the red kind. Within the memory of persons living, herds of one hundred or more might be seen together; but as cul- tivation increased, they diminished gradually, and are now entirely extirpated. The vert and venison are under the care of four verdurers, chosen by the freeholders of the county. * Vice Villages in the forest and extent and offices of the forest, Appen- dix, No. VIII. 98 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY CHAPPERSNIT % Improvements. SECTION I. DRAINING. Drainage-—THE necessity of draining wet lands, has of late years been much better understood and attended to, than formerly, and the rot amongst sheep of 1792 has alarmed, and almost every where brought forth exertion in this respect. In the new inclosure bills, drains are ordered by the commissioners, and provision made for their being properly kept up, which is more effe€tual than the old laws of sewers, of the neglect in the execution of which there is great complaint here, as well as in other counties. The drainage has been facilitated in several places by cutting the course of rivers and brooks straiter, particu- larly on the Smite, in the Vale of Belvoir. Retford, Dec. 22, 1794. SIR, IT may be right to add to the drainage paragraph above, ‘¢ The old drain was formed into land by sloping down the banks thereof, and throwing therein the earth that came out of the new drain.”’ The following remarks respecting the general drainage of this county, I leave you to dispose of in such manner as you think most proper. The drainage of every country greatly depends upon the state of the streams andrivers flow- ing through the same. There are many rivers flowing through this county, from west to east. Their average fall is from twenty inches to a foot in a mile, from their source to the tide’s way, The rivers and main drains in the north OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. aa part of the county are inspected by a jury, called a water- jury, twenty-four in number, being freeholders of the county, possessing ten pounds per year of landed property, who make a survey of the rivers,&c. four times in a year. ‘They make their report to a court called a court of sewers, which is holden at certain times of the year. Ihave fre- quently conversed with severalof these jurymen respecting the business of their surveys; who say, they go upon that business because they are obliged so to do; that they do not understand the nature of rivers, and the best method of improving them—that they seldom see the rivers a mile to- gether; they order a few sand-beds to be removed, especially at the tails of mills; and as they are appointed only for one year, they.slip over itas easy as they can.‘The effect produced in the last twenty years makes good this assertion. In other parts of the county the rivers are committed to the inspection of one person, which I have known some years ago to have been very little attended to, being per- sons not conversant in that business.‘Was the improvement of the rivers of this county to be committed to the direction of professional men, there might be more improvement made ina very few years to drainage of lands, and facilitating the discharge of the flood-waters, than will be effected by the water-juries and inspectors, as before-mentioned, in acen- tury. Men of experience might be employed in improving and repairing rivers and drains in a country, as advan- tageously as surveyors of high-roads. If any part of the above comes within the agricultural plan, they are much at your service, to dispose of as you think proper, hoping you will excuse the rude state you re- ceive them in.’ Pam, Sir, your most obedient servant, RICHARD DIXON. Lo John Holmes, Esq. Retford. H 2 100 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Covered Drains—have been made in various places in different manners. At Halloughton near Southwell, Mr. Pogson, tenant to Sir Richard Sutton, has done upwards of two hundred acres, twenty-eight yards to the acre, as follows:—In meadow and pasture land, went two spade grafts, or two feet deep; then with another instrument of four inches wide, took out the soil of the drain made by the spade, twelve inches deeper; covered it with the sods first dug out, if the ground was found strong enough to admit of it, otherwise put in some black thorns sufficient to bear the sods; afterwards filled up the whole of the drain to the surface, with the soil taken out. This method has been pursued for several years past, and has perfectly answered. Expence per acre, including allowance for ale,&c. two shillings and sixpence. At Norwood Park, Sir Richard Sutton did some several years ago, with the difference of using, instead of black thorn, ling or heath, which may perhaps be preferable; as it is known to be incorruptible for ages in water, and the sharp hard ends of black thorn may sometimes gall the earth, and make it moulder into the drain, which the other will not. At Gonalston, in Thurgarton hundred, the Rev. Mr. Clark has done a good deal, in the following masterly man- ner: where there are boggy springy lands, at the foot of rising grounds, taking the lowest level, he pushes on a drain strait up to the hill, keeping it to the same level; so that it is deeper and deeper from the surface as he advances; then cuts a cross-drain at top, at the same depth, to inter- cept the springs. He then bores with an auger in both drains, but particularly in the cross one, at about every five yards distance; sometimes as deep as twenty-two feet from the surface of the ground. The springs boil up very strong to the bottom of the level, and run off. He then makes a wall of stones, set an edge on both sides, nine acs in CNant to d acres, neadow deep; Ok out Ceper; d was some filled taken S past, luding everal black eek 1 the the other . Mr. man- oot of drain 0 that nces; inter- both ‘five rom very then nine OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 101 to twelve inches high, covering with flat stones; then lays broken stones and rushes to prevent the mould falling in, and fills in with earth. Since the first publication of this report, the practice of covered-draining has been much extended. Mr. Richard Milward, of Lower Hexgrave, near Southwell, has done 1379 yards in a very masterly manner with stone; the drains three feet wide at top, one and a half at bottom; depth, according to the springs, from four feet to nine; waterway in the drains when laid, six inches by ten. By this draining, twelve acres of wet spungy ground, not worth more than five shillings an acre, have been made worth at least fifteen shillings. Mr. Breedon, of Ruddington, has drained much in the same manner as Mr. Clark. Mr. Cook, of Red Hill, in draining, has reared up cede in the drain, and covered with others; which he reckons bet- ter than to leave a shoulder, which is apt to moulder in. In the coal land a good deal of covered draining is done, two and a half or three feet deep; 7. e. two or three spits deep with a broad spade, then the bottom taken out with a narrow one, filling generally with small broken stones. Mr. Chambers, on similar land in Derbyshire, close adjoin- ing, walls most of his drains, using no bottom spade. He makes the bottom two feet wide, then walls upon it, leay- ing six inches in width, and twelve in depth, for the water; and puts on a stone for a coverer, which he thinks a prefer- able method, SECT. I].—waTERING. THERE is certainly in this county a great opportunity of improvement by watering, as may be judged by the ac- count of the running streams, inserted under the head of waters, 102 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY One hundred acres of water meadow have been made at Clumber Park, ina masterly stile, by Mr. Marson, the able manager of the Duke of Newcastle’s improvements, according to the written and personal instru€tions of Mr. Boswell, of Piddletown, Dorsetshire, On Whitmoor farm, near Thoresby, twelve acres can be watered with good effect, which were began by Mr. Samuel Sherring, agent to the late Duke of Kingston, at his own expence,(being tenant) except materials for the wears,&c finished by Mr. Pickin, agent to Lord Newark,(being the present tenant) also at his own cost, Mr. Pickin appre- hends that Lord Newark has twenty acres more of boggy ground, capable of that improvement. Robert Ramsden, Esq. of Carlton, near Worksop, em- ployed a man from Gloucestershire to lay out a meadow for watering. It is well executed, and the whole of it might have answered as well as a small strip of it has done, every year since it was made, and upon which there was, last year, so much grass that two great crops of hay might have been cut from it. The part that was not flooded, for want of the command of water from another brook, was very infe- rior, both in quantity of hay and after-grass; also the bit that was watered is free from moss, rushes and other weeds, which impede the‘growth of the grass on the part not flooded. There are many other low grounds that would be greatly improved by properly watering them. Mr. Brettell, tenant to Sir R. Sutton, at Thurgarton, has made a considerable number of acres of water-meadow, which ssem to answer very well. Mr, Flinders, of Cathorp Mill, has also done several acres. In the Coal Distri€, intelligent persons doubt whether watering might not be prejudicial to the land, from the per- nicious quality of the coal and iron with which the waters are impregnated; but a trial of this might be desirable on a small scale. An impediment often arises to this improve- ment, from an intermixture of property, from which it may be impossible to bring the water on, or carry it off again, | Male af Son, th vements, of Mr, 5 can be Samuel IS own 's,&c ng the appre, Doggy Op, em. dow for it might every 45, last it have ant of - infe- the it r weeds, art not vould be rparton, neadow, Cathorp vhether n¢ per= waters > ona DOVE it may agalll OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 10S without cutting through, or injuring the‘land of a neigh- bour. But it is to be hoped that mutual benefit, when un- derstood, will induce contiguous proprietors to join in the work, and regulate their respective interests, as is seen in Wiltshire and Berkshire; where, through the whole course of a river, for many miles together, there is a continuation of these watered meadows, éach person being served with water in turns, Anothér impediment arises from water courses not being sufficiently scoured out to make an out- fall, which may be remedied by a due exertion of the law of sewers. SECT. II].—MaANnuRING, PARING AND BURNING. MANURES. Farm yard dung is, as in other places, universally used in preference to other manures, where a sufficient quantity of it can be procured. In the Forest Distrié?—The best is observed by Mr. Bower to be made by beasts fed with oil cakes. Robert Ramsden, Esq. of Carlton, observes that it has been long a practice with strong soils, to plough in ma- nure in the winter; but very few people have followed that method upon hot sandy soils: it however answers very well even upon such lands after a wheat crop, which 1s intended for a summer fallow with turnips, and which land is afterwards worked very much in the hottest wea- ther to get out the twitch grass. This has been fully proved ina farm near Carlton, for several years past and par- ticularly the last year, by part of a field which was so managed, upon which there was a much finer crop of turnips than upon the other part, which was managed in the general way, viz. by ploughing it in winter, without any manure, making a clean fallow in the hot weather in 104 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY summer, and ploughing in the manure immediately before sowing the turnips. Ln the Clay Distrif——¥arm yard dung is generally laid on the fallows, but good farmers wish to keep it for their grass grounds. In the Vale of Belvoir—Farm yard dung is the principal manure; dunghills are made but not so carefully as might be. Mr. Pocklington has dressed with dung immediately after harvest: he must have a year’s dung before hand for this. In the Lime and Coal Distriff—Farm yard dung twelve loads to the acre, is laid on the fallow. LIME. In the Forest Distrifi—Lime is almost universally used on the fallow for turnips, the quantity from one to two chalders, of thirty two strikes. Mr. Bower limes for the sake of. his seeds, with one chalder of lime an acre in Spring, besides farm yard manures, following it some- times with fresh manure; he considers lime as hurtful without farm yard manure. In the Trent Bank Distriéi—The lime used is chiefly from Newark, which is of a stronger nature than Kirkby or Mansfield Woodhouse lime; from naving, as Mr. Sikes observes, more animal matter in it, the other more siliceous earth: from two to two chaldrons and a half per acre on the fallow for turnips. Mr. Sikes, who joins a knowledge of chymistry to that of agriculture, has made various ex- periments on manures as follows:—He thinks the good effects of lime much increased by mixing coal ashes with it immediately when drawn from the kiln, setting it on fire and letting it burn as long as it will; as by this pracess he concludes, the mixture approaches to the properties of the caustick alkali: the vegetable matter of the coal when calcined, producing a fixed alkaline salt which, when mixed with lime, forms a species of caustick alkali, analogous ly De ally laid OF their ‘cipal night liately nd for welve y used 0 twa or the re In me= rtful hiefly irkby Sikes ceous re On ledge 3 eX- good with on > OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 105 to soap boilers ashes, which have been supposed to fer- tilize in a considerable degree. Mr. Sikes expects lime stone powder to do as well on grass land in a strong clay as lime, but has not tried it yet. N.B. The gypsum used in Germany, is found to an- swer better raw than calcined. For grass land he would always mix lime with earth, In the Clay Distriéi—Lime has been partially intro- duced for some years back, its effets being much disputed, and appearing indeed to be different in different places; owing perhaps to almost imperceptible differences of soil, or to the prior state of culture of the lands; the common proportion is twelve quarters per acre. As to the effeGts of Lime on the Clay Soil, I have re- ceived the following information: Mr. Calvert, of Darlton, on a eold clay soil, has laid from one to as far as twenty chaldrons of lime an acre, and found no benefit whatsoever. He used the Knottingly soapy lime from Yorkshire, whicl¥ is much esteemed. He tried it for several years, having had two or three sloop loads. As he informed me, Mr. Cartwright of Marnham, by persisting in it, spoiled a close entirely. Mr. Musgrave, of Kirklington, one year, on purpose for a trial, limed in Kirklington for his mistress, and in Halam for himself, two chaldrons, or sixty-four strikes an acre, some of Newark and some of forest lime; and in another part no lime, on a summer fallow red clayey loam. He dressed all with dung at the same time. He saw no difference in the crop: but where he laid the heaps of lime, nothing has grown since. His own land has never come about since that time. He apprehends many are drawn into lime by example only. If of any service, it is to lighten; but good fresh soil laid on is much better. Mr. Brocksop, of Kirklington, manures his fallows with ten loads of dung, and six quarters of lime, with good success. Qn his first coming, he limed a piece of 106 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY land with eight quarters of lime an acre without dun (laying only a very little on the worst parts), and sowed part wheat,— part barley and clover. The barley was much better than on two lands which were left uslimed, The next year the beans, which followed the wheat, were a foot lofiger than where unlimed, and the clover te- markably good, Lime is likewise used with good effect in Halloughton, Hockerton, and many other places; but from the above instances, the benefit of it does not seem to be fully esta~ blished in clays. Vid. Mr, Green’s Observations, Appen- dix; No. XX, About Midsummer Mr. Cooke, of Fasthorpe, in the parish of Sonthwell, puts ten quarters of lime upon an acre; he is sure it answers, by keeping the strong clay light, and can work it almost any time after the first ploughing. He hath tried it upon hazel land, but thinks it of most use upon clay. An experiment was made in a clay close, part without any manure at all, the rest limed; the lime brought much the best crop, He is of opinion that the lime is of full as much use the second year after it is laid ony as the first, and of service even the third, In Morton Field, it is customary either to’ lime the land aud fold the sheep upon it, or use manure. Mr. Cooke saith there are much the best crops where liming and folding are practised. He can distinguish the difference a great way off. The Newark lime much the strongest, He hath used both. Mr. Cooke conies from Long Eaton, in Derbyshire, where they lime both sand and clay; and he thinks it answers both equally. Ln the Vale of Belvoir—Limeé is used in a sthall quan- tity, viz. five quarters an acre; by many not at all, Mr. Pocklington uses ten quarters. Great expectations are entertained of improvement from the Derbyshire Crich lime, being brought by the Cromford and-Grantham canals a It dy SOWed Y Was limed, | Were T Te. hton, ove esta~ pene nthe MN an Clay frst rinks Ma OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 107 (the latter of which runs through the whole of the vale,) when the navigation. is complete. Mr. Pocklington and others have thoughts of bringing the raw lime stone and burning it; but as the carriage _ s paid by weight, query, whether this will answer. ‘In the Lime and Coal Distri?—On limestone land, lime is laid sometimes ten quarters on fallow for wheat about August; for turnips the earlier the better. The Rev. Dr. Coke, of Brookhill, near Mansfield, makes the following observation on the Derbyshire Crich lime. ‘© There has long been wanted in the husbandry of this country a species of manure which would answer as a top dressing, as well as when intermixed with the soil: This seems now to be acquired by the introduction of the Derbyshire lime. It is well known that in the common course of husbandry, our farms can only produce a certain proportion of manure; but by having recourse to this lime, the herbage is improved, and the vegetative quality of the soil is promoted.‘The stone from which this lime is pro- duced is of a bluish colour and a hard nature. After it is deprived of its fixed air by caleination, it assumes the whiteness of chalk, which is a sure test of its being free from any mineral particles, and of its purity as a calcareous earth. There are immense rocks of this stone about Cromford and Crich, i Derbyshire, which may be easily transported by means of the Cromford Canal, to the prin- cipal parts of the county of Nottingham. The effect of this lime, when used, is so striking, that it may be seen to a small compass where it has been spread, and where- ever a heap of it has been.laid down, the grass is in greater abundance than in any other part of the field. It destroys the moss, and correéts that sourness so much complained of by the farmer in his grass land. The best method of using it is to set it in small heaps; water and spread it while it is quick.‘This is best done in the latter end of April or beginning of May. In consequente of this treatment, our 108 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY pastures acquize a sweet herbage, abounding with white clover, and the best natural grasses. Ina country where marl js not to be had, this proves a most valuable acqui- sition to its agriculture. It deserves likewise the same attention from the farmer in all his fallows, as it insures to him excellent crops of corn in consequence of its ap- plication. In laying as lime it will I believe be found more advan- tageous to lay it altogether in a heap in the field, and water it as you throw it up, and cover it well with earth, you will find it go much further when you spread it on the land, and have a better effet on manure. N.B. It is the Devonshire praétice to mix the lime intimately with earth some months before it is spread, by ploughing the headland(there called the forehead) yery deep all round the field, chopping it fine with mattocks, covering the lime with it, which is laid ina small ridge, quite round, and mixing the whole well together, as soon as it will slake with the weather, On coal land lime as above, sometimes the Crich lime from Derbyshire is used, which is reckoned the best, some- times the hungry lime of this country,” DOVE MANURE Is not much used in the Forest Distri@ on the sand land. Mr. Birket, of Clumber, used it about four quarters an acre on turnips. Ln the Trent Bank Distriét,—four or five quarters an acre are laid on grass. Mr. Sikes lays it in a heap in a barn, and turns it till it falls. In the Clay Distri&—Dovye manure is produced in great quantities, more pigeons being kept than are probably in any part of England. It is used as a top-dressing for wheat, at about three quarters per acre; but the greatest part of it is bought up at one shilling to fourteen-pence a strike, and carried up to the limestone part of the county, Dig Y Where ac qui. * Same insures ($ ap, van. and rth, the lime ) by very acks, dge, oon ne \Cs OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Too or into Derbyshire, where it is supposed to do more service. It has been said, as an apology for the farmers in this distriét, suffering their dove manure to be carried away from them, that the money might be laid out in other sorts of manure, to more advantage for their land. In the Vale of Belvoir—Dove manure is used by Mr. Pocklington, and some others, as a top dressing on barley, about ten strikes an acre, at one shilling. In the Lime and Coal Distri€—it is sometimes used on limestone land, as a top dressing on‘seeds, sometimes ploughed in very thin, about two quarters an acre. Mr. Chambers(more particularly mentioned under the head of Cultivation) thinks the latter the best. It is little used on the Coal Land—being hard to be got, but Mr. Chambers supposes it the best manure of all if it could be had. BONE DUST. In the Forest Distri—Bone dust ground by mills on pur- pose, has been used by Mr. Birket, of Clumber, and Mr. Bower, of Drayton,’ to great advantage, as a top dressing for turnips; one chalder an acre, at one shilling and six- pence a strike besides carriage.: Mr. Wright, of Ranby, laid on for turnips, fifty bushels of bone dust an acre: the crop was very good; the seeds made no appearance the first year, owing perhaps to a dry summer; but the second, and every year after, were equal to where they were dunged. In the Trent Bank Distri#—it has been laid on grass, twenty strikes to an acre with great effect; the fresher it is the better. RAPE DUST. In the Forest Distriéi—Rape dust or oil cake from rape, has been tried by Mr. Flower, of Ollerton, on turnips; ten hundred weight an acre, at four pounds aton.‘The turnips went off on the first sowing, but at the second, 110 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY succeeded very well. Mr. Flower tried the following ex- periment: 1. Malt combs; 2. Ground bones; 3. Horn shavings; 4. Stable dung; 5. Salt; 6. Baron Van Haake’s Powder, on strips of low grass land coming to a point. He found them succeed in this order: 1. Malt combs; 2. Stable dung; 3. and 4. Horn shavings and ground bones, equal 5. and 6. Salt and Van Haake, good for nothing. Ln the Forest Distri—Mr,. Wright has ploughed in clover with success, as a layer for wheat: has tried buckwheat, rolling it down when in flower and ploughing it in, but | found no benefit from it. | i GREEN MANURES. ) MALT COMBS* Are used in the Forest Distri&t for seeds and tillage, six quarters an acre for turnips, at five shillings a quarter. SCRAPINGS OF OILED LEATHER Bi Are used in the Forest Distriét for hops at sixpence a| } bushel. | BOG EARTH. Mr. Birket, of Clumber Park, has used sixty loads of i black bog earth an acre, on seeds with good success. Had | not the same on turnips. GYPSUM OR PLAISTER. In the Trent Bank Distrié?—Gypsum or plaister, the best of which is produced at Beacon-Hill, near Newark, has been tried by Mr. Sikes three years together, in the same manner and with the same bad success, as Sir Richard Sutton and Mr. Calvert had, as mentioned hereafter.* In the Clay Distriéi—it was tried by Sir Richard Sutton for three years running, without success; but in case other | persons should be inclined to make the experiment, it may be proper to mention that the quantity recommended by |* Vide Young’s Annals of Agriculture, and vide Clay, Distri&t, and No. VI. Appendix, lowing ¥ > 8. Hom n Haake >a point, ms; 9, d bones, hing, Cloyer Wheat, iN, but age, six rter, Xence a loads, of 8. Had the best k, has e same chard t ton her OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. CFL German writers, who speak highly of its effec, is about six strikes, ground fine, per acre, as a top dressing for any kind of corn; but particularly recommended for natural or arti- ficial grasses. Sir Richard Sutton has found great benefit to grass ground from skerry stone, found under the red loam, broken small, andlaid on at the rate of five tons an acre. WHALE BLUBBER. Whale Rlubber—mixed with soil from privies, has bee used by Mr. Sikes,‘which had been previously mixed with lime. A hogshead of whale blubber, of sixteen hundred weight, to ten cart loads of soil, laid together for stx months, and turned twice, laid on grass land where the grass was growing quick, three or four acres at a time; Mr. Sikes brought his sheep in again in a week. SOOT. About four quarters an acre are laid on wheat, which- on cold land is sure to succed. COMPOST DUNGHILL. 1. Mix one hundred loads of earth with ten chaldrons of lime, about May; let them lie together till the lime is fallen, but not run to mortar; then turn it over; lay se- venty loads of stable dung in a heap close to it. When in high putrid heat, which will be perhaps in four months, lay a layer of this and a Jayer of earth, two thirds of manure to one of earth, aid so go through the hill; turn it over in the spring, and lay it on in March or April: eight loads an acre on grass. 2. Mix lime and earth as before, and turn it; then cover it with soil from privies, and coal ashes, about one third in quantity; lay it at top for some months in an oblong heap, then turn and mix all together, letting it lie some months longer, and lay about eight loads an acre on grass; these two receipts are from Mr. Sikes, who adds that he finds road drift good upon clay land. AGRICULTURAL SURVEY fend her bo PARING anv BURNING. In the Clay Distriéi—is sometimes used, but in the opi- nion of intelligent persons appears to be a dangerous prac- tice, unless done very judiciously, and the land well sup- ported with manure afterwards. Lands in Norwell lord- ship have been entirely spoiled by it.; In the Vale of Belvoir—Paring and burning is used sometimes in breaking up old turf on inferior land, for 1. turnips; 2. wheat or oats; J. fallow. Mr. Pocklington observes, that land which eats bare, should never be burnt; only where it is rough. In the Lime and Coal Distri—Paring and burning is used pretty much on limestone and ceal land, where the land has lain long, and the sward gets very tough; though not so much on coal as limestone. A tenant of the Duke of Portland’s, at Bulwell Wood, is said to have ruined his natural grass by burning. Mr. Green of Bankwood Farm, at Thurgarton, gives the following account of the effects of paring and burning: «« My manner of cultivating my land at Thurgarton, when I entered upon it in 1785, and for two or three years after, was different from that in which it had been treated before. Paring and burning had been the usual beginning, then two crops of barley,&c. which I had reason to think injured the land much. I began upon breaking up grass land to sow beans and pease, then wheat, but not finding the wheat crop answer, was obliged to try some other me- thod. I was not willing to submit to the mode of paring, as, it being woodland cold land, itis in my opinion burning the best part of the land; which is as far as the grass roots go, and reducing the quantity of the soil: and after the two first years, I believe the quality. But being desirous to try some experiment first, I pared a small piece of land ina. field, and adjoining to it ploughed up a small piece of grass land, and sowed both with turnips; but as the burnt dust 1 the Die OUS prac. vell sup- ell lord. is used , for 1. clington > burnt; Irning 1S : the land ough not !! Wood, » gives g and aigarton, ree years n treated eginning, 1 to think up gras ot finding other me- of panng, n burning ass r00t8 r the two ys to try and ina of gras yrot dist. OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 113 was manure for the present crop, I thought in fairness the grass ploughed ought to have some, and laid on a smaller quantity, as about eight common cart loads an acre; but the grass land was ploughed only once before sowing (which I found to be an error in me.) The turnip crop was not so good as upon the pared land; but having the spring following sowed both parts with barley, the grass land ploughed brought the best crop, and so were the fol- lowing crops till laid down with seeds. In the seed pasture I saw no difference. Secondly, in another field 1 ploughed a piece of land at the beginning of winter, by way of win- ter fallowing; and in the spring broke it to pieces in the best manner I could, laying about the same quantity of dung as abovementioned.‘Though in this method I found the land full of turf sods, J did not think or find it the worse for it. In the centre of the land was.a part of it, with much stronger and rougher grass upon it. I pared that part and burned it, and sowed all the plot of land with rape seed for fattening sheep; but upon the winter fallowed I had much the best crop of rape, and it had likewise the best crop of grain afterwards, which convinces me that-it is better not to burn the sod upon such sort of land. By ploughing it as beforementioned, I find the sod or turf manure for that land.‘The expence of paring and burning at a low price would be fifteen shillings per acre; and if I had not dung from my farm yard, without injuring or robbing other parts of my agriculture, /ime will do, which Ihave tried and found to answer, laying so small a quan- tity as forty-eight strikes an acre, instead of the dung be- forementioned, and treating the land in the same manner; and after the rape taking a barley crop, then an oat crop, afterwards a fallow, with rape or turnips; then sowing barley with seeds in this proportion, red clover, 8lb. white, ditto; one bushel and a half of hay-seeds, with a little rye- grass, This produces a pasture much to my satisfaction; and by pasturing the said land for three years, I find it in + » ‘up again, Lam quite sa 114 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY a much improved state. Instead of fallowing when broke tisfied it will answer for wheat to be sowed on the seed ground after lying the three years. I have made the trial and found it to answer. After the wheat L would sow oats, then fallow for rape as usual. and seed down as before: by this mode of management[ find the land I occupy, which 1s woodland land, and nine years ago in a reduced state, to be much improved. By the use of seeds I keep considerably more stock, and by the improvement in my breed by the new Leicestershire sort, can keep more in number, make them fatter, and rise to oreater weight in the same time than I could nine years ago. Dr. E.Coke, of Brookhill, in the Lime and Coal District, says;“CME land has lain any considerable time, and is full of bushes, we pare and burn it; if it has lain only a few years, we plough up the leys early in the spring, on which we gow oats. After the oats are carried off, we spread a quan- tity of lime on the stubble, and turn it down; in which state it lies till spring, when it is prepared by several plough- ings for barley; along with which the red clover is sown: this is mown the year after, and wheat sown upon the clover leys; this practice is only used upon those loams that are dry, and upon a stoney bottom. After the wheat we é recourse to:a fallow on which we sow turnips, or plant hay cabbage; then barley, clover, and wheat, and so to a fallow again. Some farmers throw in a crop of. oats after the wheat, but this is wretched husbandry. On those loams that are moist, and have a clayey bottom, it is the constant pragtice to give them a complete summer fallow, during which time they are well limed, and then sown with wheat at Michaelmas... At the. spring red clover is sown upon the wheat about. May, and harrowed in with a bush hatrow; this is mown the year after, and on the leys of it we sow wheat, or-oats, the spring following. In some of our stiffer soils; during the fallow year, after manuring and liming, ’ TL Moke vheat jy © Vean, fter th: usual, ment| 1d nin ; By by the - Sort, Ise to OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: 115 we plant cabbages on four feet ridges, which are succeeded by early oats, clover, and wheat. We keep ploughing be- tween the ridges during the summer, which promotes the pulverization, and destroys the weeds. When we wish to lay our land down, we find no method more advantageous than after a summer fallow to sow wheat, and the seeds in the spting fallowing, as they are found to answer after this method better than any other. They should be harrowed in with a harrow drawn with thorns, to prevent them being let in too deep.© In regard to paring and burning, it is frequently practised by these farmers, but is always a symptom of bad husbandry; because a good farmer will never permit his land to lie in that neglected state, until it wants paring and burning. The general mode, after paring and burning the turf, is to spread the ashes, and along with them a quantity of lime. These are turned down with one ploughing, are sown, on the dry land, and wheat upon that which is upon which turnips moist. I have found by an experiment which I have made upon stiff land, that it is better after the lime and ashes are turned down, not to sow upon one plouging, but to cross- cut and plough several times, during the summer; by that means pulverizing the soil, and mixing the ashes and lime intimately with it, and thus prepare it for wheat at Michaelmas.” Mr. Calvert, in a letter to Sir R. Sutton, says,‘* Ashes may be a good management as far as they go, and while their effects continue; but though I preserve what I can‘of that article, and approve the use, Z must confess myself an enemy ta burning swarth,(what has been too much the practice in this and other counties) unless the soil be re- markably thick indeed. The ashes remaining, after the richest part of the sod(were it reduced to manure by putre- faction) has escaped in smoke, contain a much less buik than the soil itself, and though productive of one good crop, and perhaps more, the effeéis soon disappear; and in many instances I have known a barrenness ensue, which FZ 116 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY along series of years has not been sufficient to remedy, though much expence and pains have been bestowed thereon. I believe the damage is often encreased by the neglect of persons who burn the sods, in letting the fires rise to such a height that the earth contained in the swarth is burnt to the nature of a brick, and when that is the case I suppose that neither time nor art will ever bring it back to earth again; for I have observed fields ploughed up, in which the burnt earth is as discoverable as if fresh done, though the land has not been burnt in the memory of man. This kind of doétrine will not be relished by the favourers of paring and burning, as they are well aware it is the surest method to obtain an excellent crop; and I must confess I do not recollect I ever knew an instance wherein it has failed. But notwithstanding the farmer may advance many arguments to prove its utility in production of crops, yet if the landholder must abate as much in the real value of his estate, it must tend at last to a degeneration of the land so abused; and, consequently, a bane to future occupation.” SECT. 1V.—wEEDING. Weeding is practised in this county in the usual way by the hand hoe or weeding hook, but is in general not sufficiently attended to; particularly in the clays, where very foul crops may generally be seen.‘There seems to be no idea of weeding beans by sheeping, i.e. turning sheep into them as practised in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and other parts. It is indeed very much the practice here to sow pease with the beans, which would preclude this way of weeding, as the sheep would eat the pease though not the beans. It is pretended there is an advantage in sowing them mixed, viz. the smothering the weeds, but I have observed these crops to be generally very full of weeds. Some persons use the cultivator, described by Mr. Bowes, or some very similar to it, to get out the twitch grass, or couch, as called in some parts of England. TeMety, estowe by th: he fire swanh he case ack to up, in done, man. urers surest ness t it has e many , vet if of his and so he al way ral not where as to be r shee} re, and here to Is Way ch not wing have reeds. owe; $5, of OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 117 Mr. Wright, of Ranby, in the Forest District, to de- stroy bracken or fern, a very troublesome weed there, uses the following method: He has at the end of a stick, a blade with dull edges; a woman uses this to strike the stemsand bruise them, and will do several acres in a day: this is repeated two or three times in a summer; the next morning a gummy consistence is found to exsude, and the bracken gradually disappears. Extrad of a Letter from Mr. Cauvert to SirR. SUTTON. *¢ I think I have before hinted to you the great advantage I once acquired,(about three or four years ago) by hand-weeding a crop of wheat in the month of Apmil. It was perfetly to appearance smothered by weeds, par- ticularly what we call hariff, or herrif, so as that very little wheat was to be seen.[ ordered my man to harrow#, which he did, till I perceived the harrows drew up more corn than I wished, and left very much weeds; the soil was a light silted land. He then desisted, and I employed a number of women to creep over it, with directions to pluck up every weed, if possible, however small; they obeyed my directions pretty well, which cost me five shil- lings per acre; and notwithstanding there scarcely ap- peared any wheat left after the operation, in- about three weeks the crop looked well, and became sufficiently pro- ductive, yielding nearly four quarters per acre, and the wheat weighed sixty-five pounds per W inchester bushel.” SECT. V.—~PLANTING. There are large tracts of forest land in rabbit warrens, or sheep walks, which are of so poora nature, that it is doubtful how they would answer to be taken in for hus- bandry; but there is’ little doubt that they would be of more value if planted than in their present state. For dry 4118 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY high ground,’ I should advise plantations of fir, oak, Spanish chesnut, larch, beech, and birch, taking out the fir, beech, and birch, where they have nursed up the others. Ash do not do well on the sand of the forest. For low bottoms(if not too wet) I should from my own experience, recommend the ved Huntingdonshire willow. ON THE CULTIVATION OF WILLOWS, The following observations relative to the method I make use of, in cultivating willows on waste moist lands, I flatter myself will not prove unacceptable to the Board of Agriculture. I have found, from experience, the ad- vantage of it, and am convinced my country will be benefited, should it be generally adopted. I would first advise the laying out the ground into lands, like hop lands, viz. from three to four yards wide, with a ditch on each side; three feet wide at the top; one foot at the bottom, and two and a half deep, The earth that comes out of the ditch should be thrown on the land. But if there is not full sufficient fall for the water to get off,, the ditch should be deeper and wider, till you have near a yard of earth above the level of the water. As soon as this is done, the ground must be double dug, viz. trenched two spades depth, except your ground be very boggy, which will afford room for the plants to shoot, and will save the expence of weeding, which otherwise must be incurrea in the first summer after the plants are set; for if they are not kept clear of weeds the first year, the hopes of the plamer will certainly be destroyed. The willow I recommend as most advantageous on every account—is the broad-leaved red hearted Hunting- donshire willow; every other species 1 have tried, and find reason to give a decided preference to this. The sets, or truncheons, may be cut from twenty inches to two fect long; particular care should be taken in it) wk, Out the up the rest. ny own llow. 1od I ands, Board ne ad- all be lands, vith a of at that and. get -Tave le dug, De vely shoot, nerwhse nts are t eal Us on nting- , and ewenty ‘ken i OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 119 the cutting, that the bark should not be fridged or bruised, or in any other respect injured; for in that case the plant will be weak and puny. They should be cut not on a block, but inthe hand; obliquely and with a very sharp bill, or instrument.‘They must be dibbled into the earth by an iron crow, to the depth of fourteen or twenty inches, so that not more than six, or less than four appear above. If the truncheon should not fill the hole, the earth must be trampled close round it, in orderx that the air may be excluded. Care must be taken that the plant be set as the pole grows.‘he cuttings should be from poles of about three years growth. Maiden poles are the best; they should be set three foot asunder in the quincunx form, as cae: Those truncheons will shoot out many branches, two or three of which will grow to poles if the land is good; if not, only one. Those poles I have sold at eight years growth, for 2141. per acre, neat money; the kids or brushwood pay for the felling. Had I suffered them to have stood two years longer, they would have produced 3001. per acre. Should any of the plants look weak of puny, or not shoot vigorously, it will be necessary to dig in a skuttle full of manure, to the roots, which I have no doubt in saying will pay. Though I have planted no less than ten acres, I cannot say positively, from my own knowledge, what the value would have been had they remained on the. ground for fif- teen or twenty years, having been called on oe sets by the gentlemen of the neighbour! eed which I have sold for three pound a thousand. J must here observe, that the stools from whence the sets are cut, shoot very luxuriously, and will produce from three to four poles. The length of poles, at eight years growth, were from thirty-three to thirty-six feet, and most of them Were large 120 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY enough to make three rails, two at the bottom and one at the top; but the great use to which they are applied, is the purpose of making hurdles, flakes, gates, and other farm- ing implements, being a wood uncommonly tough and light, owing, as I conceive, to a new method I made use of in planting them close to the ground. If it is the design of the planter to let them grow into timber(which I would venture to say would be far superior to deal for the purpose of flooring, or other light work, particularly as it will neither splinter nor fire; and if suffered to remain for twenty or twenty-five years, would make good masts for small craft, as they shoot up perfectly strait, and with- out any collateral branches) it is necessary, at the first or second year’s growth, to observe which pole is the strongest, as the remaining poles must be cut away. In about fifteen years time I am led to suppose they will want thinning; of course the inferior must be taken out and the superior be suffered to remain. The times of planting must be from January to the end of March; but the sets for that purpose should be cut from December to the end of February; when the sap is down.* If however there are people so injudicious as to sell sets in spring, it will be to the advantage of the purchaser to plant them, as the sap is then in the poles. ‘The reason why many are induced to cut at that time, is on the supposed account of their pealing better; but I can afm from experience, that poles cut in December, January, or February, and laid in rows upon the ground, or the ends put in water, will peal as well in the spring as at the usual time. In regard to fencing, the planter should pay the greatest attention to it, otherwise his time and expence will be fruitless. * And the reason is, that if poles are cut in the spring(the sap being up) the stool will at last be weakened by bleeding, if not killed; and of cours¢ prevented from shooting so vigorously as if cutat the preceding time. id One af d, Is thy er farm. gh and ade sg > design would urpose it will n for ts for with- itst or is the ys In L want nd the e end ~ cut sap US as of the poles, me, 1s but I ember, round, A Ver nn Ting a§ >« to = OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. ON INCLOSURES. In regard to fencing any new.inclosure, I should recom- mend(though it has been untried) the following method: First of all, to set the quicks, which should be young ones or seedlings, or otherwise hawes sown, the ground being first dug, but to be secured by a four or five sod bank on each side;—by which means the quicks will be preserved and attain more moisture; and, of course, being planted in the natural soil, will get into a hedge many years sooner; and if the planting of hedge row timber is an objeét, I am confident it will not injure the land. Those should be planted about four or five inches from each other, and from about one or two feet from the quicks, by which means the same fencing that protects the quicks will prote&t the trees; so that no additional expence will be incurred in regard to hedge-row trees injuring the land. L am convinced from many years observation, that it 1s not the case; for I have observed, that the warmth and shade it affords in summer and winter is a benefit rather than an injury. I have seen that the grass grows stronger, and that the cattle, by being kept dry and warm by the trees when they get up, do better. I should recommend oaks in preference to any other trees; as hedge-row oaks make the best timber, and injure the land less, on account of the tap root; and next to oaks, elms, but that species of them which does not shoot out suckers, both being of the greatest consequence to ship building. The oaks may be planted when seedlings, or sown from acorns; but the elms should be planted from layers not more than three feet high: if seedling oaks are planted, I should recommend an acorn to be dibbled in between each plant, from four to five inches asunder; and when they begin to interfere with each other, which will take place when they are about the size of a good hedge-stake, then every other should be sawed out: I would except, how- 122 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY however, any remarkable fine plant. In about twelve or thirteen years, when they obtain a size sufficient for the purpose of making rails, gates,&c. the same method should be observed, and so on till they become timber trees. Hedge-row Planting.—ls to be lamented, that in the new inclosures very little attention should have been paid to raising hedge-row timber, which is done at first with no more expence of fencing than the raising of the quick. There is, I believe, a general prejudice against trees in hedges, as being suppossd to injure the land. Whatever may be the'case, with regard to corn, which I apprehend to be much exaggerated, it does not appear to do any hurt to grass; and there cannot, in my opinion, be a better or more convenient method, for many purposes, as I-have beforementioned, than always to leave a head-land in grass, aS may be seen in many parts of Hertfordshire, under the name of hedge-greens. It is obvious, that a great quantity of timber may be raised in hedge-rows, which is better for various purposes, than what is raised in woods, particularly compass timber, as knees, crooks, &xc. the most valuable pieces in ship building. I believe I may venture to affirm, that trees so planted are likely in twenty-five to forty years, to equal the value of the land, whilst in their growth they have taken up no land from other purposes. 1 have above(vide Inclosures) ventured to suggest a method of planting them to more advantage, and to raise a greater quantity than I have known practised. | co OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 123 CHAPTER XIII. ) Live Stock. SECTION I. CATTLE. FEW are reared in the Forest Distri. For feeding, after trying various sorts, Mr. Wright prefers the good sort of Irish cattle. He would not buy any that would not feed to fifty or sixty stone, of fourteen pounds. Not many black cattle are bred in the Trent Bank Disiri@. On the Soar bank the breed of cows used to be indifferent. Of late they are got into a pretty good long- horned breed. They rear almost all their female calves; which, when young, are pastured amongst the sheep, and at three years old are taken into the dairy, and the old ones fed off. Some persons have improved their stock by the Dishley breed. Mr. Breedon, of Ruddington; Mr. Bettison, of Holme Pierrepont; with three others, bought the Gar- rick bull, at Mr. Fowler of Rollwright’s sale, for two hundred and five guineas. The bull called Young Garrick was bought by Mr. Rowland, of Stamford, in September last, for one hundred and fifty guineas. A bull was bought at the sale of Mr. Paget, of Ibstock, in Leicestershire, for four hundred guineas; of which Mr. Sandy, of Holme Pierrepont, had a sixth part. Mr. Bettison, of Holme Pierrepont, observes that much improvement may be made in the breed of beasts and black horses in this part of the county. For such as are the tend « Ody AGRICULTURAL SURVEY occupiers. of small farms, and desirous to improve their stock, and not able, the most obvious mode presents it- self for the landlord to form a committee out of the most intelligible class of tenants, who shall procure either by hire oy purchase; such and so many male stock, of dif- ferent sorts, as shall in their judgment, be most proper for the improvement of different breeds. The landlord to be answerable in the first instance, for such hiring or purchase, and the tenant in proportion to the quantities of their respective stocks, contribute so much in return annually)’ to the landlord, and according to chances in general to reimburse him with interest. The beasts reared in the Clay Distrié are generally of a poor coarse kind, commonly called wood land beasts. Some gentlemen and principal farmers are endeavouring to introduce a better sort. Peter Pegge Burnel, Esq. of Winkborn, a gentleman very understanding in husbandry, keeps the Yorkshire short horned breed, and computes that they are worth at least, as much at three years old, as the old breed at four. Mr. Turnell of Stokeham rears the same. In the Vale of Belvoir—A good many beasts are still reared,' though that business is on the decline; a mixture of the long and short horned breed which generally wants improvement. In the Lime and Coal Distrif—The black cattle are very indifferent; a mixture of long and short horned wood land beasts, SEC Ealh—srern: In the Forest Distrid. The old Forest breed are a small polled breed(though some are horned) with grey faces and legs; the fleeces of which may run from thirteen to eighteen to the tod of twenty-eight pounds; the wool fine, the price of 1792 being om thirty-four to thirty-six shillings; that of 1795, from twenty-nine to thirty-one shillings. The carcases fat, from fr — Os ren" ww ~~ OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 125 seven to nine pounds a quarter. In the inclosed farms, the breed has been much improved of late years, by various crosses; sometimes the Lincolnshire pasture sort, but of late more the new Leicestershire, or Dishley. Mr. Birket, of Clumber, crosses the new Leicestershire, or Dishley, with the forest kind; reckons their wool seven and eight to the tod; the price sometimes two-thirds, sometimes three-fourths, of the true forest wools; the carcases éighteen to twenty pounds the quarter. The breed in Thoresby Park are likewise the forest breed, crossed with the Dishley or new Leicestershire; the tups, coming from Mr. Bettison of Holme Pierrepont.‘They are a round compact kind; the fleeces from six to eight to the tod, or, at an average, about four pounds a fleece; the carcases from seventeen to twenty-two pounds a quarter.‘The fol- lowing instance was given me of the improvement from this cross: Mr. Jones, of Arnold, used to sell his forest wethers, at four years old, for fourteen shillings; now on inclosed land, mot yet broken up, shearlings, 1.e. under two years old, of Mr. Bakewell’s breed, with forest ewes, turniped not more than four months, at thirty-four shillings. Mr. Flower tried the experiment of feeding four different breeds together; kept whilst getting ready for market, ia the same manner on good seeds and turnips. 1. All Lin- colnshire of the middle breed sold in August at three and 2 half years old, for twenty-eight shillings a piece. 2. Crossed between a forest tup and Lincolnshire ewes of the same age, thirty shillings. 3. All forest of same age, nearly as all Lincolnshire, twenty-eight shillings. 4. New Leices~ ter, at two years and one month, forty-six shillings. Ib. Fleece of all Lincolnshire weighed np hO Forest and Lincolnshire mixed- asp 48 All forest 5= eee Bi er 5 New Leicester== mB ie me 126 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Mr. Wright breeds from large Northumberland ewes, and new Leicestershire tups. In 1792, he made upwards of thirty-nine shillings a head of his wethers, at thirteen or fourteen months old, reckoning in the lambs wool; he now thinks it better not to clip lambs. His ewes tod four or five; his hogs, when not clipped as lambs, four or less, at twenty-eight pounds to the tod; carcase at 4 year old, (at which age he always selis) eighteen pounds a quarter. Mr. Bower breeds in the samie manner as Mr. Wright; sells off all shearlings, which run four to the tod, carcasé eighteen pounds a quarter.‘The wool, this year, about two-thirds of the value of forest wool, but in general three fourths. For the last three years he got twenty-five shil- lings, now but eighteen shillings, Mr. Wright is now of opinion that if the forest breed were gradually improved by Leicestershire tups, and the native forest ewes, it would answer better than having either the Northumberland or Leicestershire ewes out of those counties; removing them from rich soil to poor ewes may be one reason why there is sometimes great loss in the lambs from a disorder provincially called the Rickets. Mr. Ramsden, of Carlton, in Lindrick, has some time since some of the Southdown breed. Sir Richard Sutton jast year procured twenty-four ewes and a tup from the Southdowns, and has kept his Heder lambs for tups, in case any person in the neighbourhood should wish to breed from them, but has had no demand forthem. There seems to be no idea in this county of improvement in the breed of sheep but from the New Leicestershire sort.. On the other Hand, I am informed that some persons in the part of Lincoln- shire, near Newark, where for some years past they have been crossing with New Leicestershire, finding their stock deficient im weight of carcase and fleece, ate returning to the Old Lincolnshire breed. dn the Trent Bank Distrid-—The sheep have been much improved for many years past, by tups of the Lincolnshire OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 127 latter. It is become of late a principal object of attention, and many breeders are spreading the improyement, by letting out their tups, some at as high a price as one hun- dred guineas.” Amongst others, Mr. Breedon of Rudding- ton; Messrs. Stubbings and Bettison, of Holme Pierrepont, Mr. Deverell, of Clifton; Mr. Buckley, of Normanton Hill; and Mr. Maltby, of Hoveringham, are noted Mr. Breedon was one of the first who began, about twenty- four years ago. He had his first tup from Mr. Bakewell, and except two years, has had one or more from him every year since. He breeds in and in, to keep up the kind; reckons his shearlings, or two years old sheep, fat, -from twenty to twenty-eight pounds a quarter; his three years old, from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds@ quarter. Their wool, under four to the tod, the value of it about two-thirds of the forest sort. These sheep are feed a good deal on artificial grasses; red clover mixed with some white. Of late the white is rather preferred, as accidents happen from the red being too luxuriant, causing an over- flowing of the gall. Mr. Breedon thinks it may be an improvement, to clip the lamb hogs, and sell them off that summer, at one yeat and some months old, getting rid of them a year sooner than usual. Mr. Sikes has a fine breed of sheep, having for these last fifteen years had all Dishley tups. He observes, the Lincolnshire are desirable for quantity of wool, the Leicestershire for mould. Mr. Sikes always keeps salted hay; has standing racks for his sheep, which he fills the beginning of September, and keeps on till Christmas: two pecks of salt are used to a load. He once led his clover, supposed to be quite spoiled with wet, and salted it. He put one hundred and twenty hogs(7. e. lambs * Mr. Bakewell has let this year two shéafling tups, each sheep between two people, at four hundred guineas cach. 133 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY after five or fix months) to turnips, with his hay im racks, in a very wet season. He did not lose one by the water. They eat every morsel of it. Horses are well kept on it. Mr. Bettison, of Holme Pierrepont, says—*‘ the species of stock upon farms are principally sheep and beasts. The sheep are of the polled kind, are in general descended from those bred by Mr. Bakewell, of Dishley, in Leicestershire, whose attention and study has been to obtain and produce the best and compleatest formed ani- mal of the sheep kind; and circulating those sheep to other breeders, who have, by experience, proved that they make a more profitable return for what they consume than any other sort;—and not only that, but suit more various kinds of land. To enter into any investigation of the causes of which I have here advanced, would be perhaps thought a little out of the line of the present in- quiries, and would, in some degree, be deemed curiosity and conjecture; it may be enough to say at present, that the effects I have mentioned are proved to demonstration; and however wild and fanciful many have been supposed, for giving large sums of money for the use of rams, for the purpose of obtaining this breed of sheep, it is now generally agreed, that those who have risked such sums, have received the most profit in proportion; and it is re- commended to those who doubt this conclusion, to bestow a little dispassionate and serious observation upon the cha- racter, conduét, and stock of those men, who have for many years back been exerting their utmost endeavours, by incessant study and attention, to acquire the sort of sheep I have above mentioned; and instead of meeting with men actuated by whim and caprice as hath been frequently alledged by those who stop the avenues to reason by /re- judice, 1 trust they will find men who are a€tuated by a desire of real profit, and have given the high prices I have mentioned from the motive which all men of business ought to keep in view, that of employing their capital in the. most advantageous way.” rTM Tay, he wate Dt on it, — the C€p and general hley, In een to d ani- cep to | that nsume t more Igation uld be ent in- urfosity that ation; osed, , for now SUMS, t Is ree bestow \e cha ive for AVOUIS, sort of ig wi guenly fe by a have iness tal 12 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 129 For the sheep kept by Mr. Nevile, in the tongue of land east of Trent, vide his letter ante. In the Clay Distrié?—The fallow sheep are a poor breed; a mixture generally between the forest and Lincolnshire pasture sheep. In the inclosures many farmers have raised their breed, by getting more into the Lincolnshire, and of late into the new Leicestershire sort; particularly in Thur- garton Hundred, adjoining to the Trent Bank country. Mr. Turnell, of Stokeham, breeds in the same manner as Mr. Wright in the forest, viz. large Northumberland ewes with Dishley tups. In the Vale of Belvoir—the sheep are much improved of late by the Leicestershire cross. Their wool three and four to the tod.—Good shearlings twenty-four to twenty-eight pounds the quarter; common ones, from sixteen or eighteen to twenty=three.—W ool three and four to the tod. In the Lime and Coal Distrié.—As to sheep, an improved breed has not been much attended to. On the Limestone, pretty good ewes, fat, weigh from fifteen to sixteen pounds a quarter; wethers,(if not mixed with the forest breed) up to twenty pounds; fleeces, about seven to the tod; wool inferior to the forest; last year about twenty-four shillings.‘The sheep formerly consisted of the small forest, and the large Gritstone breed, which is now giving way to that of the Leicestershire. The coal jand is much subject to rot sheep; lime stone much sounder. Mr. Chambers has known hundreds cured of themselves on limestone land not eaten too bare; their livers healed again.* * This information is very valuable, as it leads to a discovery of what may possibly prove the cure of this disease in other counties."Water impregnated with the fixed acid of lime in proper quantities, with change of pasture a8 soon as the disease appeared, might remove it.weeMr, 7. Foxe K 130 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY SECT. Il].—norses.anb THEIR USE IN HUSBANDRY COMPARED TO OXEN. In the Trent Bank Distri&-—Some horses are bred, chiefly a middling kind of black cart horse, though the breed begins to be improved by Leicestershire stallions. In the Clay Distrié#—Most farmers raise a foal or two every year, but of a middling kind of black cart horse, which calls for improvement. Dr. Coke, of Brookhill, in the Lime and Coal District, says,“* The breed of black horses is much attended to, and a great number of them are sold to the southern dealers, who come down to buy them.’’ Horses—The business of agriculture in this county is almost universally done by horses: those generally made use of, are a middling sort of black cart horses. Such fine teams are not seen here as in many_ of the southern counties.. Mr. Jones, who rents the great tythe farm at Arnold, about 800 acres, performs all his work with nag horses, which he finds to work with more expedition on light land. It is become, within these few years, the ge- neral custom in the sand land, and begins to be so in the clays, to-do all the latter orders with two horses a-breast, without a driver. -. Oxen—are so little used, as scarce to make an excep- ception. Mr. Bower, of West Drayton, however cultivates a forest farm of 100 acres entirely with four oxen, and is very well satisfied with them; they work wholly on straw and grass, and do an acre a day in winter, and five roods in the spring. They are used two in the morning, and two in the afternoon.‘The Duke of Newcastle employs some beasts in Clumber Park, particularly in getting out BANDRY ‘ chiefly e breed or two horse, Distridt, nded to, dealers, punty is y made Such athern arm at th mag ition on the ge- > in the -breast, 1 eXCeps ultivates , and is straw rods , and iploys ig out OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 134 his wood. Sir Gervase Clifton has a team of Devonshire oxen. Sir Richard Sutton, Mr. Stubbings, of Holme Pierrepont, and Mr. Wilson, of Shelford Manor, employ some, and perhaps some few other persons who have not come to my knowledge, SECT. IV.—nocs Are no great object in this county except for home use; no hams, bacon, or pork being sent out of it to my knowledge.‘The breed for bacon is the old lopped-eared sort. For pork, the Chinese dunky, or swing tailed sort. A mixture with the’ old sort has been much in- troduced. SECT. Vi—RABBETS. Rabbet Warrens.—There were formerly many rabbet warrens in the Forest Distri@. Those at Farnsfield, Clumber Park, Beskwood Park, Sanson Wood, and Hay- wood Oaks, have been destroyed. The following remain: Clipston, Peasefield, Inkersall, Oxton, Blidworth, Cal- verton, and Newsted. The land of some parts is so bad, that it is not likely to answer if taken up for husbandry. Some of it indeed has been tried and thrown up again. SECT. aa Has never been made an. object of particular attention. Few turkies are bred. Fowls are commonly of a bad breed, generally the game sort; which are raised as much for the diversion of cock-fighting as the table. Geese are reared for home use only, or the neighbouring markets, not to be sent away in droyes, as from many northern counties, K 2 132 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY SECT. VII.—pPpicEons. In the Clay Distri#—more pigeons are kept than are probably in any part of England. It is a well attested fact, that some years since, seven hundred dozen were sold on one market day at Tuxford, to a higler from Huntingdon- shire, at the price of sixty-three pounds, or guineas. SECT. VIII.—BsEEs Are very little attended to in this county. Indeed the climate of England seems very ill adapted to them, from its variableness. The bees are tempted out to their destruc- tion by the fine warm days, which we often have in winter. Of particular persons who have applied themselves to the keeping of bees, I have observed the stocks, of late years, to have been much diminished, perhaps from above twenty to under ten. han ate ted fad, sold on ngdon- eed the 1, from destruc ‘Winter, to the years, wenty o3 oO OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE,] CHAP. XIV. Rural-Oeconomy, SECTION I. LABOUR, SERVANTS, LABOURERS, HOURS OF LABOUR, THE prices of labour are so various in different parts of the county, that nothing satisfactory is to be said on the subject. Within these few years, day labour is raised from one shilling to sixteen and eighteen pence a day; and, for the three harvest months, to two shillings. In harvest they expect likewise some beer. Task work js raised jn pro- portion. Threshing is now for wheat, four shillings per quarter; barley, two shillings and sixpence; oats, one shilling and sixpence; which were, a year ago, three shil- lings, two shillings, and one shilling. The hours of labour are thecommon ones. The ploughing is generally done at one stretch. Boarding labourers in harvest, as is done in some counties, is not usual here, SECT. Il.—PRovistons. Provisions are here much on a level with the neighbour- ing counties. They have been for a year or two past enormously high; beef and mutton sixpence, and even six- pence halfpenny per pound: but are now(in the latter end of 1797, and beginning of 1798) got down to fourpence, and fourpence halfpenny; and pork in the same proportion. 134 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Butter has been lately from tén-pence to a shilling, and fourteen-pence; cheese, forty-four shillings, and forty-five shillings per hundred weight; bacon, eleven pence to one shilling a pound. SECT. Il.—rvueEu. The fuel used in this county is, almost, universally coal. A good deal is produced in the Lime and Coal Distri@; and a good deal brought out of Derbyshire, by the Erwash, Cromford, and Chesterfield canals. Some is brought by water from Yorkshire, from the river Air; and some is distributed, by land carriage, from the pits. Itis observable that since the canals have been opened, coal:s become much dearer to all places, within a certain distance of the pits, the price having been greatly raised at the pits themselves. At Southwell, those that used to be laid down at ten shil- lings, and ten shillings and sixpence a ton, are now at four- teen shillings, and fifteen shillings. At Mansfield and Worksop, coals are also risen. On the other hand, at Newark and Retford, and other places at a good distance from them, they-are fallen. In general, this county may be said to be supplied with fiel at a reasonable rate,. which is a great advantage to the manufaéturers, and the poor- iy forty-ty. CE(0 one ly coal, t; and twash, ght by ome is setvable e much he pits, mselves, ten shil- atfout- Jn the eS at 2. ved with nage{Q OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 35 CHAPTER XV: Political Occonomy as conneéted with or affeéting Agriculture. SECTION I. ROADS. THE roads of this county are of late years much im- proved; many parishes having learned, from the example of the turnpikes, to form: them properly, and have them executed under an understanding surveyor. Gentlemen and considerable farmers having taken on them the office of surveyor, has also contributed to their improvement.‘They remain, however, bad in many places in the Clays, and particularly in the Coal Distri€&t, where there is a great deal of heavy carriage. In the Forest Distri€t too much is sometimes left to nature, where a little expence would make them perfectly good. The most: approved system of making new roads on clay or wet bottoms, is, first throwing the soil from the sides, leaving a groove in the middle for the materials, beginning with kid or brush wood plentifully, then stones and gravel: if the gravel is very sharp and good, there is no occafion to round the road. Even a concave surface is found to answer very well; but where the materials are tender, it may be better to round it a little, but not so much as is frequently done, which is often dangerous, and hurtful to the road, by obliging car- rages to keep one track. 136 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY < SECT. IL—rIvER NAVIGATION AND CANALS. There is a great trade carried on in this county by water, by means of the river Trent, and the different canals. By the Trent are carried— DOWNWARDS. Lead, copper, coals, salt, from Cheshire, cheese, Stafford~- shire ware, corn,&c. UPWARDS. Raff or Norway timber, hemp, flax, iron, groceries, malt, corn, flints from Northfleet, near Gravesend, for the Staffordshire potteries. By the Canal from Chefterfield, to Worksop and Retford, and to the Trent at Stockwith— DOWNWARDS, Coal, lead, Steetley stone, lime, and lime stone, chirt- stone, for the glass manufactories, coarse earthen ware, cast metal goods, and pig metal, oak timber and bark, and sail cloth. UPWARDS, Fir timber and deals, grain, malt, and flour, groceries, bar iron, and Cumberland ore, wines, spirits, and porter, hemp and flax, cotton-wool and yarn, Westmorland slate, and various sorts of small package. VALS, unty by different rafford~ OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 137 UPWARDS AND DOWNWARDS. Bricks, tiles, hops, and candle-wicks; other articles, how- ever, bear but a small proportion to the coal, downwards; and the corn, groceries, foreign timber, and iron, tp- wards. By the Erwash and Nottingham Canals— DOWNWARDS. Coals from the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire pits. UPWARDS. Corn and malt, for the consumption of the country at the head of these navigations, which is very populous, are carried up by the Erwash canal, and are likely to be so by the Nottingham, when completed. Great advantage is expected from their junction with the Cromford canal, in bringing lime from Crich, and other places in Derbyshire. N.B. This is now compleated, and found to answer, particularly with regard to lime. SECT. Il].—FAIRS AND MARKETS. The principal fairs are At Nottingham 3.—1. March 7.—2. April 2.(moveable)* 3. O&. 2. called goose fair, particularly for cheese. All of them for cattle and horses. At Newark six.—1. on Friday before Careing Sunday, or Sunday fortnight before Easter.—2. May 14, or day ® Query=If Monday after Palm Sunday. 138 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY after, if a Sunday.—3. Whitsun Tuesday.—4. Lammas, or Maudlin Fair, on August 2, or if a Sunday, the day after.—5. All Saints Fair, 1st November, or if a Sunday, the day after.—6. St. Andrew’s, Monday before Decem- ber 11.—Great fairs for cattle, sheep, and horses. At Mansfield—April 5.—July 10.—2nd Thursday in October.—Horses, beasts, and cheese. Warsofp—May 21.—November 17. Edwinstow.—October 24.—Both these chiefly for pigs and sheep. Worksof.—March 31.—Octobey 15.—Chiefly for beasts. At Tuxford, for hops, September 25. At Retford, for ditto, October 2. MARKETS. Nottingham Saturday. Newark Wednesday, Mansfield Thursday. Bingham Thursday. Worksop Wednesday. Tuxford Monday. Ollerton Friday. Southwell Saturday. SECT. IV.—coMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. The malting business is carried on to a great extent in this county, particularly at Nottingham, Newark, and Mansfield, and in many other places. Hays oresby, kegby, vorth, ~ An- Vilford, Stoke, ythorp, Sulwell, auntes. ¢ fom arden OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 154 Four Verdurers ele&ted by the Freeholders for life, Sir Francis Molyneux, Bart. ip Litchfield, Esq. Edward Thoroton Gould, Esq. William Sherbrooke, Esq. The verdurers have each a tree out of the King’s Hays of Birkland and Bilhagh, and two guineas to each Ver- durer attending the inclosure of a break Steward, J. Gladwin, Esq. Nine keepers, appointed by the verdurers during plea- sure, having so many different walks. The keepers have a salary of twenty shillings, paid by the Duke of Newcastle, out of a fee farm rent from Nottingham Castle. Two sworn woodwards for Sutton and Carlton. Thor- ney-Wood Chace is a branch of the forest. The Earl of Chesterfield is hereditary keeper by grant to Jt Stanhope, Esq. 42 Eliz.‘The wood and timber of the Crown are under the care of the surveyor-general of the woods. His deputy in the forest is Geo. Clarke, who has a fee tree yearly, and a salary of twenty pounds per annum. out of wood sales. Forest towns, villages, hamlets, or lands belonging to. them included in the Sand and Gravel District. Carberton, Gleadthorpe, Warsop, with Nettleworth, Mansfield, and Woodhouse; Clipston, Rufford, and Edminstow; Budby,‘Thoresby, Peverelthorp, or Pale-, thorp, Ollerton, part of Kirkby, part of Papplewick, Newsted, part of Nottingham, part of Radford, part of Basford, part of Bulwell, part of Arnold, and part of Calverton. 5g AGRICULTURAL SURVEY APPENDIX.‘No. IX. Lixtrad of a Letter to Sir RICHARD SUTTON, Bart. SIR RICHARD, I AM extremely sorry I have not had an earlier opportunity of communicating these few scattered hints which I have been able to colleét, for Mr. Lowe in his survey of this county; and I regret that I have not the pleasure of giving more information upon so important and interesting a subject as I could wish, having been more in the habit of observation than practice; however such as have occured'to me worthy of any degree of notice, I here offer you. Lands under tillage in this county, whatever may be their rotation of crops, are‘generally fallowed the third or fourth year from the preceding fallow; and it is; and has been the custom, to lay upon such fallows the manure arising from the lands in tillage upon the same farm, and to plough in the same. This praétice has been exploded by many,~ yet discontinued by few. Where it’ has béen the’ case, that instead of ploughing in the manure-with the fallows, and suffering its most subtile parts to descend: below the sphere of vegetation, it has been spread upon the stubbles ofthe succeeding crop, whether wheat or barley before, or early in the winter, a good pease crop has scarcely been known to fail, which if grown upon barley stubbles will prepare the soil for wheat; notwith- Standing it may be asserted, that the crop immediately after the fallow will lose the advantage of its manure. I'am’ justified in’ this opinion‘by several observations, and my own experience, that littleg or no advan-~ tage, and sometimes a disadvantage, to the first crop, V, Bart had an -attered Owe In not the tant and more in such’ as There may be hird or nd has manure m, and xploded as been re with descend’ id upon heat or se crOp n upon otwith- dately anure. tions, dvan- CrOD, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 1&9 will be the consequence of mantring the fallows, particularly upon cold or wet land, as the lumps of litter or dung cannot become sufficiently mixed’ with the soil, but, on the contrary, will hold water like a sponge. As I have both seen and been materially affected by that practice, it has determined me wholly to abandon that mode, as the land by the other method will recéive the same nourishment, though at different Stages of its ro tation. I have generally observed those crops answer best from their regularity, which are sown upon lands from three to four yards in breadth, and pretty low, provided-care be taken to grip and. drain them well, to prevent the water standing in the furrows.‘The only reason I can assign is this: the quantity’ of rain falling between the ridge and the furrow cannot form itself into such large curYents in descent to the lowest parts, as it would on large lands, where the distance from the ridge to the furrow is so great as to suffer the water to accumulate into large stréams before it delivers itself, washing up even the roots of the corn, and the best part of the soil. It is evident from practice, that an inclosure, consisting of low small lands, is much easier thrown down, cross cut, and cleansed from weeds, during a fallow, than those larger and higher. As to that part of the county in which I live, I am sorry to say, that’except with a few individuals, I° find no general wish for improvement. The hedges negleéted, the ditches suffered to be trodden in and grown up, the weeding of crops not attended to, the fallows too little pains taken with; in short, some of the farmers see no’ farther than the present profits, which often deprives them of future ones. Indeed I perceive an etror to’ pervade the minds of many, as well in other places as here, which would induce them, if permitted, to plough up as muck: land as possible, and sow four or five crops successively 160 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY between each fallow; with an eye to immediate advantage, without any thought of leaving their possessions, till in the end their farms become reduced in value; consequently an injury to their landlord,(in which, provided they con- tinue, they must themselves participate) must be incur- red.* For the above reasons, it becomes necessary. for the sake of such tenants only, to place all who rent farms under restriction by leases for a year, the heads of which should, before committed to the attorney, be drawn up by some. person conversant in speculative husbandry; which leases should, among others, comprehend the fol- lowing clauses, or articles, viZ. The rent per annum, and times of payment; that the buildings, fences, ditches, drains,&c. be kept in repair; that the timber be not injured; that no swarth be broken without leave in writing by special agreement; that no more than crops be had between each fallow; that all lands laid down be upon a clean fallow: that the quan- tity and kinds of seeds be specified: that no hay, straw, or manure, grown or made upon the farm, be sold or taken away; that the landlord shall beara proportionate share of the expence for all forezgn manure purchased for the use of the farm; that none of the articles may be broken or varied, without leave in writing, and that not to affect the original agreement, except in that particular case. Hop ground, of which there is much in the neighbour- hood wherein I live, I am under apprehension(generally speaking) tends to injure the lands, in the vicinity thereof, as the whole attention of some growers 1s to accumulate° all the manure possible to be collected for the hop-yard, * Tam sorry to say, some land-owners are so jealous of any profit accruing to the tenant, that they are constantly enquiring into his profit: and without considering his losses, expences,&c.&c. by advancing his rent on the least suspicions of adyantage, he is driven to the waste and destruction of his farm. for his own present support. 102 vantage 18," till jn sequently they con. incur. for the t farms which Wn up andry; the fol- that the | Tepairs broken that no Ww; that e quan- ‘aw, OF r taken share of 1¢ use of oken or ffect the ighbout- renerally ‘thereof sumulate op-yitd + accruing ; without he least his farm OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, 16! and totally neglect every thing else; this 1 judge to bea principal bar against improvement, however the favourers of hop-planting may deny it. For the hop is known to require much and constant support, without repaying any thing to the dunghill; and without considerable assistance there can be no expectation of a crop—lucrative if ob- tained—and ruinous if otherwise(to some small farmers or cottagers). The tenant(if such) exerts his utmost abilities to contribute all he can to that vegetable lottery, which, if the expression may be permitted, may turn out a sorry blank, or a prize of much greater magnitude than all the profits of the other part of his farm, even in its greatest state of improvement. Iam ready to allow that some hop-planters have their other lands duly attended to; that they purchase an additional portion of manure for their plantation, leaving for the farm what it produced. This granted does not destroy the proposition; for either his ground, who sells the manure, or that of some one else, who probably might purchase it for corn or grass land, is thereby deprived of its use; and as the hop-planter can afford to give more per load for it than any other ‘person, it becomes of more than twice the value in such a situation, contiguous to hop plantations, it would else- where. This intelligence I do not impart with any view to detract from the value of the science, if such it may be called, or to hinder the growth of the hop, being a very- useful article in life; but as 1 am convinced the’observation is founded on fact, I cannot help submitting it to your con- sideration, having much lamented any deprivation of ma- nure which grass or corn land may suffer; the bare men- tion thereof leads me involuntarily into a descant upon the use of straw, in thatching houses, barns,&c. as another bar to improvement. For, was the thatch thus expended, applied to the purpose of. littering cattle, instead of re- maining perhaps twenty or thirty years a dangerous, ill- Jooking, vermin-harbouring, dusty, and unprofitable cover- M i i | 162 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY ing for a house, stable, or barn, when a handsome cover- ing of pantile might be laid thereon, free from the above inconveniences, and nearly at the same expence; I repeat, was such straw converted into manure, and applied to the grass. or corn land of such farms as are thus deprived, the effects would be profitable and lasting: for I consider the additional manure laid upon land, not to have finished its task when it has produced one, two, or three crops, but presume that the increase of such crops contain as much materials for another dunghill as that which produced it, and so on ad infinitum. Ifevery farmer would seriously consider the above ob- servations, he would hoard every thing that might be converted into this grand primum mobile of agriculture, as gold. Ido assure you, I myself am so ntuch a slave, to the thirst after it, that Iam sorry to sce my servants make use of too large a whisp for the kitchen fire. Upon my little inclosed farm, little of which is fit for turnips, till of late in grass, I began with manuring such Jand upon the swarth as I intended to break up in the coutse of three or four years, at the rate of fifteen or six- teen loads to the acre, during which time| find the pas- turage and hay crops much improved, and I doubt not an advantage will be again found when in tillage. I do not, for the sake of a first crop, intend to pare and burn the swarth, and thereby destroy the best part of the soil; but to pare as thin as possibe, and lead the sods on heaps, by means of a broad-wheeled cart, to rot down, with a “mixture of long litter and other things, as a valuable provision for future wants. The land thus cleared will be more certain of its first and second crop, than if the swarth were ploughed in, as is often the custom, to the injury of all the crops grown before the sward is rotten, especially when it contains the roots and blades of old sharp wood- dand grass, which is found to occupy cold clay land when long laid down; for the sods are apt to lie hollow and contain much water, which starve the roots of the grain, Me cover. the abors ] repeat, led to the rived, the sider the nished its ops, but as much luced it, bove obe night be riculture, h a slave, r Servants is fit for ing such » in the 1 OF SIX- | the pas- doubt not ge. I do and burn the soil; on heaps, 1, with 2 - valuable ed will be he swarth injury of specially D woode nd when low and 1e grally OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 163 and has to my knowledge deprived many of their crops. It seems to me a convincing proof, for I have observed many old inclosures so ploughed yield very poor crops for two or three years, after which they have produced very fine ones. It is my intention, in March or April next, to sow upon an acre of land in the centre of a large grass field, about fourteen pounds of white clover seed. The close was well manured from the fold-yard in November last, and has never yet been harrowed. After sowing and harrowing with a common harrow, to scratch the swarth a little, I mean to make it fine by means of athorn har- row, and wait the result of my experiment, which is in- tended to shew how far grass land may be improved without ploughing. Should it succeed, I shall take pleasure in communicating my success to you. In laying down land for grass, I have often noted, that the white and red clever has been sown together, under a mistaken notion that the red would produce a burthen to compensate for the shortness of the white. The consequence has been this, the red being much stronger and larger, over-runs, smothers, and eats out the white for two or three years, or till its pipy stalks. become large, are cut or wounded, so as to take in a sufhcient quantity of water to destroy the root; when it dies, a _ large chasm of bare land appears, and so many upon the field, as bears proportion with the quantity of seed sown with the white. I have remarked that those vacuums are not speedily filled with other grass, unless the land be subject to a spontaneous production. Gypsum or white plaster threshed in an unburnt state, I have tried as.a manure upon grass land, about three years ago, according to the rules prescribed by a pamphlet published concerning the use and good effects of that mi- neral in America; and am convinced, whatever virtues it may possess in America, it has none here; at least the M 2 164 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY native plaster which I made trial of had not. I began by laying on six pecks to the acre, and increased the quantity till I expended six bushels per acre, yet no visible al- teration of the herbage could be discovered even to this day. Small inclosures of grass land, in my opinion, answer much better than the same quantity in large ones,(except in pastures for sheep, which are required to be large for the benefit of cool breezes in summer, and less trouble- some on account of the fly.) Ihave long contended this argument with the advocates for large fields, and am glad Mr. Robertson, in his Survey of Mid Lothian, agrees with me in that opinion. I constantly see small closes, surrounded with good white-thorn hedges, bear a greater burthen of herbage in proportion, than large ones; and the reason seems evident. Independent of the manute deposited in the shade by cattle when sheltering, in spring, when the cold sharp winds blow off from the surface of the ground, the warm atmospheric air occasioned by the reflected rays of the sun, in the same manner they blow off the circumambient warmth, caused by perspiration, from our bodies, and render us more sensible of cold than in still calm weather, though the thermometer points the same degree.‘Thus wind, by having to pass the in- terwoven branches of the thorn hedge of a small inclosure, is not able to resume its former violent current before it becomes again broken and divided by another of the same fences. In summer, when much hot and dry weather prevails, the hedges shade off the sun and wind, so as to prevent the moisture left by showers and dews from ex- halation; of consequence vegetation 1s more encouraged than where the ground is more parched. The breed of stock has not yet been much attended to| in this neighbourhood; and though I have long wished to improve my own breed of beasts, other business has pre- vented me from taking that pains necessary for accom- eat SRO a Bl a aaa nineteen gD To ws w Be Go Bee gp ob = = Cgdn hk quantity ible als to this answer (except ge for ouble. ed this n glad agrees closes, greater s; and manute Spring, rface of by the r blow tration, of cold r points ; the ine iclosure, before it he same weather $0 a9{0 rom éf« couraged ded to shed to as pte accoms OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 165 plishing so desirable a purpose. The short horned York- shire Holderness cow is the most esteemed here, both for milking and fattening. Perhaps Mr. Turnell, of Stokeham, has applied himself more to the breeding of beasts, than any person in this part of the county. As to sheep, having myself been so little conversant with them, I must beg leave te refer you to others better informed. fam sorry I cannot give you so much intelligence upon the dairy as I wish to have done, not having had sufficient early notice of the enquiry, as it would require a due observation for some years, to come at the produétion of a dairy farm, people not being in the habit of either keeping clear accounts or burthening their memories with the profits or losses incident thereto. At Fledbre the farms are not very large, perhaps from eighty to one hun- dred and fifty acres in a farm; the principal occupation is confined to the dairy, though some of them feed very good bullocks thereon. The most correét account I can make out, respecting the production of cheese is, that one -cow will produce about three hundred pounds weight of cheese, upon an average, during the summer season. Calves are much better fed upon linseed pottage mixed with new milk, in the proportion of one third of good mucilage to two-thirds milk; they thrive much better, rest a great deal, and the veal is generally finer; at least the butchers who purchase mine thus fed, tell me so. I have also bred calves in the same manner, only with this dif- ference, when three weeks old, we give them old milk instead of new, and the same quantity of the linseed, viz. one third. The linseed is put into cold water, and heated over a slow fire(one pint to two gallons) for two or three hours, scarcely suffered to boil, then passed through a hair sieve. Warming the linseed saves the trouble of warming the milk. Having been much employed as surveyor and com- missioner for inclosures, you may expect much information 166 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY on that subject. The improvements are as various as the circumstances under which we find the lordships to be inclosed; the difference proceeds from the disproportion of their soil, quantity of commons, goodness of, or im- practicability of making good roads without an enormous expence, contiguity to markets,&c. A lordship chiefly consisting of good land, with exten- sive commons belonging thereto, may be said to be the most capable of improvement; a clay one, with a great quantity of common, the next; and a clay one, with scarcely any open common, the least of all; though even the worst, upon an average, will increase about one-fourth in value, after deduétion of all expences attending the in- closure, whilst some lordships, under the first description, in a few years have more than doubled their value before inclosure. We have lands in this neighbourhood, which, I am certain, might be considerably improved by watering, provided the practice was introduced so that the labourers and servants could be instructed in cutting the Carriers; but unless a person was constantly attendant he would not have the work done properly. I hope, by means of the Board of Agriculture, and their communications, that practice, as well as other useful ones, will be made general. You will readily observe, from the irregular and de- tached way in which I have placed my observations, that [have not had time to arrange them properly; but have put them down as they occured to my mind; this| know your goodness will readily excuse, provided only one hint may prove serviceable to your endeavours; and be assured, should the least benefit be derived from any communication I have the honour to transmit, I shall receive ample gra~ tification in being the means of throwing@ mite into the treasury. v > as th to be tion of OF im- mous exten- e the great with even fourth the in- iption, before _ Tam tering, yourers triers; would cans of 18, that e made and de- ns, that have put ow your int maf assured, nication le gras ato the OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 167 Should this or any other of my feeble efforts entitle me to the honour of a future correspondence, I will take the liberty of giving such occasional. hints as may hereafter present themselves, leaving the approbation or rejection wholly and alike to the superior judgment of yourself and the Board to determine. And am, SIR, Your very obedient humble servant, WILLIAM CALVERT. Darlton, Feb. 5, 1194. P. S§. Jam greatly obliged to your kindness by the’ pe- rusal of Mr. Robertson’s survey, it being a most excellent one in my opinion; as it has afforded me much amusement; the remarks seem made with precision, judgment and im- partiality. APPEN DIX.~ No, xX,: OBSERVATIONS dy Mr. GREEN of BANKWoop FarM, in'THURGARTON, on reading the Survey of Mip LoTHIan, and afplying them to this County. Page 48. As it is mentioned that in ground newly brought into tillage, lime has the greatest power; my opi- nion isthe same: but if it do not become an assisting manure upon old tillage, by seeding that old tillage for a few years, as pasturage, when taken up again, I believe the lime then to become of use. Arable lands, in general, are kept too 168 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Jong on the plough, and too little use made of seeds. If practised the contrary way, I believe it would be found an improvement. Page ditto. Compost lime, road soil,&c. being men- tioned as useful, though not a powerful manure; I believe the same: but if more practised m this our country, it would be found very useful to meadow land. It is very proper in that compost to mix a partof dung. Page ditto. Farm yard dung, I think, to be properly ordered, the shortest time it should lie after being turned in the yard, should be six weeks. N.B. In the winter, the dung that comes from horses should be regularly mixt with the dung that is made by other cattle, which promotes a greater fermentation than if it was not mixt. Taking dung fromn the stables by servants in barrows, and turning it down in heaps upon the dunghill, without spreading it with a fork, is an error too much praétised by the servant, and too little noticed by the master. Page 55. In tillage great improvements may be made, by reducing the breadth of the Jands, which being from thirty-six to forty-eight feet wide, and elevated in the centre three feet, in sucha form, no arable land can be worked to its best advantage; the ridges, at some periods, being over dry, and at others the furrows over wef, It appears also an improvement, at the time of ploughing, to make the furrow become the crown, and crown the furrow, alter- nately. I have myself tried the experiment upon woodland clay soil, and found itto answer: I wish it was more prac- tised, I-think it would be an improvement upon most sorts of soil.——N. B. Upon dry sand soil there is no occasion. It may be said this mode may not suit a damp soil; but as the breadth is mentioned to be such as to suit to be sowed at one cast upon a land, a single hand cast upon a land cannot be sowed regular; but the same land should be sowed by double hand, but with the same quantity as one hand would Kf nd ay mens lieve ry, it very erly d in ter, mixt notes akin le ing It vant, nade, from entre ked to x over § also e the alter- odland prac: t Sots asic but 2s ved at not ed by vould eee - have done, OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 1692 which places the corn more regular, and like- wise prevents it from falling inte the hollow furrows, which ts too much the custom in sowing, and appears to me an error; for as there is less soil in the furrow, consequently there should be less seed there: and upon moist soil it is but reducing the breadth to such a size of lands as may suit the moistness of the soil. I think that the best means to keep it dry is, that the colder the soil the less the lands should be; and after the seed is sowed, I would have every furrow cleaned out by the plough very carefully; and I think by that method the land would be found in better state than to be put into large and high lands to dry. After a wet winter, high lands are supposed to be firmer and ready earlier for seed; but if the low parts of large lands are readier for seed in the spring, consequently the small lands may be nearly as ready; for to have large and high lands upon wet soil, ridge and furrow in equal order,[think an impossibility. I should give my opinion to have small lands to be the best; but the moister the soil the shorter the lands should be, with proper drainage at the ends; and if not sufficient, a few under drains should be made. Page 61. Mention is made, that wheat is very seldom sowed after barley, because it is attended with ill effects; for however well it may look in the spring, it falls off very much before it comes-to the sickle. I have tried it in Not- tinghamshire, which answered as ill as here mentioned. It looked well till got into ear, and instead of filling forward to makea goodcrop, of which, at that time, it had all the appearance, it dried up at the root, and wasted away, so as to be of very little value. I believe it to be a received opinion with many farmers, that it is an error to sow wheat after barley: I myself am convinced of it. Page 82. As itis observed, there is a want of spring keeping betwixt the end of turnip-keeping and the succes- sion of seeds, which come one month sooner than the other 170 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY grass; I catinot say how the seeds are treated in thatcountry; but can say the less they are eat, the earlier they will be upon all sorts of soil that they are sowed upon. To have seeds in the forwardest perfection, they should not be eat at all after the harvest crop is taken, except a little time after harvest, if the ground be dry; and as soon as wet comes, or winter approaches, should be entirely cleared of stock for the winter season. If it is convenient to the occupjer of that landto lay a part of dung upon the seeds, while laying dormant, it would be of infinite use, and likewise for- ward the seeds in the spring.—_It_ is to be considered, that in the North of Scotland, they are much colder than we are in Nottinghamshire; but in this county I have tried the above-mentioned upon very cold woodland soil, and fre- quently have had the succession of seeds immediately to follow the winter-keeping. I have reason to think the backwarder the land, the less the seeds should be eat; and upon very late land, I think should not be eat at all till in the spring pasturage. APPENDIX. No, XI. COTTON MILLS IN NOTTINGHAM, Dennison and Co, Green and Co. J. James Cox and Co. stands stil] Hippinstall Pearson and Co. stands still Morley Harris sw 5 a ae ~~ im oS A et ee OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. V1 -NoTTINGHAMSHIRE. Stanford and Burnside. Mansfield Ditto Ditto Stanton’s Robinson’s upper mill] Old mill New ditto| 3; Middle ditto eae and Linby Forge ditto| Nither ditto J Unwin’s, Sutton in Ashfield Also a mule factory at Sutton Co. of hosiers, Radford Thomas Caunt and Co. Southwell Mr. Chambers, Fiskerton Handley, Sketchley, and Co. Newark Late Hardcastle and Co. mule factory, Newark, stands still Burdin’s, Langworth Hall’s and White, Basford Salmon, Chlevell(nearly finished) Walsh, Bulwell, part built, but remains unfinished Rod and Co. Worksop At Gamston, near Retford, a mill which occasionally spins worsted, cotton, and. bump Lambert’s, Loudham, and Gonalston Worsted mills Bagshaw, Mansfield Toplis, Cuckney Davison and Co. Arnold Retford mills Barnby in Willows * Beckingham Bilsthorp and Rufford Blyth and Hamlets Bradmore cum Bunny Bridgford, E. Bridgford, W. Burton Joice cum Bulcote AGRICULTURAL SURVEY APPENDIX. No. XII. BIRTHS and BURIALS in NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, for five years, from, of 1793, and number the beginning of 1789 to the end of inhabitants, Rirths. Burials, Inhabitants. 5o 330 156 1go 253 400 REE, 1429 148 aiz 225 150 435 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. i73 Births. Burials. Inhabitantc. * Calverton=~ Ii9 68 Carberton-- 8 9 Bo Carcolston~ I 2° TRE+ Carlton on Trent:: 32 13 242 IRE, Carlton in Lindrick 4= 83 4s 573 : end* Caunton:: 69 3 310 3 Chilwell cum Attenborough and Titen 134"7 Clareborough and Hamlets 208 89 1206 Claworth-- 63 22 41d tants Clifton by Nottingham- 76 33 38 Clifton, N. and S.(including Harly and part of Spaldforth)- 83 58 42t 156 Clipston--« 26 II gc 4 bi Coddington- fe 67 43 253 Collingham, N.-~ 71 37 '' Ditto}:s:>. 53 34 Colston Bassett= hey 35 i6 e Colwick--= 9 ir Cortlingstock-- 36 18 00 Cossam--- 60 30 Cotgrave°- 136 rE: Cotham-°~ 8 5 333* Cropwell Great-= gt edi + Crumwell.~~ 25 12 188 429 Cuckney, with Norton Langwith 148 Holbeck Woodhouse- 213 103 1534 212* Darlton--- 22 7 137 aas Drayton, E.--- 36 22 230 150 Drayton, W.:- 17 VE g6 * Dunham- 2 54 22 260 Eakring.- 7 70 41° 400 Eastwood oe- Irs 5 * Eaton~~=* 283 23 248 / Edwalton=- 13 9 5‘Edwinstow- 2 a 74 39 276 * Edingley s= 2 49 19 232 6g Egmonton 2*° 32 20 300 ; Elksley-~. 2 27 292 174 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Births. Elston-- a 34 Elston Chapel:= 32 Elton“<= 10 Eperston.-= 69 Everton--- 107 Farnsfield=-- gt Farndon-.- 87 Finningley cum Aukley- 95 Flawborough--- 6 Fledborough-- 8 Flintham--- 53 Gamston--- 42 Gedling, Carlton and Stoke Bardolph 247 Gonalston-.- 27 Griesley--= 431 Gotham-.- 73 Granby-~- 63 Gringley-:- 73 Grove--~ 16 * Halloughton-- 18 Harworth with Hamlets. 63 Hawton--- 19 Hayton and Hamlets- 27 * Halam-- 54 Hawksworth©- 30 Headon cum Upton-> 53 Hickling-- of othigs Hockerton-- 15 + Holm-~- 17 Holm Pierrepont-- 23 Hoveringham- 83 Mesterton and Stockwith- 145 * Morton>° II + Muskham, N.-- a + Muskham, S.-- 31 Newark-©- 11QI § Normanton> Normanton on Soar_-- 39 + Norwell-<= 79 + Nottingham:- 4603 Nuthall--- 31 Ollerton-:- ve Ordsall~-- 83 Orston>:- 61 Over Broughton-- 33 Burials. 77 15 Io 45 175 Inhabitants. 8g1 165 7 wR oO OB NR Oo 4 O™, bee is) O sF Wh Ut Oo mm“+ 03.6 ots * * t + Owthorp°« Oxton-* Papplewick Palethorp-- Plumptree-“ Radford J Ragnall-~ Rampton-- Ratcliffe on Trent= Rempston-- Ratcliffe on Soar- Retford, E.- Retford, W.° Rolleston 2= Ruddington- Sandby s- Scarrington-- South Scarle cum Besthorp Screveton-. Selston-- Scrooby-- Shelford-- Sibthorp-- Shelton-- Skegby-- Stanton on the Woulds Staunton-- Southwell and Normanton Stapleford-- Stoke East-- Stokeham- Strelley-- Sturton and Fenton- Sutton on Trent- Sutton and Lound= Sutton in Ashfield* Sutton Bonington- Syerston~~ 176 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Births. 23 Burials. Inhabitants. 725 40 524 209 180 2295 30 485 558 571 3492 saasasaorwtnrnceagmaaaaaan ola aS Se habitats, 85 40 IgI 399 gto 624 58 72 yay 209 189 2295 ‘OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 174 Births. Burials. Inhabitants. Teversall.~- 35 60 316, Thorpe- 7 3 Thorney, including Wigdey aid Broadholm- 33 i8 214 Thoroton->- 17 It Thrumpton--- 16 10 Thurgarton- 46 33 Tithby cum Little Cropw ell- 70 38 Treswell--- 23 21 174 Trowell--- 89 50 Tuxford--: 121 gt 800 * Upton--- 74 32 362 Walesby-°: 37 14 260 Walkeringham-: 57 46 406 Whatton--- 83 50 Warsop and Sookholm~ Le 94 848 Wellow-- 66 48 550 Weston-- 30 34 267 Widmerpole~ re= 36 24 Wilford--- 74 66 Willoughby in Woulds= 74. 30 Winkborn-- 39 II 140 * Wheatley, N.-- 72 45 358 Ditto, S.->- 3 I 29 Wollaton.-- 142 89 %* Woodborough-- 85 40 Worksop and Hamlets- 499 259° 939008 Wysall--- 35 II ‘LOtal Bapusms. 5-2=~ ev, DOTA Ot EUTIDI Ge emg ae ime md ee Be Number of Inhabitants°--.-.= 115,598 a N. B. Where the numbers of inhabitants are set down they were taken from house to house. With regard to the others, the total was brought out, by multiplying the deaths by 41, the l@west proportion of persons living found N 178 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY in any district,(viz. that of ten villages on the Trent near Newark) to the deaths, where the actual numbers living were taken. In about eighty villages near Retford, the deaths turned out about one in forty-five, and in a good many, about Southwell the same. In the distri&t about Mansfield(fourteen parishes) one in fifty-five, owing probably to the number of children,&c. from other coun- ties employed in the mills and manufaétories. ea t+ In the places thus marked, the totals of births and burials were by mistake taken for six years, but have been reduced to the average of five, and the numbers of inhabitants having been taken from house to house makes it quite immaterial * In the places marked thus, the births and burials were taken for five years, ending 1792, the returns of 1793 not being then made into the office at Southwell, which, it is apprehended, would make little or no dif- ference, and in most of them the numbers were taken from house to house. § In the two places marked thus, the inspection of the ‘register, was by the Rev. Thomas Clark, Vicar of Normanton, and Curate of Marnham, expressly refused to any person coming from Sir Richard Sutton, but the numbers were taken from house to house. {Multiplying the average of burials by thirty-two, ac- cording to the paper annexed, marked(B) will not bring out the full number of 25000, but a gentleman who had a great share in drawing that paper, is per- suaded that number is not too high, especially as there are congregations of dissenters who do not register; and the dissenters in some villages near Nottingham would somewhat raise the total of the county. The paper marked B will shew the increase of Notting- w laf) ham, since 177 IC Nee lving d, the good about Wing "OU. and have nbers rouse were 8 Of well, dif- ken f the ar Of fused 1, but yeas | not leman 5 pet there sted 5 ham fings OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 179 B An account of the number of INHABITANTS of the Town of NOTTINGHAM, with the number of LTouses and Families, distinguishing each street alpha- betically, taken from Monday the 20th, to Saturday the 25th of Séptember inclusive,\ 179. THE method adopted, and rules that were observed in taking the following account: No militia man or soldier was reckoned; but their families were numbered if they were housekeepers in the town. If any part of a family were absent upon a visit or jour- ney they were counted, as were all children who boarded at schools,&c. in the town; therefore no persons upon a visit here, nor children belonging to the town if boarded out of it for education,&c. were taken. Distinétions were made-of houses, families and in- habitants in each. parish, that a succinét account of each might be given The hospitals were not numbered amongst the houses, but the people were taken as inhabitants. 1380 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Houses. Angel Row=“ S 24 St. Ann’s Street-- 30 St. Ann’s and Copies-- 4 Back Lane and Penny Foot Row 32 Barker Gate-: 79 Bearward Lane°: 73 Beast Market Hill°- 14 Beck Lane--- 13 Beck Lane Hospitals-- a Beck Barn or Pottery-- 13 Bedlam Court-: 19 Bellar Gate--- 46 Boot Lane; from Parliament Street, to the Joiner’s-Arms, exclusive of Kayes’s Buildings-* 110 Bottle Lane--> 16 Bowling Alley Hill-- 6 Bridge End, see Hollow Stone Bridlesmith-gate and Rose Yard 81 Broad Lane to St. John’s-! on Broad Marsh and Darker’s-Court 68 Byard Lane and Chappel’s-Court 13 Bilby’s Hospital. eas Butt Dyke, see Toller’s Hill Blowbladder Street, sée Mount Hall Gate Carter Lane-- 46 Castle Gate-.. 87 Chandler’s Lane-. 15 Chappel Bar to Nix’s Yard* 29 Cappel’s Court, see Bryard Lane Cheapside-- 10 Chesterfield Lane“= 18 Coalpit Lane--- 20 Cow Lane s Fy 27 Cuckstool Row.. 12 Families. Souls. 23 139 35 149 5 x4 35 197 94 418 83 a74 14 88 13 69 oes 13 19 87 20 89 50 231 128 624 se) 93 6 34. 86 41S 26 143 85375 13 69 — 38 50 230 97 447 23 go 5% T4$ Io 49 1g 83 21 11z 28 129 12 3, Souls, 139 T4g a4 19) Il2 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 18) Houses. Families. Souls. Cabbage Court--- 7 ‘Charlotte Street and three Salmon’s Yard 40 Collin’s Hospital--— Drury Hill-~- Hg Darker’s Court, see Broad Marsh Engine House and Neighbourhood 9 Finkhill Street and Wainuttree Lane 26 Fisher Gate-°- 60 Fletcher Gate--* 30 Friar Lane or Mont Hall Lane 6 Flint’s Court, see Garner’s Hill Gilliflower Hill and Rock Holes 13 Goose Gate& Hockley to Parivicini’s R. 65 Greyfriar’s Gate ss- 54 Griddlesmith Gate~ 43 Greyhound Yard-~ 30 Glass House Lane to Charlotte Street 45 4Garner’s Hill and Flint’s Court- 7 High Pavement-- 29 High Street-- 10 Hockley, see Goose Gate }{ound’s Gate- 81 Hollow Stone, Bridge End and Malin Hill 50 Si. John’s and Keyworth’s Houses ba St. James’s Lane-- 59 Jew Lane, fee Spaniel Row Johnson’s Court-= 14 Kayes’s Buildings in Boot Lane> 14 Long Row, from Nix’s Yard to Cow- Lane, including all the Yards, ex- cept Greyhound-Yard- 140 Low Pavement-: 18 Leen Side~ 8= 44 9 4t — 14 47 224 42 74 59 136 292 145 32 69 304 293 204 290 207 407 182 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY Houses. Malin Hill, see Hollow Stone ‘St. Mary’s Church Side-“ 24 St. Mary’s Gate-- 42 Marsden’s Court=- 10 Middle Pavement~ 15 Mount Hall Gate or Blowbladder Street 19 Mount Lane or Middle Hill- a/3 Milstone Lane to Beck Barn- 44. St. Mary’s Workhouse-= Middle Marsh-~ 20 Narrow Marsh and Long Stairs, in- cluding all the Yards,&c.~ 197 New Change and Shoe Booths~ 13 St. Nicholas’s Workhouse oe— Parivicini’s Row, Owen’s Court,&c, 24 Peck Lane 4 i: 6 Pennyfoot Row, see Back Lane Pepper Street-=> 10 St. Peter’s Workhouse-_ St. Peter’s Church Side- I St. Peter’s Gate and Church Yard 3 Pilcher Gate=== 23 Parliament Street and Back Lane 275 Plumptre’s Hospital== Queen Street-- 3" Quaker Lane, see Spaniel Row Rosemary Lane= 12 Rockholes,&c. beyond Glass aoe Lane= = 1g Rockholes, Gilliflower Hill, see Gil- liflower Hill 25 4I If 15 20 14 44 a Zt Io #61 19 Families. Souls. 109 178 ™Y Wo > i tee cael icc OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 183 Lies, Soute ty; Houses. Families, Souls. Spring Gardens, including all the New 10) Houses South of St. Ann Street, and 178 East of Glass House Lane- 68 86 365 60 Shambles, see Smithy Row 67 Sheep Lane-- 17 20 86 98 Short Hill-:- T7648 79 64 Smithy Row and Shambles- 18 LZ ge BE 206 Spaniel Row--© 10 13 59 108 Stephen’s Court, see Leen Side 94 Stoney Street--- 29 30 156 Stoney Street Hospital-==e 16 Swine Green--“ 17 21 108 1°35 Timber Hill.-~ 21 23 149 % Trent Bridge--- 9 14 71 7 Turn Calf Alley-= 15 18 97 Toller’s-Hill and But Dyke- 93 97 519 Ve Tabernacle Alley, including all the 3| Houses at the Back of Boot Lane, | from Parliament Street to Charlotte 49 Street--- 61 61 284 62| Walnut-tree Lane, see Finkhill Street 169 Warser Gate:-- 45 48 198 120 Wheeler Gate-- 2 38 40 207 1504 Woolpack Lane-~ 54 61 332 14| White Rents in Houndsgate.—_— 63 Total Number-- 3Igt 3556 17584 4 Brewhouse Yard, an Extra Parochial Place---—— 129 6 Z1Gk 3556, 177-81 184 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY A division of the number of Houses, Families and Inhabitants in each Parish: Houses. Families. Souls. St. Mary’s Parish:< 2314 2684 12637 St. Peter’s--- 446 497 2445 St. Nicholas’s©. Bt 475 2koe Brewhouse Yard--—_ 127 Total Z1gt sig, tar An account of the Burials for seven Years, from\112 to 1778, znclusive: St. Mary’s=-+: St. Peter’s.=-. St. Nicholas’s=-== Castlegate Meeting.> 3 Baptist ditto:=.. Quakers ditto~--:: Total - 23tr - 608 7 799° = 74 - 98 -- 18 es 3923 eee fFouses that are now uninhabited. in this town. St. Mary’s Parish-: St. Nicholas’s ditto~ &t. Peter’s ditto©- = LWé oa Io : 9 76 OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 185 The inhabited houses contain as near as possible, five and a half upon the average to each house. If we divide the number of inhabitants by the annual average number of burials, we shall discover that it will require about thirty-one years and ten months to bury a number equal to that of the whole town, consequently nearly one in thirty-two of the inhabitants die annually. We shall also find that by ascertaining the number of people and burials, the comparative healthfulness of places may be determined; making proper allowance for those who die in their infancy, and for the extraordinary in- crease or decrease of the people by acquisition or emi- gration. This comparison has not been made in many places in England, because the mistaken apprehension of new taxes, and other reasons, make the people jealous of being enumerated.—It his however with pleasure we de- clare, that we found very few such groundless fears to prevail here; but on the contrary, the generality of the people gave their numbers with great good nature and chearfulness. It appears that in a very healthful parish, called Holy Cross, adjoiing to Shrewsbury, one in thirty-three die annually, though in Shrewsbury and Northampton one in twenty-seven, and in London one in twenty-one;_ but with respect to London, the computation has been made only from the number of houses. In many places of Europe, regular accounts are annually taken, from which we find at Vienna one in twenty die every year; at Berlin one in twenty-six, but this number would be smaller only for an extra encrease of people of late years; at a country parish in Bradenburgh one in forty-five; and the same in those healthful villages of the Pais de Vaud near Geneva; but this high number may proceed from the emigration of the natives, of which Dr. Tissot, in the Introduction to his Advice to the Peofle, very much complains. We must not conclude that because this number is twice that of London, 185 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY therefore the chance of life to adults is two to one against London; it is only so to the new born infant; hence the necessity in these calculations of always taking into con- sideration the number of infants that are annually buried.— At Vienna: half the number of inhabitants die before they are two years of age; at Berlin two and three quarters, at London three, at Northampton six, at Holy Cross twenty- Seven, and in the Pais de Vaud forty-one. From a comparison of the foregoing premises, it is with peculiar satisfaGtion that we conclude Nottingham to be a very healthy situation, for we nearly come up to the standard of Holy Cross, and should certainly exceed it, if it was not for the numbers that die here in their infancy; where poor people are forced to neglect their offspring to procure a subsistence, it is no wonder if half of those who are born die young. Dr. Deering in his Antiquities of Nottingham, page seventy-eight, gives us 2331 for the burials in seven years; of which 1072 were infants, Near half therefore die in their infancy, which cannot be the case at Holy Cross, where half that are born live to the age of twenty-seven.—The doétor in the year 1739, enumerated the inhabitants of this place, and making a proportionate allowance for some omissions and defici- encies in his account, it appears there were at that time about 10720 souls in this town; taking also his annual average of burials. for seven years, by which if we divide the number of inhabitants, it will appear that nearly thirty-two years was then the requisite time to bury the whole number of the people. This similarity at forty years distance with the present Statement, most certainly re- moves the suspicion of inaccuracy in both accounts. We are aware that the judicious may possibly observe that the very great additional number of people since Dr. Deering’s account, will of course operate here as it did at Berlin, and make this place also appear more healthful than it really is, and such would certainly be the case, if during a OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 187 the time that we have given the state of the burials, there had not been a very unusual drain of the inhabitants into the army and militia, which we conceive fully counter- balances the increase. APPENDIX. No. XIII. From Mr. Govurn, Jate Steward to the DUKE or PoRT~ LAND, on making fonds in dry pastures. The most approved method of making ponds or arti- ficial pools in Derbyshire.—After removing the earth and forming a proper bason, take a quantity of lime,(ashes of lime will answer the same purpose) and spread the same over the whole surface, about five inches thick; upon this bed of lime lay a coat of well tempered clay, eight inches thick: this must be beat down extremely well with wooden hammers, to prevent the clay from cracking. Upon the top of the clay lay a second coat of lime, of the same thickness as the first: the whole is then paved or pitched with small stones to prevent the cattle from inju~ ring the materials of the pond; the clay will naturally hold up the water, and the lime prevents the worm from striking upwards or penetrating downwards to injure the clay. 188 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY APPENDIX. No, XIV. CURE OF DISEASES IN CORN AND CATTLE. SMUT IN WHEAT. The following receipt for preventing the smut in wheat, has been pra¢tised these twelve years past. Take twenty-eight gallons of water, boil ina few gal- Jons of it one pound of arsenick, then mix all together, and steep your wheat in it for six or eight hours; when taken out, mix well with fresh lime as usual. The wheat should be put through a riddle, and what swims at top skimmed off, FOR THE ROT IN SHEEP. Take five quarts of boiling water, pour it upon a hand- ful of rue chopped small, and cover down the tea thus made for ten or twelve hours. Then strain it off and add thereto as much salt as will make it swim an egg new laid. Add to it a lump of bole armoniac as big as a pullet’s egg, and double that quantity of chalk, both well pounded before they are mixed with the tea; when well incorpo- rated add half a pound of flour of brimstone. The whole well mixed, is a sufficient drink for a score of large pasture sheep. To each sheep, after fasting four or five hours, give half a pint of the mixture ina small horn in three horns full, letting it rest, to take breath and cough, a minute between each; for want of which many have been killed in the operation. Three drinks have been given in various years in the months of September and October, at the distance of a week between each drink, with great a ee OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 189 success, not only to prevent but to cure the rot in sheep. Whilst one person is administering the medicine, another should be employed in stirring the ingredients well to- gether. N.B. The sheep should be kept fasting two hours after the medicine. It is adviseable that the person who mixes up the ingredients, as well as he that stirs them together, should use a large wooden spoon, lest by using his hands too freely, the compound should take off the skin. ANOTHER RECEIPT. Two ounces diapente in a quart of brandy for twenty sheep, given as a preventative, three times, at Michael- mas, Christmas, and Candlemas. FOR THE WATER. To prevent sheep from dropping of the water, take one pound of tobacco, and boil it in seven quarts of water one hour.‘Then put to it four ounces of saltpetre, one ounce black pepper and two ounces of spirits of turpentine.—Two spoonfuls of this mixture are given to the lambs about a month after they are taken from the ewe, and two more spoonfuls about a month after the first. Great care must be taken to shake it well together, before it is given, otherwise the turpentine will swim on the top. 190 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY APPENDIX. No. XV. Letter from Mr. Raynes of Stonehill, on Cultivation of a Sand Farm. SIR, Agreeable to your request, IT inclose you a few hints on the practical part of agriculture, as performed by myself upon a poor sandy soil, much like what you gene- rally find upon the forest; first I begin with a fallow, which I endeavour to clean as well as possible; if an order could be had after harvest it would be of great advantage, but at any rate plough it as soon as you have done your Michael- mas seed time, taking care to turn over all the soil, and leave it as open as you can; as soon in the spring as you think your land will work, begin to harrow or scarify, but I should recommend the latter. The scarifier isan invention of the Rey. James Cooke, Red Lion Square, London, and which is particularly useful in sandy soils; for I have applied it this summer in my turnip fallows, and can say I never had them in better tilth, notwithstanding the wetness of the summer. The scarifier is worked by two horses, which will do eight acres in one day, and after the first ploughing, willanswer equal, if notbetter than a ploughing: this I recommend to be drawn across the fallow, after which make use of the harrows and get off the twitch, then scarify again, drawing it the contrary way from what you did before, when you will soon get rid of your twitch. The scarifier has only one row of teeth; if your fallow is very foul, put in only four teeth; after you have got it tolerably clear, put in the remainder, which will colleé all the short twitch; this implement has one very excellent qualification above all the cultivators I have seen, namely, that it does not break or cut the twitch, and this implement by perform- TON few by Nes hich, ould ut at rael- and you but tion On, ave ay| mess ses, first hing: after then t you The ; very ably short ation does orm ete 2 eee OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 19k ing so much in one day, gives a longer time between the orders of the fallow, so that the weeds vegetate and are in consequence more effectually destroyed by the succeeding operation; and by this mode of fallowing you will be much earlier than by the plough and harrow only, which will give you an opportunity of manuring early and incorpo- rating the dung well with the soil, by giving the fallow two after-ploughings, and by such incorporation of the dung and soil there will be a certainty of succeeding in the turnip crop. I must not forget to say we are very much indebted to the Norfolk farmers for the invention of a machine for sowing turnips, one of which| have, and for regularity and dispatch it is not to be excelled: the price is about twelve shillings. I find malt combsa very excellent manure for turnips, twelve quarters per acre is a very good dressing, and will more than equal twelve loads of manure pro- duced from the farm yard: after turnips I have barley with which I sow seeds, such as white clover, 15lbs. trefoil, 5lbs. and’ rye grass one bushel, all of the best quality per acre; in the succeeding course I vary my seeds, by sowing red clover with trefoil and rye grass, which I find a complete change from the other; by this method you will be certain to have good seeds in the spring. I avoid as muchas pos- sible pasturing the young seeds after harvest; they will be much earlier and more abundant at spring; this I pasture for two years if not wanted for fodder, when I should prefer cutting the second year, on account of the trefoil, which will be totally destroyed by mowing; after which plough it at Michalemas, and sow it with wheat or rye according to the. strength of the soil. It is a most-excellent method of fallowing from the sward, but yet I think-when you can manure for the whole of your fallows, it will be the most profitable way to take a crop of wheat or rye first; another thing, you will fallow much easier after'a crop than from the sward, except your land is quite clear of twitch, which is seldom the case in sandy land. I scarce ever mow any 192 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY seeds for fodder, as it is very injurious to such soils as mine, and believe it very possible to keep horses winter and. summer without mowing any seeds which is done by cutting them unthreshed oats or wheat, straw or beans, in the win- ter months: in summer they are kept in the fold upon green fodder. A certain quantity of land kept in-a garden stile for such succession of green fodder is an excellent practice. Too let land lay three years in seeds I apprehend is not a good practice, particularly in light sandy land; for the third year’s seeds will bear very little stock in pro- portion to the first and second years;-of course the land cannot benefit by the stock, and if it only benefit by rest, it follows that it should be ploughed up at the end of the second year, and to get it into a state of fresh seeds again as soon as possible.; Iam, SIR, Your obedient humble servant, Stone Hill, F. RAYNES, April 3, 1798. Lo Robert Lowe, Esq. Oxton. P.S. As clover seed in general is very dear, and from that circumstance land is often not half seeded, I should recom- mend to every farmer to grow his own seeds of every sort, which may be done in all situations. N.B. This Letter not being received till after the corre&ted Report was printed off, could not be inserted in the body of it. FINIS. 6 8 Ln Aa„ATLnh 111 R1oGalenehanenngnge 11G- ü- O em 1 9 V 1 MAng, 2 3 4 3 6 7 8 9 Cyan Green Vellow Hed G Se e Colour& Grey Control Chart 1 Magenta SGrey4a SGlack [Unv Bibi. 1 2 e 5 5eᷣN —— Aln deſ L N V TInuumn ienhnTrtennnnng nicii M-hlſ 12 8 L Millanntan 13 11