YR..E UNIVERSITY LIBRARY P39002014452743B YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Purchased on the fund in honor of CLIVE DAY, '91 Given by ARTHUR P. DAY, '90 POMEROY DAY, '28 MARVIN B. DAY, '32 SIX WEEKS TOUR, THROUGH THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES. DESCRIBING, PARTICULARLY, I, The prefent State of Agriculture :and Manu factures. II. The different Methods of cultivating the Soil. III. The Succefs attending fome late Experiments on various Graffes, &c. IV. The Prices of Labour and Provifions. V. The State of the Working Poor in thofe Counties, wherein the Riots were moll remark able. WITH PESCRIPTIONS and COPPER-PLATES, of fuch newly invented Implements of Hus bandry as deferve to be generally known : INTERSPERSED , With Accounts of the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, and other Objects worthy of Notice. BY THE AUTHOR of the FARMER'S LETTERS. The THIRD EDITION, Correaed and Enlarged. LONDON: Printed fcr W. Strahan ; W. Nicoll, No, 51, jn St. Paul's Church-Yard; T. Cadell, in the Strand; B. Collins, atSaliibury; and J.Balfour, at Edinburgh^ MDCCLXXIL ( iii ) INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION. rTTAHE favourable reception thefe ¦*¦ papers have met with from the Public, demands not only the thanks of the author, but an atten tion to render this fecond edition as perfect as his fituation would ad mit : to travel the fame country with an eye to this alone could fcarcely be expected, but fuch additions and improvements as could be gained from a re-examination of a part of the route are now inferted. It. is to be hoped that the candid reader has not perufed this trifle A 2 with ( iv^) with too critical an eye. .That it is very imperfect I arri too fenfible; but in extenuation of the fault it fhould be remembered that this is the firfr. attempt ever made in England to lay any account of her agriculture taken. on the fpot before the public, and, like moll flrft efforts, is not fo vi gorous as might be expected from fucceeding ones. That the defign is ufeful has by none been difputed ; -for in an age fp very, political as this, which founds every enquiry on the re moter!: connection of things, it can not be. thought improper or unen- tertaining, to difplay the real riches of the country ; to difcover the rental, value, flock in hufbandry, labour, prices, &c. of the kingdom ; in i -y ) in a word, to t clear away all the rubbim of falfe ideas and fuppo- fitions from t;hefe only foundations of the true political fyflem.. While fuch numerous works of all kinds are publifhing on the fub- ject of hufbandry, I apprehend, a clear knowledge of '„ the. practice of every part of the kingdom a point of no inconfiderable importance ; without fuch knowledge we do not know wherein amendment is mofl wanting ; — > — we are unacquainted with the great objects that require our chief attention, and may em ploy ourfelves in trifles, while mat ters of confequence demand out •are. A3 It \ vi ;j It has-been more c than once re- i . markedi- that there is no country Yhat pofferTes rfo bad an agriculture, but fomethihg ufeful may be learnt „from it : The truth of this obferva- tion is apparent in every one of our counties ; perhaps, in every hundred. Practices that are found highly ad vantageous in one diftridt are totally unknown in another ; although the foil, expofure, climate, &c. be ex:- actly the fame. 'The farmers in one place'gf'6w rich by methods which would enrich their brethren in an other ; but which remain quite un known. Can it be thought ufelefs to render all fuch local knowledge general ? ~ To let every cultivator fee all the different methods that are practifed upon fuch land as his own ; ( vii ) own ; that he may know from them his own deficiencies, and learn at the fame time to remedy them : and this not from the ipfe dixit of an author, or the opinion of an indi vidual, but from the genuine prac tice of his brother farmer in another place. I would not however be under stood to expect too much from the common farmer's reading this, or indeed any book : I am fenfible that not onefarmer in five thoufarid reads at all, but the country abounds in gentlemen farmers, whofe ideas are more enlarged, and whofe practice is founded lefs on prejudice. Such cultivators may be fupppfed to read and act accordingly : it is by their means that the farmers vary, by flow ( Vlll ) (low degrees, the common Hiie of management,- and .come into im provements unknown to their fore fathers i They who fuppofe any improve ment originally owing to common farmers are fomewhat miflaken. All the well known capital ftrokes of hufbandry are traced accurately to gentlemen : From whence comes the introduction of turnips in England $ But from lull. Who introduced clover? But Sir Richard Wefton. Marling in Norfolk is owing to Lord Townjhend and Mr. Allen. In a word, the moft noted improve ments were devifed and firfl prac*- tifed by gentlemen ; common huf- bandmen in a long period of years, imitate the . method in proportion to ( * ) to the fuccefs, and fo by flow de grees it becomes general. It is the defign of this little re- gifler to fpread ufeful knowledge of all forts, to difplay to one part of the kingdom the practice of the other, to. remark wherein fuch prac tice is hurtful, and wherein it is commendable. To draw forth fpi- rited examples of good hufbandry from obfcurity, and difplay them the proper objects of imitation ; — ¦ a purport that can fcarcely be con demned ; if the execution is good, t.he defign will defend itfelf. I know too well the defects of the following papers to exhibit them as a complete reprefentation of thefe matters : they contain but a fketch ; rather ( X ) rather the outline of a defign, than the completion of a picture. I offer it but as the fpecimen of an idea in part executed ; promifing, at the fame time, that my next attempt fhall be more fpirited, and that I fhall aim, at prefenting a work more worthy the attention of the public than this trifle can pre tend. , ( *i ) ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION. IT is proper to inform the reader that I have applied to the gen tlemen whofe experiments are re- giflered in this Tour for their con tinuation, and feveral of them have favoured me with the particulars. The reverend Mr. Lord of Wel- netham has corrected fome miflakes in the former edition, for which I am much obliged to him. The reverend Mr. Ray of Toftoc has favoured me with the regifter of fome experiments on carrots and potatoes, which are extremely va luable. The public is much in- terefted in his profecution of thefe trials, ( xii ) . trials, efpecially if Mr. Ray attempts to afcertain their value in feeding cattle. Captain Innes of North- End, has favoured me with an ac count of the common hufbandry in the neighbourhood of his farm. I have made feveral other addi tions to this impreflion, and fuch as I hope will render the work more worthy of tfie reader's attention, A SIX ^0" SIX WEEKS TOUR, &c. LETTER I, Dear Sir, I Shall' comply with your requeft, and give you a few minutes of my journey into Wales and back again, with the ut- moft readinefs. But one condition you muft allow me to make, which is, that you pardon the incorre&ne/s of hafty let ters, written from inns, farm-houfes, and cottages, with accuracy in nothing but the matter of my inquiries ; as to my lan guage you muft excufe it* I fhall not be wanting in care to gain as complete a knowledge as poffible of the prefent ftate of the agriculture, manufactures, and popula tion of the feveral counties through which I pafs ; and I fhall be free enough to fcatter throughout my intelligence, fuch remarks as my little experience will allow me to xnake. I have already thrown upon pa per the beginning of my tour from Wells B to [ * ] to Ilsdleigb in Saffbtki the minutes ^ which are as follow.— But firft let me make fome apologies for being fo particu lar in my defcription of feveral country- feats of the nobility and gentry, I viewed, efpecially in Norfolk. The profeied defigftr of my fketch is hufbandry} but it would have rather bordered on ftupidity to pafs very near a celebrated houfe without viewing it; and when feen, there are fo many things Worthy of mentioning, that I thought they would ferve to vary the tenor of my letters in general, and render them fome- what more entertaining. So you' muft ac cept the medley, and not be too criticising on any jumhle of heterogeneous parts. From Wells towards Lynn I moved rather in a zig-zag manner, crofting the country more than once. The plantations around Warham, the feat Of Sir fohn turnery are difpofed witb fo much tafte, that I would not have you go into Norfolk on the Houghton and Hoi* -kaM tour without vifking it; but what attracted my notice more, was Sir John% improvement by Sainfbyn, which he intro duced into this country from Gloucefterjhire. It has flourifhed with him for many years ; he mows it constantly for hay, of which it yields a large crop, generally two tuns per acre; but I could not find the ex ample followed by any of the neighbour-s ing t 3 J ing farmers. Lucerne, Sir John purpofes trying hroadcaft, and fingling the plants out with a hand^-hoe, in the method that turnips are done *. All the country from Holkam to 'Houghs- ton was a wild fheep-walk, before the Spi rit of improvement feized the inhabi tants; and this Spirit has wrought ama zing effects ; for inftead of boundlefs wilds, and uncultivated waftes, inhabited * Holkam, the Celebrated houfe of the Coun- tefs of Ldcefter, built by the late Earl, -cannot he viewed with too much attention. I -was in formed that it appeared by much the moft mag* nificent when entered by the fbuthern approach, and therefore went a ,fmall round for that ad vantage. The firft objects are a few fmall clumps of trees, which juft catch your attention, and give you warning of an approach : they fketch out the way to the triumphal arch, under which the road runs. This ftructure is in a pleafing tafte, and finifhed in an elegant manner ; it is extremely light, and the white -flint ruftics have a good effect. A narrow plantation on each fide a broad vifto, leads from hence to the obe- lifk, at the diftance of a mile and half : this plantation, I fhould obferve, ought to be much thicker, for you fee the light' through many parts of it ; but I apprehend it only a fketch of what the late Earl defigned, and 'not meant as complete. At the bottom of the hill, on rwhieh the obelifk ftands, are the two porters lodges, fmall, -but very neat ftructures. Rifing '. B 2 with i 4 i by Scarcely any thing but Sheep j the cOtfrf •« try is all cut into enclosures, cultivated in a moft hufband-Kke manner, richly manur-» ed, well peopled, and yielding an hundred times the produce that it did in its former ftate. What has wrought thefe great works is - the marling ; for under the whole country run veins of a very rich kindf which they dig up, and fpread upon the old Sheep walks, and then by means *"' — " ¦¦' ¦ ¦¦¦ '¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦—¦ ¦- -— — ¦'¦ .——— — ¦¦¦ . -.1— - — i i ¦ ...» with the hill, you approach the obelifk, thro' a fine plantation ; and nothing can be attended with a better effect,- than the viftos- opening at once. There^are eight, i. To the fouth front of the houfe. 2^ To Holkam church, on the top of a fteep hill, covered with- wood ; a moft beautiful object. 3. To the town of Wells, a parcel of fcattered houfes appearing in the wootfn 4. To the triumphal arch :— the reft to diftant plantations. Viftos are by no means the tafte of the prefent age, but fuch a genius as Lord Leicefter might be allowed to deviate from fqjhion in, favour of beauty and propriety.- Nothing can fee more regular than the front of a great houfe, the approach to it ought therefore to partake df this regularity : Becaufe ftrait cuts are juftly ©ut of fafhion, are we to have nothing, but wind ing roads -, he who is too late for dinner, may have reafon to wifh a ftrait read, inftead of a winding approach. The effiM here is good, be caufe no part of the ground is flat ; on fuch land even a ftrait road is unpleafing. The temple at Holkam commands exceedingly beautiful objedts ; amongft' C * I of inelofing they throw their farms into a regular courfe of crops, and gain im- menfely by the improvement. The farms are all large, and the rents low, for the farmers having been at a great expence in improvements, they could not afford them without very long leafes ; fo that moft of the farms are lett at pre fent at rents much under their value : add' to this, a confjderable part of the country amongft others, Wells church. — The lake in the park, which is Sieen from hence through fptne Spreading trees in a moft pidturefque manner.-^ A planted hill. — The fea— and the reft diftant plantations. The houfe may be faid to confift of five quadrangles, the center and the four wings : i Not that they are fquares, but I ufe the term to, give you a general idea, Each of the two fronts thereof prefents a center and two wings. That to the fouth, and the grand ap proach, is as beautiful, light, airy, and elegant a building as can be viewed. The portico is in ,a fine tafte, and the Corinthian pillars beau tifully proportioned*. This central front, in every refpedt that can be named, appears all Jightnefs and proportion : But when you advance near, you do not find an entrance to the houfe ; 5 3 there * It may be faid the proportion of a pillar is ftated, and always the fame. — I know nothing of arehitep* ture, but view thefe at Holkam and others a? Blfn-a him-, $rc, i 6 | beldngS to landlords, who have a vanity in not raifing their rents, and others are fuppofed to have taken . moderate fines ; all together the farmers have managed to raife considerable fortunes. The farms run from 300 /, to 9O0 /. a year, for which fums they have a great quantity of land : rents are in general from 2 j. 6 d. to 6 s. per acre. Many farms £nder new leafes are rented at io ton\ of Raugham, 3000. MefTrs. Glover's ruftics. This front does not pleafe fo well as the fouth one, but it is by far more of a piece with the wings, &c. Refpecting the difpofition of the apartments, one may fay that contrivance muft have been the characteriftic of Lord. Leicefter; for fo conveni ent a houfe does not exift — fo admirably adapted to the EngUJh way of living, and fo eafily to be appfied to the grand, or the comfortable ftile of life. You enter what they call the great hall, but which is in reality a pafiage. It is called a cube of 48 feet ; eighteen very large and magnificent Corinthian pillars furround it, having their pe-» deftals reited on a marble pafiage, eight or ten feet higher than the ground : the area at bot tom is an oblong, walled in with Derby/hire marble, and upon the wall are the pillars, fix in a line on each ""fide, and fix in front in a femi-circle around a flight of fteps up to the faloori door. The pafiage or gallery, as' it may be called, runs around thefe pillars, and hoth together tak.e up fo much 'room that proportion is hurt ; to look from it into the B 4 area, • [ « 1 of Creek and Barwic*. , Meffrs. .Savory'* of Sydderjlone, and Mr. Roger/bn's, of Nar^ ford, each iioo acres. Cultivation in all its branches is carried on by thefe men, and many others, in a very complete manner. But marling is the great foundation of their wealth. They ufed to layabout I oo loads on an acre, which coft them for digging from I /. 5 s. to 1 /. 10 j. and they reckon the expences area, it appears like a bath. The fouth front was one proof, and this hall is another, that the - architect's' genius was not of the magnificent or Sublime ftamp, for in both he aimed at great- nefs j the impreflion of the front is varied and confequently weakened by the wings,* and the want of proportion in the hall ruins the vaft effect which would otherwife attend fuch pil lars fo arranged ; but in the pleafing ftile, his tafte has never failed throughout the whole building. The hall is entirely of Derbyjhirs marble. The faloon is 42 feet by 27, a proportion much condemned, but it is not difpleafing. Some call it a gallery ; and I think a gallery is pre ferable to a cube, or to any proportion near a fquare enormoufly high : one of the fineft rooms in England is the double cube at Wilton, which is more of a gallery than the faloon at Holkam, and yet no one ever entered it with out being ftruck with the juftne'fs of- the pro^ portions. The latter lately dead. [ 9 1 ©f the team, and other labour, to be as much more. The improvement lafts in great vigour above twenty years ; and the land is always the better for it. Their eourfe of crops is-r— Marie, and break up for wheat. 2. Turnips. 3. Barley. 4. Laid down with clover and ray-grafs for two or three years, or fometimes only one.. They dung or fold for all their winter-corn, and reckon twd nights fold equal to a dung- portions. This faloon is hung with crimfon caftby ; the pier glafies fmall on account of the narrownefs of the piers, each againft a pillar of the portico, but in a good tafte. The rooms to the left of the faloon are, firft, ' a drawing 'room 33 by 22, hung with crimfon caftby. ' The pierrglafles very large and exceedr ingly elegant : the agate tables beautiful. From thence we entered thp landfcape-room,. which is a drefiing room to the fljate bed-chamber ; it is 24 by 22, hung with crimfon damafk ; a pafiage leads to the anti-room of the chapel, and then into the ftate-galiery. The walls are pf Derbyjhire marble ; the altar and all the de corations in a juft tafte. Returningto the land fcape-room, you pafs into the ftate bed-cham ber, 30 by 24, which is fitted up in a very plea- fing tafte., , It is hung with French tapeftry, ex cept ber,w§ep the piers, which is by Mr. Saun* . ders of Soho-fquare •, the colours of the whole brilliant. The bed is of cut velvet, upon a white, fattiq ground, and as it appears in con> mon is a handibme gift fettee, under a canopy. The C 10 1 ing; the quantity of the latter they lay up on an acre is 12 loads. For fome years after the marling, they reap, on a medi um, four quarters of wheat per acre, and five of barley; and 15 or 18 years after marling, three quarters of wheat, and four and a half of fpring corn. The general ceconomy-of their farms will appear from the following Sketch of one of 1100 acres. The chimney-piece beautiful ; pellicans in white marble. The next apartment is Lady Leicef- ter\ confifting of a bed-chamber, drefling-' room, clofet with books, and a fmaller one. The bed-chamber 24 by 22, purple damafk, French chairs of velvet tapeftry: the chimney-piece a bafi". rel. of white marble polifhed. The dreffing- room 28 by 24, hung with blue damafk. On - the other fide of the faloon, you enter another drawing-room 33 by 22, hung with a crimfon flowered velvet. The glafies, tables, and chimney-pieces are worthy attention. From this you come to the ftatue-gallery ; which, I think, is one of the moft beautiful rooms I have feen: the- dimenfions are to the eye proportion itfelf nothing offends the moft criticifing. It confifts of a middle part 70 feet by 22, and at each end an octagon of 22, open to the center by an arch ; in one are comparts ments with books, and in the other ftatues : Thofe in the principal part of the gallery ftand in niches in the wall, along one fide of the room, on The farmer generally has ioo acres of winter corn. 250 - - 5° - - barley and oats, peafe. 200 - - 400 - - IOO - - turnips, graffes.fheep-walk. 1 1 00 on each fide the chimney-piece.' Obferve in par ticular the "Diana ; the figure is extremely fine, and the arms inimitably turned. The Venus in wet drapery is Jikewife exquifite ; nothing can exceed the manner in which the form of the Kmbs is feen thro' the cloathing., Theflabs are fine ; the ceiling, the only plain one in the houfe, jfthey are gilt fret work and mofaic) which may be thought a mark of propriety. The entrance I have already mentioned from 0ie drawing-room is into one octagon, arid- out of the other opens the door into the dining- room, a cube of 28 feet, with a large recefs for the fide-board, and two chimney-pieces very pleafing ; one a fow and pigs arid wolf; the other a bear and bee-hives, finely done in white marble ; the nofe of the fow was broke off" by a top common misapplication of fenfe, feeling jnftead of feeing ; John, to an object of fight, prefents his ^ fift or his horfe-whip. Returning jnto the ftatue-gallery, one octagon' leads into the Stranger's wing,- and the other to the late Earl's apartment: confuting of, 1. The anti- room, .[ .2 1 He keeps 6 Servants. 20 Cows. 6 Labourers. 900 Sheep. 30 Horfes. . 5 Ploughs. And in harvefl>time has in all about forty people in the field. The culture of turnips is- here carried on in a moft extenfive manner ; Norfolk being more famous for this vegetable than any county in the kingdom; hut I have »U I | ¦ I. ¦ - Ml II I , - room. 2. His Lordfhip's drefling-room. 3, The library, 50 by 21. 4. Lady Leicejier's. drefling-room. 5. The bed-chamber. 6. A clofet with books. The rooms are about 22 by 20. The ftrangers wing confifts of anti- chamber, — drefling-room, — bed-chamber, — clo fet, with books — bed-chamber— drefling-room— bed-chamber— drefling-room. The fitting up of the whole houfe, in all particulars not men tioned, is in a beautiful tafte, the Venetian win dows beydnd any I have feen; ornamented with magnificent pillars, gilt and carved. But now, Sir, let me come to what of all other circumftances is in Holkam infinitely the moft ftriking, and renders it fo particularly fu- perior to moft of the great houfes in the kingdom •—convenience, In the firft place, with refpedt to the ftate-apartments From the hall to the faloon, on each fide a drawing-room—. — thro* one of them to the ftate drefling-room and bed-chamber: this is complete. Through^ the other drawing-room to the ftatue-gallery, ¦' which may be called the rendegvous-roqm, and connects. t n 1 feen much larger turnips in Suffolk lfi gravelly loams than ever I faw in Norfolki The ufe to which they apply their turnips, is the feeding their flocks, and expending the furplus in fatting Scotch cattle, which they do in feveral methods ; by ftall-feeding— — in binns in their farm yards in pafture-fields— —and laftly, hurdle them on their turnips as they grow, in the fame manner as they do their Sheep. connects a number of apartments together, in an agreeable manner ; for one octagon opens into the private wing, and the other into the ftrangers on one fide, and into the dining-room on the other. This dining-room is on one fide of the hall, on the other is Lady Leicejier's dref- fing-room ; and through that her bed-chamber and clofets. From the recefs in the dining-room opens a little door to a ftair-cafe, which leads immediately to the offices ; and I Should likewife tell you, that in the center of the wings, by the center of the houfe, by the faloon door, arid behind Lady L 's clofet, are flair-cafes unfeen, which communicate with all the rooms, and lead down to the offices. 1 fay down % for the hall is the only room feen on the ground- floor.; you ftep directly from a coach into it, without any quarry of winding fteps to wet a lady to the fkin before fhe gets under cover. From the hall you rife to the faloon, Or firft floor, and there is no attick. Thus you per? ceive there are four general apartments, which are all diftinct from each, with no reciprocal thorough- [ H I By ftall-feeding they make their crop go much the furtheft ; but the beafts fo fed,. are apt to founder on the road to 'London* the expences on it are great, and the foil lofes the urine : but all thefe methods are yet in-ufe. When the marie begins to wear out, many of the great farmers have latter ly got into a method of manuring ,with oil cakes for their winter-corn, which they. import from Holland, and fpread on their thoroughfares ;. — *he ftate — her Ladyfhip's < the late Earl's — and the Strangers wing. Thefe Severally open into what may be called common rooms, the hall, ftatue-gallery, and faloon, and all immediately communicate with the dining.-. room. There may be houfes larger, and more magnificent, but human genius can never con trive any thing more convenient, which will rea dily be allowed by any one who examines the annexed plate. See Plate I. The following are the principal pictures. Cignani. Jofeph and Petiphar's wife ; a good piece. P. Pietris. Virgin and child. Pouffin. Two large landfcapes. A fmaller one. Three others in the landfcape-room 5 fine. Two others. Vandyke. Duke of Aremberg ; a very fine piece. P. Cortona, Coriolanus: The figure of the old man kneeling before Coriolanus, and hid ing his face with his hands, is extremely 2 ¦• fine : If. Jadtf Jjuavmrii /3ed ' cAoonv. W. CZnd Cham/rer . X~/tri:fi//iiH . P.,.,. J4. Y. /fifed fluxnUwr. Z. LM/xfcC ividi- mooAj b c £2L& tnyt e tfcrrilco. fomru, w [ «5 ] fields at' the expence of from i$s. to 50 f. per acre. , There is no great difficulty neceffary to difcover the reafons of fuch large for tunes being made in this country by far mers ; for hiring unimproved lands at a fmall rent, and finding very fine marie every where under them*, they have made there by fuch a vaft improvement, that nothing lefs than a perpetual drought could prevent fine : but the figure of Coriolanus him- felf, without dignity, haughtinefs, or any great expreflion. The wife leading her " . two children, and fmiling on them, is a ' figure of no expreflion : The colouring, however, and the back ground are good ; the difpofttion indifferent. Jacob and Efau, dark and difagreeable. Cieafeppi Chierera. Continence Of Sdpio. The profile of the Spanifh Lady, wonderfully graceful. Scipio's, a bad figure, his countenance without -expreflion : but the difpofition of -the group well imagined. Perfius and Andromeda : Andromeda's figure, a very good one, ^nd • the whole piece well coloured. Prqcochiano. -Death of Lucretia*, the lights and fhades bad. Quintus Cincinnatus. Cuido. Jofeph and Potiphar's wife: None of this famous painter's bright and glowing manner. The colouring hard and dif agreeable. [ iS J large crops. Their foil is in general a very light fandy loam, which in years which are more inclined to wet than drynefs, throws. out great crops ; the very wetteft that can come are not too much for their lands : every one* I believe, will allow that the chances of the feafons, in this moift cli mate, are more in their favour, than if their foil was of the heavy caft. Let us inftance the farm above Specified : ¦ " » "¦ ¦ ¦- - ..-*¦¦» i i— m i ¦« A faint's head. Cupid. Aflumption; bad. Rubens, Flight into Egypt. A .good picture j but the figures difagreeable, efpecially Mary's, who is a female mountain. The drawing appears to be indifferent. Birds. Titian. Venus ; the colouring gone off, hard) and difagreeable. Venetian lady ; colours gone* Woman's head ; ditto. pominkhino. Lot and his daughters ; dark and difagreeable. Abraham and Ifaaci (in the landfcape- room) rather in a dark ftile. Carlo Maratt. A landfcape -, not in his bright manner. Judith arid Hohpherms ; dark. Madona, reading. , Apollo and Daphne. Magdalen and angel. [ *7 J I. s. £00 acres Winter ,corn, at 3f qr. per acre, 350 qr. and as a fmall part of it is rye, fay the price is 1 /. 10 s. - - - 525 o d 250 acres barley and oats, by far the moft of the former,' at 41 qr. per acre, ii2jf qr. at 16 s. - - 900 o 6 50 peafe, .4 qr. per acre, 200 -"• qr. at 1 /. 4/. per qr. 240 o 0' The methods of laying the - profit by a flock, are fo Carryover, 1665 o 0 Vernet. Two views Of a ftorm ; both exceed ing fine. Sahiator Rofa. A rock ; very fine. F. Bolonefe. A rock. St. John Bapttji. C'nionte. . . Two landfcapes; L. Giordano. St.* John pfeachirig. Qlaud. Loraine. Landfcapes ; river arid bttdgei Pegafus.Argus. * Apollo keeping fheep. Three others. Repofe in Egypt. In thefe landfcapes, Claud's elegant genius Shines with uncommon luftre. Lucatelli: Two landfcapes. e 1 i.8' ) /. ; s. a*. Brought over, 1665 .0 0 various in different coun ties, that I' believe the me dium of what is generally known is neareft the truth.; and that is 10 s. per fheep in lamb and wool, upon an average; that on goo is 45° 0 0 20 cows, at 5./. 100 0 0 Hogs - 5° 0 0 2265 0 0 • Hamilton. Jupiter and Juno ; colouring bad i her neck and face the beft. An. Carrach. Polypheme and Galatea ; the draw ing ftrong and fine. Conca. Two altar-pieces-; indifferent colouring,. Albano. Holy family. P. Laura. Two pieces of boys and flowers. Raphael. Madona and child ;. drawing and colouring very fine. Holy family : but quere of both to the connoifieurs in originality. Farmegiano. Woman in a cave-, pleafes me bettec than any piece in this collection; 1 The face very exprefltve, extremely- delicate, finely turned, and the dra pery exquifite, difplaying the rounds nefs of the limbs through it in the happieft tafte. This flight calculation takes in no beafts fatted with turnips, becaufe thefe are un certain, and a variable crop ; and other branches of profit are purpofely omitted/ that no one might* on the who'le, think it over-ftrained. As to his expences, a few of the principal articles will fhew that no one can run them up to any thing confi- derable. Pi Veronefe. M. Magdalen, wafhing our Savi our's feet. Bajfan. Chrift carrying the crofS. Lanfranco. Youth and old age,' two pieces. The old man very fine. Angel ' appearing to Jofeph in a dream; dark ftile. And. Sacchi. .Abraham, Ifhmael, &c. Cypriani. St. Anne, and St. Cecilia. The co louring very fine ; the attitudes admi rable, and the drapery graceful. The object moft Striking on the north fide of the park, is the lake, which is of great ex tent; the fhore is very bold, all covered with wood to a great height, and on the top ftands the church. The-, plantations in general, are fketched with great tafte: In the mimber of acres many exceed them ; but they appear to va rious points of view, infinitely more confiderable thati they really are. At the north entrance into the park, they are grand ; you look full upon the houfe with a very noble back ground of wood ; the obelifk juft above the center ; with an extent of plantation on each fide that renders. C 2 the [ *o J /. s. fleift, tythe, and town char- * ges, . at 6 s. per acre, , 3 30 Oats for his horfes, as all fpring > corn is before charged ; all the 30 are not in conftant. , food> but run in the farm- . yard'; fay therefore, 120 qr. at 12 s. - - - 72 Seed for 400 acres of corn, in cluding the graffes fown with 200, on a medium at 9 s. per acre, Six Servants, - - 120 o o Six labourers, - - 150 ( o o Wear and tear, fay - 70 o o Harveft, on a medium, 4J. an acre, - - - 80 o o 180 o o 1002 the view really magnificent. Nothing can be more beautiful than that from the church; the houfe appears' in the midft of an amphitheatre of wood, the plantations rifing one above ano ther. Another point of view which I would re commend to you, is the vale on the eaft fide of the park. "The north plantation Stretches away to the right, with vaft magnificence, the fouth woods to the left, and joining in the front, form an extent that has a noble effect. r 21 i produce, - 2265 /. Expences, - io©2 Profit, i 16 3 Here we find a regular income, of near 1300/. a year, on a medium of prices and fea'fons. I have no doubt but thai 1300/. has fome years been carried tb near 3000/. But without advancing it fo high, it is very plain that a long leafe of a good Norfolk farm, is infinitely pre ferable to the fee fimple of it :¦ — and that there is the greateft profpedt of feeing this kingdom, a land of yeomenry: a thing not to be dreaded, for better landed property, while it bafts, can never ex- ift. The change, however, prefently en-* fues. — In addition to this remark, I might obferve that a Norfolk farmer, Mr. Mallet, above mentioned, has lately pUrchafed effates in tne'-pfifUh'es of Middleton, def ter ton, and Hockham, to the amount of 1 700 /. per annum : This remarkable per- fon has made his fortune in lefs than 30 years, and oh a farm confining of not above 1500 acres of land, which is by no. means the largeft in this county., Let me further add, that, Since the a« bove was wrote, I am informed, on un-s doubted authority, that Mr»_ Mallet, . if* ,•>'• C 3 January January, &c. 1768, had 280 fleers fatting on turnips, and artificial grafs . hay, And this on a corn-farm ! Before I quit this region of farmers, I Should not forget to tell you that the French account of the Norfolk hufbandry, which M. de Boulainvilliers has introduced into his Les Interets de la France mal entendus% torn. 1. p. 136, &c. is full of miftakes; and in particular, where he mentions the vaft improvement, by lucerne ; for not a Sprig of lucerne have I found in the fields pf a common farmer. LABOUR. In Winter, 1 jvta d^y, In Spring, 1 s, 2 d. In Harveft, 2/. 12 J. 6 d. or 3 /. for the harveft, b.efides meat, , drink, and lodg ing. .It lafts from a month to five weeks, Hoeing turnips, 3 s. the firft time ; 2 s, the fecond. ', . Ploughing pet: acre, zs. 6d. PROVISIONS.. Bread, -. ^ zd. per. lb. Butter, - — 6 Mutton, - 4 Beef, - - 4 Veal, T 3* Candies, t 23 ] Candles, - yd. per lb. Coals, i /.' i s. o per chaldron at Lynn *. * The country around Rainham, the feat of Lord Townjhend, is rich and finely cultivated, and the fituation of the houfe, the park, and the water, very defirable : the building itfelf is ra ther in the ftile of an exceedingly good habitable houfe, than a magnificent one. But the famous picture of Bellifarius, by Salvator Rofa, has more expreflion in it, than moft of the paintings. I„think I have feen. Afk to fee Lady Townf- hend's drefling-room ; it is furnilhed with prints, Stuck with much tafte on a green paper. The firft appearance of Houghton, the cele brated feat of the Earl of Orford, built by Sir Robert Walpole, is that" of feveral very magnifi cent plantations, which furround it every way. In the road from Syderjlone, they appear, I think,, to the greateft advantage : they are feen to a large extent ; with openings left judicioufly in many places to let in the view of more diftant woods ; this changes the fhade, and' gives them that folemn brownnefs, which has always a very great effect. The fktnefs of the country, how ever, is a circumftance, which, inftead of letting them off, and making them appear larger than they really are, gives them a diminutive air, in comparifon to the number of acres really plant ed '¦ for were thefe vaft plantations difpofed upon ground with great inequalities of furface, fuch as hills rifing one above another,' or vaft flopes Stretching away to the right and left, they would appear to be almoft boundlefs, and fhew twenty limes die extent they do at prefent. The woods C 4 which [ H } In my way from Hohg^ton? to the fea* coaft, by Hunfln, &c. T" foilnd much which are feen from the fouth front of the -houfe are planted with great judgment, to remedy the defect of the country's fktnefs ; for they are fo difpofed, as to appear one beyond another, in different fhades, to a great extent. In the houfe you enter, firft, the great hally a cube of 40 feet; which, bad' as the propor-i tion is, is certainly a very noble room: yet one would imagine the architect purpofed to deftroy the effect of fo large an one, by flicking three quarters around it, what is called a gallery : — - ©ppofite the chimney is an exceeding fine eaft of the Laocoon. > From the hall you enter the fa-'' loon ; which, but for height, would be one of the fineft rooms in the world; It is 40 by 30; and 40 high. To the left you turn into a drawing- room, go by 21, hung with a yellow damafk. Out of rhat into the blue damafk bed-chamber^ 22f by 2 if. Then into a very fmall dreffing- roorri, and next a fmall clofet, out of which you enter the library, 22f by 2 if, which- leads to the dining-parlour, 30 by 2 1 ; a*nd that opens; into the hall ; fo one fide of the houfe is taken up with the foregoing apartments. The other fide of the faloon- is another drawing-room, call ed the Carlo Maratt room, from being covered with pidtures by that matter, 30 by 21. Oue of which you enter the green velvet bed-cham ber, then a drefling-room 2if by 18, then ano- . ther bed-chamber -the fame fize ; next the cabi net 22 f by 2 if, which leads into the marble parlour 30 by 21, exceedingly elegant, one fide being barren land, or rather reputedly barren; for a really barren foil, I do not believe* being entirely of white marble ; and this con cludes the right hand fide, operiirig into the hall. Having thus run through thejrooms, I fhOuld tell you that the fitting up, for inftance, doors, door-cafes, windows, and cornices," ©V. &?<:. is magnificent : laftlyv let me add that the col lection of pictures which ornaments them, is moft undoubtedly the firft in England, after the royal. I made a few minuted of what Struck me moft as I viewed them,- and here ithey follow : I fubrhit them to ybur candour, not- as the criticifms of a co'nnOiffeur, but the mere .expreflion of my feelings, without any regard to names or . reputation. . I fhall not mention one quarter of the pictures ; an omif- fion of no confequence, as the very ingenious Mr. Horace Walpole has publiflied a complete catalogue of them. Many of thecapital pieces are in what is called the picture-gallery, which was the green houfe J it is- in one of the wings. Rembrant. His wife. The hands and face moft inimitable. The clear ob.fcure won derfully fine-. Abraham's facrifice. The head of Abraham very great. The mixtuie of grief,, piety and awe, finely pourtray- 1 ed; nothing can exceed it: and the( lights and Shades admirable. Rubens. Mary Magdalen wafhing our Saviour's feet. Her figure moft inimkably co loured, particularly the head and the tears. [ 16 ] exifts in any large quantities ; the Norfolk , improvers might turn thefe tracts of war- tears. The heads of the old men vaftiy fine, and of a noble gufto- This picture is as different from Ru- hns's common pieces, as he himfelf was fuperior to the loweft dawber. Titian. Simeon and child. His head exqui- fite, and the air wonderfully fine. An. Carrach. Virgin and child. The child a very , difagreeable figure. The head appears to be badly drawn. Venus. The colouring difagreeable and without foftnefs or delicacy : The drawing admirable. Morellio. Affumption. .Air of the virgin?? head beautiful and graceful. Carlo Mar att. Virgin teaching the boy Jefus ,to read. Air of the Virgin's head— The child— The colouring— Grace — and clear obfcure, beyond all praife : moft fweetly delicate and agreeable. Virgin and St. Jofeph. The co, louring very difagreeable. Chrift's fermon on the mount. The figure of Chrift without dignity or expreflion. Pouffm. Holy family. Drapery very good, particularly the VirginWthe limbs Seen through it. Vwdyke. , Rubens' s wife. A moft celehrated picture ; but not an agreeable one: what Strikes me moft are the hands snd, [ 27 ] ren and fheep-walks into profitable farms, Qne of the greateft improvements , in the ' country is Mr. Curtis' & . farm of Sommer- ¦t ; ' — ~ " ; pd arms, which are finer than any ever beheld : the drapery is like- wife admirable. P. da Cortona. Chriji in the gardfn. Air and expreflion of the head excellent;. Dobfon, Two heads. The .expreflion of the faces wonderfully $ne. Jfelafco, A Pope's head. Amazingly ex- preffive : every, line of the face ex- quifitely painted. Death of Jofeph, Exceeding fine heads. Yanderwerf. David and Abifhag. The colour ing and finifliing of .this piece is beyond all defcription. Abifhag 's naked body is jnimitabjy done. Such a foft delicacy of flefh, fo much brightnefs of clear obfcure, and fuch a height of finifliing as exceeds . any thing of the kind I have met with," Bathfheba's face is extremely expreflive, and finely painted. In David there is a fault ; his face is that of an old man, but the naked of his body is quite youth ful, without thofe ftrong lines, and mufcular traces which age. ever leaves, $$qlfl. Cocks. Nothing can be finer than the attitude pf Cqck^ feldi belbiigirig to Mrs. HeAley of Docking. It confifts of 1 700 acres of land, all gainetr from Sheep-walks ; which is flow regularly Sfitin. Matjis. Ufurer and his wife ; full of that • vaft expreflion, ufual in this maiter's pieces : the penury in their coun tenances is admirable. Guidoi Confutation of the elders. .The fineft picture in the collection. The colours j — -clearobfcure difpq- fition.of the figures expreflion of the countenance^ and airs of the heads of the old men, beyond all imagination. The whole is fo ex- quifite, that one cannot quickly leave .viewing it. Adoration. The delicacy of the bOy beyond expreflion. The old man's head on the right fide, ex ceedingly fine, and very much in the ftile of that in the Confutation, under the Virgin. Dominichino. ' Virgin and child. The colouring difagreeable, with' no brightnefs •; but the attitude inimitable. L. Carrach. Chriji in . the fepttlcbre. The dead body very expreffivej but no thing of the clear bbfcure ; light ftrdngely diffufed. Sahator Rdfa. Prodigal fori. Prodigious expref- fion. If a Dutchman is by he will make you obferve the ragged Shirt. — The whole picture is amazingly fine. L ?9 J inclofed, and yields immenfe crops of corn : Infomuch that this farm has been mention ed as the beft in Europe. The *home-ftall is worth your , viewing if you travel this country ; it is prettily planted, and very neat*. * I would not have any one leave this part of the country without employing a few hours in ^viewing the environs of Docking, Mrs. Henley's feat. — -The plantations, though fmall, are in a very pretty tafte. Her temple is light and ele* gant, and well-placed, both for commanding a fine view of the country, and alfo as an object in fight of the houfe. The hermitage is as pretty a thing as any of the kind that I have feen. It is a little cottage of two rooms, fituated in one of her plantations of fhrubs and firs. The firft room is, walled with oyfter-fhells, the white fide outwards, and the brown edges filed: off; the pavement of clean fmall pebbles ; the chimney- piece of grotto fhell-work : At one end is the hermit's bed. The other room is wainfcotted with very curious old carved, wainfcot, of Henry the VII's reign, and the ceiling, &c. decorated iri a ruftic manner, with fcrolls and feftoons of fea- weed, deal-lhavings, and painted ropes, in a gbthic, but neat tafte. From Docking I proceeded to Snettifham, the feat of Nicholas Styleman, Efq; where Mrs. Style- man has formed fome very pretty plantations ; par- cularly thofe upon a ftream; which fhe calls New-bridge and Catherine' s-ifland : This ftream is managed with true tafte ; naturally it is only a ditch, but where this* lady has improved if* it The road from Snettifham to Lynn is1 over a moft fandy tract of land; which has5 the appearance of a defert*. , — : — . ; ' <• ' — . ^- — s : -j it is a winding river, and the greateft ornament to her plantations. On one part of its banks fhe has a very neat circular cottage for break- fafting, and near it a menagerie with a great variety of birds •, in this part are all forts of water-fowl. From her menagerie you crpfs the ftream and pafs along its winding banks to the grotto; which is contrived out of a boat, by cutting it in halves and fixing it together with a little addition. It is ftuck full of fpar, fhells, fea-weed, coral, glafs, ore, &c . all difpofed with tafte. The front pretty, but too regular, and not ruftic enough ; compofed of the feme materials on. a ground of powdered lea-fhells ftuck in cement. The fituation is agreeable, by the. fide of the river, clofe to a fmall cafcade, and in the fhade of feveral large weeping willows.— The ftream is yet more ibeautiful in the other plantation, called Catherine's- I/land; for it forms five little woody iflands, with cool, fhady:, and fequeftered walks about it,, in a tafte that does. great honour to this moft ingenious lady's fan cy., The plantations behind the houfe have- great variety, and are fketched out with much' tafte. * This town is tolerably regular and well built; the market-place fine, but the market- crofs, though much admired by fome, appears to me to poflefs neither unity, proportion, nor elegance : It is not heavy ; and that is all I can fay for it. The Shambles, however, which are 2. the I 3i ]' A good hufbandman cannot view this place* without regretting the quantity of manure loft here, for want of fpirit in the neighbouring farmers to bring it away : they might have vaft quantities of coah-afhes, &c. and even be paid fomething for car rying them away ; their waggons are for ever coming from the town empty, and the wings, are much more confiftent than the center, which is a mere clutter of unconnected ornaments : The theatre is convenient, very neat, neither profufely ornamented nor difguft- ingly plain ; and although not free from faults, yet has none but what refulted from the archi tect being confined to fill up the Shell of an old building which was raifed for another purpofe. , The afiembly-rooms are capacious and hand- fomely fitted up : They confift of three on a line ; the firft an old town-hall, 58 by 27, and of a well proportioned loftinefs, would be a good ball-room had it a boarded floor, but at prefent forms a very noble anti-room. It opensr into the ball-room, 60 by 27, and 22 high; which would have been an elegant one, if the architect had thought proper to throw his mufic- gallery backwards ; for, at prefent, it is a mere fhelf ftuck in between the chimneys ; an eye- fore to the room. If he did it through con finement, for want of fpace, he fhould Undoubt edly have formed his mufic-feats upon the plan of thofe at Almack's, at the end of the room : They might have waved in a fcroll around the door of the card-room, mingled with branches of [ 32 J their lands in general pqor. At one place, which is called the fort, is a heap of exceeding rich manure; which,, in many towns I could. name, would fell for above' IQol. and which fuffers no other decreafe than what high fpring tides occafion, in' wafhing part of it away ; and it is all brought here in carts, at the expence of the inhabitants f . of candles, which might eafily have been ren dered a great ornament. The card-room is 27 by 27, and 22 high. — As the three are upon; a line, it would have given them an uncommon elegance, had the openings from one into another been in three arches in the center fupported by pillars, inftead of the prefent glafs-doors, which are mean. The eye would then have tomi manded at once a fuite of 145 feet ; which, with* handfome luftres properly difpafed, would have gendered thefe rooms inferior to few in England.' /—The town drives a very brifk trade in corn, wine, coals, and to the Baltic: poflefllng abouc eighty fail of Ships. * From Lynn I took the road to Narford, the feat of Price-Fountain, Efq; built and furnifhed' by the late Sir Andrew Fountain : The houfe is a.goocl one, but not the object of view fo much as the curiofities it contains ; amoftgft which noshing is fo ftriking as the cabinet of earthen ware, dope after the defigns of Raphael; there is a great quantity of it, and all extremely fine. The collection of antique urns, vafes, fphinxes^ &V. &ffc is reckoned a good one; but what gave I 33 ] I paffed into Suffolk by way of Stoak artd Thetford', and found a vaft quantity of land quite uncultivated, which in this country furprifed me much, efpecially as I was informed marie is in many places to be found, where no ufe is made of it. The landlord of the Crown at Stoak has an acre of burnet, which is, I think, three years old. He fowed it broadcaft, kept it per fectly clean from weeds a year, at the ex- pence of above two guineas; but it has anfwered very well, for it has every year yielded a great quantity of hay, befides gave me more pleafure than the venerable re mains of this kind, is a fmall modern Sleeping Venus in white marble, by Delveau -, which in female foftnefs and delicacy is exceedingly beau tiful. The bronzes are very fine ; and the col lection of prints a capital one. As to pictures, I fhall give you the names of a few which pleafed me moft ; the matters names I minute as they pafs at Narford, and without anfwering for their originality. I hint this, becaufe the moft pleaf- ing picture in the houfe, the Virgin and Child, faid to be by Guide, is precifely the fame in figures, attitude, airs, &c. as Mr. Butler's Cor- regio, as appears by a print of the latter, I have feen in more collections than one. However,* whether it is a copy or an original, the colour ing is fine, and the air pf the head and attitude admirably graceful. Rubens. A fruit piece by Snyders, the figures by Rubens -, very good. D ¦f 34 ] "luxuriant food fo early as the month of February for many ho'rfes. It is a regular crOp, and appears to grow very quick. In July 1767, he mowed it for feed, of which it produced als much as he fold for 5/. at 4*/. per lb. and a large load of ftover .(Straw), which his horfes eat very freely. In January, 1768, it was fed off with fheep, being a thick and luxuriant crop. He finds it fo profitable that he has fowed another (larger) field with it, with rye in Novem ber iyby, the feed for which he kept ex- clufive of the 5 /. Albafto. Chriji taking down from the Crofs ; exceedingly fine, the mufcles ftrong- ly exprefled. 1 Tintoretto. St. Jerome. The head fine ; but the ftile dark and unpleafing. Bhemart. Children 'of Ifrael gathering manna-, 'fine. Old Franc Marriage of Cana ; a ftriking inftance of wretched grouping. - Holbein. Henry Vlllth and Anne Boleyn at a concert ; very fine. <0iuin. Mat/is. Two old mens heads; Strongly expreflive. , ¦> Pelligrino. Pharoah's daughter finding MofeS; one of the beft pieces I have feen of this indifferent matter. I forgot to tell you that the library 'is ah 'exceeding good one and elegantly furnifhed. L is ] In the neighbourhood of Thetford is art improvement greatly worth feeing ; it is a complete farm, entirely gained from the* wafte, for fo I muft call an old fheep- walk. One of the beft farmers in England (Mr. Wright) hired it, and has converted, by means of marie, a vaft tract of uncul tivated wild into a profitable- arable farm j his fon at prefent enjoys the le'afe* The foil is very fandy, but marie and clay have rendered it fertile* infomuch, that in years not remarkably dry, he raifes as firte crops of rye, colefeed, and Oats, as land of five times the rent yields in heavier foils. He has fown likewife fome hundreds of acres With faiiifoin, which has throve finely, and yielded considerable crops of hay. This farm confifts of near 2060 acres, em ploys 45 horfes, nine fervants, and in harveft, fifty in the field. Nine hundred Sheep, and 24 cows kept s. and all this on a tract of land, which feven years ago was the habitation of nothing but a flock of fheep, not more confiderable than what is now kept on the remaining fheep-walk and the artificial graffes. I Should likewife re mark that the marie dug on this farm has proved that it is not only the fat foapy kind which is of great benefit ; for this is in general a hard chalky fubftance, much mixed with extraneous kinds of earth, and to appearance a very bad fort. It was af- D 2 ferted [ 3^ ] ferted by many farmers that it would do no* good, but the event has turned out very^ different. The elay, however, is allowed by all to be exceeding good *. — The road to Bury lies for fome miles over a wild heath, over-run with bufhes> whins, and fern, the wild luxuriance of whofe growth displays evidently- enough how greatly it would anfweir to break it up ttid convert it into arable farms ; for a foil that has Strength enough to throw out fitch vigorouffy growing weeds, would, if culti vated, produce corn in plenty ; add to this, there is a ftcatum of marie under the whole country. ~ At Wejt Storjjo, I obferved a field of about two acres of carrots, in fo driving* a fand, that the wind by entering through the bars ©f the gate had drove a ridge up ; and yet they thrived exceedingly well, and will, I doubt not, be a good crop. They belonged to — Edwardst, Efq. f * The Duke of Grafton's feat at Etifton is but three miles., from this farm; the park and plantations are well worth your viewing : they are very exteftfive and fketched with great taftfe. •Remark particularly the approach to the houfe fom Bwf\ it is exceedingly beautiful. i -f A little out of the road lies Livermere and Jfmptoa, the feats of Baptift Lee, and Cat- jjborpe, Efqrs. The two parks join, and the owners, wkh an harmony very unufual, made a nobis [ 37 ] The country around Bury towards £ajr- don is good, well wooded, and not a dead flat. The road to Stowmarket lies through a foil indifferently cultivated, but about a mile from the town it paffes through a ijewly inclofed farm belonging to "John Symondf, Efq; which is done in a very neat manner ; the hedges are all of white thorn, and the banks regularly planted with feve- ral forts of timber trees ; the gates remarks- noble Serpentine river through both, and built a large handfome bridge over it at their joint ex- pence, by which means they ornamented their grounds to a degree otherwifc impoflible. la Mr. Calthorpe's park, the water forms a bend againft a Hope of wood, which has a very noble effect. , Upon the whole, the river, confidering it is formed out of a trifling ftream, is one of the fineft waters I have feen in the grounds of any private gentleman. Mr. Lee has a fhrub- bery of about 20 acres cut out of his park, that is laid out in an exceedingly juft tafte. The water and fcoop in it are particularly beautiful : The firft winds through a thickly planted wood with a fine bold fhore, in fome places wide, to others fo narrow that the oyer-hanging trees join their branches from fide to fide, and even darken the fcene, which has a charming effect. The banks are eyery where uneven, firft wild and rough, and covered with bufhes and fhrubs, then a fine green lawn in gentle Swells, with fcattered trees and fhrubs to the banks of the water, and feats difpofed with great judgment t - P 3 at [' 38 ] ably good and all painted. Mt.Symohds has informed me that his method of pre-» ferving the excellence and beauty of the fences of this farm, after it got into a tenant's hands, was by making it an ar ticle, of the leafe, that he would keep them in repair, and accordingly he has always employed labourers in preferving and repairing them ; without this precaution * they would have met with the. fame fate as all other fences in a cpmmon farmer's at the termination of the water, the abrupt- nefs and ill effect of that circumftance (which is not trifling, for a water that has the leaft ap pearance of a river, fhould never be feen to the -end) is taken off by finifhing with a dry fcoop, which is beautiful ; the bed of the river is continued for fome diftance a Hoping lawn, with banks on each fide planted and ma naged with great tafte-, nor didT conceive that weeping willows could any where but hanging over Water have been attended with fo good an effect, as they have on the fteeps of theie Slopes. Upon the whole, this fhrubbery will fentertain you, for although it contains much in common with all others, yet fome ftrokes in it are new, and in a very pleafing tafte. Bury is a tolerably well built town, in a dry and healthy fituation ; many of the Streets^ cut each Other at right angles ; but a parcel of dirty thatched houfes are found in fome of them not far from the center of the town, which has a very bad effect. • [ 39 ] hands ; and at the fame time that he thus keeps them in fine order, it is at the te nant's expence, as the rent is proportioned to this circumftance. From this farm, which is rented by Mr. Denton, I met with nothing worth obferving until I reach ed 'Toftock, a village fix miles from Bury, in which there is a farm cultivated in a very mafterly manner, by a gentleman who lives at Bury, Mr. Orbel 'Ray, the owner. There is nothing above mediocrity in the hufbandry of the neighbouring farmers ; but this gentleman has improved upon their practice greatly. His foil is a light gravel ; the firft thing he did was to dig and fpread an hundred loads of loam and clay over all his arable fields; and then throw them into a regular courfe of crops ; viz. I. Turnips. 2. Barley. 3. Clover. 4. Wheat ; and raifes exceed ing fine crops of each. He ploughs four, five, and fix times for turnips; harrows exceeding fine, and fows broadcaft with a machine, of which the following is a fketch. (1) The axletree fixed in the wheels, a cog around the middle of which turns (2) other cogs round an iron rod which runs through four copper feed-boxes (3. 3. 3. 3) thirteen holes in each box ; and this rod f£fts. jn iron grooves (4. 4) in the frame D4 [$-S-) [ 4° J (5. -$) This rod is fix feet fix inches Iong» the breadth of ground it fows at a time: under the boxes is a long trough (6) divided into eight partitions, directly into which the feed falls from the boxes. (7) Is a harrow fixed to the hind part of the frame, by two chains (8. 8). - He finds from experience that it Sheds the feeds infinitely more regular than the niceft hand. In his practice of» the turnip hufbandry, he has found that the feed never fails for want of rain, when fown paft four o'clock in the afternoon. He hoes the plants out twice ; applies them to the flail- feeding of beafts, for which purpofe he has built very convenient fheds ; and rec? kons the mean value of them per acre to be 2 /. 10 s. He gives the turnip land three earths for barley and oats, and gets very clean crops of 5, 5*, 6, and even 7 quarters per acre. The fucceeding .crop of clover he generally mows twice for hay, and values the crop on a medium at 2 /, 10 j. per acre. The clover lay he breaks tip at one earth, the firft year, and har rows in wheat ; and of this grain he gets on a medium four and an half, or five quar-* ters per. acre. Thefe crops are all very considerable j however, I fhould obferve, that befides the above mentioned claying, he every year manures all his turnip-land, at the rate of 2 ii, J*l^T.pa,.4G. [ 4i 1 li, i$, or 20 loads per acre of farm-yard dung ; which he likewife manages in a very fenfible manner. About October he car ries in and fpreads equally over his yard, 200 loads of moulds, generally loam ; upon thefe he fodders all his beafts with the ftraw of the crop, and the clover hay, by which means all the urine of the cattle is foaked up, and the gutters of the ftables and ox-ftalls are all laid into it ; when the winter is over, he Stirs the whole up toge ther, very carefully mixing it, when it is in good order for the land. He generally doubles the quantity brought in. The ex- pences of this method appear, at firft fight* to be high, but are not in reality ; for it is a common one to carry out the dung and mix it up with turf before it is fpread : now in point of labour there is no difference. Was chalk, marie, or turf ufed inftead of loam, it would be an infinite improvement. Mr. Baker, in an observation on this farm -yard management, fays, " mixing dung with earth in the field where the compoft is to be put out, I have found from i to ^ oo per cent, cheaper, than firft drawing home the earth, and then carrying out the compoft can be." Upon this I muft pbferve, that the comparifon is to be made between a practice much recommended by various writersy and pradtifed by feveral ex-* gejlent farmers, viz. the carrying both the dung f 42 1 dung and earth to the field, where it is to be ufed, and forming them into comports Jlratum fuper Jlratum ; and this of Mr. Ray's. The expence here is the fame : for a pit, a pond, or bank, very near the farm yard, is certainly ufed for the purpofe ; and at. as fmall a diftance as the earth in the other cafe is carried to meet the dung : the expence is equal. But this is by no means the comparifon that deferves atten tion ; the great point is the comparifon between the earth which has laid a whole winter under the dung and cattle ; and earth in a field which has had no fuch advantages : manage your farm-yard with the utmoft attention you will, if it is not all under the cover of a roof, you lofe much excellent manure by the drainings of the yard ; but it is an object of peculiar confequence to fikre this fertilizing liquor as much as poffi ble before it runs quite off: whatever the quantity of your dung, the water will Spee dily run through it ; is it not of evident importance to have a thick layer of earth at the bottom to retain it fo much the longer, and to be impregnated fo much the better with the virtues of it ? This earth, after • laying in fuch a fituation during a winter, and receiving the urine of great herds of cattle, after it has run through the litter, is a very different body from the fame earth i.n the field ; and all its. acquired virtue is 3 n L 43 ] to be fet againft the extra expence of one method over another ; in my opinion, (and at prefent 1771 Ifpeak from experience,) the advantage infinitely exceeds the expence. -The experience of this farm Should awaken more attention to enquire into the nature of the Stiff earths, under light fandy foils, than has. been generally given to them. The common idea, as well as the practice of the .generality of Norfolk farmers, would make one believe that all but pure clay, or pure marie, were ufelefs : but as a few in- ftances are found to the contrary, particu larly this farm, it much behoves the lovers of agriculture, to try experiments on vari ous fubftances, on the pooreft foils ; that 1 ' the degree of virtue might be known, and compared with the apparent figns ufually depended on. Suppofe a chalky fubftance had fo trifling an effervefcence with acids, that it could not be termed marie, nor even pure chalk, it fhould be tried on the fand, fpread in various quantities, and compared on one hand with the native foil unma tured ; and on the other with a manuring of clay or marie pronounced good. A few variations of thefe trials would fhew how far the real virtues depended on the appa rent ones ; and decide if no fubftance could be profitably ufed as manure, that was not either clay pr good marie. -. It ' t 44 1, It Should be remembered that the great fault of Sandy foils, even when light to an extreme, is their drynefs: that they are not near fo Sterile as fome other land, ap-» pears from the fine crops they yield in ex treme wet feafons. The pooreft blowing fahd, in a' year remarkably favourable to it, will return greater crops than the poor chalks, or the blue pebbly gravels, in the beft feafons for them : but being light to an uncommon degree, they are burnt up in any year not remarkably wet. Any Stiff fubftance, whether a calcafious earth or not, gives a tenacity to thefe fands Which enables them longer to retain the moifture of rains, and at the fame time takes from the wind its power over them ; when thus improv ed, they Support without damage to the crops much more dry weather than before 5 and retain all their advantages in the very wetteft feafons. This is an object of very great confe quence, for between Brandon and Barton Jjdills, Thefford, Bury, &c. there is a great tract of thefe wafte fands, which are ap plied to feeding rabbits ; many of them at a rent of lefs than a Shilling an acre ; I have been informed that fome Norfolk farmers have rejected parts of thefe war* rens on examining them, merely becaufe. they could not, on digging, find any of $heir fine Norfolk marie j whereas, for any thing [ 45 ] thing yet known to the contrary, the chalky fubftance, met with under all this country, may be better adapted to its improvement than better marks : I do not venture the fact as an affertion, but the contrary is not known by. experience. The improvement of Mr. Wright's farm, fpeaks againft the ideas of thofe cautious farmers. Another circumftance is the method taken to difcover the under Jlrata ; they have generally examined it by digging, which is fo flow and expenfive, that we may pro nounce it utterly unequal to the purpofe \ a borer is abfolutely. neceffary, that fearch may be made in numerous places, and, to the depth of from 12 to 20 feet : beds of fine marie Or clay might poffibly be found under the chalky fubftance. But landlords fiwuld give their attention to thefe trials ; they are not to be expected from others. Mr. Ray has two experiments of the modern kind* which gave me much pieafure ; an acre of 'Lucerne, and four of Timothy-grafs. The firft is in drills* two feet afunder. It was fown in 1 765, cut three times laft year; and I found it cutting for the firft time this year, an exceeding fine crop, above two feet high; I inquired particularly about the quantity of food it yielded, and found that the exacteft calculation, from what was already eat by four cows feeding upon it, was, [ 46 ] was, that it would laft them five Weeks; The bailiff told me, that, in his opinion, ifi would conftantly through the fiimmer maintain two cows ; if- fo, the value of it is considerable, and exceeds clover. I can not, however, avoid remarking, that the intervals were full of weeds : therefore^ even this experiment is not fully fatisfac- tory. The four acres of Timothy were fown amongft oats in 1766, and I found it Standing for hay; it appeared very coarfe, but I believe will prove a crop of about 25' Cwt. per acre. It is not at all earlier than the adjoining paftures. Since the former editions of • thefe papers, the prefent worthy owner of thefe experiments, the Rev. Mr. Ray, fucceffor to the late Mr. Orbel Ray, has been kind enough- to inform me, that in the fpring 1768, he dug up the lucerne in the trench ing method two fpits deep, and although this work was done in a very dry time, he found it fcarcely fufficient to deftroy the lucerne. Upon this diggings it was plant ed with potatoes, the crop of which amount ed to 606 bufhels, befides fmall roots left in the land : Mr. Ray defigned fowing it in 1769^ with lucerne broadcaft, but his gar dener informing him, that by omitting the laft hoeing of the potatoes, many weeds had feeded ; he thereupon, to clean the land completely, determined to fallow it in 1769, and [ 47 J and have another hoeing crop ; and fixed* upon carrots as a root, which he was tho roughly fatisfied, muft be very profitable to a farmer. Thefe carrots he fowed in drills about 14 inches afunder, the beginning of April 1770. The advantages attending the drill hufbandry, he foon became fenfible of, and is confident that unlefs the land be remarkably clean, they never can with any fuccefs be cultivated broadcast. ' The crop yielded 700 bufhels, exclufive of the many roots which broke in the drawing. The Succeeding winter, 25 loads of dung were carted on, and the land in the fpring drilled again with carrots, which were when this gentleman wrote me the account (Augujl 1 771) in a very promifing ftate. By means of them he has gained a complete con- queft over the weeds. . This fuccefs has determined him to cultivate next fpring this valuable root on a much larger fcale. In the application of the crop, he threw the tops to fome beafts who eat them very gree dily; fome of the roots he threw to the hogs in their Sties, who throve upon them .very much; but the flock of carrots was too fmall to fatten them completely, being defirous of preferving as many as he could for his horfes. Whether they will do as an entire fubftitute for corn Mr. Ray much .fufpedts ; but the quantity he thinks may be very much diminifhed; and perhaps if the [ 48 ] the horfes are not employed in long and frequent journies upon the road, corn may be quite unneceffary. He further informs me in the fame let* ter, that the Timothy pafture is entirely loft ; the grafs natural to the foil has fprung up in its place ; Mr. Ray regrets it, as he always obferved it to be the favourite food of all forts of cattle. I cannot here omit obferving, that the potatoe and carrot hufbandry make, in Mr. Rpy's Experiments, a very great figure ; 600 bufhels of potatoes, at only 1 s. come to 30 /. and 700 bufhels of carrots, at the fame price, to 35 /. ; which are fuch noble crops, that they ought to encourage all farmers to cultivate them in common. But it is to be obferved, that this land had been fome years under lucerne, during all which time it had received numerous horfe and hand-hoeings : Another circumftance much worthy of note is the fuccefs which here follows, trenching ground two feet deep, not only with carrots, to which root it muft certainly be right, but alfo with potatoes. It is a very Strong argument for deep tillage. Laftly, let me obferve, that Mr. Ray's find ing the drill culture of carrots fo advan tageous, deferves much attention ; the dif ficulty of fhedding the feed with a drill plough, has occafioned moft gentlemen to fow broadcaft, from the expence and trou ble [ 49 1 ble of drawing drills, and dropping the feed by hand ; it Should therefore be a great inducement, to the mechanical part of my readers, to attempt a drill plough for car rot -Teed, which, it is evident, Would be a moft ufeful implement.— Nor let me omit thanking this gentleman for the candid arid obliging manner in which he gave me the above information ; I have no doubt but he will' carry many :parts of agriculture to an higfr perfection, much to his own honour* and the benefit of the kingdom* From \toJlock I went acrofs the country to Lavenham, by a winding courfe through Monks Bradfield, the Welnethams 'and Brad-. field -Conibujl. I walked over the improve ments- of the Rev. 'Mr. Lord, rector of Great Welnetham; this gentleman keeps in his own1 hands a farm* the. foil of which is- a fttffy ftrong, .white clay* arid was very full of fprings ; fuch land is every where ' difficult to manage, but Mr. Lord has prac- tifed an hufbandry on it, adrnirably adapted to keeping it in fine order, and to making it yield great crops. His firft operation was'cuttinglriimenfe ditches around all hia fields, which he did, not only for drain ing,- but alfo for- the beauty of opening, in a thickly inclofed country ; for the ditches are fo great, that he has hedges not more than 12 inches high, and this again has brought on another effedt, that of drying the land, -by- admitting the fun; arfd wind E more. [ 50 ] more. Next he hollow drained every field very completely; and after this, finding that the land through preceding bad ma nagement, "was in extreme bad order, his wheat fmothered by black grafs, &c. this induced him in order to get the land clean, to fummer-fallow two years fucceffively ; by ploughing, and harrowing he deftroyed the black grafs, wild oats, and other noxious weeds, and completely broke the texture of this Stiff foil. He has generally carted the clay that arofe from the ditches on to his clover lays, and this has : been an induce ment fometimes to keep the land down for three years, but the vaft quantity of clay killed the clover, and brought up natural grafs, : which bore the tumbrils like pafture.' ground ; afterwards he ploughs it ; if it ' bjas laid three years, and is foul, he gives it a double fallow. His general courfes of crops, are,,., r, i. Fallow. 2. Barley or oats. 3. Clover, one year or two. 4. Wheat. But fometimes the wheat is upon fallow.' His crops, are as large as any in \ the kingdom, wheat from 4 to 51 qrs. ; gene rally 5. Barky and oats he gets up to 10 qrs. per acre. Clover hs fometimes fows on wheat, and gets very fine and perfectly clean crops,, fo that he is able to fow wheat on it on one earth after lying two years. t ^ 1 Great crops" upon very good foils are common, but this .white. clay is neater ali lied to a very bad than a very good one j and Mr. Lord's hufbandry offers feveratvery important, ieffonS to the farfriefs of this kingdom. The excellence, or rather the neceffity of godd ditches, arid hollow drains' on wet lands* • appear ftrongly. The ufe.' of clay as a manure on a clay foil, is plainly evinced*' and'the benefit of clover on thefe foils, and alfo. the. keeping it two years, are no lefs evident. Barley has_be^n thouglit an improper crop for Stiff clay ;_ 10 qrs. an acre, in Mr. Lord's fields, are a fufficierit anfwer to that idea. Thefe particulars are all curious ; the public are much obliged to this gentlemahtor fuch fpirited exertions of good hufbandry \ and -I defire leave tore- turn him my thanks for his very fenfible account of it. Before I leave the neighbourhood of Bury, I muft obferve, that I have foldom feen any place around which the farmers had fuch a fpirit of purchafing manures ; Very Ordinary' forts fell at Bury at 2 J, 6 d. and 3*. a waggon load of 8 a- bufhels ; I faw a-tourid the town in different places heaps of -purchafed manures. LABOUR. In winter, i j. and ftnall-beer. In fpring to harveft, i s. 2 d. and beer. E 2 In i 52 i In harveft, 1 s. %d* and beer. Reaping wheat, 4s. to 5 s. per acre. Mowing fpr;ng-corn, 1 s. 2 d. ditto. ¦¦ ,, ¦¦ — Grafs, 1 jv 3 od; this hedge formerly was a flaked and eddered one, but they have of late years got into the way of making what they call fett ones, which are nothing but Short bufhes ftuck into a trench with earth laid at their backs ; a moft flovenly and in- fufficient fence, that does not on an average laft two winters. All hedges that are made only;of dead wood are of no duration, they : - are [ 57 1 areprefently demolifhed, .ancj. -prove one of the moft expenfive articles on a well-fenced farm : all which inconveniencies would be remedied by introducing the plafhing me-- thod ; not what is here called plafhing, the binding down ; live wood with wyths, but laying them down at eafe by flitting and cutting, as in Heftfordfhire. .. pood grafs land lets here at 20 s. an acre -J they apply it chiefly to dairying, and reckon that 2 acres are'neceffary for the Summer feed of a cow, but they will afford a little Sheep feed befides. The breed is a little mongrel fort that prove excellent milkers, yielding about 61. a head product per an-* num, fome much more. They keep many fwine upon account of their dairies, in few countries more, which I attribute princi pally to their depending on clover for the ¦ Summer food of thofe half or three-fourths grown. A dairy-maid will take care of 1 2 cows. The winter food is chiefly ftraw^ hay they do not give till within three weeks of calving, and never more than, baiting them on it morning and evening ; in the day they go with the other cows in the ftraw yard. I fhall here infert the method of con- ducting a dairy, purfued by a farmer's wife in this neighbourhood, who for thirty years was reckoned an excellent manager. No L 58 J No calves to- be weaned till Chri/lmas'iy turned ; let them fuck fix or feven week's y then give them bran and oats, and a pint of flet milk in their pail of water, with' fome hay by them ; and continue this till grafs is ready for them. If they are for the butcher, do not keep them more than1 7 or 8 weeks. ' Give your cows hay at night and morn ing 3 weeks before calving. Cows are not at their prime till 5 or 6 years old; they laft good till 14 or 15 years old. If you dry a 'cow hv fummer, tye her up to hay a week or fo ; fometimes bleed her and give her a pint of vinegar, and when you milk, dont milk her clean. Begin to milk in fummer at half an hour after four o' clock in the morning. Begin in the afternoon before fix. The dairy-maid fhould always be up in. the morning between three and four o'clock. For 22 cows, Mrs. How (who gave this Intelligence) was in her dairy regularly with her maid from between three and four o' clock in the morning, and had not finifh- ed till twelve at noon, fometimes with two maids. The dairy muft be warned every day. For a dairy of 40 cows,* zolb. cheefes the j-ight fyzer One. [ 59 ] One churn Sufficient for 40 cows. N. B. None ufed but barrel churns. The cheefes to be turned and wiped every day, from the making till they are hard ; after that, every other day. Two meal Suffolk, cheefe, at 3 d. or 3f 2§ d. per lb. this is more pro fitable than the other to the farmer, as the greater portion of butter made, is fuperior to the difference of the price of the cheefe. The cream for butter to be kept con stantly ftirred three or four. times every, day, and Shifted every day from one tub to another. Six milk-pails are neceffary for a dairy of 22 cows, and 10 for a dairy of 40 cows. Hemp cheefe cloths are the belt; for a cheefe of 2.0 lb. they fhould be yard- wide . and yard arid half long. For a 12 lb. cheefe, three quarters wide and ell long: Hemp of a yard wide for this purpofe is 1 s. a yard; three-quarters wide, S'J. ¦ ; Twelve cheefe-cloths are neceffary for 22 cows, and alfo 4 wiping cloths made ©f pickling at 5 d. a yard." AlLthefe are matters of fome confequence jn a dairy farm; fmall ceconomisal objects, 2 which t *> I which feparately taken have no great ap pearance, make an effential difference in a twenty , years leafe ; and Saving money ihould .be, the grand aim of every farmer, that at the end of his leafe he may go into a larger bufinefs : Let the farmer fave as much as poffible, provided he puts his^ favings out on th,at, fecurity which will pay him beft — the improvement of his land. There is not much grazing in this coun try ; fome farmers buy in a few beafts for grafs, of a fmall fize, and find it more ad vantageous than dairying; and many of them winter fatten with turnips and hay. Swine fatten to about 15 ftone. Flocks of Sheep- are very fmall, fo they never fold. They have feveral methods of Stocking, particularly the following. I. Buying wether lambs in Auguft. 2. Buying ewe lambs in Augujl. 3. Buying old ewes in September, 1 4. Buying two years old ewes. All thefe methods have their advocates,; who think each the moft profitable.-: Whatever the Stock, they turn them firft into the ftubbles, and then the paftures^ and keep them hard through winter (except the ewes when they have lambs) give them a few turnips in the fpring, turn into clo ver in May, and fell fat at harveft. Jn {his way the wethers will double or treble theii? C 61, J their cofti. The old ewes are fold fat with their lambs in September or October. They do not fhear more than from i to 2 lb. a head from any of their Sheep. . In their tillage, they reckon four horfes neceffary for one hundred acres arable land; fome will keep Six. The beft farmers break their ftubbles be tween Michaelmas and Chriftmas; nothing but a fmall light fwing plough ufed* the ftructureof which has great merit. In the hiring and flocking: farms,, they reckon the following articles neceffary for a farm of 200 acres, at the rent of 150 /. a year, 140 acres arable and 60 grafs. /. s. <¦¦¦ They carry their ,-qorn 24 miles ; this, for a maritime county, is very far. Ipfwich, Colchejler, and /Maningtree, are the ports. Sudbury, with a navigation, is within II; miles, ; and Fprnham, with another, within 7 ; 'but they are paltry rivers for coals only, without- any merchants that ;haye a regular trade. : : :; Their foil'is in general a red loam, called: here a brick earth, and loofe ;' with fome fields of clay, others , of light gravel ; the mean rent is about 12 s. an acre. Farms rather fmall, from .20/. to 150/. with a few pf 200 /. .- As to the general ceconomy and management,; take the following Sketch of one : 250 acres. 80 of them grafs. 5 labourers. 10 horfes. 25 cows. 2 men. 60 Sheep. 2 boys. I forgot t 64 ] n 1 forgot to' tell you, that they felddrf! me above two horfes in a plough ; and always do an acre a-day in the ffiffeft fields. But with their double mold-board ploughs,' they ufe three, and always a-breaft. After an half- ploughing to draw the land ^ into baulks, thefe ploughs vajhutting-up do two acres a-day. , Plough five or fix inches deep, price 4 s. an acre.-7' Ji- At Lavenham I met With about tWo acres of . Lucerne, drilled in rows two feet. afunder, belonging to the Rev. Mr. Ddvey-j the, rector; it was fown by his predeceffor, Mr. Squire, \ think, four Or five years ago; and anfwered greatly: Mr. Davy found it remarkably Serviceable to him laft Jammer twelvemonth, when -every riatura? pafiure and the clovers were burnt up ;' "¦' but he has fome thoughts of ploughing it •' up,' at which I do not wonder, confidering the multitude of weeds fuffered to ' over-run it. At Lavenham is carried' oh -a very consi derable manufacture of fays and caliman- Coes; at which the workmen earn on a medium 5/. 6d. or 6 s. a week, and many wool-combers who earn 12 J. and 14/. The church at this place is one of the moft beautiful in point of external, architecture that I have feen/ The Steeple is very high, and a remarkably -fine one. It is- unfinifhed ; without any -other ornament at top than four battlements at the corners, rifing abort! 3f :-- - 3 feet v[ 65 J feet above the fides; In my opiriiori this Jimplkity is a four ce of its beauty, for the effect of viewing it is much greater than if the attention of the fpedtator was divided by fpires or any other ornaments. The build ing, upon the whole, is light, uniform, and magnificent. Several farmers at Lavenham have found uncommon advantage from cultivating the tick bean : they ufed to fow only the horfe bean, but have fubftituted the tick for it. They fprain them by hand after the plough, fo as to come up principally on the crown of three feet ridges ; hand hoe them twice with much attention, and get very great crops of them ; Mr. Branwhite has had I o quarters an acre more than ohce : the gene ral produce from 5 to 8 quarters. Wheat is fown after, and feldom fails of being a confiderable crop — quite as good as after a fallow. The road to Hadleigh lies through a rich and well cultivated foil, efpecially near that town. What induced me to take this road to Sudbury, which is out of the way, was the hearing of two Lucerne plantations, which I viewed very attentively ; one broad cast, and the other tranfplanted. The firft, of 4 acres, belongs to the Rev, Dr. Tanner, rector of this parifh, and pre bendary of Canterbury. It is four years F old • [ 66 ] eld : I found it on a medium 25 inches high, that which was not cut (for about an acre and half had been mowed at dif ferent times ;.) it was thick and luxuriant, but far from being free of weeds. I re marked many ftrong ones, and many low trailing ones againft the ground : It had been harrowed in Mr. Rocque's manner With an heavy harrow, made according to his diredtions, every year in March, which the Doctor thinks has been of great fervice in loofening the ground, though not in destroying the weeds altogether, fuch as docks or mallows. The foil is a fine, dry, light, healthy turnip land ; but yields fine wheat, as I have learnt by inquiry : as to the produce, the fodder is excellent, and much beyond expectation in quantity and quality, and is the chief fupport of 14 or 15 horfes and cows, from the latter end of April till Michaelmas, after which it is fed down clofe with fheep, till near Chrifimas. It was fown with fpring corn after tur nips, but the Doctor is of opinion, that had the field been fummer-fallowed for it, the Lucerne would have entirely choaked all other grafs and common weeds. Some Dutch clover and ray-grafs grows with it, which is found advantageous: I do not dwell particularly on this part of the experiment, as my information was not abfb- [ 67 1 abfolufely accurate ; but it yielded, I could plainly find, an immehfe quantity of green fodder; * * * ¦ The fpring Of 1768 wa§ fo very, cold, with fuch cutting frofts every night, that the firft rhowing was later than ufual, and but indifferent, but the produce has been Very great firice ; infomuch that the Doctor Was "obliged to make hay of a part of it the middle of laft July, when he reckoned it would be fit to cut again before the time he Should have occafion for it : Five faddle- horfes and four coWs have nothing elfe to eat, and five coach horfeS are daily foiled therewith* in the liable* more or lefs, ac cording to their work!, One part of the field was well manured with durig laft year; and the Doctor propofes doing the fame by the reft this year ; and, after harrowing in February of March, to fcatter fome frefh feed where the plants failed the moft. The reader doubtlefs obferves, that this account is in fome refpedts different from that in the firft edition of thefe papers, and in all much improved, and brought down to a later date : for thefe circumftances I dm obliged to Dodtor Tanner himfelf. I took the liberty of requefting, by letter, information respecting his Lucerne plan tation j and was anfwered in a complete F 2 manner3 f 68 J manner, with that perfpicuity which alone' enables me to give fatisfadtion to the reader? and that politenefs which I acknowledge With the greateft pleafure. The other experiment of Peter New* tome, Efq; confifts of one acre on the fide of a hill, t.he foil feemingly a ftiff gravelly loam, with many Stones in it ; one corner of the field low and wet. The plants were fet two years laft Augufi ; the rows three feet four inches afunder, and one foot in the rows. They were Cut twice the firft year, four times laft year ; and the firft time this year the 17th of April. I found on the dry parts of the field, the plants on -a •medium 1 3 or 14 inches high, but on the low corner they were moftly dead. The left were not thick, nor of a branching hixuriant growth ; however, the interval* were by no means kept clear of weeds, for the furface, I found in general, nearly covered with them, notwithftanding it was a 'little loofened by a horfe-hoeing. I found it was cut once oftener than Dr. Tanner**, but did not yield near fo much food* ; * * * Since the above, I have been favoured with a letter from this gentleman, in whichy he informs me that he thinks his ground not half filled, and purpofes plowing up the I 69 1 the crop to refow it in the broadcaft method,; and adds, that he was not exadt in register ing the cattle maintained by it. This letter is grown . to fuch an immo derate length, that yOu muft allow me to conclude it,; by affuring you, how riiuch I am* &?- Hadleigh, June 19th, 17^7.. *3 t 7-0 1 L E TVT E R II ROIVJ Hadleigh I continued my jour ney to Sudbury, an exceeding, dirty, but a great manufacturing town. I made fuch enquiries as were moft likely to gain fome good information relative to their. manufactures ; and my intelligence ran as follows ; it contains a great' number of hands, who earn their livelihood by work ing up the wopl from the Sheep's back to, the weaving it into fays and burying^ crape, which are their principal articles. The fpinning is here a poor buflnefs ; a Stout girl of 15 or 16, not being able tQ earn above 6 d. a day ; but the combing is, the beft of all their employments, yielding from lis. to 1 4 J-, a week; the weavers! of the fays and burying-crape earn from 7 j. to 9 s. but the firft price the moft com mon. Befides thefe articles they weave Ship-r flags, which employ the women, and girls of feven or eight years of age, yielding the latter about 2 s. 6 d, or 3 s. a week. The whole manufactory works chiefly for the London markets ; but fome fays go down their river (which is navigable from hence, to Mahingtree) for exportation. Effex from Sudbury is entered by an high hill, from the top of which is an exceed-? 3 ing r 7^ ] ing fine profpedt into Suffolk. The country, all the way to Braintree, is in general good and rich ; letts from 1 o s. to 1 5 s. per acre. Around Henningham, which is fix miles from Sudbury, hops are much cultivated ; more than 200 acres are raifed near that town, and let on a medium at about 3 /. an acre, unlefs hired with a farm ; in which cafe they are lett cheaper. The ope rations attending a crop, with the expences, are as follows : /. s. d. 7000 roots, at 5 s, - - 1150 Planting, - - -050 Digging and dreffing* lis. each 140 Note, Thisprice of lis. per acrefor digging, (and their fpit is nine inches)is exceedingly cheap ; not withstanding the loofenefs of the foil from conflantly deep tillage. Tying, - - - -.0120 Always two hoeings, at 4s. each, frequently three, - - o 12 o Stripping, - - - o i o Picking, drying, and duty 1/. ioj. per Cwt. and as they reckon 6f Cwt. a middling crop, it comes to 9 15 o 3000 poles, at 1 /. 1 s, per 1 00 but as jhey laft fix years, only the fixth, 550 1 £¦ '9 9 ° i'1"* F4 C 72 ) Medium produce 6f Cwt. at /. sf a) 5 1. 10 s. od: - - 35 x5 ° Expences, - r .- 19 9 o, Profit - - - - 15 6 o In Henningham there is a woollen ma- nufadtory carried on of bays and fays ; af which the weavers earn about 7 s. a week the' year round ; and combers 12 s. and 14 j-. In the neighbourhood of that place the cpurfe of crops is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3, Peafe. 4. Wheat, if the peafe were good. 5. Turnips. 6. Barley. 7. Clover : this is an advantageous courfe for good ground. They plough three or four times for wheat; fow two bufhels an acre, and reap on a medium 3 f qrs. For bar- ' ley, they plough once or twice, fow four bufhels, and get on a medium 4 f qrs. They Stir thrice for oats, fow four bufhels ; and a mean crop they reckon 5 qrs. For peafe they give but one Stirring, Sow two bufhels, and get on a medium 4 qrs. For turnips they make their land as fine as pof fible* ploughing it four times, and they hoe them twice or thrice. They fometimes fow clover ; and underftand the hufbandry of feeding hogs on it, and even cows all fummer. They hollow drain their wet lands, often with ftraw at 2 d. a rod, which [ 73 ] which lafts fame years. The proportions pf one farm in this neighbourhood, are J 90 acres all arable, 1 man. 60 /. rent. I boy. -4 or 5 horfes. 3 labourers. 30 fheep. LABOUR.. In winter, 1 /. a day, and fmall beer, in hay-time, 1 s. and beer? and a dinner? In harveft, 2 s. and beer. Reaping, 4 s. an acre. Mowing corn, is. 3 */, and I s. 4 4. . V JlO.lt>, 1 J. ( J ». PROVISIONS, &cf Bread, _ _. 2 d. per IK Butter, - - 61 Candles, - - 7 Mutton, - - 41 Beef, - - 4 Veal, - - 4 Cheefe? — - 3f made at home. Coals, T - 1 1 per bufhel. Three miles fhort of Braintree is Gof* field, well noted for the feat of Lord Clar.e^ 'and a fine park : but I take the opportu nity of mentioning him here, chiefly on account of a ftroke in agriculture, mofjt imufual jn Effex ; which is the ufing [ 74 ] oxen inftead of horfes, for all the pur- pofes of draught. His Lordfhip, fome years ago, keeping z\ farm in his hands, and making -many improvements in his park, introduced this practice from Glou- ceflerjlrire, by purchafing a team of oxen, with all their geers, and hiring a driver in that country for the instruction of his own people ; at ;the fame time he took a plan pf a very complete ox-houfe, with Sundry adjoining conveniences, which r he .erected at Gosfie/fl. This feheme- ypu may be very fure was highly ridiculed by all the neighbouring farmers, who would as foon believe that an ox could fpeak as draw ; but experience and ocular demonstration convinced them of the contrary ; and in one inftance re- markably, for a waggon with horfes being fett in the village, and the ox-team paffing by accidentally, the horfes were taken off, after much rallying, and the oxen clapt too ; who, to the amazement of the be holders, drew it out in triumph. His lordfhip ufed them for the culture of his farm, as long as he kept it in his hands ; and had once near 30 in conftant work : he has ever fince done all his bufi- nefs with them ; fuch as carting in his park and plantations, carrying timber, and bringing coals, ~&c. from (Jolchefier for hi$ family. [ 75 ] family. By very exact cOmparlfons be* tween the" expences of his oxen and the horfes which he formerly kept for the fame purpofes, he clearly found there was a vaft Saving by.ufing the firft. Their food has conftantly been hay in winter, and good grafs in fummer, without any oats. But notwithftanding the clear Superiority, none 1 of the farmers have followed the example, although a number of boys in the parifh, and many labourers have gained a full knowledge of their management, and are as expert in driving them and breaking young beafts to the yoak, as any of their men can be with their horfes. You will excufe my being thus particu lar, in my account of this introduction of oxen into Effex ; but the novelty of the thing in that county (his Lordfhip's being the only team in it) the ridicule eaft on it by the farmers, and the uninterrupted fuc cefs it met with, has induced me to be more minute than otherwife I fhould have been. Before I quit Gosfield, I muft inform you, that Lord Clare has a piece of burnet for the ufe of his deer in winter, which anfwers extremely well. From Gosfield I proceeded to Bocking and Braintree, places adjoining, and full of manufacturers, who work up fays, m general, and fome druggets. By aft. fjbe accounts I could gain of the weavers, I found f 76 I I found that they earned on an average about 9 s. a week j wool-combers aboufi 3f2 s. Stout girls, 15 or 16 years old, four- pertce and five-pence a day at fpinning; and girls of 'Seven or eight, 1 s. a week fpr rolling the weavers quills ; all thefe prices are lower than the Sudbury ones. They further informed me, that in fumr mer they did whatever hufbandry-work they were able, being better paid for it ; ruch as hoeing turnips and wheat, making hay, and harvefting. PROVISIONS. Bread, - - 2 d. per lb. Mutton, - - 5 Beef, 31 Veal, 4 One man who had a wife and four chih? dren, informed me that they eat half $ bufhel of wheat-flour every week. Another rout to Braintree, very well Worth an hufbandman's travelling, though? not the direct road, is by Samford^, Bard* field, and Saling. About Samford, the foit I is naturally very good, and greatly improv ed by holloW draining. The foil is a Stiff- clay, but when drained, is an exceedingly fertile, found, dry, and what the farmers; call mellow land. The arable letts from 1 2 to 16 j. per acre, and the grafs from |5 j\ to a guinea. Clay-lands generally are [ 77 1 are -fo retentive of water, and fo apt to bake with a hot fun, that the culture of them is a matter of great difficulty, both in the pulverization of them, and the gain ing early feed-times ; but thefe clays when hollow drained, are of fo dry a nature, that after heavy rains they very foon admit the plough, nor does wet weather give the moulds that adhelion which is fo perni cious in many countries. Whatever the Weather is, the moulds expofed are always porous, and drop into powder upon the Slighteft impreflion of the foot, which is a circumftance of incomparable value; for few foils contain half the virtues of clays, when reduced to moulds. The farmers are by no means backward in making the beft advantage of fuch an excellent foil. They manage it with due judgment, and reap accordingly uncom mon crops. A courfe with them is, i. Fallow, 2. Barley, 3. Oats. .Alfo, 1. Fal low, 2. Wheat, 3. Oats. Likewife, 1. Fallow, 2. Barley, 3. Clover till June, 4. Wheat. Another, 1. Fallow, 2. Barley, 3. Beans; but few turnips are fown. For wheat they plough 4 times, fow 2 bufhels, and reap upon a medium 3 quarters ; and upon the better fort of land 3 and f. For barley they plow five times ; four in the fal low year, throwing the land on to the ridge fpr winter by the fourth; then they take the t ys J the firft opportunity of hard forefts to caiiff on their compofts, at the rate of 20 and 30 loads per acre, which are farm-yard dung mixed up with the turf that grows around the barley fields, and prepared ready for the feafon of carrying; after this, they take the firft opportunity of the lands being dry enough to plow and fow the barley, from the laft week irt February, to the middle of April-, but if the feed is not in the ground in March\ they defpair of a great crop. They fow 4 bufhels per acre, and reap, upon lands managed in the preceding manner, 5!. quarters per acre; and at a medium, of all their barley-lands in general, *\\ qUar-> ters. For oats they plow once, fometimes twice, fow 4 bufhels, and gain in return,- 4. quarters. Beans they plow for twice* (fometimes but once) fow 2 bufhels* and reap 4 quarters. I cannot help obferving, that the above' barley-culture is very good ; it is an , ex cellent practice to plow and fow in the' fpring, inftead of giving preparatory plow- ings when the feed fhould be in the earth ; for early fowing is a point almoft fufficient to turn the fcale in favour of bad land, in Comparifon with good otherwife managed. In Suffolk they generally give 3 fpring ftir- rings, by which means it is common to fee them [ 79 1 them fowing barley in May ; but no great or good crops can be gained fo. The very ingenious Mr. Baker on this barley hufbandry obferves, the turnips are a much better preparation than fallow, and gives a calculation to fhow the fuperiority ; it amounts to i/. .3.C in the two years; but he charges the turneps at 50 s. an acre ; from Mr. Ray's at Tofiock but 30 s. is the moft that can be allowed ; fo that this fingle article reduces the fuperiority to 3 s. Mr. Ray's foil is peculiarly happy for turnips — managed in the higheft pitch of perfec tion, and the turnips carted to flails. But all this is not to the purpofe, fince the Sampford farmers never venture turnips on their clays,, and are undoubtedly right in fo doing, at leaft in the common methods of confuming them. I agree entirely with Mr. Baker, that cabbages would infinitely exceed the profit of either way ; but you might as well talk of cauliflowers to them. The culture of clays is an object of very great importance, and to find out the moft beneficial courfe of crops for them is much wanting at prefent ; that ufed by thefe far mers, particularly, 1. fallow, 2. barley, 3. clover, 4. wheat, is excellent; for all the crops muft be kept clean by it, and the land in good heart. Cabbages, I think, would be a great improvement on the tops of arched ridges, and carried off in carts made on t So J on purpofe, the horfes to go double for walking in the furrows, and followed by the wheels : turnips would not do equally well, becaufe they leave great holes in the land, and the farmers would be afraid of Striking up the furrows with a great double mould-board plough in order to lay the land perfectly dry all winter ; >, it would be cut ting up many turnips, which they would not hear of, but in the cabbage hufbandry, it is done of courfe. But if, as might be the cafe, dung enough could not be had for fubftituting them entirely, inftead of a fallow* then I Should drill beans, which if good room was given the rows, and ex cellent ufe made of both hand and horfe- hoe, would equal a fallow in utility, and at the fame time give 3 or 4 qrs. an acre, that is about 4/. per acre product: five, fix, or feven qrs. might be gained, if the rows are thrown within 18 inches of each other, but the great crop is not fo much the objedt as cleaning the land in a fubftitute for a fallow ; the great object is the tillage of the foil ; the beans Should be in equally diftant rows three feet afunder, which is a fpace that admits all forts of operations ; after thefe, the barley or oats would come, and then the clover and wheat. If calcu lation is applied to this courfe, it will be found very profitable. a Their [ 81 } Their grafs4ands are likewife very rich"' in this neighbourhood, which may be judg ed of by the product of their cows, which at a medium is reckoned at 8 /. per head, when well fed. The particulars' of a farm here, were as follows : " 300 acres; 206 fheep: 200 arable. 10 horfes. '- loo grafs. 3 fervants. 30 cows. 8 labourers; 10 fatting beafts.' Of another : 220 acres. 80 fheep; 180 arable. 10 horfes. 40 grafs. 3 fervants. 20 cows. 4 labourers. LABOUR. All winter to hay time* 1;, a day and- fmall beer, (ufed to be but 10 d.) Mowing, 1 s. 6d. a day and beer : per acre is. 6 d. and 1;. 8 d. In harveft, 30 s. the harveft and board : lafts generally a month. Thrafhing wheat, (in common years) 2 s. a quarter, barley and oats, &c. 1 s. Hoeing turnips twice, 6, s. 6 d. per acre. Hollow draining from 1 s. 8 d. to 3 s. a fcore rods, £ Much the fame hufbandry continues till you come to the lighter lands near Brain tree', but at Saling the culture of barley G upon f 82 ¦][! _ upon the above defcribed principles, is car ried to what I believe I may venture to* call the higheft pitch of perfection, by Jqk% Xeldham, EJq; who, upon an average of feafons and crops, manured and not ma.- nured^ has for many years reaped 7 quart ters per acre ; and yet it is not an uncom mon cuftom with him to take a crop of oats after one of barley ; and this upon One year's fallow without any peculiar cir- eumftances befides common good husban dry : his foil a ftrbng clay, as before defcri bed, weM drained. I mention this remark able iriftance of excellent hufbandry with due veneration ; the worthy author of it well deferves being ranked among the firft cultivators of his age -r and to receive the Same tribute of applaufe which the Duha~ mels, and the de Chateauvieux have enjoyed for their attention to objects of a more equivocal merit. I Should remark that the farmers throughout this tract of country make their hollow drains only one rod afunder. From Braintree to Chelmsford the foil is rich and fertile, and the country very plea- fant. Their courfe of hufbandry is, in general, 1. Fallow. 2. Barley. 3. Clover, 4. Wheat; and, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3. Barley; then manure well and" wheat again : fometimes beans thrown in, which they fow broad-caft, and, hoe twice. Fori wheat ¦t -S3 ] Wheat they plough thrice, fow an amazing quantity, from 3f to 6 bufhels, (greater by far than ever I heard of) and reckon 9 qrs. a middling crop. They give two earths for barley; fow three bufhels, and get on a medium 3 qrs. For oats they plough thrice ; fow three bufhels, (as "little as fix bufhels of wheat much) 3 quarters they reckon the medium. For beans they plough but once, fow two bufhels and an half; and get. on a medium 3 qrs. and f, or 4 qrs. They Stir their lands twice for peafe ; fow two bufhels and half, hoe them twice, and reckon the mean crop at 5 qrs. In their lighter lands they frequently fow turnips, plough for them twice, hoe them twice, and fow barley after them. They ufe both foot and wheel-ploughs, frequent ly with four horfes, and do fomething bet ter than an acre a day. As to the feeding hogs with clover, they know little of the practice, thinking it dangerous. Their dairies are pretty large ; and they reckon the profit of a cow at 5 /. a year. A remarkable particular I obferved in their hufbandry, was the care with which they drain their wet lands. They make hollow drains, the main ones two feet deep, and the branches 22 inches ; they lay fome fmall wood at the bottom > and a good deal of ftraw ijpon it, and then.cover die whole with earth. The price of this G 2 work t 84 1 work is two-pence per rod arid their finally beer. It were much to be wifhed that this practice was more general,; for it is an ad mirable one, and well deferves imitation. They find their wet lands, and efpecially thofe which are flat, to be fo difficult, to drain with the common water-thoroughs, that their crops are frequently damaged by wet years, unlefs they lay them dry in this manner. , State of a farm near Braintree : 130 acres. 30 cows. 100 /. rent. 2 men. 12 hprfes. 1 boy. r2o fheep. 1 labourer conftant, befides others at bufy times. The land muft be incomparably good to main tain fuch a Stock. LABOUR. In winter, 1;. id. a day. In hay-time, 1 s. 6 d. and beer* In harveft, 2 s. and beer. Reaping wheat, 8 j, an acre. Mowing barley, r s. 8 d. Mowing oats, \s. 6d. Grafs, 2 s. Mqw1 and make hay, 5*. 6d. Hoeing* turnips, 2 s. 6d. each time. — — — Beans and peafe, ditto. [ 85 3 PROVISIONS. Bread,Butter, Candles, Cheefe, - - Mutton, . - Beef, Veal, 1 | d. per lb. 6 n4 44 41 IMPLEMENTS. A waggon, 20 /. A cart, 61. 6 s. A plough, 1 /. ioj-. Chelmsford is a pretty, neat, and well built town. I forgot to remark that all the cart horfes I faw from Sudbury to Chelms ford, were of a remarkable large fize. From the latter town I proceeded to Bil- lericay ; the country very rich, woody, and pleafant, with abundance of exceeding fine landfcapes over, extenfive valleys. The hufbandry, I apprehend, not equal to that in ufe about Chelmsford; for their principal courfe is fallowing for wheat, then fowing oats and laying down with clover and ray- grafs ; which is a very faulty cuftom on land which, like this, lets in general from 1 5 j". to 20 s. an acre ; nor did I fee many good crops. The principal manure they ufe about Billericay, is chalk, which they fetch in waggons from Grays', and cofts them in general by the time they get it home, [ 86 ] home, 51 d. or 6 d. a bufhel ; they feldom ufe it alone, but mix it with turf frefh dug, and farm-yard duftg, and then lay it on for wheat, now and then for turnips* which are, however, feldom fown in thai neighbourhood. All this manure is forne^ times fpread at the expence of io /. an acre, PR O VISIONS. Wheat, - - - 7 s. o d. a bufhel,' Beef, .' r - - o, 41 per ^. Mutton, - - - o 5 ditto,. Lamb, - - 0 $i ditto. Veal, - !• Or 5 ditto,, Butter, ¦* - - o 8 ditto. From Billericay towards Tilbury, th« hufbandry continues much the fame : but one thing is very obfervable, and that is, the prodigious fize of the farms ; feven, fcight, nine hundred, and one fhoufand pounds a year, are not uncommon. Mr, Finch of Billericdy rents 1 300 /. a year j and the famous farmer Mr. Button of Mucking, near fforndon, farms of his own, and what he hires together, 2500 /. a year; and it was faid, he was going to increafe it by piirchafing 200 /. a year more, which he would take into his own hands. He keeps 102 horfes. The rent of thefe large farms runs generally about 10 s. an acre. You recollect my fentiments concerning the Norfolk fajsms ; but thefe in point of fize C 87 3 fize far exceed them. Indeed ' I thought Norfolk had been, of all- other counties, the moft famous for large farms, but this intelligence undeceived me : An Effx-vaa.ii would heat you : with fcona talk of any farmers being equal to theirs; and they certainly have fome reafon for this boaft- ing. Many of the occupiers in what they call .the hundreds, poffeffing three, four, and five hundred pounds a year of their owhi, befides what they rent of others. As to the public good, thefe exceeding large farms are not of the greateft advantage ; but here a . diftinction is to be made between the Norfolk ones and thefe ; for. the latter being Situated in a rich foil, might be fplit into Smaller farms, to infinitely greater benefit than the former, which require each a con siderable ftock of fheep. The Norfolk farms likewife, having been nearly aU fheep-walks, could only be' improved by marie, and of courfe by thofe who were able to take large tracts of land ; for it is demonstrable, that had thofe waika been cut into fmall farms, they never would have been improved, the expence is fo great. Large farms therefore have been (and will be, as to all future improve ments) iii that country, of as great public, as well as private benefit, &sfmaller ones in any other can be. Whatever land letts for ten Shillings and upwards, without any G 4 fuch [ 88 ] /iich improvement as the Norfolk marling, it \s proof fufficient that it might be rented 411 fmall quantities. Of all the roads that ever difgraced this kingdom, in the very ages of barbarifm, none ever equalled that from Billericay ip the King's head at Tilbury. It is for near 12 miles fo narrow, that a moufe can not pafs by any carriage ; I faw a fellow creep under his waggon to affift me to lift, if poffible, my chaife over a hedge; The rutts are of an incredible depth- ¦ and a pavement of diamonds might as well be fought for as a quarter. The trees every where over-grow the road, fo that it is totally impervious to the fun, except at a few jplaces : And to add to all the infa mous circumftances, which concur to ' plague a traveller, I muft not forget eter-r nally meeting with chalk-waggons ; them- felves frequently ftuck faft, till a col lection of them are in the fame fituation, that twenty pr thirty horfes may be tacked to each, to draw them out one by one, J, After this defcription, will ypu -can you believe me when I tell you, that a turnpike Was much folicited by fome gen-; tlemen, to lead from Chelmsford to the; ferry at Tilbury fort, but oppofed by the jsruins pf this country --whofe horfes .$re worried to death with bringing chalk- trough thefe vile roads, I do not imagine that [ 89 ] that the kingdom produces fuch an inftance of deteftable flupidity ; and -yet in this tradt are found numbers of farmers, who cultivate above iooo/. a year. Befides thbfealready mentioned, we find a Skinner and a Towers, who each rent near 1500/. a year, and a Read almoft equal; but who are all perfectly well contented , with their roads. . . ' I forgot to tell you, that near Horndon; on the fummit of a vaft hill, one of the moft aftonifhing profpedts to be beheld, breaks almoft at once upon one of the dark lanes. Such a prodigious valley, every where painted with the fineft verdure, and interfedted with numberlefs hedges and woods, appears beneath you, that ft is paft defcription ; the Thames winding thro' it, full of fhips, and bounded by the hills of Kent. Nothing can exceed it, unlefs that which Hannibal exhibited to his difconfor late troops, when he bade them behold the glories of the Italian plains ! If ever a turnpike Should lead through this country, I beg you will go and view this enchant ing Scene, though a journey of 40 miles is neceffary for it. I never beheld any thingj equal, to it in the Weft of England, tha^ region of landfcape. - |Cing's-I^ead, Tilbury, June 24, 1767. '•' [ 9© 1 LETTER III. TILBURY Fort yields not a mo- merit's amufement in recompenfe for the hours you' may probably wait for the ferry : We were tolerably lucky* and after much bullying and .fome fair words, reduced, the ,( wretehep! time of waiting to about an hour. Gravefend is a deteftable exhibition of the worft out-Skirts of Lon-, don."— — It is. Wapping in miniature. I had fome bufinefs which led me to Thong, and was amazed to find no way of getting at it but through narrow lanes, as over grown and dark as thofe of Effex; tins parifh and Shorn contain as much rqman-, tic variety of landfcape as ever I beheld ; the hills are wild, Steep, and.almoft cover ed with wood, and rife into bold varia tions, between the breaks of which, vaft profpedts of the valley beneath, and. the Thames winding through it, are every, now and then feen; and from the tops of fame of them moft prodigious profpedts of the whple country, at large* The foil about thefe hills is in general fand and gravel, but had extreme good crops of oats on it, and tolerable ones of barley, with very fine clover and ray-grafs : Some hop-grounds, but none equal to many others I faw. Mr, Neak i 9-1 ) Neale at Thong had fome drilled peafe* which looked very well, and about two acres of burnet on a fandy gravel ; it had been fed, but made no appearance. The land lptts in general about thefe hills for 8 s. an acre : including the wild parts of them, which are pver-run with gorfe and whins. Between Shorn and the turning off to Gravefend in the way to London, I "obferved two fields of exceeding fine broad-caft Lu cerne; one of them of feveral growths, having been cut at various times for feed ing cattle in racks ; from the number of oats among it, I apprehend it was fown With that grain laft year, and thofe appear™, ing when I faw it, fprung from the fes tered ones. It pleated me greatly to fee fuch fertile land put to this ufe; for the farmer muft have a very good opinion of this grafs to apply fuch rich foils to its production ; land letting here from 20 sf to 3 Or/, an acre. I obferved many very fine crops of fainfoine mowing for hay, between the latter named place and Dart- ford. The foil all chalk. The road made entirely of it ; and by means of attending, it well, is kept very free from holes, and is hard and level. The beauty of all- this country (which, in refpedt of hill and dale, is finely variegated) is wretchedly hurt by the abominable cuftom pf ftripping up all the [ , 9* 1 the trees; infomuch, that they look like hop-poles. This vile cuftom is attended" with not a fingle advantage ; all thetimber is ruined, and a very fmall quantity of faggot-wood gained. I obferved fcarce any thing but elms. The beans and wheat were exceeding good, and the oats very forward. _ , Between Dartford and Shooter' s-hill, ' at Bexley, the hufbandry is very good : I ob ferved it particularly, and gained -Softie1 information, which is worth minuting. The land lefts from 16 s. io^os. per 'acre; but in general about 20 j. One farmer in Bexley hires 200 acres, at guineas. Their COurfe of hufbandry is, 1. Peafe ; the pods for the London market* got off time enough to give two ploughings for, 1. Turnips,; 3. Barley or oats, generally the former." 4. Wheat : but fometimes clover is fown with the barley, and then the wheat Suc ceeds that. They reckon a good common crop, fix or feven quarters of wheat and' fpring-corn ; which is very confiderable, and plainly proves the land to be very good, otherwife fuch a quantity of wheat could never be got after barley ; but the introduction of "clover muft be a better courfe ; for that grafs mowed twice would abate any ranknefs in the ground, which threatened a laid crop of wheat. There is much fainfoin fown j many fields of which produce t 93 J produce three tuns of hay per acres Day- labour about that neighbourhood, is, in general, I s. 6 d. a day and beer the year round, except at harveft, then is. and board : and the price of ploughing per acre, $ s. . About Lewi/ham and Blaciheath, &c. the country is moftly occupied by gardening farmers, who cultivate beans, peafe, pota toes, Carrots, cabbages, &c. for the London market, intermixed with wheat, barley, oats, &c. The foil at Lewi/ham on the hills is chiefly clay, but in the vales it is gravel ; with good tillage, and plentiful manuring, they convert the clays into fine flexible loams, the rent from 1 5 s. to 40 j. an acre. The common farmers are here very great Slovens, even to fowing beans broadcaft, and never beftowing any hoeing on them, but the gardening farmers dibble them in rows, and keep them per fectly clean by hoeing. They plant chiefly the long pods, and gather them green for market. Cabbages are another crop, which they deal much in, planting them in fuccef- fion to laft the whole year ; fummer cab bages, called white hearts, they fet equally diftant two feet afunder, fell them in fuiy at 1 iJ. or ltd. each ; and there being 10890 on an acre, when planted in that manner, the amount is at I | d. 5.6/. 14 s. and at i\d. 68 /, is. and the crop is got off if 94 I off time enough for turnips or Savoys, 0>t winter cabbages. This is therefore a moft profitable fyftem ; but there is a great deal of trouble and'attention neceffary in it. After the cabbages are cut, they are carted home to an empty fhed or barn to be dreffed for market, that is, the ftalk is cut off, and the dirty or yellow Straggling leaves takes off, then every cabbage is dipt in a great tub of water which ftands ready for the purpofe : this is all done by women, who* as faft as they finifh them, give them to a man who piles them up in a fquare clamp ; and in the cool of the evening they are loacU ed into a waggon very dexteroufly, fo that it holds, a great quantity. They get to market by 3 o'clock in the morning, and 4o not bring dung back, for four horfes are immediately taken off* and font home by the lad, that they may be fet to work, and the man brings the waggon back with the other two. An annual fum is paid for a Standing in Spittlefields market. Spring plants fold by the bunch in March and April, called eoleworts, are alfo very profitable to them. But although thefe gardeners do not bring dung back in their waggons, they buy large quantities at Dept- ford Creek brought in barges, which they reckon a cheaper way of getting it than by their own waggons. The common farmers ufe very little* but the gardening ones con- 2 fiderable C 95 1 fiderable quantities, The latter gain very great crops of wheat on the lands which they do not want for garden purpofes, 5 qrs. an acre are not uncommon with them *. * The country from hence to London is very finely variegated, richly cultivated, and exhi bits a perpetual picture of the moft pleafing kind. About Blackheath it is particularly beau tiful. Greenwich park, I believe, has as much variety, in proportion to its fize, as any in the kingdom; but the views from the Obfervatory, and the One-tree-hill, are beautiful beyond imagination ; particularly the former. The projection of thefe hills is fo bold, that you dp not look down upon a gradually falling [lope or flat inclofures, but at once upon the tops of branching trees; which grow in knots and clumps, out of deep hollows, the cattle which feed on the lawns, that appear in breaks among them, feem moving in a region pf fairy land. A thoufand natural openings among thp branches of the trees, break upon little pidturefque views of the Swelling furf, which, when illumined by the fun, have an, effedt pleafing beyond th§ power of fancy to exhibit. This is the foreground of the land fcape; a little further, the eye falls on that ©oble ftrudture. the hofpjtal, in the midft of an amphitheatre of wood. Then the two reaches of the river make that beautiful ferpentine which forms the Ifle of Dogs, and prefents the floating millions of the Thames. To the left appears t 96 J PROVISIONS^ Bread, - - id. per lb. Butter, * - 8 Beef, ¦ * - 4* Mutton and Veal, - 5 Cheefe, 4 appears a fine tradt of country leading to the capital, which there finifhes the profpedt. Quere? Is it an advantage or the contrary, to have the metropolis a part in fuch a profpedt.' as this ? I leave this to readers of tafte to deter mine ; but if the parts of one whole act at all by contraft, it furely is an advantage to com bine numerous and ftriking objedts. . Nothing can be more truly rural than the fcenes which this park itfelf exhibits beneath, and feem fuf-' ficiently in the landfcape-ttile, to take off the; tineafinefs we feel from viewing a mere profpeft. From Highgate, where you look over a great plain, with London in the center of it, this un* eafmefs is ftrongly felt : and for this reafon I Should prefer the abfence of the capital to its. prefence, in a view that had not fomethirig; Strikingly rural and picturefque to operate by Contraft. §uere ? If the latter fcenes do not acquire in the eye of the imagination a more Arcadian bloom, as Shenjione calls it, from appear ing in the fame piece with fo vaft a city ?— On the other hand, by the metropolis appearing, the picture is rendered too complete ; for nothing is left to the fancy : the river with fuch amaz ing traffic, a fcene for ever moving, would fet the imagination at work in a moment to paint that [ 97 ] from London i fome bufinefs called me to. feveral villages ; between Barnet and Hat field in Htertfprdfhire : The country there is that city which all lead to, and confequently figure it infinitely beyond the reality; fome- thing fhould in all views be left to the ideas of the- beholder. I fhall not, however, quit this delicious park without obferving, that the I fie of Dogs, and the low grounds of Effex, are no addition to the profpedt. What a glorious effect Would refukfrom a bold hanging Shore covered with wood! ; . - ' The hofpital is a very noble building; the fronts chafte and elegant ; but there wants a more magnificent center than the ranger's houfe in the park-; which, from the river, has the effect of being defigned as a part of the whole; The fronts, on- each fide the Square, facing each other, are very beautiful ; the pillars light and elegant, and thofe parts of the building which rife higher than the center at each end, have -am admirable effect. -When there are no detached Swings, fofrie variation fhould mark the ends, to prevent an abruptnefs, ;but the defigning them in a juft tafte is feldom effected ; they too often break the unity, and confequently divide. the Spectator's5 attention ;¦ but thefe are perfectly free from this fault. If I may, however,, ven ture to infinuate a fault in thefe fronts, it is the height of the roof, which appears between. the 'center and the ends : it rifes too much, giving Something of a heaviriefs to the building. The painted hall is a noble room 80 "by 40,' and 40 H high [ 9» 1 chiefly grafs, the corn-grounds by no weans carried fuch good crops as I expected j but the foil is in many places in the center,* with a very beautiful cupola at one end, and a detached area at the other* of 40 by. 35, and 30 high. The painted del ing is by fome much admired* but I cannot find in it any thing above a very mediocrity. The chapel is much the moft worth feeing^ the proportion is exceedingly beautiful, and forms one of the fineft rooms to be feen in E&gr- land; it is 100 by 50* and §0 high: the orna ments are all white, and gold j the cornice very elegant ? and the deling of the altar truly beau tiful j the organ is Sine. It is ©bfervable, that although a gallery, in the ftik of .a Shelf, runs on each fide the room, yet it has not an heavy effects which muft reSblt from a peculiar har mony of proportion* Nothing of this fort can ever be added to a room, without hurting .the general effect 5 but in this the mifchief is left than I any where remember it. The little del* ing-piece of the altar by Brown, reprefentiflg eherubims, is elegant, and perhaps worthy the pencil of Albano himfelf. On Blackheath, finely Situated^ is the feat -of Sir Gregory Page ¦: it is a noble building, witfr ¦two haadfome fisonts ; that to the fouth is orna-< menfed with an Ionic portico. The hall is a' very elegant. room, adorned with handfbrae pil lars, and other ornaments in a juft tafte. Out ©f it, on the left hand, you enter the dining- loam,. well proportioned, with a finallrecefs for theifideboard. The fitting up, rich carving an^ gildingy C 99 1 Itprtey arid gravelly. Grafs is what pays beft: it fells frequently for 50 s. 60s. and 70 s. a load ; which is 36 trufles, each j IIM ¦ ¦ .i.l.l.l 'ill I ¦ 1 ¦ ¦-.I,,, .., 11 ¦¦ |„— ^»^^ giklirig, on a white ground; chimney-piece of white marble, polifhed and beautiful. It opens; into the gallery, which is 60 feet long, 16 broad, and 20' high, hung with crimfon ; ceiling, cornice, door-cafes, and all the orna ments, gilt carving, on white grounds. In this room are the following pictures. Battoni. Judgment of Solomotf, painted in a very pleafing ftile ; the figures and group .fine ; but the diffufion of the light very incorrect. The expreflion of it acrojk the child oh t,he floor is good ; but from whence comes it ? It is by no means hi unifori with the reft. Peter Vanderwerjf. Adam1 and Eye, and Strato- yiicej two pieces : the female figures are uncommonly fqft, delicate, and elegant j the expreflion of the naked Is pleafing. Meiris. A poulterer's Shop, arid a fishmon ger's ditto, its companion; Very mi nute expreflion, highly finifhed : the exact imitation of the baSket yftll pleafe you. Rubens. Juno and Ixion: Rifbens and his Miftrefs. David and Abigail. Thefe pieces, which ate fine, are in his general ftile, the females capitally plump, but they are riot of a ftriking expreflion. h fruit and fowl-piece by Snyders, the figures H % "of; [ roo ] 56 B. Two things here are very bad, their ditches and their ploughs, both very material to a far hi. Too rnany of the of this mafter : Snyders' fhare in this piece -feems to be much fuperior to Ru bens'.' The clofe and lively imitation of nature, in the fruit and fowls is very. fine. Bajfan. Landfcape with cattle. The ' angels appearing to the fhepherds. Dark, coarfe, and' unpleafihg ; they totally want all brilliancy of colouring. Next we entered the drawing-room, 25 by 20, ornamented in a rich tafte; the chimney- piece haridfome.. It is adorned with twelve pictures, containing the hiftory of Cupid and 'Pjyche, by Luca Giordano, very fine. Out of this you go into the faloon, 35 by 25, the chimney-piece of which is exquifitely elegant j the door-cafes arid all the ornaments beautiful ; the flabs fine, and the pier-glaffes large. The principal pictures are, The' Good Samaritan, "by Baldel'ochi, an Un pleafihg piece. Cdlabrere. Return of the prodigal Son : a dark ' unpleafihg picture ; the attitude of the fon is difguftful and inexprefllve. The drefling-room is very beautifully orna mented, and contains a moft capital colledtion of pictures ; particularly twelve pieces by the Chevalier Vanderwerff, which are worthy of a rrionth's incefiant admiration ; the fubjects are -asfollovv : Shepherds and jhepherdeffes dancing. The -atti tudes of thefe'figUres are inimitable,' and fketched with [ loi } hedges; are dead ones ; -boughs interlaced, four feet high in flakes, and white thorn planted by the fide of it, intermixed with with much more grace than might be expected from a painter, who finijhed fo exquifitely. ' The colouring of the naked, the foft arid delicate expreflion of the roundnefs of the breafts arid1' limbs, and the wonderful brillianty of the "whole piece, which is finiflied to an aftonifhing degree; of elegance, are all inimitable. The Roman Charity. Very elegant; the riaked of the woman fine. Venus and Cupid. Beyond alk imagination elegantly pleafing; the naked body of Venus is more beautiful than one could have thought the power of colours could have reached. ' The foftnefs is fuch, that the flefh feems as if it would yield to the touch ; arid the harmony of the Colouring fo bewitching,, that a. more tempting delicious figure cannot be conceived;: thegene-r ral brilliancy is very capital, nor Can any piep? be in higher prefervanon. Jofeph and Potiphar's wife. Never painter was' more happy in the choice of his Subjects : for fure the difference between naked women in the. age of pleafure, and . the martyrdom of faints, forrh a contraft fufficiently decifive: Pp' tiphar's wife is exquifitely painted. __ King Zeleucus giving his kingdom to his Son. Extremely fine. ' Bathjheba bathing, '" Exquifitely done. The Choice of Hercules. The figure of Vice is made in this picture (as it is in the works. of the poets) much the moft" tempting lady ; fbe is indeed irifmitably foft and delicate,: H 3 ( 102' ] fallow Stakes, and without any ditches : this practice is a wretched one. After they 'aire grown up arid cotne to Be Mary Magdalen reading in a grotto. Afto- nifhingly executed ; the attitude, colouring, fbftnefs of expreflion beyond all defcription : remark particularly the plaits of the flefh, occa-. fioned by her leaning forwards, under her Iefij breaft ; the feet alfo remarkably fine. , Meffage from the angels to the Jhepherds. Very fine. The light comes all from the angel, who is in a pofition not advantageous for diffufing it agreeably. , Our Saviour and Mary Magdalen. Fihifhed, like the reft, in a furprifing manner. There appears ari unnatural twift in her thigh and leg ; Chef. Vanderwerff, his wife and daughter, Very, fine. " This is a, flight fketch of the furprifing excd- teneies of thefe pictures. No one can view this nouffc without regretting the want of a day tq examine each piece in. I do not remember hav ing feen any thing in the fame ftile nearly equal to them but X$rd Orford's David and Abifkag, by the fame riiafter. ,' In this room are likewife four exceeding fine pieces of fruits and flowers, by Van jHuyJum-, thofe. containing the grapes are beyond a" de fcription exquifite ; the infects, drops of water* and the cores - of the, fruit appearing through the fkin, are wonderfully done. A Landfcape. The trees, arid the exprefiiqn of the light through their branches, ftriking ! " Next we entered the crimfon bed-chamber.* [ io3 ] plafhed, they become very ftrong, they lay down an immenfe quantity of boughs, many bigger than a ftout man's thigh, and which is very handfomely ornamented. The bed is placed in a part feparated from the reft of the room by pillars. The dimenfions 30 by 16. This room opens into the Jibrary, 45 by 20 ; die pillars are handfome* but do not divide the room in an agreeable manner. I fhould further remark to you, that the par ticulars of the fitting up and fiarnifhing, not mentioned in the preceding account, are very elegant. The rooms are hung with crimfon, and green filks and damafks ; and the cornices, ciel- ings, door-cafes, flab, fofa^—arid chair-frames, all carved and gilt in a good' tafte. The chim ney-pieces are very beautiful, being fome of them elegantly decorated with wreaths and feftoons of wrought marble. Moft of the flabs are very fine, of various forts. There is a very beautiful collection of ornamental Drefden and Chelfea porcellane, Scattered about the. houfe. Although London cannot furnifh many agri cultural obfervations, yet there are buildings, paintings, fcf>c. worthy of remark ; fome I have viewed which haye never been mentioned by any writer at all, and others that have never been defcribed, 1 Shall infert them without ceremony in the order I viewed them. From the fize of Northumberland houfe, one would imagine there were more rooms of mag- •nificence and fhew than are found in it ; at leaft jf all worth feeing are Shewn. We faw only one- fuite of rooms ; entering a common dining H 4 parkw C *°4 ] they afterwards continuing to growl form a- prodigious ftrong hedge; but yet the want of ditohes make them very eafy to parlour about 20 feet by 20 ; out of that into a , dining-room 45 by 20, handfomely furnifhed ; the chimney-piece elegant, Siena and white mar ble in compartments,' with a tablet baflb relievo polifhed; and all fupported by two very hand- fome fluted pillars of Siena marble. In this room is found that noble picture the Cornaro family, by Titian, which highly deferves the ad* miration of every lover of painting ; thofe who have not viewed the capital well prefervfed pieces of this rnafter in the foreign collections, but have drawn their ideas of him from his works in EngJ land,- will be furprized to find the colouring of this picture what may yet be called frefh. The heads and hands are of the moft perfedfc expref- fion ; not the imitation of life,., but lifeitfelf; nothing can be in?a finer tafte than thefe three . •exquifite portraits : The connoifleurs may dif- cover beauties of a peculiar nature in this piece; but the unlearned fpedtator who views with no prejudices but thofe in favour of nature, will be ftruck' greatly at the fight of fuch venerable "heads that carry in their air and every trait, the marks of fuch genuine expreflion. . ' Next comes a drawing-room 40 by 20 : this is alfo well furnifhed 5 the chimney-piece lio-ht and elegant; the mofaic'd deling jn thefrefco ftile pretty. At one end is a large landfcape by Salvator Refa, which is fine ; rocks and trees jumbled together in the wildnefs of that romanr- tic genius, which feemed ¦ formed by nature to - ?• catch [ }?s 3 pafs,;,when new, done, as eafy as a ftile* They cut little trenches about 18 inches wideband 12 deep, and call them ditches; catch her fublimeft hints ; with a. little group of figures dropped from a whirlwind.— Oppofite, Jxion by Lancet tj, an horrible Subject, and han dled in, a. dark, but riot an inexpreflive manner, Befides thefe pieces, I would recommend you to obferve a. fmall landfcape of a ftream with a bridge over, it cut out of the rock ; it is a pleaf ing, natural, glowing piece. The two larger pictures, companions, one on each fide the~ chim ney, ' of female figures, want that foft, voluptu- oufnefs of the naked, which ought ever to be found in pieces of this fort'; that on the right fide of the chimney is by much the moft pleaf ing, the attitude of the woman is eafy and ex- preffively painted. — Over the landfcape by Sal- vator, is a very pleafing picture of Venus lying along on a couch, which in fpftnefs, colouring, and an enticing expreflion of the embonpoint, is well worth attention ; it reminds one of the fa mous Venus by Titian; like his, her face is by no means anfwerable to fier body ; the pofture is in every refpect the fame except the pofition of the left hand ; which Titidn has thrown negligem^ ment fur ce, fays M. Cochin, que la modejiie doif cacher, but here it falls on the thigh. From' this drawing-room we enter a fmall Jbreakfaft-room of about 20 by 20, hung with tapeftry; and 'out of that into the great ball room, one of the moft elegant in London ; it is ^03 feet long, 27 broad, and 32 high, richly prnampped with gilding, &c. The deling (which t 1 06 J but in ftiany of theit flat fields their corn in winter is half fpoiled for want of good ones to drain the water" off. Their is coved) is very beautifully adorned with me dallions, copies of antiques, particularly a Fame, a Flora, a Victory, and a Diana. On one fide the room are two chimney-pieces, the cornices of which are baffo-relievb's of white marble, and fupported by figures Pf Phrygian captives, copies from others in the Capitol ; but th&y are father too bulky for this ufe. The other fide pf the room contains a double range of windows, which are contrived in a very, peculiar manner ; for notwithstanding the fize of the roorii, the lower ones are of common dimeftfions and hejghrh, which is a circumftance extremely agreeable1, the upper range is quite concealed behind the cornice, infbmuch that you muft be clofe to thfe pppOfite fide of the room to discover the imme diate track of their light : by means of this contrivance, the room is equally lighted from" the floor to the deling, and the pictures are viewed without the leaft glare. In the piers be tween the "windows of the lower range are very elegant glaffes, and feveral flabs of agate, and the firieft and rareft marbles. The fofks and chairs are of crimfon damafk, (window-curtains, pf the fame) with gilt arftis and legs. There are four glafs luftres. But "the principal ornaments of this beautifrij room are the "paintings ; in refpect of which I cannot but greatly admire, the tafte of the noble owner, who, rather than furnifh it with Such Originals as are to be procured at prefent, ^rdere^ 3 copies i *°? i ploughs are much worfe than their hedges; fa exceedingly large1 arid heavy, that the mere draft of the weight Is fUfficient for copies of fome capital 6nes of the greateft painters, by the firft artifts of this age. The fuccefs his Grace met with in the execution, was (equal to the propriety of the idea ; for here are five paintings which may really be called adml* table. It by no means becomes me to talk of a diftiriction between copies and originals : I fpeak of paintings merely as objects formed to pleafe the fpedtator ; if the view of one gives riie pleafure, I freely beftow the flight tribute of my praife, without a fingle enquiry of who painted it. In the center is the Sfchool of Athens, after Raphael, by Raphael Mengs, which, in defiance of this immortal name, I fhall pro nounce a learned, but by no means a pleafing picture. The grouping, in refptdt of pfcturefque compofition, is excellent, but the piece is Very rightly called a School, for it cortfifts of many group's with fcarce any unity. The figures ale in tnoft refpedts fine, but are Lttle better, from the diftinctnefs of their erriployirients from each other, than fo many portraits ; the draperies ^re in general in a heavy, inelegant ftile ; but tfje airs of the heads, and the variety of the corripofition are excellent. You will par don my fpeaking -of a copy as if it was an original. (3n one fide of this is the feaft, and oh the other the council of the Gods, both by Raphael, and copied by Pompeio Batto'h'i. In the firft you will admire the bold ftrength, of what may be callecj [" io8 ] two horfes; a Share commonly weighs 60. or yolk From hence refults the prac tice of never Stirring with lefs than four called mufcular. expreflion* for the artift feems in this piece to have confulted little befides dif- playing his anatpmical learning ; the drawing, it is true, is fine ; but the drawing of a Satyr may be as fine as that of a Venus I There is through: out this picture, a great want of grace; every limb' is thick, .unwieldy, and heavy, even the female figure is that of a Rubens-, nor can I conceive that there is any merit in the grouping pf the figures, ¦ The feaft of the Gods is infinitely finer, (ex-, xufe my reminding you, that . when I fay an bbjedt is fo, I mean no more than I think it fo) for here are a great number of figures ad mirably grouped, and fome of them extreme ly graceful ; with Ta general variety in the com- pofition, which muft be ftriking to every one, The woman in the center, whofe back parts are alone feen, is admirably drawn, and the turn .and inflection of the limbs expreffed in the happieft manner; alfo the three fecondary female figures jn the corner of the right fide, are graceful and yery pleafing ; the airs of the heads, in general, and the ftile of the whole' corripofitidn is fine. Let me further remark, that in neither this nor die preceding, are. many marks of that brillianv cy, and pleafing diffufion of lights and fhades which refult from the refined practice of the ckar obfeure. At the upper end of the room is the triumph .of Bwhiis, after Annibal Carrach, by Cofianfi >, a picture I *<>9 1 horfes, on a light loofe gravel, after it has received three Or four earths for turnips' ; the fifth, nay the tenth wpuld not be given a picture which, however corredt the drawing rriay be, by no means pleafes: the Subject could be chofe by none but an artift who wanted to difplay the diftortions of the humari body ; thus we fee 'in the corner'on the right fide,v a woman a very Bright in flefh,'with drapery fo well drawn^ as, to "difplay the fhape of the limbs correctly through it ; who can view therri, arid not wifli forthbfe of a beauty, inftead of an oyfter- woman? Another fomewhat better made, holds up her hands and arms in' all the fury of intoxication. Surely this painter muft have a ftrange tafte, thus to reprefent the human form ! But a 'greater fault is the unmeaning filly infipidiry of Bacchus, who furdy ought to have had marks of a peculiar arid animating fpirit upon fuch an occafion ; in ftead of which he fits' in his car with as much ealmhefs, as quiet, fober, and .mild a counte nance, as if he had been in a council of the gods, inftead of a drunken frolick. Thefe circum- ftances, more than balance the excellencies of drawing, colouring, &c. which are found in this piece. But the Aurora after Guido by Mdfuccio, makes ample 'amends for all the reft. Sure' never was grace, in all the divinity of its moft pleafing at titudes, more happily caught than in this fweet idea, which is executed with as much elegance as it was conceived with fpirit. The whole range of painting cannot exhibit a more pleaf ing group j each figure is fhewn to the beft ad vantage j I *w ] without four ftrong horfes and1 two Stout mert* one to hold and another to drive; and never dp above an acre. Much ftronger m m i-. —,— ¦„» . i| ¦.., ¦ ¦ ¦ .' i - ¦ i ¦¦¦ '¦ ¦- I ¦ '¦- Vantage; and each jmoft peculiarly elegant : but; the principal of the graces is Gg. ace itfelf ; the arms are extended in fo beautiful a xn^nrie/, the whole body is turned with fp much £a$£ that a fuperior is fcarcely to be imagined. The cpfouriipg^ the general diffufipn of the clear ,pb- fcure, the syofiderful eleganpe of the whplp is firiparaUeled. One remark, however* I muft be allowed, which is, that Apollo (the principal figure) is by no means equal to any of the Graces ; his attitude is not Unpleafing, but it is tame, iri: expreffive, and infinitely inferior in grace to th& figure above mentioned. I do not apprehend there is a houfe in Eng land of its fize, better worth the view of tfie curious in architecture,- and the fitting up and' furhifhing g eat houfes, than Lord Spencer's iff St. Jartjes'j Place: Nothing can be more pleaf ing than the park front, which is" ornamented to an high degree, arid yet riot with profufiqo j I know riot a more beautiful piece of architec ture. Nor is the fitting up and furniture of the rooms, inferior to the beauties of the out- fide. We were firft fhewn into Lprd Spencer's library, which is 30 feet by 251 tfee ornaments .handfome. The diimney-piece very light, of jjolifhed white marble. On qne fide of the room bangs. a capital picture pf the nature of witch craft y the expreffipn and fihrfhingis very great; arid lands than any in this neighbourhood are, in Suffolk and Effex, broke up the firft time with a pair of horfes and one man, who and the extent of the painter's imagination ftrik* kg, in drawing into one point fuch a multitude ©f the emblems of witchcraft, and aft defignedl with a fine wildnefs of fancy. Jt is fomewhat in the ftile of Scarlatti. From hence you enter the dining-room 46 by &4 ; the decorations in the fineft tafte, and the richeft of their kind ; the deling and cornice of white and green, beautiful. The flabs of Siena marble, large and finely veined. The chimney- piece, a hafib relieye, pf White marble well polifhed. On one fide of it is a landfcape, the killing .of a dragon ; the general brilliancy pf which is .fine ; and the* trees well expreffed. On the other fide is another yet more pleating, the .trees of which are likewife ftriking : the figures are a centaur carrying .off a naked woman: her back appears, which is painted w.kh ,a moft ek> ficate foftnefs-; fhe has a flight drapery which is pleafingiy defigried, though perhaps not per fectly natural. Next we entered the drawing-room* which is &4 by 21* clear of a bow- window,, parted from the room only iby two pillars of jn,oft exquifite workmanfbip ; they are carved in leaves, the thidt foliage of which bends round in a fine: arch from one to the other, in a tafte that can not be too much admired; on each fide, in a femircular -cove in the Wall, an urn ,of whitp marble with baflb relievos. Nothing can be ¦more elegant than .the chimney-piece /, a border of C »i 1 both ploughs and drives'; but then -^bne of thefe implements Weighs as fnuch' as five of the ploughs of thofe counties. The -£. -. of Sierfa marble with a feftoon of flowers upon it iri white % the ceiling, cornice, and ornaments of green and " white and gold, and in a delicate ftile. - : • Over j the • chimney, a picture • of two ufurers; with great expreflion. ::,,!->; , Returning, we next: viewed the Attick ffory; the ftair-cafe is in a very juft tafte, wide and lofty ; the deling and ornaments green arid white. Frorh the landing-place you enter.'.firftthe mufic-rooni 25 by 23, the chimney-piecdextreme- ly light ; on the left -a fmall' dreflittg-roem very neat; the cornice of the chimney-piece white marble,~-fupported by pillars of Siena. This bpens! into '.the- bed-chamber,' 25 by "20.. The beds and tables very finely: carved and. Inlaid; the former of crimfon damafk,. with coved tops, and elegant. Returning to the mufic- room, you -enter the drefling-room 25sby;23j which is fitted up with' great tafte;: fcarce any thing can be more beautiful than the mo faic ceiling, the cornices and all the ornaments: the chimney-piece is finely defigned and admirably executed ; it is of white marble wrought with the utmoft tafte, and beautifully polifhed ; over the cornice are feftoons of the lighteft carving, and two eaglesj with a very fine baflb relievo of carving in the center : the pictures are difpofed with great elegance, and hung up by ribbons of gilt carving in a pretty tafte; among them are - the following pieces : • Two old men's beads in the ftile of Rembrandt -, fine. Idfs, from this miftaken practice, muft be amazingly great, fince the difference is fuft half; for the wear of thefe immenfe Ten pieces, companions, exceedingly beautiful ; the colouring, attitudes, arid drapery very ftriking ; among them Andromede^ Rape of Europa, Venus, Neptune. A battle by Borgognone, very fine.' Madona, dark, but good. Nativity, fine. A Chriji, ditto: Hory family, pleafing, but the drapery riot ex-: cellent. Landfcape, by Claud Loraine, fine. Out of this room you enter the faloon 45 by 30, than which I never beheld one fitted up and furnifhed in a more pleafing tafte ; the del ing, which is coved, is in mofaic'd compart- fnents, green and white and gold ^ gift medal lions are let into it. , The door-cafes exceedingly elegant, their cornices fupported by pillars, fine ly carved,- and gilt with the fame mixture of green as in the deling.. The chimriey-piece -large, but very light ; relievos of white mar ble. Between the windows are two flabs very krge, of. the fineft Siena marble, the frames carved in the moft exquifite tafte and richly gilt. The pier-glafles of a large fize, fingle plates, and the frames of the lighteft workman ship. The carving and gilding of the fofa frames the fame. In the center of the room hangs a fine glafs luftre. On each fide the chimney is an- hiftorical landfcape, one of them Alexander I and I 114 ] ploughs cannot be lefs than double that of the little ones, fo that a change would at once double the quantity of land ploughed, and Diogenes ; the expreflion good, but the co louring of both has fomething of the Mannerift. The next room is called the painted one ; 24 by 22 : on one fide is a bow-window orna mented with carved and gilt pillars, beautifully executed ; the walls and deling are painted in compartments by Mr. Steuart, in the moft pleaf ing tafte ; even the very fcrolls and feftoons of the flighteft fort, which are run between the fquare and circular compartments, are executed with the minuteft elegance : the ground of the whole is green ; and the general effect more. _ pleafing than is eafily conceived. Nothing can be lighter or more beautiful than the chimney- piece ; the frieze contains a moft agreeable painting reprefenring a clandeftine marriage, which, without variety or glare of colours, has all the harmony of their utmoft power : nothing __ can be more pleafing than the drapery, which is * defigned with the jufteft tafte. The foft expref- fion of the naked, and the beauty of the heads are great. I fhould obferve, that two of the fmall compartments of the wall are landfcapes let into it with no other than the painted frame of the di vifions : one reprefents a water-fall, and the other a bridge over a ftream, both fine. The frames of the tables, fofas, ftands, &c. are all carved and gilt in the fame tafte as the other ornaments of the room, rich but elegant. Re member to obferve the peacock's feathers over one of the glaffes, the turtles on a wreath of flowers [. »5 1 and at the fame expence. Suppofe a farmer ' has 200 acres of arable land, arid that he gives them, upon an average, 3 earths: flowers, and the magpies on bunches of grapes : they are beautiful, and the deception of the firft extraordinary ; the bold relief of fuch flight ftrokes does honour to the pencil of the artitt. , It would have been. endlefs in each room to have mentioned every circumftance ; but let me, in general, remark, that all I have attempted to defcribe are much fuperior to the idea you will have from my defcription ; and all I have omitted to mention, in richnefs, elegance, and tafte, fuperior to any houfe I have feen. The hangings, carpets, glafies, fofas, chairs, tables, flabs, every thing are not only beautiful, but contain a vaft variety. The carving and gilding is unrivalled ; the tafte in which every article throughout the whole houfe is executed, is juft and elegant. - Among Mr. J-mnen's pidtures *, fome I remarked that were excellent ; among others were the following in the common parlour. Swan. Landfcape. The general brilliancy and fine expreflion of the light, the pofition and attitudes of the figures, admirable. Rape of Europa. In the Dutch ftile of minute expreflion. The figures are very nume rous, and the piece good. Landfcape, with fheep, and a little Steeple, very * Qrmond->Sfreet, Bloomfbury. I 2 L »* 1 a year ; this is ploughing 600 acres once ; now, if we call an earth 5 s. which (and 5 j. 6 d.) is the price in Hertfordjhire, thefe beautiful ; the figures fine, light, and airy, and the colouring good. Landfcape, with a large ruin, moft exquifite. The trees on the right fide with light through them, fine ; the goats and fheep beautiful, and the colouring and general brilliancy admirable. In the dining-room: The Apoftles St. Peter and St. John : the co- . lours dark, but , the airs of the heads good. Angel appearing to the fhepherds : Wonderfully beautiful, and of a moft pleafing bril liancy ; the cows, particularly the red one ftanding on the right, and that laid on the left, inimitable. Holy Family, a fmall picture on copper. The colours, expreflion, harmony, clear ob- fcure, foftnefs and delicacy, all fine ; the attitude of the female on the left that is leaning on her hand, the turn of her arm and the falling of the other hand admirably beautiful ; but the twift in her body by the binding of her veft, fome- what unnatural. The virgin's face truly agreeable. Holy Family ; and Jefus and the Samaritan wo man companions ; the firft of a good expreflion and colouring. Hayman. The taking of Chrifi -, the expreflion better than ufual with him : colouring very bad. 3 [ "7 ] 2O0 acres cofls him 150 /. whereas, by di viding his team, he might either fave half that fum, or give his land double the num- Up flairs, in the anti-room: Nebuchadnezzar, vaft expreflion. Hayman. Peter denying Chriji. The expreflion in Chriji, and in Peter, is good ; all the reft indifferent. Hayman. The Prodigal Son. Old man pretty good ; the fon nothing. In the drawing-room : The fchool of Carrach.. Dead Chriji, Sec. fine expreflion. A large landfcape, reprefenting a waterfall, ad mirably fine.; the foam of the water is inimitable. The effects of the clear obfeure, great ; the light feen through the branches of the tree in a beautiful manner; in a word, the whole piece capital. In the green bed-chamber, : Virgin and Child. There is in this piece a fur- prizing delicacy. The calm expreflion, the attitudes, the boy's pointing up his finger, the colours, and the -foftnefs of the flefh, all very fine. Vandyke. A crucifix. The expreflion of the countenance and that of the mufcle-, fc?c. very great. The Virgin, our Saviour and John, on copper. The turn of her head, the brilliancy of the colours, and the attitude of the boys, fjne ^ the drapery heavy. I n8 3 her of Stirrings : befides enjoying the ca pital advantage of being'twice as fpeedy in critical feed-times ; a point of infinite im-? In the green bed chamber, two pair of flairs forwards : Virgin and Child; very graceful, and the old man?s head fine. A Water-fall ; colours good, but no expreflion • of the water's foam. Two battles. The colours laid on quite in blotches. In the Veftible : A Cobler. The expreflion of the countenance and colours very fine. Luca Jordano. Dead game, fine ; the figure nothing. ._ In the collection of Mr. Barnard . (Berkeley jquare) ' I particularly' remarked the following pieces :, Luca Giordano. The conversion Of St. Paul. A difagreeable picture. pantarini. " A holyfamily^ with a little St. John, excellent. Cuyp. A landfcape with cattle and figures. The colouring and expreflion excellent.' ::r.r- The light through the trees beautiful. ' Baffan. Chriit bearing the Crofs , dark and not well coloured. Claud Lor aim. 'Light through the architecture. fine, otherwife not a pleafing picture uemer. Chrift and the two difciples at Emaus, The light good, and varied well;— r- Dutch with a vengeance, { n9 3 portance. I Should remark, that they do not plough either deeper or more true than in other countries ; they fometimes .carry a Tintoretto. . Laft fupper ; exprefiive, but ap- / pears to be ill coloured. .Han. Carrach. Virgin and child. Guide. Magdalen, ftrangely difagreeable. Phil. Laura. The ftoning St. Stephen, fine dra pery and colours. Cajielli. Pharoah and his hoft drowned iri the Red Sea, difagreeable except the expref- five attitude of Mofes, Ghifolfi. Ruins, fine. Le Moine. Sufannab and the elders. The co lours dark : fhe is neither agreeable nor enticing. Zuccaretli. Landfcape, brilliant and pleafing. Rubens, Wife men's offerings, a fketch. Fine. John. Steen. A fifli-marker, furprifingly minute and lively expreflion : the countenances, the colours, the height of fir. tiling be yond all praife in this ftile of piinting : obferve the woman's cap, the boy's hair, the man's countenance and attitude, leaning on a door'in the back ground. 'Seb. Recci. Miraculous crofs pi St. Anthony of Padua. Strange group. David Tenters. A man fmoaking. Natural ex preflion. Bajfan. ' A nativity. Very coarfe, like moft of his pieces which! have feen. Vile dra peries. Nic Pouffin. A filence. Dark and difagreeable : no colours, nor any beautiful expreflion, u f 120 ] much" broader furrow, but that is a moft pernicious practice", and abhorred by all good hufbandmen ; nor is it of any confer Lubin Baugin. Virgin fupporting a dead Chrift, Fine. Gas. Pouffin. Two landfcapes, one with build ings on a hill, very fine. Another. Exquifite. The trees uncom monly beautiful. Salvator Rofa. A Landfcape with rocks, wild as the' winds, but fine. Bartohmeo. A landfcape, The water and rocks very fine. Two pieces of women and girls in various atti tudes, landfcapes. The draperies pleaf ing, difplaying the naked through them; the colouring alfo pleafing. Rape of the Sabines. Great expreflion. Devonfhire houfe is not only a confiderable ftructu|e, but contains a noble collection of pictures. The hall is 30 by 34, The firft drawing-room 32 by 24. Bajfan. Mofes and the burning bufh. Strange thought, the 'fire fpirts in his face. Claude Loraine. Landfcape, prodigioufly fine ; colouring, keeping, and trees, great. l Vandyke. Mofes in the bull-rufhes. Fine. P. Veronefe. Wife mens' offerings. Difagreeable. 'Tintoret. ' Archbifhop of Spoletto. An exceed ing good portrait ; the head very fine. Luca Giordano. Cleopatra. Fine. Vandyke. Arthur Godwin; the colouring not equal to the painter. ^quence to the farmer, as his teams do but an acre. a day. Thefe particulars are not very interefb- Carlo Cignani. Jofeph and his miftrefs ; fine drawing ; but the female not beautiful. Le Seur. Solomon and the Qiieen of Sheba. Co louring miferable ; - the drapery the fame ; the airs of the head the beft part of the picture. Titian. Landfcape. St. John in the wildernefs. Nothing pleafing. Albano. Sine Baccho et Cerere friget Venus. By no means anfwers the title. Salvator Rofa. Jacob's Ladder. Very fine. In the fecond drawing room, (30 by 24.) Rembrandt. Art old man. Capitally fine, pro digious expreflion, face, hands* and tur ban, beyond all defcriptiqn. Luca Jordano. Venus and Cupid. For this pain ter, this is delicate ; the plaits . of the flefh fine. ' Tint or et. A portrait. Good. Vandyke. Portrait of an abbefs. Very fine. Titian. A Portr'ait. The countenance and hair expreflive. Gaf. Pouffin. Two Landfcapes. Good. Dominichino. Adam and Eve. Admirable atti tudes. Guido. Andromade. The attitude fine, but the foft delicacy of the flefh, gone off. Amorofo. Beggar's boy with a bird's neft ; and a girl feeding chickens ; two pieces, and both very pretty. Tintoret. Samfon and Dalilah. Fine, T 122 ] *ng, but you muft accept them inftead of thofe beyond . my power to gain. I fhall foon fet out from London for the Weft of Carlo Marr at. Holy family. Attitude very goodj, but has no brightness, Gaf. Poujfin. Landfcape. Fine. Titian. Portrait of Philip If. of Spain. This picture is in mu.h better prefer vation than thofe we commonly fee of this mafter ; it is finely coloured, and admir rably exprefiive. Tintoret. Portrait. Fine. Rubens. Holy family. Elegant and exprefliye. Borgognone. Two battle pieces. Fine. P. da Cortona. Landfcape. Great variety. DomtnicMno. - St. Jerome. Vaft expreflion; In the library, 40 by 20, are feveral fine bronzes over the chimney. In the little dreffing room, 20 fquare : -Camilla Procacini. Transfiguration. Middling, Our Saviour is in a winding-jheet'; moft inelegant drapery, Barocbe. Holy family. The moft infipjd coun^ tenance in the world. Titian- St. Jerome. Very fine. Dominichino. Chrift bearing the crofs, Fine. Correggio. Magdalen. By no means anfwers to the fame of the painter. Solimini, Alexander and Campafpe. Drapery and colouring fine. Guido. Old woman's head. Excellent. Albert Durer. Marriage pf a virgi.n. Moft capital expreflion ; the attitude of the virgin wonderous eafy, and the county fiance fine, [ 12? ] England, which journey will doubtlefs afford much matter in my path, of obfcrva- rion. In the mean time I remain fincerely, Your's, &cf- LABOUR. Winter, i s. i d. and beer. , Hay, is. 6 d. and ditto. Harveft, is. 6d. and ditto. * ' ; ; ' — '¦« Tintoret. Mars and Venus. Fine. J^if. Berettoni. Holy Family. The hackneyed attitude without the leaft variety. A Water-fall. Very fine. Polenburgh. Flight into Egypt. Figures, colours, expreflion,' arid ftriiihing, exquifite. An. Carrach. Portrait. Very fine. Phi. Lauri. Saint and, Angel. Fine. Rottenhammer. Murder of the innocents. Vaft .Variety, much expreflion, and good , colours. Teniers. Two people counting money. Fine., Raphael. A head. Ditto. In the great dining-room, of 36 by 2.4, are Luca Giordana. Sophinifba. Difagreeable. Sir' P. 'Lely. Duke of 'Albemarle. The hands very well executed. Guercino. Sufanna arid the Elders." , Finely de figned. Great expreflion.' In the drefling-room, 36 by 24 are, Salvator Rdfa. . Achilles '"and the' Centaur. Cen taur's head great. Guido. Death of St-. Peter. G feat expreflion, and finely coloured ; but whence -'comes . the light i C *24 ] LETTER IV. I TOOK the Uxbridge road to Oxford., Jhire; very flat arid unpleafant it is; but the richftefs of the foil and culture makes amends for the dulnefs of the coun try. About Acton I obferved many crops of peafe and beans drilled, and kept per fectly clean from weeds. This culture, with refpect to peafe, I remarked particu larly, as feveral of the crops were young, and yet fupported them/elves, which I have frequently "found much wanting, in the cleaning drilled peafe ; they are generally fo very weak, that they fall into the inter*- *rals, fo as to interrupt the hoeing, and let weeds rife eafily through them ; but fome of thofe young crops flood fo upright, that I remarked it with furprize ; and on exa mining them, found a little ridge of moulds drawn up in an exceeding neat nianner to their roots, to Support them. I was particularly attentive to this peace of hufbandry, as I had never feen it perfedt}y pradtifed before. In the neighbourhood of Hays, are found two kinds of foil ; one very heavy, and the other light turnip-land. The former they ufe chiefly for wheat and beans, but fow ^hem in $ courfe peculiar to themfelves ; ftev [ i25 ]' they fallow for wheat, and after that fow beans; whereas in land Strong enough to' yield thofe crops, beans Should be the fal low, by means of thorough good clean ing, and wheat fucceed them ; which is the practice in the richeft parts of Effex. Very few oats or barley are fown in thefe heavy tracts. In the lighter ones their method is, i. Turnips. 2. Barley. 3. Clover. 4. Wheat ; than which none can be better. LABOUR. In winter, 1 s. 6 d. and fmall beer. In hay-time, 2 s. and ditto. In harveft, is. 6 d. and ditto, but chiefly by the piece. Hoeing beans, 3 j. to 5 j-. an acre. This is the cheapeft work they do. Reaping wheat, 8 s. Mowing grafs, ls.6d. PROVISIONS. Butter, - - Sd. per lb. Beef, - - 5 Mutton, - - 5 Veal, - - 5 Bread, - - 2 They plough here in general with four horfes, and all in a line^ a man to hold the plough, and a very Stout lad to drive, and do one acre a-day. The breed of hogs, the true Chinefe, large, broad, and Short legged, from London quite to Wickham. There There is nothing more remarkable than the great variations in. ruftic prices, with out any apparent caufe. I have juft given; you thofe about- Hays,, whereas they totally change in five or fix miles; for on examin ing them again, I found them as follows ; reaping wheat, $s..6d. and js. per acre; mowing, oats, is. barley, Is. id. day-la bour in winter, is. in fune and July, u. id. in harveft, i s. 6 d. and board, and beer to all : thefe for 16 or 17 miles from London are very low. Thrafhing I found was all done by the day ; a day's work at fwWnTM'was "TeTSprie^ four bufhels of wheat ; fix of barley ; and eight of oats. The foil of the country grew poorer as I advanced from Hays ; rents I found run in general, from 7 s. to ioj. 6 d. and their middling crops about three quarters of wheat ; as much of badey, and about four of oats. 'Ploughing likewife varied in this Short diftance considerably; for all the horfes I obferved at plough were harneffed in couples, four to each. About High Wycomb the farms are In general large, moft keep more teams than one: Mr. R-etten of Handier afs has 1100 acres of arable land. To fpeak of a large farm here, or in fome other countries, is 3 very different affair: here, five horfes are always ufed to a plough, oftentrm.es fix, with two men, one to hold and the other to [ I27 1 to drive ; and an acre of ground they rec kon a good day's work : if of fallowing, half or three-fourths of an acre. I do not write thefe particulars without aftonifh- ment : I am fo ufed to obferving exceeding ftrong foils in Suffolk ploughed up at the rate of an acre a-day by one man and a pair of horfes, that I cannot give you thefe vile remnants of barbarity without a great degree of difguft ; had I offered to a Buck- ' inghamjhire farmer to fend him a Servant that would plough as in Suffolk, he would have laughed in my face at my abfurdity. The courfe of hufbandry in this neigh bourhood is the beft : turnips, barley, clo ver, wheat ; often barley after wheat : this again is another proof, that the foil does not require more than a pair of horfes to plough ; for turnips are never fown but in foils that are fomewhat light. One remark, however, I muft make, and that is, the fields are very hilly. Day-labour here is out of proportion ; I s. in winter, and 2 s. in July : — — two guineas and board per month in harveft*. Beech * The noble park of his Grace the Duke of Portland, at Buljirode, is peculiarly fortunate in fituation, by means of contraft. The country adjoining is very flat, not well cultivated, and has few of thofe elegant varieties which are pleafing 3 [ ^8 } Beech woods are remarkably prevalent in the. tract of country between Wycomb and Tetford; the whole country is very hilly, and the foil fittle elfe. but chalkl The firft thing which Struck me on leav ing Wycomb town, was' the noble feat of Lord le Defpenfer ; the houfe is by no means equal to the beauty of the orna mented environs. The fituation is" very agreeable, on an eminence rifing from a moft elegant river, which meanders" through the park and gardens, with the happieft effect; before the houfe it forms an elbow, which looks like a large lake, and on which floats a Ship, completely rigged, with a long-boat, and another lying along-fide ; her mails rifing above the adjoining trees, in a manner which adds greatly to the landfcape. On the fummit of a hill, which over-looks the whole country, his lordfhip has built a' new church, pretty much in the old tafte ; and very near it a maufoleum ; — a fexangled open pleafing to a traveller -, but this happy foot, which his Grace has chofen for his park, con-' tains not a level acre ; it is compofed of per petual Swells and flopes, fet off by fcattered plantations, difpofed in the jufteft tafte. The extent is very great, and the whole appears to5 be one of the fineft parks I remember to havtf feen,, [ i29 ] open Wall of flints, with ftone ornaments/ arid a row of Tufcan pillars. On the infide runs a garter of florte around it, and two of the fix divifions are occupied with dedi cations to the late earl of Wefimoreldnd, and lord Melcomb. There is not much to com mend in the tafte of this building ; but it is either unfinished, or the idea very incom plete ; and the fituation is fuch, as to ap pear from many points of view to be orief building with the church, which has by no means a .good effect. One circumftance, however, muft not be forgot, and that is, was St. Paul to preach in this church, he muft furnifh the neighbours with more than mortal legs to become his auditor: for it Was with the Utmioft difficulty I could gain' the top, and you know pretty well that I am not wanting in adtivitjr; for an unwieldy fize was never my misfortune. This church appears therefore to me, much in the fame ftile as Beatrice confiders Don Pedro for a hufband ; fit only for feftiyals, with another for common ufe — too elevated for every day. From Wycomb up to Stoke, is through perpetual woods of beech; the foil all chalk ; the crops of corn in general clean and good, but the turnpike-road declined greatly, infomucn* that I could Scarcely beiieve myfelf on one; for near Tetford* they mend entirely of Stone, dug out" of I 130 ] the hills, which are like quarries, and are", in large flakes ; fo that in thofe places which; are juft mended, the horfe hobbles over them, as if afraid of breaking his legs. About Stoke the land lets for 10;. an acre. Their courfe of hufbandry, withi accidental exceptions, is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat.' 3. Spring-corn. 4. Clover,- two years*, 5. Fallow. Good middling crops are, of wheat* three quarters per acre ; of barley 5 ; of oats 4. Prices of work I think remarkably low. LABOUR. All the year, except at harveft, 1 x. In wheat-harveft, 2 s. and beer. -r— — Spring-corn, ditto, 1 s. 6 d: and beer* Reaping wheat per acre, 5 sr Mowing barley, 1 s. » Oats,, lod. -¦'¦;"¦ — Grafs, 1 s. 4 d. and 1 s. 6 d, , PROVISIONS. Mutton, - - 4ld.perlb. Beef, 4 Veal, - 4! Butter, - 7 Six horfes to a plough, and do an acre a-day ;, fometimes not fo much. — From the top of Stoken-hill you have one of the moft ^xtenfive profpefts I have feen; but not & rich and beautifully diversified as that I men* [ 131 J I mentioned near Bilkricay. In the v&fe the foil is all chalk, and does, not carry ab©ve of the >beft farmers buy top- dreffings "for $i<< clovers, and perhaps for ^heir wheat, of coal-afhes, peat-afhes, rags, &c. but the quantity is not confiderable. '-" They plafh their hedges very well, fo as to make as 'good fences as they can be without ditches, of which there are none; the 'land i6 all fo dry that they are not at all wanted for drain's. Their fyftem of live flock is not of much confequence, as may be fuppofed on farm's nirieteen-twentieths of which are arable ; every farmer keeps a few cows* which fome milk, but more Suckle ; they reckon a cow •to pay 5 /. a year either way: • "Very few of them have larger flocks than from one to two hundred ; and they "reckon on an average that they pay i b s. a liead profit. In their tillage, they reckon four or five 'horfes neceffary for ioo acres of land; Lnever ufe lefs than four in a plough, And do from three rood to an acre a day, fhe depth about four inches, the price per acre, js. 6d. Upon this article of tillage I have to remark, that they plough up and down the fteepeft hills, which is the moft prepo sterous condudt in the world ; it would be eafing the horfes greatly to crofs the land, and at the fame time prevent the finer par-- tides of the foil on the tops and fides of the 'I 135 '] ihe hills being wafhed into the vales, which is here the cafe in every field ; this is a „point which wants remedying not a little : two horfes would plough acrofs the banks with much greater eafe than four can do up and down. Another circumftance relative to their ploughing, I recommend to the xonfideration of thofe who have been atten tive to the mechanifm of a plough ; their Shares are fo very narrow, that all the work of the plough is done by the mould-board ; the ground is not cut at bottom* but only driven along and thrown over by the board ; there is not a greater evil in ploughing than this, which is indeed too common over all the kingdom; the reafon for it •here is the exceffive ftoneynefs of the foil ; a broad fhare cannot fee kept in the ground without difficulty ; but a very narrow one, ending in a chizzel-point, paffes better -among the Stones: the confequence of this evil is, their ploughing their land and driv ing over all the furface earth without cut ting the weeds. I have feen on turnip-land, after much tillage, and before the plants were up, thiftles make an appearance as if the land had not been Stirred above once or twice : this is aa evil of fo great importance, -that nothing fhould be neglected in order to remedy it : if the ploughs already con trived will not work here, new ones fhould be invented. K 4 In I 136 ] * In hiring and Stocking farms, they reckon .700/. or 800/. neceffary for one of 300, acres. The particulars of a farrri. here, are^ 300 acres all arable 3 cows j 30/. rent 2 men 200 Sheep 1 boy 9 horfes 3 labourers The landlord of this farm, captain Innes^ p£ Henley upon Thames, to whom I am obliged for the preceding particulars, is going to take it into his own hands, with «a view to improve the hufbandry of this neighbourhood. He is determined to get all the fences of the farm into good order, tp make a new difpofition of fome of the fields, to attend carefully to railing large quantities pf manure, to purfue a new fy ftem of tillage, having purchafed other : ploughs, and already worked them with only a pair of horfes ; he defigns to follow a courfe of crops that will banifh the unprc* fitable cuftom of fowing land two or three years fucceffively with white corn ; but above all, he is very intent on cultivating fainfoin in large quantities, for which he finds the foil admirably adapted from the experience of ten acres now (1771) iri the fecond year. Thefe objects are all of the higheft importance, and cannot fail prov ing uncommonly advantageous, efpecially the fowing. much fainfoine, which feems to be the product for which the country is peculiarly T. 137 1 . peculiarly adapted. I have no doubt but the. Captain will in a few years give a new face to cultivation in this neighbourhood. The country from Tetsford to Oxford is, extremely difagreeable, barren, wild, and almoft uninhabited. The road, called by a vile proftitution of language a turnpike^ but chriftened, I apprehend, by people who know not what a road is : it is all of chalk- ftone, of winch loofe ones are every where rolling about to lame horfes. It is full of holes, and the ruts very deep ; and withal, fo narrow, that I with great diffi culty got my chair out of the way of the Witney waggons, and various machines which are perpetually paffing. The tolls are very dear, and, confidering the bad- nefs of the roads, unreafonable. Hufban dry is by no means perfect here : in the neighbourhood of Witney there is a great variety of foils ; fome I take to *be very rich, from their rent, which is 50 j. and 3/. an acre, while under tillage, (which is but for a year or two) and 20 s. and 25 s. when laid down again. But in the fame neighbourhood, much inclofed lands lett for 20 s. and the common fields from js. tp 11s. Then courfe of hufbandry is dif ferent from moft; 1. Wheat* 2. Beans. 3. Barley. 4. Fallow. 5. Barley. 6. Clover, .with variations. They fet their beans with a dibble, C 138 J a dibble,, atid keep them clean by hoeing. Foot ploughs are here ufed. LABOUR. All winter, and to hay-time, 1 s. In hay-time, is. 6d. In harveft, 2 s. No beer at any time. Hoeing beans, 2 s. an acre : this is lower than ever I heard of. Dibbling them, is. S d.z. bufhel. PROVISIONS. Mutton, - - 6fd. and 4! d. per lb. Beef, - - 4 Butter, - - 7 It is remarkable, that very few women •and children are employed in this country in manufactures, moft of them work with the farmers ; but fome few fpin. They reckon 3 < qrs. of wheat a very good crop, and 4 of barley. The hogs are here all fed by the dairies ; never with clover *. * To be fo particular here on the city of Ox ford as its contents juftly require, would not be confiftent with the purport of thefe letters, for they would fill a volume : the country, not towns, is the principal fcene of my obfervations ; and though I fometimes vary from that plan, yet I muft not venture on fo ftrong a deviation as this celebrated city would require. However, do not pafs through it, without remarking the front [ ^39 1 Woadfiock is famous for a manufacture of pplifhed fteel and, gloves, but does not employ above twenty or thirty hands in the former, and forty or fifty in tfhe latter. Journey-men in the Steel-work earn from 1 5 j. to two guineas a week ; and men and women by making gloves, about 8 s, and 9 s. a week. Between Wood/lock and Witney, about Hanborough, the hufbandry I found much front of Queen' s-College, and the RadcliffLAbt&ry-i which are modern pieces of architecture, and beautiful. In the antique ftyle many colleges prefent themfelves, but they are , by no means equal to fome antient cathedrals in the fame gothic tafte. From Oxford we took the road to Blenheim. The front is a clutter of parts, fo diftinct, that a Gothic church has as much unity ; and, withal, a heavinefs in each part. . You enter firft the, grand hall, which is thelargeft,- and I think without comparifon, the fineft I have, feen in England: but in this room, as in moft others, there is fomething in thedimenfions which dif- pleafes.at firft fight; 53 by 44, and 60 high: this vaft height, befides the difagreeable effect it has in it'felf, takes off from the appearance of fpace in the area. The ' fide againft ?the faloon, enlarges ftfelf considerably in the mid dle : in the 'center is the faloon door; and pn each fide fome very large and magnificent Corinthian pillars, in a good tafte and pro portion -, t ho y the fame as the laft I mentioned, i. Wheat. 2. Beans. 3. Barley. 4. Fallow. When beans are hot ufed, then clover is fown among the wheat in fpring. They plant all their beans, and hoe them _ generally twice. They ufe both foot and wheel- ploughs, all with four horfes. Their ma nure they ufe entirely for the wheat and barley crops. A remarkable manner of ? der Stratum all over the country, quite from Tetsford the other fide of Oxfbrd. This ftone, which rifes in vaft flakes, would make an admirable foundation for a Surface of 'gravel; but. 'by ufing it alone, and in pieces as large as one's head, the road is rendered moft execrable, : All the country is open, dull, and very difagreeable, ridr does a vigorous culture of the earth make any airiends for thofe unpleafing circumftances ; the crops we»e generally very poof, and moftly full of weeds; a Strong proof of bad hufbandry;, and another yet more fo, is their fallows L being C *4 J being the faipe, About Burfordoni Sher* born their courfes of crops are various. Some fallow for wheat. 2.1 Dibbled peafe. 3. Barley: others vary it, 1. WJheat. 2. Beans dibbled, or barley. 3. Peafe : thi£ is in the low lands about Sherbom ; but on the Cotswold-hills they take a crop, and lay down with ray-grafs and clover. They ufe all foot ploughs, with one wheel, and four horfes in length; plough about one acre a-day. The open fields onthe hills ktt in general for about 5 s. or 6 s. an acre, the low meadows about 20.C They reckon three quarters of wheat to be a very good crop, and as much barley and beans. The farms are in general large, indeed abfurdly fo, considering the manner of managing them, for the farm-houfes are all in the towns ; fo that the farmers are at a pro*. digiaus diftance from their lands : they are \n general 2, 3, 4, and 500 /. a year, at about $s. Enclofing by no means flou- rifhes, for from Tetsford to Oxford enclq- fures are fcarce ; and from thence to North Leach, few or none. Mr. Duttori has plan ned fome at Sherbqrn, but the fchemegpes- on very flowly. It is amazing that a man, of hjs- considerable fortune, can bear to live iri the midft pf fuch a vaftly extenfive pro-. perty, in its prefent condition. All this. bleak unpleafant country is ftrong enough for any kind of trees, and might therefore be t 147 i be ornamented with fine plantations, whicii ¦fcvould yield confiderable profit in a courttry Wherein firing is fo Scarce**. And farm- houfos, barns, and all kinds of out-houfes, might be built On the fpot, cheaper,, I apprehend, than in any part of. England ; for the ftone, which every where lies almoft within fix inches' of the furface* form's' the Walls and covering (flates) of all the build ings in the country. LABOUR.; . Winter and fpring, Sd. ad. arid t.od. a-day. Summer, is. ', ', ji„] Harveft, is. %d.. l Reaping wheat, 4 s. and c>. an acre.. Mowing barley and oats, 6d< and pdi pibbling beans, 5 s. Hoeing ditto twice, 5 s. Thrafhing wheat, 2 s. per quarter. ¦ Barley, is. — ' — -Oats* 10 d. — — Bearts, 1 jv PROVISIONS. Butter^ 71 d. The dearnefs of this article muft be1 owing to nine-tenths of the' country being arable. Mutton, 4V. Beef, 4; with exceeding longcarcafes^ and long flouch jog ears, which, almoft t *5i 3 almoft trail upon the ground, to make way for their nbfes. Sairifoine is much fown in all- Chi® country, and lafts 'generally about ten years, fome longer; and their method of breaking it up, as well as fheep^paftures, after they have laid about ten years, is by paring and burning ; they take off the fur- face about - half an inch thick, and plough in the afhes for iurnips, fometimes for wheat. The price of this work is fome thing under twenty Shillings an acre. Oxen are much ufed for all the purpOfes of huf bandry;- never lefs than fix in a plough, frequently eight. They are reckoned the moft profitable by fome farmers, and horfes by others,;! but it is generally agreed, that when a man keeps two teams, it is ever the moft profitable to have one of them of oxen. LABOUR. In winter, &c. to hay-time, 8 d. o 4. and' lod. the ftouteft fellows often want work for Lime is the great manure L 160 ] manure here ; they think little can be done without it; infomuch, that every large farm has a kiln for burning lime-ftone, of which the Whole country has quarries. They generally lay on what they call three dozen ; fome four or five, that is fo many dozen bufhels. I was informed iri Here- fordjhire, the farmers go 20 miles, and pay 3 j. a dozen for it. LABOUR. Weekly pay, in general, 5 s. In fpring, 6 s. In harveft, 6 s. and vidtuals ; drink with all. Reaping wheat, 3 s. and 3 s. 6 d. Mowing grafs, 1 j. 6 d. and a dinner and drink. But in fome villages they are as follows. In winter to harveft, is. 6d. a week, and vidtuals and drink. In harveft, 5 s. and boys of from 7 to 1 2 years of age, from 1 d. to 1 f d. a day. Reaping, 6 s. Mowing grafs, 10 d. and a dinner every other day and drink. Thefe variations are unaccountable in fo fmall a diftance. PROVISIONS. Butter, - - 6 d. Whey ditto, for poor people, 3 f d. and 4 d. Candles, - - 6d. Mutton, - - 4d, Beef [ i6r ] 3f arid 4d. 2i 2 for 2 £/. laid in, and 3J« .s fix horfes or oxen can Beefi, - - Veal, - - Bread, - Coals, I j. 3 d. for as; much as draw from the pit; Cheefe, 3 \ d. IMPLEMENTS. But I know Of nothing in this Courttry fo cheapj as the articles which form, what the farmers call wear and tear ; a new waggon, irons and all complete, with a tire on the wheels near an inch thick, cofts but from 8 /. to 10/. A good cart* 4 /. A new plough and irons, from 7 s. 6 d. to 10 j. 6 d. A pair Of horfe'-harrows, from 9 s. to 1 /. I forgot to remark to you, that altho' they keep a good many hogs here, yet have they no idea of that exceedingly pro4^ fitable method of feeding them entirely with clover, they depend on nothing but whey for them ; it is to the dairy they chiefly apply their grafs, though many beafts are fatted here. . But, my dear Sir, What am I to fay of the roads in this country ! The turnpikes I as they have the affurance to call them ; and the hardinefs to make one pay for* From Chepjlow to the half-way houfe be-. tweeft Newport and Cardiff, they continue M mere t 162 J mere rocky lanes, full of hugeous Stones' as big as one's horfe, and abominable holes. The firft fix miles from Newport, they were To deteftable, and without either direc- tion-pofts, or mile-ftones, that I could not well perfuade myfelf I was on the turnpike? but had miftook the road; and therefore afked everyone I met, who anfwered me, to; my aftoniShment, Ya-as. Whatever bufinefs carries you into this country, avoid it, at leaft, till they have good roads : if they were good, travelling would be very pleafant ; for cultivated hills are of all other tracts of country the moft pidtu- refque, and, moft of thefe hills (which in more level countries, would be called mountains) are cultivated to the very tops, and cut into very beautiful inclofures by. quick hedges. I muft, however, allow that the laft fixteen miles to Cowbridge they are exceeding good ; the Stones bound firmly together, no loofe ones> nor any . rutts. Around Newport, though at no great diftance from the laft named place, I found a variation in fome articles, which is worthy minuting : their courfe of crops is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat, 3. Barley. 4. Clover, two years. 5. Wheat. They have but a fmall proportion of grafs to , their arable lands, and ufe oxen in the cul tivation j generally fix to a plough,:- which Scarcely f t6i J Scarcely do an acre a day. For wheat they plough four times, and reckon 15 bufhels a middling crop; For barley they plough three or four times, fow three bufhels, and reckon '15 a middling crop. For oats they plough but oride ; fow 2f bufhels, and 15 the medium; Tiiey plough like- wife but Once for bearis, and iri common never hoe them : but Mr. Kemmifs of New port, has introduced the method of fett-' ing them in rows, and keeping them clean by hand-hoes; Their culture of turnips is ridicule itfelf ; for they plough but orice* and-drag in the feed with ox-drags, then harrowing, and never hoe; the fcrop may be gueffed at. Farms in general run from 15/. to 150/. a yeaf ; and the rent of ara ble land from 5 s. to lis. an acre; and of grafs from js.'to 35/. LABOUR. All the year round, ibd. a day. Mowing per acre, 1 s. 8 d, and dinner anct QQ&i, This is out of all proportion. An ox-boy to drive, 4 d. a day. PROVISIONS. Bread, da ' ¦. id. per \bi Butter, - _ 5 Mutton, - - 3l Beef,' - - 4 Veal* - - 2 Coals per bufhef, 3f» 10 gall. meafure. Cheefe* " - 31 M 2 About Cowbridge and firidgend'vn Gfo" morganjldire the hufbandry is the moft im perfect I ever met 'with; and totally con trary to the moft common ideas in more informed counties. To give you fome notion of their management, let me inform you that fome farmers keep two, three, and four hundred fheep, and yet never fold them ; which is fo extravagantly Stupid, that I was aftonifhed at it : About Bridgend there are many farms which con- fift of a very light fand, efpecially near Gantillon, and yet no turnips are fown : one farmer from England, in the latter parifh, fowed two acres, and was at great pains to hoe them well, and keep them clean; the neighbouring ones ridiculed him infi nitely,, and really thought him mad ; but were furprifed to fee what a crop he gain ed, for it was very confiderable, and he fold it by the fack to all the neighbouring towns to vaft profit : this pradtice he has Since continued ; but ftrange to tell, has never been copied ! I walked over feveral tradts of land near Bridgend, bordering on the Brifiol channel, which would produce admirable carrots and potatoes, and the crops which the country-people have of thefe roots in their gardens, on the very fame foil as the fields, are excellent:' I would engage toget as fine crops I 165 ] crops of them on thefe lands as any in the world. Their prefent hufbandry, from the beft information I could get, as well as a mi nute obfervation, is this ; they fallow and lime, which is done very cheap ; the quan tity they lay upon a cuftomary acre, which is eighteen feet to the perch, is four or five curnocks, as they call them, each twelve hoops, and each hoop three pecks, confe quently 450 bufhels on an acre, which Jhey burn on their lands fo cheap, as 1 s„ 2 d. a curnock ; others who purchafe it, pay 1 s. 6 d. or 3 jr. It lafts good four years ; the courfe then is, 1 . Wheat. 2. Barley. 3. Oats. 4. Oats. 5. Fallow. Others run different. 1. Wheat. 2. Bar- , ley. 3. Oats. 4. Peafe or beans. Others again, 1. Wheat. 2. Barley. 3. Clover. 4. Wheat; but few, however, are confi-r derate enough for this. They generally give three ploughings for wheat, fow three bufhels, and reckon a middling crop from 25 to 30 bufhels. Then for barley they plough twice or thrice more ; and think 25 bufhels a middling crop. Of beans, 15 bufhels, but they never hoe them. For oats they never plough but once ; and for peafe twice. Sometimes they fow clover ; and what I have not obferved of an age, feed their hogs with it, even to depending \n a good meafure on it. M 3 Farms [ 166 ] Farms are here in general fmall ; from 30/. to 160/. a year is the common run of the country ; and land about Cowbridge letts, the grafs at 20 s. and the arable at 10 j. but about Bridgend, where the foil is much more fandy, there is a great deal lett for 5 j, They employ oxen for moft of the purpofes of draught and tillage : to a farm of 50 /. a year, you will generally find eight, and two horfes ; they yoke four to a plough, and fometimes fix, and plough an acre a day in common : but when they break up their fallows, npt above half as much. Farmers who do not rent above 30/. a year, keep only four oxen : in ge neral I found their farms to contain more ploughed land than grafs, LABOUR, Prices all the year round : Thofe men who have conftant work, 1 s. a day. An ox-boy to drive, 3 d. and 4 d. a day. If labourers are taken at various prices, then they run as follow : In winter, 1 s. In hay-time, 1 s. In harveft, is. 6 d. Reaping wheat, 4 s. and 4 j. 6 d. Mowing corn, is. 3 d. and 1 s. 6 d. and, drink. -Mowing grafs, is. 8 d. and drink. PROVISIONS. Bread, not quite 2 d. per lb. Butter, - c Skim [ i67 1 '.' Skim ''cheefe, " - 2 and i\a\per lb, Mutton, "¦"-- 3| Beef, - ' 4~ : Veal, - 3 Candles, - 7 I forgot to tell you, that burnbeaking' is known here and practhed by fomefarm-= ers, but not enough to have a fettled price per acre for it ; they do it therefore by the day. Moft of their draughts are per-' formed by one horfe, in fuch a fledge as this. See Fig. I, .',{ a. a. the fhafts, like thofe of a waggon or cart which Aide on the ground on the ends b. b. c. is a femicircular hopp from Shaft to Shaft, to keep in the facks or bundle of hay or wood, &c. which is laid on the crofs-bars, d. d. The machine is light, and much preferable to carrying the weight on the back. It is a very great pity the Glamorganjhire. gentlemen do not on a large Scale practifo a better hufbandry, that the force of nume rous . examples might influence the farmers to change their bad methods. Their foil is. capable of as great improvements as any I ever faw, efpecially in the light parts. The great points they want to be well inftrudted in.are thefe: Firft, The general management of their farms, in refpedt of draught cattle, to keep no more than neceffary for their work ; ; but if they will M 4 keep IT rfa ] keep i larger number, to give a better jdea of employing them proportionably. to the improvement of their lands. Secondly, Folding of fheep, many of- them having good flocks, but never fold them. Thirdly, The turnip and carrot hufbaaadry: great quantities of their land being admirably adapted to both, but unknown,- and when> a few turnips are. fown, they are never hoed. Fourthly, The fowing pf fainfoine, which |»fafs.wtould. thrive finely upon their lime-ftone lands ; but they are unac quainted with it. Fifthly* Cropping their, fields in a better courfe, and not continue in the vile quftom pf Sowing a crop of barley, and two crops of oats after one of wheat, on the credit of a fallow and Jiming, which many of them do. No foil can be better adapted to fuch courfes as thefe;' i. Turnips. 2. Barley. 3. Clover. 4. Wheat. 5. Carrots. 6. Oats. Or only i. Turnips. 2. Barley. 3. Clover. 4. Wheat.; But the former laying down with fainfoine? among the oats, is preferable. The fituation of Glamorgan/hire is very advantageous ; few counties more fo. For it lies along the Brifiol channel, and has many little ports in it, by which means they have a ready market at Brifiol for everything; and on the weftern fide lies their vaft copper, lead, and tin- works, about Neath and S.wanfea, in which above! 50Q [ i6.9 ] |©o hands are employed, which neceffariiy bccafion a.great confumption. Thefe works were eftablifhed on account of the cheap- nefs of coals and labour, for the copper and. tin are brought over from Cornwall. I fhould not omit to inform you, that Cow/bridge is a very neat, clean, well pavedy well built town ; much prettier than either Chepfiow, Newport, Cardiff, or Bridgend', the latter of which places, and its environs, form the weftermoft point of my tour : t purpofe on my return to Chepfiow,, to view Mr. Morris's famous place afPersfteld, and will aim at fome defcription of it *. * If your purpofe is feeing Persfield, you go from Chepfiow up the Monmouth -road, (unkf$ you go by water, which is a pleafant fcheme enough) and pafs directly to the houfe: we were fhewn to an adjoining part of the garden, .which confifted of flopes and waving lawns, hav ing fhrubby trees fcattered about them with great tafte, , and ftriking down a fhort walk to the left, came at once to a1 little fequeftered fpot. Shaded by a fine beach tree, which commands a landfcape, too beautiful for pencil to paint ; — ¦ This little fpot, over which the beach-tree fpreads, is levelled in the vaft rock, which forms the fhore of the river Why, through Mr. Mor ris's ground ; this rock, which is totally cover ed with a- Shrubby underwood, is almoft perpen dicular frqm the water to the rail that enclofes tfie point o|" view. One of the fweeteft vallies ever [ l7o J From Chefftow we croffed the Severn to Brifiol. This pafiage, as they call it, not a ferry, is fometimes rough ; but we had fortunately a very agreeable one. It is two miles over ; arid- we were only fifteen minutes in the boat ( a ). On the road to Brifiol I could fee nothing but very rich grafs, which letts from' 20 s. and 30 s. to 40 s. an acre ( b ). Mr. Champion's copper-works, - about ever beheld lies immediately beneath, but at fuch a depth, that every Object is diminifhed, and appears in miniature. This valley confifts, of a complete farm, of about forty inclofures, grafs, and corn-fields, interfected by hedges, with many trees ; it is a p'eninfula almoft fur- rounded by the river, which winds directly be neath, in a manner wonderfully romantic ; and what makes the whole picture perfect, is its be ing entirely furrounded by vaft rocks and preci pices, covered thick with wood, down to the very water's edge. The whole is an .amphi-. theatre, which feems dropt from the clouds^ complete in all its beauty. From thence we turned to the left, through a winding walk cut out of the rock ; but with wood enough againft the river to prevent the horrors, which would otherwife attend the treads ing on fuch a precipice : after pafiing through a hay-field, the contraft to the preceding views, we entered the woods again, and came to a bench inclofed with Chinefe rails in the rock, which commands- the fame valley and river all fringed with I l1l ] three miles from Brifiol, are very well worth feeing. They difplay the whole procefs ; from the melting of the ore, to making it into pins, pans, &c. The liquid ore pouring out of the furnace into clay moulds, I fancy refembles the flight erup tions of mount Vefuvius. After being feveral times melted, it is poured into aflat mould of ftone, to make it into thin plates, about four feet long and three broad, with wood -, fome great rocks in front, and juft above them the river, Severn appears, with a boundlefs profpedt beyond it, * A little further we met with another bench inclofed with iron rails, on a point of the rock which is here pendent over the river, and may be truly called a fituation full of the terrible fublime : you look immediately down upon a yaft hollow of wood, all furrounded by the woody precipices which have fo fine an effect from all the points of view at Persfield ¦, in the midft appears a fmall, but neat building, the bathing-houfe, which, though none of the leaft, appears from this enormous heighth, but as, a fpot of white, in the midft of the vaft range of green: towards the right is feen the winding of the-river. From this fpot, which feems to be pufhed forward from the rock by the bold hands of the genius of the place, you proceed to the temple, a fmall -neat building on the higheft part of thefe grounds; and imagination cannot form an idea of any thing more beautiful than what ap pears C J72 1 Thofe' plates are then cut into 1 7 Stripes, and thefe again, by particular machines, into many more very thin ones, and drawn out to the length of 17 feet, which are again drawn into wire, and done up in bunches of 40 s. value each ; about 100 of which are made here every week, and each makes 100,000 pins. The wires are cut into them, and compleated here, employ ing a great number of girls, who with pears full to the fight from this amazing point of view. . You look down upon all the woody precipices, as if in another region, terminated by a wall of rocks : juft above them appears 'the river Severn info peculiar a manner, that you would fwear it wafhed them, and that no thing parted you from it but thofe rocks, which are in reality four or five miles diftant. This deception is the moft exquifite I ever beheld, for viewing, firft the river beneath, then the vaft rocks rifing in a fhore of precipices, and imme diately above them the noble river, as1 if a part of the little world immediately before you ; and laftly, all the boundlefs profpedt • over Gloucef- terfhire and Somerfetfhire, are, together, fuch a bewitching view, that nothing can exceed it, and contains more romantic variety, with fuch an apparent junction of feparate parts, that imagK nation can fcarcely conceive any thing equal to the amazing reality. The view to the right, pver the park, and the winding valley at the bottom of it, would, from any other fpot but this, be thought remarkable fine. The .t *73 ] little machines, worked by their feet, point and head them with great expedition : and will each do a pound and half in a day. The heads are fpun by a woman with a wheel, much like a common fpinning- wheel, and then feparated from one ano ther by a man/ with another little machine like a pair of fheers. They have feveral lapis calaminaris ftones for preparing it to make the brafs, of which they form a vaft The winding road down to the. cold bath, is cool, fequeftered, and agreeable. The building itfelf is exceffively neat, and well contrived, and the fpring, which fupplies it, plentiful and tranf- parent. You wind from it up the rock; but here, I muft' be allowed juft to hint a want, if "any thing can be wanted in fuch a fpot as Pers- field. This walk from the cold bath, is dark and rather gloomy, breaks andobjefts are rather fcarce ink; the trickling ftream you have juft left, puts one in mind of a cafcade, whiqh would be here truly beautiful, but does not appear throughout all the walks of Persfield. On the left, towards the valley, there is a prodigious hollow filled with a thick wood, which almoft hangs beneath you ; from the walk, an opening drown through this wood might eafily be made, with juft light enough let in, to fhew to advan tage the gufh of a cafcade ; to look backwards, afiant upon, fuch an object, would be infinitely pidturefque amidft the brownnefs of this hanging grove. 1 know not whether wacer cpuld be brought L 174 J number of aukward looking pans and difhes for1 the negroes, oij the coaft of Guinea. All the machines and wheels are fet in motion by water; for raifing wTiich*- there is a prodigious fire engine, which raifes, as it is faid, 3000 hogfheads every minute. On the other fide of Brifiol, land pre sently declined in.richnefs"; for about half way between Brifiol and Bathj arable letts brought there ; but if it could, never was there a fituation for viewing it to fuch advantage. Paffing on, there are two breaks, which open to the valley in a very agreeable manner. You are then lead through an extremely romantic cave, hollowed out of the rock, and opening,. to a fine point of view. At the mouth of this cave fome fwivel guns are planted ; the firing of which occafions a repeated echo from rock to' rock iri a moft furprifing manner. Nor muft you pafs without obferving a remarkable phe nomenon a large oak* of a great age, growing Put of a cleft of the rock, without the leaft ap pearance of any earth. Purfuing the walk, as it rifes up the rocks, and paffes by the point of view firft mentioned, you arrive at a bench,- which commands a view delicious beyond all imagination : on the left you look down" upon the valley, with the river winding many hun dred fathom perpendicular beneath, the whole Surrounded by the vaft amphitheatre of wooded- rocks ; and to the right full upon the town of Chepjifw ; beyond it ' the Severn's windings,, and a prcH [ '75 I for fo little as from 5 j. or 6 s. an acre to 12 s. and good grafs for near 20 s. Their courfe of crops, taken in general, is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3. Barley. 4. Clo ver. Mountains of coal 'afhes might be had around Brifiol, but few farmers feem to fetch them. LABOUR. In winter and fpring, 1 s. and is 2d. In hay and corn-harveft, mowing and reaping, 1 _s. 6 d. dinner and beer. a prodigious profpedt bounding the whole. When ever you come to P.ersfield, reft yourfelf fome time at this bench, for believe me, it is a capital view. From thence an agreeable walk, fhaded on one fide with a great number of very fine fpruce firs, leads you to an irregular' junction of windr ing walks, with many large trees. growing from the fequeftered lawn, in a pleafing manner, and figures by contraft to what prefently fuc- ceeds ; which is a view, at the very idea of which, my pen drops from my hand: — The eyes of your imagination are not keen enough to take in this point, which the united talents of a Claud, and a Peujfin, would fcarcely be able to Sketch. Full to the left, appears be neath you, the valley, in all its beauty, fur- rounded by the rocky woods ; which might be called (jx> ufe another's expreifion) a coarfe fel- vage of canvafs around a fine piece of lawn. In the front, riles from the hollow of. the river, 2 a pro- f, 176 ] PROVISIONS. Bread, - 2 d. per lb, Butter, - 6 Mutton, - - 4 Beef, - 4 Veal, - 31 Not far out of Brifiol, I had the fatis^ fadtion of remarking a three-acred piece of drilled Lucerne, which particularly a prodigious wall of formidable rocks, and immediately above them, in breaks, winds the Severn, as if parted from you only by them : on the right is feen the town and caftle, amidft a border of wood, with the Severn above them, and over the whole, as far as the eye can command, an immenfe profpedt of diftant country. I leave your imagination to give the colours to this mere outline, which is all I can attempt. The Sloping walk of ever greens, which leads from hence, is remarkably beautiful in profpedt ; for the town and country above it appear per petually varying as you move ; each moment prefenting a frefh picture, till the whole is loft by defcending. You next meet with the grotto, a point of view exquifitely beautiful ; ic is a fmall cave in the rock, ftuck with ftones of various kinds ; copper, and iron cinders, CjfVv You look from the feat in it immediately down a fteep flope on to a hollow of wood, bounded' in front by the craggy rocks, which feem to part a you t *77 1 haught my attention, notwithftandirig a pile of building within fight, firange and odd, at leaft. ' I made the neceffary inqui ries concerning the hiftory of this lucerne, and found that the owner, Mr. Reeves, had before tried, four acres of it, but without fuccefs ; that he then fowed this piece of three acres, on a different foil, and with better fuccefsi It was mowed laft year three times for hay, to mix with cofnmon you from the Severn in breaks ; with the diftant country, Spotted with white buildings above all; fofming a landfcape as truly picturefque as any in the world. The winding walk, which leads from the grotto, varies from any of the former ; for the town of Chepfiow, and the various neigh bouring objects, break through the hedge, as you pafs along, in a manner very beautiful : — paffing over a little bridge which is thrown acrofs a road in a holloW way through the wood, yon Come to an opening upon a fcoPp of wood alone*, which being different from the reft, pleafes as well by its novelty, as its romantic variety. Fur ther on, from the fame walk, are two other breaks which let in rural pictures; the latter1 opens to a hollow of wood, bounded by the Wall of rocks, one way, and letting in a view of the town another, iri an exquifite tafte. The next opening in the hedge (I fhould tell you, by the way, that thefe breaks and openings are all natural, ttoaeftifly artificial) gives you at one Small view, all the picturefque beauties of a mtnra.icamera obfcitra; a bench which is thickly N Shaded [ 178 ] hay ; but it had not been cut this year, a circumftance which furprized me; for, the beginning of fitly is 'very late indeed for • the firft cutting of Lucerne ; and I fhould apprehend, proved fufficiently, that, the foil was not yet hit off with any great luck — unlefs, indeed, it arofe from, a want of culture ; for I remarked the fpaces between the rows to be very full of weeds, though I was told Mr. Reeves had given it much hoeing and cleaning. fhaded with trees, in a dark fequeftred fpot, from which you look afide through the opening, to a landfcape that feems formed by the happieft hand of defign, it is really nothing but catching a view of accidental objedts. The town and caftle of Chepfiow appear from one part rifing from romantic fteeps of wood, iri a manner too beautiful to exprefs ; a fmall remove difcovers the fteeple fo dropt in the precife point of tafte, that one can fcarcely believe it real, and not an eye:trap. Soon after a large break opens a various view of the diftant country ; and not far from it another, which is much worthy of re mark ; you look down upon a fine bend of the river, winding to the caftle, which appears here romantically fituated; the oppofite bank is a fwelling hill, part overrun with gorfe arid fub- bifh, and part cultivated inclofures : this dif ference in the fame object, is here attended with emotions not confonant ; the wild part of the hill fuits the reft of the view, and agrees with it in the fenfations it raifes, but the cultivated part being C *79 ] -My Stay iri Bath was but very fhort i I fpent a few hours with my very excellent friend, Mr. Har'te, canon ' of Wind/or ; whofe converfatiori, on the fubject of huf bandry, is as full of experience, and as truly folid, as his genuine and native hu mour, extenfive knowledge; of mankind, and admirable philanthropy, are pleafing and instructive. One hour fpent in this gentleman's company, I prized more than being incomplete, and unlike ,the beautiful farm, at the bottom of the before-mentioned amphi theatre, which' is entire, has a bad effect. Was the whole well cultivated and lively, being rather diftinct from the reft of the landfcape, it would have a much better effect. *The laft point, and which perhaps is equal to moft of the preceding, is the alcove. From this you look down perpendicularly on the river, with a cultivated -Slope, on the other fide. To the right is a prodigious Sleep Shore of' wood, winding to the caftle, which, with a part of the town, appears in full view. On the left is feen a fine bend of the river for fome diftance, the oppofite fhore of wild wood, with the rock appearing at places in rifing cliffs, and further on to the termination of the view that way, the vaft' wall of rocks fo often mentioned, which are here feen in length, and have a ftupertdous effect. On the whole, .this fcene is ftriking. About a mile beyond thefe walks is a very romantic cliff, called the Wind Cliff, from which the extent of profpedt is prodigious ; but it is "N 2 moft [ i8o ] all the ,af chitedtural beauties of Bath\ which you would not, however, fail of admiririg greatly. Believe me, Bath greatly exceeds London in regularity of building, and in being proportionally a much finer city: fhe moft criticifing eye muft allow that the Circus is truly beautiful, and orna mented fo that juft degree of elegance Which, if I may be allowed the expreffion, lies between profufioh and fimplicity. moft remarkable for the furprifing echo, on firing a piftoi or gun from it. The explofioa is repeated five times Very distinctly from rock to rock, often feven j and if the calmnefs of the weather happens to be remarkably favourable, nine times. This echo is curious. Beyond the cliff at fome diftance is the abbey, a venerable . ruin, fituated in a romantic hollow, belonging to the Duke of Beaufort, well worth your fee ing -, and this is the conclusion of the Persfield entertainment. Upon the whole, it exceeds any thing of the kind I have feen. In point of ftriking picturefque views, in the romantic ftile, Persfield is exquifite. The cultivated incloftires, forming the bottom of the valley, with the river winding round them*. and the vaft amphitheatre of rocks and pendent woods which wall k in, to fuch a Stupendous height, is the capital beauty of the place,, and Mr. Morris has fixed his benches, &o. in thofe points of view which command it in the happieft manner, with the utmoft tafte: Nor can any thing be more truly picturefque, than the ap pearance 3 L i8i -] From this noble city, I took the road to the Devifes. The foil is generally very good, particularly the grafs-lands, of which there is the greateft quantity. They lett from 20 s. to 30 s. an acre, and the arable and grafs , all around Melkfham at 20 s. on an average, which is high. In that neigh bourhood they fow all forts of grain ; but one circumftance which gave me concern, was the falling off I perceived in the ufe of pearance which the Severn takes in many places, of being fupported and bounded by the wall of rocks, though four miles diftant ; this effect is beyond all imagination ftriking. In refpedt to the extenfive profpedts, — the agreeable manner in which the town, caftle, and Steeple are caught, with the rocks, woods, and river taken in them- felves, other places are equal ; but when they unite to form the landfcapes I have juft men tioned, I believe they never were equalled. Throughout the whole of thefe walks, it is evident, that Mr. Morris meant them merely as an aSfiftance to view the beauties of nature ; , as a means of feeing what nature had already done to his hands, and without a ftrong defign of de coration or ornament. Every thing is in a juft tafte -, but as I have been particular in fpeaking of all the beauties of Persfield, I muft be allow ed to hint a few circumftances wanting to render it complete. ' But do not imagine I mean in the kaft to dilapprove the tafte of the moft ingeni ous owner ; by no means ; I am not certain that jt would be poffible to add what I am going to N 3 mention; ;[ *82 ]. oxen ; fcarce any ox-teams are kept be-? tween Bath and the DevifeS; all the coun try-people I talked with, fhaked their heads at the mention of oxen, and gave imme-?- diate preference to horfes. N LABOUR. In winter to hay-harveft, i o d. a day. In hay^haryeft, is. id. and j s. 3d. Reaping wheat, 4 s. 5 s. 6 s. and 7 s. an acre. Mowing fpring corn, 1 jr. mention; but I minute them merely that your idea of Persfield may be exact ; and that you may not miftake any general exceptions I have made ufe of, to imply beauties which are not here. The river Why, which runs at the bottom of the walks, is an infinite advantage ; but it is by many degrees inferior in beauty to a frefh water one, which keeps a level, and does not difplay a breadth of muddy bank at low water ; and the colour is very bad ; it has not that tranfparent darknefs, that filver-Shaded furface, which is, of itfelf, one of the greateft beauties in nature, and would among thefe romantic objects give a luftre inexpreSfibfy elegant. Cafcades are likewife much wanting ; in fuch Steeps of wood and em browning hollows that have a pleafing folem- riity, nothing has fo glorious an effect, as breaking unexpectedly upon a cafcade, guSh7 ing from rocks, and over-hung with wood: there are many fpots in the Persfield hollows, which would point out in the ftronoeft manner the [- *83 ] PROVISIONS, Bread, - - id. per lb,. Butter, - - 5 Mutton,- - 4 Beef, - - 4 Veal, - - 4 The dreary tract of .country, from the Devifes to Salt/bury, affords but little that is remarkable in hufbandry comparable to what might be expected from a cultivated , '¦ - ¦ the beauty of fuch objects, — Laftly, There is a want of contrasts ; for the general emotions which arife on viewing the rocks, hanging woods, andp deep precipices of Persfield, are all thofe of the , fublime ; and when that is the cafe, the beautiful : never appears in fuch bewitching-colours, as thofe it receives from contraft : to turn fuddenly from one of thefe romantic walks, and break full, Upon a beautiful landfcape, without any inter- , mixture of rocks, diftant profpedt or any objedt that, .\yas great or terrible, but on the contrary, lively and agreeable, would be a vaft improve^ ment here ; .and I venture the, remark the rather, becaufe thofe views at Persfield, which are beau tiful, are all intermixed with, the fublime; the farm beneath you, is fuperlatively fo -, but the; precipice you look down from, the hanging - woods, and the rocks, are totally different. The, fmall break, however, through the hedge, which catches the town and fteeple, is in this tafte ; but even here, fome- large rocks appear. Small elegant buildings, in, a light and airy tafte, fifing from green and gently Swelling Slopes, N 4 with [ i84 ] one; but it muft by no means be paffedj over without attention. I was fortunate in meeting with a very intelligent occupier of near 500 /. a year, who gave me a con- fiftent and clear account of the State of farming in that vaft tract of open, country, and he agreed with the other pieces of in telligence I gained. The farms, I found, were in general extremely large: two or three hundred with fomething moving near them, and fituated fo as the fun may Shine full upon them, viewed fuddenly from a dark romantic walk, have a charming effect : but it muft Strike every one who walks over Persfieldy that the firieft feats, &c. are feen rather too much before you ftep into them; they do not break upon you unex pectedly enough : in many of them you fee the rails, which inclofe them on the brink of the precipice, at a fmall diftance before you enter. What an effect would the view from the grottq, for inftance, have, if you entered it from be-. hind, through a dark zigTzag narrow walk ] Excufe thefe hints which J throw out with great reluctance, for Persfield; notwithftanding; thefe trifles, is a place full' of wonders, and will yield you amazing entertainment ; this I am fure of, . for I know your tafte. Before I finilh this tedious defcriptiqn, I cannot avoid mentioning the fpirit with which Mr. Morris has his place Shown ; he has always people ready to attend whoever comes, to conduct them every where, and not one of them is fuffered to take any thing, [ i85 1 pounds a year, they' reckon fmall ; from that rent to iooo/. a year, are common. The rent of land appeared to me very rea sonable ; for their 'arable lands they pay generally 7 j. or 8 s. an acre ; and as to the plain, they have their Shares of that into the bargain. Many of them have fix, feven, or eight hundred acres of arable land ; and fome never fow lefs than five hundred. The flocks of fheep they keep thing ; yet they Shew all with great readinefs and- civility. (a) From the landing-place I pafied to King's Wefion, the feat of Edward Southill, Efq; built by Sir John Vdnburgh. It is in his heavy ftile ; the hall is rendered totally ufelefs, by a vaft echo. Before one of the chimnies, is a pro digious pair of elk's horns, dug out of a bog in Ireland : the fineft picture is that of Lord^ Thomas Cromwell, by Holbein, an exceeding good one. The lawn, which the houfe looks upon, is very beautiful ; but for a profpedt, you muft go up the hill, a little beyond where the brfeakfaft- ing houfe for the hot-well company is fituated ; you look down from the hill to the left upon fome fine woods, in the midft of which, Mr. Seutbill's houfe appears. In front is a very fine valley, two miles broad, beautifully interjected with hedges and trees, and bounded by the Severn, which is here ten miles over ; ycu com mand Kingroad, with a fleet of fhipping, gene rally I" i86 J ¦ on the.plain, are I believe, as great as mofiin England; they run in number from 3 and 400, 'to 300Q ; fold them the whole year round, and Shift the foldj} every night. No, oxen are ufed, but all horfes. The partH culars of a farm of 500 /. a year, were, 18 or 20 horfes. 20 men and boys all the year. They ufe three or four horfes to a plough ; who fcarcely do an acre a day. The partis rally lying at anchor ; and, laftly, the Welch mountains terminate the whole. Behind, there is an extenfive view of the country, well' feat-' tered with villages : the windings of the Severn are Seen 20 miles, and thofe of the Avon quite to Brifiol. The profpect extends into Somerfet- floire, Glofterfhire, Monmouthfl^ix.e^GlamorganJJoire^ Brecknock/hire, Radnorjhire, arid even to Pem- brokejhire-, and, upon the whok, is inferior to nothing, but the moft aftoniShing one in the Bil- lericay road, already deferibed. (b) There are a few things in the neighbour? hood of* Brifiol, which . I Should advife any cu rious traveller to view; and none more. remark able than St. Vincent's rock, behind the hot- well : it hangs over the river Avon in vaft and tremendous clifts, of a prodigious height, and in a place where the river winds a little ; they form on one fide a vaft amphitheatre, which, is a moft fublime fight. The oppofite fhore of the river is very Steep, but quite covered with wood ; the verdure of which is a ftrong contraft to the barren craggy rock. C ; 187 J cular culture they give each crop, I found nearly as follows ; but firft I fhould tell you their courfe is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3. Barley, and then fallow again ; unlefs' hop, clover, or ray-grafs are thrown in, or fainfoine, which they leave as long as it will laft. Their preparation for wheat is three earths ; fow three bufhels, and reap, on a medium, 2f quarters, meafure nine gallons. They likewife plough thrice At Clifton, a village hard by this rock, there is a grotto to be Jeen, curious in materials and tafte : you enter it under-ground, through a dark arched paffage of brick, which has much the air of an approach to a wine-vault : on open ing the door, the firft object which Strikes you, js a den, with the Statue of a lion in it. 'Pleaf ing objects are generally wilhed for in a fequef- tefed grot ; but the owner of this is more pleafed; with thofe of terror. Ruftic pillars, the workmanShip of nature, (or at leaft fo in appearance) which feem to Support a craggy roof, are by no means amifs in a grotto ; but this gentleman delights; in the regular works of art, and accordingly four tufcan pillars are here the fupporters of the roof.— A Small cafcade iffui.ng from broken apertures in a rock, and falling in little fhects on Strag gling fea-weed, coral, folfils, &c. is natural. Here is a cafcade indeed ; but it pours out of the urn of a river god. — Any thing manifestly carrying the appearance of art, in fuch an imi tation of nature, is painful ; a ftair-cafe of wood, for [ i88 ] for barley, fow four bufhels ; and reckon a middling crop 3 qrs. When they fow oats, they plough but once ; throw in five bu fhels of feed, and gain, on a medium, 5 qrs. For beans one ploughing; plant two bufhels, hoe them twice, and reap, on a medium, 3 qrs. For peafe, they, plough feldom above once ; fow four bufhels, and when in rows after the plough, hoe them, and reckon two quarters and a half a mid- for jnftance. But in this celebrated one, art out-does all common art ; for here is a door and ikairrC^ie painted ¦' to make fome amends for the want of a real one.-r-Light to view fuch objects as thefe fhould come in no common manner ; you may pofilbly imagine, that it breaks from one aperture in the rock to another, and at laft enters by refraction, you know not where : no thing in this mean ftjle, I affure you ; 3 plain Skylight of glafs, gives you the fun's . rays in their native heat, which acts by contraft on the coolnefs of the water,— ^-But to have done with difpqfition, and come to materials : There is the • utmoft profufion of Brifiol ftone, many of the pieces very fine ; the four pillars are ftuck with nothing elfe : likewife a great number of fine Shells, foffils, corals,, fpar, OfV, all in greater plenty, and better of their fort, than in any grotto I have feen.- This gentleman, at one end of his terrafs has a fummer-houfe with gothic battlements, and windows encompaffed by- a colonade on tufcan pillars, and in his garden pther curious ftrokes of But I have done ; nor 1 *Bg j dling crop. They fow a great many tur- nips> plough for them three times, hoe them twice, and ufe them for feeding their Sheep. Hogs they feed only with whey, grains, &c. none upon clover. LABOUR. In winter, and quite to harveft, I o d. a day. In harveft, is. Sd. ditto. Reaping wheat, 5 s. an acre. Mowing corn, 1 o d. Grafs, is. 8 d. A boy of feven or eight years old, ± d. nor fhould I have ventured fo far, but for art affectation of keeping them locked up from common eyes. When we had been fufficiently feafted with thefe objects 6f tafte; we viewed the front of Mr. Cozen's houfe at Redldnds : it is of white ftone, light, and elegant. I never faw any thing pleafed me fo much, except Holkam and Spencer houfe in the green park;, and one would think that doors are of infinitely dif ficult architecture, for thefe three houfes have,' to appearance, none. The architect of this, indeed, forgpt that his center window did not look like one ; and has, accordingly, built and planted a long, but abfurd approach from the road to it; and feveral flights of Steps in the. garden, feerh to lead only to the windows : whenever there is no appearance of a door, equal to the front, no particular line of approach to the center fhould be fuffered — The chapel in the village, is neat and pretty. I 19° j IMPLEMENTS. A new waggon, 20/. A cart, 10/. A plough, 1 8 jr. Harrows, js. 6 d. PROVISIONS. Bread, - - id. per lb. Butter, - - 7 1 Mutton, - - 4 Beef, - - 4 Cheefe, - - 3 I forgot to tell you, that they fometimes pare and burn; the price 15.?. an acre. Was my attention directed more towards curiofities, I fhould fill feveral pages con cerning Stone Henge, which lies but a little way out of. the road from the Devifes to Salifbury. The ftones are in form and fize really Stupendous, and the idea of the diffi culty of moving and railing them,, is very great. The country, even on this fide the Devifes, has certainly a quarry under it, from whence they might be dug ; but if the difficulty of the removal is thought too great, Quere, If they are not a composi tion ? Before we came to Salifbury, we turned to the right a little, to view Wilton, famous for its manufactory of carpets, and the feat z ¦¦' of of the Earl oi Pembroke*. I found the manufacturing journeymen earned, in ge neral, about ioj\ or us. a week; arid their number about 60 or 80. Near the turnpike, turning into Salifbury, I met with a fmall field of Lucerne, drilled in rows, at one foot diftance, belonging to Mr. Hunf, a brick-maker. It is three years old ; was cut four or five times the two years laft paft. Some of it was cut twice * Lord Pembroke's feat, at this place, is a very ancient building, having been a mona stery in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign : the difpofition of the apartments is, of courfe, very irregular ; for ' which reafon you muft excufe my being exadt, in going from one into another, according to their fituation. In the court, before thefront, ftands a column of white Egyptian granate, with a Statue of Venus on the top of it ; extremely fine, and worthy of attention from the curious in thefe matters. It is the fame as was fet up before the temple of Venus Genetrix, by Julius Ccrown'catalogue to thofe who chufe to purchafe it. Statue of Didia Clara ; drapery exceedingly find Ditto, Euterpe, by Cleomenes ; elegandy done. Buft of Nero ; the countenance expreSfive of his foul. Ditto, of Lucilia ; very fine. Statue of Hercules dying ; vaft expreflion. An Alto Relievo, Saturn -, moft exquifitely per formed* An Alto Relievo, Endymion afkep ; a wretched pofture; Ditto, Saturn crowning arts and faiences ; very fine. On each fide, the door leading to the Stair-cafe* is a copy by Wilton ; one the Venus de Medicis^ and the other Apollo of Belvidere. Thefe are not only the beft copies of thofe ftatues in England, but are moft inimitably done. Let us lay afide all prejudices, upon account of their being but copies, and examine them for a moment as originals., ¦,[. r93 J quantity of wild Burnet, which feems ex actly like the cultivated fort ; but is, itfelf, a dwarf kind. Secondly, I never faw fo good fheep-walks as all this country ; the verdure is good, and the grafs, in general, fine pafture, fuch as would turn to prodi gious account, , if converted to the purpofes- of tillage* and let me add, pppulation. This expreflion puts me further in mind of the vaft improvements which Salifbury plain calls for. In twenty miles I met originals. The eafy, graceful- attitude of the * Apbllv, was never exceeded ; nor had ever draper ry fo light* airy, and elegant an appearance ; the robe falling on one fide, and thrown negli gently over the ftretched out-arm, is a ftroke of grace beyond defcription. ; And the beauty and delicacy of the Venus amazingly firie. In the billiard-room. Statue of Marcus Antoninus ; the hand turned behind the drapery very finely. Ditto, Venus ; attitude fine, but bad drapery. > In the chapel room is a chimney-piece of InigO _ Jones ; but very heavy. Statue of a River Nymph • exceedingly elegant. New dining-room, 45 by 21. Pictures in this room, not mentioned in the catalogue they fell at the houfe. M. Angela. Fruit pieces. Zaccharelli. . Landfcape. .Salviafii Our Saviour in the wilderfiefs. ¦ Vernet. Landfcape exceedingly fine; the clear obfcure inimitable. Vandye: Himfelf. The Duke d'Ejpernon, 0. [ m 1 With only one habitation, which was a but. A very little reflection will tell us, that fuch a vaft tradt of uncultivated land is a public riuifance. This plain is as broad as it is long, befides many irregular breaks -into the adjoining cultivated country; there fore, if we calculate the area at a fquare of 22 miles, it will, I am confident, be under 'the truth. Now, it has been calculated, that aft the corn 'exported from England, Rubens. Harveft home. St. Luke. Virgin and our Saviour : You will be furprifed to find St. Luke in a catalogue of painters ; but the hbufekeeper tells you, with a grave face, there are writ- , ihgs in the library which prove it : but - it is too good for Palefiine or Jtldea ; it is very fine. If Jam not mistaken* it is this room that the Defcent from the Crofs, by Albert Durer, is re moved intp. It appears to me to be one of the very fineft pieces in this collection ; . it confifts of u figures of the moft capital expreffion. The bloody body of Chrift is wonderfully painted : I beg you will take particular notice of this pic ture, if ever you fee Wilton ; for it is by far the greateft work I have feen of this matter's, and which ranks him with thegreateft of painters. The hunting-room, 2.5 fquare. I >ftoppedf for a while, to admire the buft of Mago ; that great genius, whofe hufbandry writ ings were the only remnant Rome allowed of her proud rival,. Carthage, Gube-room, 30 fquare. Double* [ 1 9* ) ¦Would annually grow on fuch a fquare : What an argument is this for cultivating it ! Innumerable are the arguments and cla mours againft exporting fo much corn ; when the cultivation of one Single plain ¦would yield nearly the whole : but if with ftridt deductions, on account of fallow, -graffes, &c. half was only produced, it would, I apprehend, be thought fhe beft ?method of remedying any imaginary evils ^attending exportation. I do not believe Double-cube, 60 long, 30 broad, and 30 -high : a moft elegant room, in which proportion* -pleafes every eye : a greater breadth would pof- fibly be an improvement ; but there can be no comparifon between the proportion of this room, and thofe of cubes, or any other form, in which the height is equal to, or more than the length. One end is covered by the famous Pembroke' family, by Vandyke; one of the fineft pictures ¦of the kind in the world. Over the chimney is another Vandyke, exceedingly elegaht; King 'Charles's children. The tables in this room are very fine, parti cularly that pf , Verde- Antique. In the lobby, I ^remarked a Sappho in ivory ; of moft amazing .'Sculpture, and in admirable perfection : here is a Nativity by Van Eyck, excellent. The King's bed-chamber,. 30 by 25. The corner-room, 25 fquare. The pictures which ftruck me moft in this room were, ¦Titian. Mary Magdalen; very "fine. M. Angela. -Defcent from the Crofs ; wonder fully great. O 2 f i96 ] there is really a barren acre of land in alf this tract ; for the foil, wherever I remarked. it, is a fine light loam, yielding exceed ing good graffes, and would bear as fine 'torn as any in the world. The com mon plea in favour of downs and fheep- walks, is the produce of wool ; but the moft exadt calculations that can be made plainly prove the vaft fuperiority of arable farms, with a proper proportion of graffes ; nor does the wool of any tract of land* in Dominichino. Mary Magdalen -, flefh finely painted. Penni. Chrifi aftride upon a lamb : Jo seph's head exceedingly fine; he is look ing on. Vanderwerfe. Mars and Venus ; very fine. ' Rubens. The four Children ; exceeding ele gant. It is faid to be the fineft in Eng land of this mafter. Nativity on copper ; beautiful. '". In the Black Marble Table Room, Cleopatra fit ting, with Cafarion, her fon, on her lap, fucking ; the attitude is extremely eafy and elegant. Venus aSleep ; beautiful. - fnigo Jones's front is reckoned very capital.; :and not without reafon. In the garden is an arcade ; the front of it likewife by Inigo, and beautiful. The flable piazza. was alfo built by him. The bridge, built by the late Earl of ¦ Pembroke, from a defign of Palladio, is much efteemed ; but I muft own, it did not anfwer my expectations ; appearing to me, rather heavy. Upon the cold bath is a beautiful copy of the Antinous. C ^97 J the employment of manufacturers, by a hundred degrees equal the population at tending the plough. What an amazing improvement would it be, to cut this vaft plain into farms, by inclofures of quick hedges ; with portions planted with fuch trees as beft fuit the foil ! A very different afpedt the country would prefent from. what it does at prefent, without a hedges tree or hut ; and inhabited only by a few Shepherds and their flocks. Salifbury is one of the prettieft towns in England; the market-place is well built, the whole exceedingly clean, and with one circumftance I never obferved in any other place, a fmall tranfparent ftream runs through every Street ; in many of them two, one on each fide, inftead • of gutters : The effedt of this in cleanlinefs and beauty is very great. The country between Salifbury and Rqmfey is generally inclofed, and well cultivated : I found the hufbandry pretty much the fame acrofs from ' Bruchalk to 'White Parijh, and then along to Romfey : their courfe of crops, with fome variations, is, i. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3. Barley. 4. Oats, peafe or beans, or fetches : or 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 3. Barley. 4. Hop, clover, or ray-grafs for two years, For wheat, they plough three or four times, I fow three bufhels, or 3f on an acre, in'* July and A'Ugufi ; and reckon 3 quarters a 0 3 : middling f 198 ! middling' crop. For barley they plough from once to thrice, fow four bufhels, and get, on a medium, 3 quarters and an half? Or 4 quarters. Oats they plough for but once, fow 5 or 6 bufhels ; and gain, on a medium, from 4 to 5 quarters, which is a very good crop. They plough twice for beans, fow 4 bufhels, and reap feldom, &n a medium, above 2 quarters ; but then they never hoe them,. For peafe they vary greatly ; ' about Bruchalk they plough but once, whereas, , around White Parifh, they ftir twice or thrice for them; both fow three bufhels, and reckon 2 quarters, and, two and a half a middling crop. In tur7 nips they vary Still more ; for between- Salifbury and Romfey, they plough four or five times for them ; hoe them once, and feed them off with Sheep for wheat ; but about Bruchalk, they plough up a wheat fhibble* and harrow them diredtly in, never hoeing. About Salifbury, and towards Bruchalk, their flocks are very large, from 500 to 3000. Mr. Cufh of Winterbridge, has up wards of 3000 ; they fold every night, Some poor lands they mend with chalki which is of the rich, fat, foapy kind, and) lay on about 20 waggon loads per acre, Which is a good improvement for '20 years^. Jn all this country, they have no notion of feeding hogs, by turning them into clover: nor dp they any where here ufe oxen fo| a the'. [ r99 3< the purpofes. of hufbandry, except, alone, the -Dutchefs of §>ueenfibury, at Amerfburyf who keeps two or three teams. They reckon. that an hundred acres of arable land re quire fix good horfes to be kept ; they never plough with lefs than three, towards Bruchalk, always have a boy to drive, and generally do rather better than one acre a day; but about the Romfey road, they ufe four, and generally five, to do an acre. Farms in the latter track are fmall ; 200 /. a year they reckon a large one; there are many from 20 to 60 1, and fome fo low as 10/. The rents run high, from 1 5 s. to 20 s. an acre. But towards Bruchalk the farms are charge ; fome few of 40/. or 60/. but run up to feven and eight hundred pounds a year. I obferved in Salifbury, large heaps of coal afhes, and mortar rubbifh ; and on inquiring, if the farmers did not bring it away, I found they ferved the inns with ftraw, for the dung in return, but would not take the other manure without ,3^. or 4d. a load with it; which is a Strange in« Stance of mistaken notions. LABOUR, In winter, 10 d. towards Bruchalk. • .... •: — —r-. 1 s. -. — : Romfey. Summer to harveft, 1 s. Bruchalk, >j. ¦ " — > .. • is. 7>d' Romfiy. Harveft, 1 s. 6 d, and beer, ov is. 2 d. and yid|uals and drink, 0 4 Reaping [ 200 ] Reaping wheat, 4 j. 6 d. and 5 j\ Mowing corn, 1 s. and is. id. .—¦ - Grafs, from Salifbury to Bn:chalkx is. 6 d. an acre, to Romfey, is. 6 d. Hoeing turnips, is. 6 d. Children 15 years old, 4*/. or 5 d. IMPLEMENTS., Thefe are the fame as from the Devizes. PROVISIONS. Bread, T - - 1 1 d. per lb, Butter, - - 61 Mutton, - - - 4* Beef, - - 3 Veal, - - il Cheefe, - - 11 As to manufactures, there are confider-* able ones of flannels and linfeys at Salif bury ; at which the journeymen earn from 7 s. to t^j. a week the year round : and at Romfey, near 506 hands are employed in making thofe Shalloons which are called Rattinetts : the journeymen earn, on an ayerage, 9 s. a week all the year ; and a girl of fixteen or eighteen, a Shilling a day by weaving, but in the neighbouring vil lages, by fpinning, not above half as much ; the children are employed at quil-< ling very young. The road from Salifbury to Romfey, and the firft four miles from . thence to Win^ chefier, I found fo remarkable good, that I made [ 201 ] I made particular inquiries concerning their making and mending it. They firft lay a foundation of large ftones, which they level with fmaller ones ; then make a layer of chalk on that gravel, and, laftly, ano ther of fifted gravel, exceeding fine ; and in fome places tending towards a fand. It is many miles as level, as firm, and as free from loofe ftones as any the fineft garden walk I ever beheld ; and yet the traffic is very great by waggons. But fcarcely the print of a wheel is to be feen on it for miles ; and I really believe there was not a loofe ftone to make a horfe Stumble, 1 9 miles from Salifbury. Between Romfey and Winchefier the huf bandry is, in general, the fame as what I laft mentioned, but with fome variations,' which I fhall mention. They feed their turnips off with fheep ; but not for wheat, but barley ; oftentimes, however, they fow them after fetches, which they, either feed off with fheep, or mow green for horfes ; feldom letting them ftand for feed or hay. They plough but once for them, and fow three bufhels. This is excellent hufbandry ; a thick crop of them loofening, the foil as much as feveral ploughings. The farms are, in general, fmall : 200 /. they reckon large, and lands lett, on an average, grafs and arable, frOm 7 Y. to 20 s. per acre ; but generally about 10 s. Having moftly a - " - :- "•' -" right , [• 202 I right to commonage, they keep a greater number of fheep than appears to be pro portioned to their farms. One of 50 /. a year, for inftance, has 300. Some of the farmers, neareft to Winehefier, ferve the inns with ftraw, and take their dung in return; "and bring coal-afhes from thence; fome foap-afhes, for which they give is. 6d. per waggon load ; which is very cheap. No oxen ufed ; four horfes to a plough. Their meafure 1 8 feet to a perch. LABOUR. In winter, to hay-time, 1 s. a day. Mowing hay, is. 6 d. ditto. Reaping -wheat, 5 s. Mowing corn, and raking it, 2 s. <~ — Grafs, and making into hay in the meadows, 5 s. Elfewhere 3 s. Hoeing turnips, 4 s. and 4 s. 6 d. A boy of 7 or 8 years old, 3 d. a day. PROVISIONS. Bread, i- - i\d.per lb, Butter, - - 6f Mutton, - 4 Veal, - 31 Beef, - 4 Cheefe, - - 3 Coals, - - 9 a bufhel. From Winchefier I turned out of my way purpofely to yiew Crux F,afiott, and the country [- 2°3 J country adjoining, that I- might be the better able to underftand feveral particus* lars* which Mr. Lifie, in his Obfervatio?is on Hufbandry, leaves very doubtful. I wanted to difcover, if the foil required 8 and I o oxen to plough ; but, herein, I was, what I may call, practically difap^ pointed, for not a working ox is to be met with for miles around, and very few in the whole country. But they common ly ufe 3 horfes, fometimes 4. White earth, which he fo often mentions, is very dry, found corn-land, very Shallow; for the pure chalk is at a few inches of depth, and the furface varies only from it in its dry-r nefs. The rent, at a medium, of whole farms there, is 9 j;. and 10 s. an acre. I muft own,' I expected fomething more peculiar than I found ; however, my own curiofity was Satisfied, though I could not bring from them many particulars worth your reading. The country around Winchefier, and to Aylesford, and its neighbourhood, is, in general, poor; in the latter, land letts from 5 s. to 1 o s. an acre, and grafs much higher : their flocks of fheep are confider-? able, arifing to above 1000, and the be nefit of folding well known. Particulars pf eulture and prices, are the fame as thofe I troubled you with laft. I fhould obr ferve, that Mr. Rodney, pf Qtd Aylesford, has r 204 j has tried a fmall field with lucerne, broad caft, and a piece of another with burnet ; the plants of the latter were vigorous, and looked well ; but fo thin that there was not half a crop ; it is a year and a half old ; but I could not find that any-eattle would eat it. His lucerne was broad-caft, except about half a dozen rows, two feet afun der; but as the crop was very thin, and much over-run with weeds, it affords me no conclufioris' that are the leaft determi nate. . Recollecting . a letter in . the Mitfseitm Rufiicum, which mentioned the Earl of , Nprthi/igton's having ordered an experiment to be tried on burnet, I determined to view it, though fix miles out of my way, in go ing and returning. I found it about one acre; and was informed, that the foil was light, but rich enough to produce wheat, or any other ^ common grain, It. was two years old laft fpring ; fown by itfelf, and kept clean, and mown once the firft year; the fecond, twice ; once for feed, and once for' gr'een food ; the horfes, hogs, and Sfieep, feed freely on it ; and this point, it is imagined at the Grange, depends up on not giving it them, when too old and. Stalky. At prefent, it is Standing for an-5 other crop of feed, not having been cut this year ; and is really a very fine thick 9rcPv L 2°5 ] crop, of great bulk, and ,has very few weeds in it. The country between Aylesford and Alton is pleafant, and well cultivated, but not, rich in foil ; the land, in general, is light and dry, very healthy, and bears, by means of good tillage and manure, wheat and turnips ; two vegetables which delight iri oppofite foils; but whenever any one yields both, that circumftance is a ftrong reafon for concluding it, what the farmers #call, a kindly foil. The rent through this tradt is in general, 7 s. or '8 s. an acre, grafs and arable, one with another. The farms are, in general, fmall; 200/. a year is reckoned a very large one : they run, in general, from 30 /. or 40/. a year* to 150/.' They cannot be fo fmall as in fome counties, becaufe no plough Stirs with lefs than four horfes, and a.- farm of 15'/. or 20 /. could not keep them. Their courfe of crops is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat, 3. Bar ley. 4. Clover and trefoil, and fome ray- grafs two years ; then round- again : or, 1. Turnips. 2. Barley. 3. Graffes, two years. 4. Fallow. . 5. Wheat. 6. Barley. They plough- three times for wheat, fow three bufhels ; and reckdn two. quarters... a middling crop.' For barley they plough twice, fow four bufhels; and reckon two quarters and half the medium. They very It 206 ) very feldom give above one earth for oafs; fow four and a half, or five bufhels, and reckon three quarters the middling produce. For peafe they plough once, fow three or four bufhels, according to the fize of the pea ; and two quarters and a half the me dium. Fetches they never fow, except for feeding off with fheep, or cutting green for their horfes ; they plough but once for them, and fow two bufhels. Whenever thefe crops of oats, peafe or fetches, come in, it is, in general, inftead of barley. The culture of turnips has within thefe 12 years increafed twerity to one ; they plough three or four times for them, hoe them once* and feed them off entirely with Sheep. They ufe alfo wheel-ploughs, never lefs than four horfes, and do an acre a day. As to the general oeconomy of their farms* the following fketch of one, of 160/. a year at Ripply, will give you fome idea. The farmer, who occupies it, has about ¦400 acres of land, a confiderable part of them grafs; keeps 10 or 12 horfes* and about eleven fcore of fheep : employs con stantly five fervants, one Shepherd, one boy, and three labourers. 1 forgot to tell you, that many of them manage to have a piece of clover for their hogs, an •article of hufbandry I have not met with for fome time. [ 207 ] LABOUR, &c. ' , All the year round, I j-. a day and beer, or i s. " i d. Without. This is exceffive cheap. Reaping wheat,, 4 s. and 4 s. 6 d. per acre. Mowing barley , and oats, 1 s. mow and take, is. 8 d. blowing grafs, 1 s. Hoeing turnips, 5 s. Lad of 13 or 14 years old, 4^. a day. Ploughing land per acre, 8-j. PROVISIONS. Bread, - - 1 \ d. per lb. Butter, - - 6f and yd. Candles, 7 Mutton, - - 4I Beef, , - - 4 , Cheefe, - - id. i\d. to 4*/. Labour and provifions in this country bear no proportion to each other; and the wretched management of keeping double ' the number of horfes that are really riecef- fary, is moft pernicious in its confequences. \ The foil between Alton and Farhham, is much richer than the above ; letts on an ' average from 15 x^to 20 s. an acre. Their chief crops are wheat, peafe, and beans. They fallow for the firft ; then fow wheat, and then Spring-corn others trench plough for peafe, then wheat, then fpring- corn ; then lay down with clover and ray- grafs [ 2©8 ] grafs for two years. They plough three* times for wheat ; fow three bufhels, and reckon three quarters a rriedium, often have five. For barley they give two. or three ' earth's, fow 4 bufhels ; and get 4 quarters On a medium; For oaf s, ftir but once, fow 4 bufhels; and 4 quarters they reckon a middling crop. When they trench-plough for peafe, they don't ftir a fecond time ; but when only common tillage, twice ; fow 3! bufhels, and reap, on a medium, three quar ters. When they fow turnips, they plough thrice, hoe them once, and feed them off entirely with fheep. They ufe only wheel- ploughs; never lefs than four horfes, and often five or fix ; which, in ftiff lands, do ari acre a day, and in light, an acre and a half They reckon that 80 acres of arable land require, five horfes, if-light. , One farmer* who rents 250 acres of light arable land* keeps nine horfes ; , 1 20 Sheep ; three men; three boys ; and four or five labourers the year round. But the moft remarkable hufbandry, near Farnham, is the culture of hops! ; of which they grow very large quantities, and are a vaft improvement* for hop-grounds left herefrom 3/. to 9 *an acre, which laft price, is very great. The labour attending them, they reckon 3 /. 10 s. an acre per ann* The poles coft (according to their length) from 1 2 s. "to 22 s. a hundred ; laft four or 3 five E. 2°? I five years, and twenty-fix hundred are requi site to an acre. ,They confider 1 2 Cwt. a middling crop, and the average price at 6 /. or 7 /. per Cwt. Which circumftances fhew the vaft improvement of this culture. Bently-Green, a village between Alton and Farnham, is worthy your notice, if you: gravel this road ; for it is pretty, chearful,- lively, well built, the houfes fcattered, and' all with little garderis, neat arid well planted ; arid I will' beg you will take notice of the fences on each fide of the road for 1 o miles ; I never beheld any thing equal to them j the whitethorn hedges are of a moft vigo-" rpqs growth j a great number of them regu larly dipt; and the dead hedges, herdle work ; three feet, or three feet fix inches high ; the flakes ftrong in the ground, arid clofoly interlaced ; and whenever ypu fee": young , quick, there is one on each fide of it, and. the white-thprn plants kept clean weeded : nor is this hufband-like attention fo their fences confined to the road-fide, but extends on each fide into the fields, as far as* you , can fee. — The country is very pleafant ; a due mean between a hilly and a flat one ; the fmall rifings give a variety, and open to agreeable landfcapes ; and the number of fcattered houfes and villages render it lively; particularly as they are fo neat. P [' 2IO J LABOUR, & ed my field very well the latter end of OSlober laft in two days with one man, a horfe, and boy to lead it ; fo that this heavy expence I have now reduced to 1 x. 6d. or 2 x. an acre. Soon after the field was thus cleaned, I began to think it would be C 223 I be a great acquifition if I could invent, an instrument that would work deep in the narrow fpace between the rows, as a hoe ing- plough ; accordingly I went to work again, and fucceeded to my wifh ; with this, on the 17th of laft November, I hoe- ploughed my three acres of Lucerne five or fix inches deep, after which, as well as the former operation of horfe-hoeing* I harrowed the field acrofs with common harrows, and carted off near 8 loads of weeds ; thus it lay till I began to cut it the 1 ith of 'May laft, after which, as we went on, once a week, we horfe-hoed ; this I alfo repeated after the fecond cutting, and the third crop, which is now very clean, and is 10 inches high. Thus I have the vanity to think I have brought the culture of Lucerne to a very fure and profitable method, and greatly reduced the expence of cultivating it. ' Drawing the drills, fowing the feed by hand, and covering it by two little boys at 3d. a day, and two men at 20 d. coft me for drilling an acre of Lucerne, about 1 o x. Railing the plants, ploughing and planting the tranfplanted Lucerne, coft me about 50 x. an acre. The observations ypu made on my bar ley (c), as being under-feeded, leads me to acquaint you with the experiment going; forward there : As I had obferved that t Lucerne Lucerne the firft year yielded but little, I was defirous of removmg that objection j accordingly, that piece of about i f acre Was fown with three bufhejs of barley the 30th of March laflv and the1 8 th, 9th, and 10th of April, it was drilled with Lucerne, the lines being a continuation of thofe in" (b) ; as I want to bring the whole field' into Lucerne, and (c) was formerly a little Separate field, the bank I therefore pulled down laft year to make it one field; if I fucceed,' you may avail yourfelf of my method. In regard to the quantity of feed-corn* moft proper for an acre, much may, and is faid on both fides. If I had had. the plea- -fure of being with you, I fhould have Shewn you a four acre field of oats adjoining to the Lncerrfe, which the farmers in general lay at "five, and fome at fix quarters, yet only ten bufhels were fown. Dung is very dear in my neighbourhood,' arid I dreffed this field with lime, which being unknown' as a manure about me, diverted the farmers, but now they fee I was right. The reafon of my fowing thin here, was on account of the Lucerne to be fown upon it, but from the ranknefs of the crop of oats,1 I am fear-: ful of my fuccefs. I have a 13 acre field of oats that would have afforded you much entertainment, too much indeed from the various experiments in it for me to mention - „ ' here. t 225 3 here. ¦¦ - ¦ In regard to natural graffes, I begin to think our forefathers were happy in difcovering ray-grafs. : Timothy is very coarfe ; and bird-grafs is nothing. If your bufinefs or pleafure bring you this way again* I hope you will favour me with more of your company, for I am always happy when I can be of fervice to any gentleman in matters of this fort. I remain* Sir, Your moft obedientf humble fervant, Clapliam Common, July 30, 1767. Chr«-. Baldwin: In his fecond letter, this excellent culti vator expreffed himfelf as follows : -. - — -" You defire me to give you fome information concerning the Progrefs of my Lucerne, and tha| I would confent to your publifhing an extradt from the letter I wrote you laft year in anfwer to your enqui ries after it. In regard to my field of Lucerne, I muft inform you that it continues in a flourishing State, and that I ufe no other inftruments in cleaning it than my horfe- hoe, and hoe-plough : I don't think that this has been a favourable feafon for the growth of Lucerne, but the frequent rains have been very ferviceable to it on nry gravelly foil, yet the cold winds have feemed to blight 1 ; however, on the 3d of laft «* .;*' c£, month, [ 226 ] month, a rod of drilled weighed 1 08 lb. and on the 8th, a rod of tranfplanted weighed 102, and yefterday a rod of drilled, cut the fecond time, weighed 64 lb. My horfes, though in conftant work, have lived upon it entirely, and they are not only in perfect good order, but in higli Spirits. If you think what I have now told yOu, or what I faid in my former letter, will be of any fervice to the publick, you are quite welcome to irifert it, as you defire, in your. Six- Weeks Tour ; for nothing gives me greater pleafure than being ferviceable to my country, in the caufe of agriculture. I have juft fown fome turnips, am ploughing for more, and in order to avoid the fly, I fow to every quart of turnip-feed, a pint of raddifh-feed. JFhis method I am advifed to ;by a friend, who fays the excel lence of it has lately been difcovered by accident : it feems the raddifh comes up before the turnips, and that the fly ' will not touch a. turnip while a raddifh remains, I think you'll be pleafed with this hint. I hope, when your bufinefs brings you to town, you'll do me the favour to friend a day with me at CJapbam Common. . . w I am, Sir, Your moft obedient,. humble fervant, 15th July, 1768. CHRr. Baldwin. I 227 ;] • The firft remark which will certainly be made by every one on reading thefe letters, is the truly patriotic fpirit of this very ingenious hulbandman, who not only employs his leifure in. a manner ferviceable to the interefts of the community, but fo readily contents to the publication of thefe minutes, with the fame excellent defign. From the above-inferted regifter, it is evident that Mr. Baldwin has carried the culture of Lucerne to very great perfec tion; an acre lafting 5 horfes three weeks, is, at the rate of keeping 2f fix weeks, which, at 6 x. per horfe, per week, amounts to 4/. 1 ox. each cutting; and if wefuppofe {the nth of May, the mean tirpe of the firft cutting, there will, to the end of September, be four cuttings or 18/. per acre. I appre hend a fourth of this fum may be dedudted for the expence of carrying the Lucerne to the ftables of the owners of the horfes, with the attendant charges, after which there remains* 13/. iox. From this fum, if we deduct the expences of culture, &c. the remainder will be neat produce. Let us calculate rent at 1 /. 10 x. one cleaning to each cutting, at 2 x. which makes 8 x. Four cuttings at 2 x. 6 d. or iox. One annual hand-weeding, and -cleaning the rows, which neither horfe- hoe nor hoe-plough can effect; this cannot be lefs than 10 x. Thefe expences amount Q^2 tO [ 228 ] to 2/. i8x. which, dedudted from 13^ l0f« there remains 10/. 12 x. clear profit. This calculation may not be exadt, but I appre hend, from the tenour of the preceding letters, that it is not far from the truth : However, it proves fufficiently, that Lu cerne thus managed is an object of very great importance. Where the price of foiling is not fo great as 6 x. per week, the proportion may be calculated by any one. The particulars inferted above are not explicit in the comparifon : the transplanted Lucerne feems to excel the drilled, which is not to be wondered at, as the plants enjoy in that method, a greater fpace and freer air, and are alfo much eafier cleaned; the fuperior weight of one cutting Of broad-caft fhould not be taken as a proof of general fuperiority, for it probably was not cut fo often as either the tranf- planted or the drilled : I am a little furprifed, however, that the product of the laftyear was not equal to the preceding, for Lucerne generally improves to the age of five years. But it fhould be remarked, by any hufbandman who is induced to attempt the culture of Lucerne from Mr. Baldwin's fuccefs, that the expences will run much higher if the above mentioned instruments are not ufed, as the difference between them and hand-work is very material* [ 229 ] LABOUR. In winter, i xt, 6 d. a day. In fummer, from 20 d. to 2 x. without beer. Reaping corn, 6 x. to 7 x. per acre. Mowing ditto, 1 x. 6 d. to 2 x. Grafs, 3 x. * From Wanfiead, I took the diredt road to tlford; which afforded me a pkafure fuperior to that, which any palace could * In my way back to the great Effex road, I flopped, and viewed Wanfiead houfe, the feat of the Earl Tilney, which is a very magnificent palace. It is built of Portland ftone, with a grand portico' ip the center, fupported by large Corinthian pillars ; under which , is the landing-place, from a double ftone Stair-cafe, which leads to the grand hall. This room is 53 feet long, by 45 broad -, the ornaments confift chiefly of two -large antique Statues, on marble pedeftals, Livia and Domitian -, and three large pictures by Cafali, Cqriolan%s, Porfenna, and Pompey taking leave of his family. Thefe pieces are not in that matter's beft manner ; the colours. are top tawdry ; nor is the beauty and delicacy of the female figures equal to many I have feen by that painter. The door cafes of this room are plain, but little carved, though in a good ftile. The chimney-piece heavy. From the hall, we were conducted to therleft, into a dining-room of 27 feet fquare; out of that into a drawing room of the fame dimenfions ; from that into a bed-chamber of 24 by 20, and 0^3 ' through, t 23b ] confer; for I found there a hufbandry more perfect (that is profitable) than any I ever met with ; the particulars of it are worthy of your attention. The farms are neither very large nor fmall ; 200 /. a year is reckoned a large one, and the land letts, at a medium, at 1 /. iox. per acre. The courfe of crops moft- common is, 1. Fallow. 2. Wheat. ,3. Oats. 4. Turnips. 5. Barley. 6. through that into two light clofets :, thefe rooms form the front line to the left of the hall. There is nothing remarkable in their furniture ; but I obferved, among other modern pictures, that of a Turkifh lady, which pleafed me. You will txtufe me giving you my little criticifms ; I am no connoifleur in paintings, and may be fo gothic as to praife a piece by a modem artift, when an antient one is near it. The fuite of apartments to the right pf the hall, confifts of, ift, A dining-room, 25 fquare; then a drawing-room, 30 by 25. The chimney- piece in this room is elegant; it has a tablet of an eagle taking up a fnake, in white marble. The next is a bed-chamber, 25 by 22 ; and out of that we entered the -ball-room, which runs the whole breadth of the houfe, and connects the front line of apartments with the back fuite. This room is 75 by 27 ; very elegantly fitted up with gilded ornaments of all kinds. But I fhould remark, that the gilding being all on brown, is by no means fet off with fuch luftre, as if on lighter colours. 2 From [ 23i ] Clover and ray-grafs. 7. Potatoes. Their pOtatoeJiufbandry is admirable ; they dig in the clover (and natural grafs, when they break it up the fame) about February, and immediately dibble in potatoe fetts, four inches deep, and from eight to ten inches fquare. Before they come up, they hoe the ground perfectly clean ; and after they appear, twice more. They dig them up with a three pronged fork, and gene** From the ball-room, turning to the back fuite, we entered another Slate bed-chamber, 27 by 22. From that into a drefling-room, 27 by 25 ; then into an antichamber, 40 by 27 ; the chimney- piece white marble and elegant. Next came the Saloon, 30 fquare; then another dining-room 40 by 27, ornamented with three large pictures, by Cafali: Alexander diredting Apelles to paint Cam- pajpe, who is fitting naked in a chair, is beau tiful, the naked well coloured, and the whok figure enticing ; but there is a ftrange fwelling in her thigh. The next piece is the Conti nence of Scipib, a poor one ; the lady is by no means tempting, nor has Scipio any thing characteriftick in his countenance. Sdphonijba taking poifon, is the third ; fhe is an infipid figure, and takes the poifon as She would pluck a rofe ; but without any of that noble heroifm of fouL, which fpeaks a contempt of the fear of death. The colours in all thefe pieces are too glaring. From this room we entered a drawing one, 27 fquare ; then another bed-cham ber, 27 by 21 ; very elegant, hung with crimfon Q^ 4 velvet ; [ 232 J rally before they are half grown. I faw them taking up feveral crops ; the reafon of this earlinefs is the great price potatoes bear in the fummer. The profit is exceeding great. The landlord of the Red-Lion at Ilford, fold three roods ftanding without any expence of taking up, the day I was there (July the 1 3th) for 9/. And fome Irifhmen who had hired about two acres of ley-land, of Mr. Johnfion, the brick- merchant, took up 4© facks per acre.; which amounts to above 20 /. per acre. The crop I viewed ; it was dibbled promif euoufly. Thefe Irifhmen hired the land at 4/. an acre. It was once very common to have all the potatoe-grounds belonging to them, but of late the farmers have got pretty much into the culture themfelves. velvet; bedthefame, and lined with an Indianfattva, white, trailed with coloured flowers. Laftly, a drefling-room, 26 by 18 ; ornaments richly gilt. The fuite of rooms on either fide, is, in the whole, s6o feet. Under the hall is a very noble arcade ; out pf^ which is a common dining-parlour, 40 by 35 ; out of which we entered a bfeakfaft-room, 30 by 25 : fitted up with prints pafted on a pale yellow coloured paper, with engraved borders; and all difpofed in a manner which displays great tafte. The prints are of the very beft mailers, and the ornaments elegant. Wanfiead, upon the whole, is one of the noblefl houfes in England. The magnificence of having four. [ 233 ] Mr- Johnfion, abovementioned, at the tlm? that he lett the ley to fome Jrifh labourers* offered them at the fame price, the furface pf a very large quantity of mud, thrown out of a canal in his garden, but they refufed it : upon which he directed them to plant it on his own account ; and to their Surprize, it turned out by much the bpft crop of the two. They reckon 2 tun a middling fummer crop. Sometimes they only plough for_ them, and dibble in rows at 2 feet or 18 inches* and 9 inches or a foot, frOm plant to plant. They prepare common arable fields by feveral, ploughings, after a common manuring of-dung. But to return to the general hufbandry around Ilford. For wheat they plough four times, fow two bufhels; and reckon- 31 quarters a middling crop. They give three or four earths for barley, fow three bufhels ; and 5 quarters a middling crop. They plough thrice four ftate bed-chambers, with complete apart ments to them ; and the ball-room are fuperior to any thing of the kind in Houghton, Holkam, Blenheim, or Wilton : But each of thofe houfes are fuperior to this in other particulars ; and to form a complete palace, fomething muft be taken from all. In refpect of elegance of architec ture, Wanfiead is fecond to Holkam. What a building would it' be, were the .wings added according to the firft defign. C 234 ] thrice; for oats, which is extraordinary, fow four bufhels; and 6 quarters they reckon a medium. For turnips, they Stir four times* fow before midfummer, and feed off with cows and fheep ; always hoe twice, fometimes thrice. They plough only with horfes, two to a plough* and • " 3f Ditto, peafe, - - 5 Rent, - 1$ x. Between Woodfiock and Witney, Oxfordfhire: Crop, 3| Rent, - 15X, 6d. Cotfwould Hills, Gloucefierjhire : Crop, - - - . 3 Rent, - 5 x. 6 d. Between Chepfiow and Newport', Monmouth^ Jhire : Crop, not 2 Rent, r- 8 x. [ 266 ] Around Cowbridge, Glamorganfhire : Quarters. Crop, lefs than - 2 Rent, - iox. Near the Devifes, towards Salifbury, Wilts : Crop, ... 3 Peafe, - - 2§ Rent, - 5 x. Between Salifbury and Romfey, Hampfhire Crop, - - - 2 Peafe, ... 2| Rent, - 16 s. Alresford to Alton : Peafe, ' 2f Alton to Farnham : 'Peafe, - 3 Between Guilford and Ripley, Surry : Crop, peafe, 4 Rent, - 1 2 x. About Ilford, Effex : CrOp, garden peafe, 6, 7, or 8 /. Rent, - 30 x. Ingatefione to Chelmsford : Crop, ... 3 Peafe, 3 Rent, - 13 s. 6 d. Thefe crops call for fome very obvious remarks: rent we find has nothing to do with them, if the foil is in any meafure to be judged of by it ; good crops of beans proceed from other circumftances more 2 than [ 267 J than from the richnefs of the land. By much the worft crops, in this table, are thofe in Monmouthfhire, Glamorganshire, and part of Wiftjhire and Hampfhire ; the rents of which tracts appear to be, on a medium, as high as any of the others ; but if you turn to the preceding paffages, wherein an account is given of their culture, you will find thefe are the only place's where they do not hoe them. The medium of thofe tradts, which hoe, is about 4 qrs. and I ; from whence it appears, that thofe flqvenly farmers, who omit this neceffary operation, lofe, at leaft, the amount of their crops, for want of following better examples. I reafoned with feveral of them, on this part of their practice ; but they faid, - They never heard of fuch a thing, *rwould never do, and could not anfwer. The number of ploughings given for each crop, is an object in hufbandry which Should not be overlooked. AU thefe cir cumftances that can affect the products, Should be drawn into one view, which will enable one to difcover what the particulars are, that probably give great crops in one place, and poor ones in. another. "Variations lie in foil, feed, tillage, manuring, &c. all Should be taken into account to prevent our attributing effedts to wrong caufes. 1 268 ] Mr. Ray, at Tofiock: Earths. For turnips, - - Barley, Oats, 4 to 6 3 3 Wheat, on clover, z 1 Nekr Bury : For Turnips, f~*3'.*1 Barley, - ., Wheat, on clover, 4 or 5 - ' 3 1 White oats, 3 Black ditto, 1 Beans, 2 Peafe, - 1 About Hedingham : For Wheat, - - 3 or 4 Barley, - Oats, 1 or 2 _ 3 Peafe, 1 Turnips, 4 Sampford : For Wheat, 4 Barley, Oats, 5 1 or 2 , Beans, - . 2 Braintree to Chelmsford: For Wheat, 3 Barley, - Oats, 2 3 Beans, 1 Peafe, 2 Turnips, 2 About Turville : For Wheat, on clover, 1 , ' on fallow, - 3 or 4 For t 260 ] Earths. For Barley, - - 1 or 2 Oats, 1 Turnips, » 3 or4 About -Lanvachers : For Wheat, 3 Barley, 2 Oats, 1 Beans, 1 Peafe, harrowed in, 1 ploughed in, 2 Around Newport :_ For Wheat, . : 4 Barley, , ' - . 3 or 4 Oats, 1 Beans, 1 Turnips, - 1 Near Bridgend : For Wheat, "¦ - 3 Barley, 2 or 3 Oats, - 1 From the Devizes to Salifbury : For Wheat, Barley, 3 Oats, 1 Beans, 1 Peafe, 1 Turnips, - 3 'From Salifbury to Romfey : For Wheat, - 3 or 4 Barley^ 1 to 3 Oats, 1 Beans, 2 ;_ Peafe, - - - 1 to 3 Turnips,-, i. -.. - ,a 4 or. 5 . From v<~ 1 [ 270 j ' From Alresford to Alton : Eartbs* For Wheat, - 3 Barley, _% 2 Oats, - 1 Peafe, - i Tares, - 1 Turnips, - 3 or 4 From Alton to Farnham : For Wheat, - 3 Barley, - 2 or 3 Oats, - i Peafe, - 1 or 2 Turnips, " • Z 3 . About Ripley : '- For Wheat, - 3 or 4 Barley, ¦• *» 1 or 2 Oats, - 1 Beans, -• 1 Peafe, - 1 Turnips, -' 2 or 3 About Ilford : For Wheat, - 4 Barley, - 3 or 4 Oats, - 3 Turnips,' - 4 From Ingatefione to Chelmsford : For Wheat, - 3 Oats, - 1 "" "Beans, r 1 Peafe, K 2 or 3 Tufriips, ~ - 4 Having given this general table of the number' of ploughings for every crop, I Shall [ 27I j Shall in the next place take each feparate, and compare it with other circumftances. w H E A T. Place. Earths. Seed. , Cr»/>. Rent. Bujh. %f. l. i. J. Mr. Ray, I on cl. 4| o 14 0 Near Bury, l do . 2 2| 0 12 O About Hedingham, 31 2 31 0 12 6 Sampford, 4 ' 2 3 0 14 0 Braintree to Chelms ford, — 3 3f 3 0 15 0 About Turville, i on cl. 2| ^l¦ 0 9 0 3\fal- do. do. Lanvachers, 3 2 2i-*¦ 4. 0 is 0 Around Newport, 4 2 0 8 0 Near Bridgend, 3 3 31 0 10 0 From the Devizes to Salifbury, 3 3 2f 0 5 0 From Salifbury to Romfey, — 31 3i 3 0 16 0 From Alresford to Ahon, — 3 3 2 0 7 6 From Alton to Farn ham, — 3 3 3 0 17 6 About Ripley, 3i 2f 3 0 12 0 About Ilford, 4 2 4 1 10 0 From Ingatefione to Chelmsford^ 3 2 2f 0 13 6 One Earth on Clover. Places. Seed. Crop. Rent. Bujh. Sirs. I. j. rf. Mr.' Ray, — ¦ 2 41 0 14 0 Near Bury, — — 2 21 O 12 0 About Turville, — • — 2| 2f O 9 0 "5 i 1 15 0 Average, — • — 2 31 0 11 8 t 272 ] - Three Earths. Places. Seed. Crop. Rent. Bujh. %i. /. s. ' d: Braintree td Chelmsford, 3! 3 o 15 0 Lanvachers, -— —- 2 2| 0 15 © Near Bridgend, — — 3 3I 0 10 9 From Devizes to Salifbury, 3 2§ 050 From Alresford to Alton, 3 2 © 7 6 From ^7/tf ?? to Farnham, 3 3 0176 Ingatefione to Chelmsford, a 2| o 13 6 191 i8| , 2: 5*- bur Eartt 3f' ¦ 3 2f 2 3 3 4 - 21 3 4 3 6 Average, — — 2f Three and an half, and f About Hedingham, — 2 Sampford, — — 2 Turville, — — 2 J Around Newport, From Salijbury to Romfey, 3 £ About Ripley f — — 2| About i^ri, — — 2 0 11 is. 0 12 0 14 0 9 0 8 0 16 0 12 1 10 11 6 0 6O0 OO 14 5 2 6 Average, — — 2f 0 14 7 Re capitulation. One earth, on clover, 2 3J o 1 1 8 , Three and an half, and ,.-;;,. four earths, — — %\ 3 o 14 7 Three earths, — — ¦ 2| 2 : 5*. 0 1 1 1 1 Upon this table I muft remark, that clover land being ploughed but once, -is no bad husbandry, fincemore tillage could not be .. C 273 J be given ; no preparation for wheat ever exceeds that of a clover lay ; which pro-f duces I believe the greateft crqps of that grain that. are gained in the kingdom. We fee in this table that the loweft rent .pro* chices the greateft Crop ; which muft be attributed to the fuperiority of the clover over any tillage that can be given. Few arguments ftronger can be urged in favour of the clover hufbandry, which many tradts of fhe kingdom are yet but little acquainted with : nQ object in Britifh agriculture demands more attention than this ; clover being equally adapted, when properly ma naged, to. clean and enrich the foil ; and to give it thefe effects, little more is necefc fary than fowing it ever with the firft Crop of corn that fucceeds the fallow or turnips. » But if you fallow for wheat, then take barley, and with that fow the clover ; the crop will not be near fo clean, nor the land kept in equal heart. I believe the complaints often made of this grafs wearing out of fome lands, fouring others, and not bringing good wheat, on others, all are owing to fowing it with the fecond inftead of the firft crop of corn. Three and an half, and four earths, we find produce more than three, by three bufhels an acre ; indeed the difference is not decifive, becaufe.the rent is alfo higher. T However, [ 274 J However, this point of. ploughing for Wheat fhould be well attended to by all farmers ; lefs than four earths in fallowing muft be very inefficacious ; neither fuf ficiently loofening the foil, nor destroying, Weeds. If the land abounds much with' feed weeds, the fallow ought to be made pretty fine by the beginning of June, fo that all may vegetate, and be deftroyed by a ploughing. This cannot poflibfy be ¦ effected with lefs than four earths, nor unlefs the firft be given at Michaelmas. Five or fix would be far more effedtual, arid would anfwer the extra expence extremely well. But as to the pradtice of giving but three ploughings, it is impoffible that Should be at all effectual as a preparation of land, which the farmers feldom think of fallowing till very foul. BARLEY. Places. Mr. Ray, Near Bury, About Hedingham, Sampford, Braintree to Chelms ford, About Turville, Lanvachers,Newport,Bridgend, From the Devizes to Salifbury, Earths. Seed. Q^ B. P. 040032040 040 2 I§ 2 3J 21 0 3 0 O4O030 O3O Crop. Ci E. p. 600 3 4 0 4405 4 0 300 4 4 0 220 200 310 o o Rent. 1. >. i. 0 14 0 0 12 0 6 12 6 Q 14 O o 15 0 O9Oo 15 0 0 8 0 o 10 0 Places. t 275 ] Earths. Seed. Crop From Salifbury to Romfey, From Alresford to From jf/raw to i^ra- About Ripley, About 7^™/, 2 22l31 CU. B. P. 1 O40 0 4 o 040 0 3 3 o, 3 ° CL B. P. 3 6 o 240 4 0 4 o 5 o About Heding ham, About Turville, One Earth and an half. 040 o 40 100 Average, -04 440400 840 420 Braintree to . Chelmsford, Lanvachers,From Salifbury to Romfey, From Alresford to Alton, Two Earths. 030 0 3 °, 040 040 160 032 300 220 360240 11 4 o Average, - Two Earths and an half, Bridgend, fc . From Alton to Farnham, 040 Average, 3 I ° 400 710 ~ Renii 1. s. d. 0, 16 o 076 o 17 6 o 12 o 1 10 o o 12 6 090 I 1 6 o 10 9 o 15 0 o 15 o o 16 o 076 2 13 6 70 o 13 4 0 10 o o 17 .6 176 342 013 9 T 2 T 276 I Three Earths. Seed. Crop. CL B. P. CL B. P. 040 600 Rent. 1. s. d, 0 14 0 032 240 O 12 O Mr. Ray, Near Bury, From Devizes to Sajifbury,. -040 300 050 , — r— , -= — " 1 3 2 12 4 o 1 n 0 Average, -033 411 0104 3 0 0 12 4 0 4 1 1 o More than three Earths. Sampford, 040 540 014 Newport, 030 200 080 About Ilford, 030 500 1100 120 12 4 0 2 12 o Average, -031 411. 0174 Ri 'CAPITULATION, Qne.Eaffth and an half, 0 4 0 420 0 10 P Three Earths, 0 3 3 4 1 1 0 10 4 More than three Earths, 0 5 1 4 I i 0 17 4 Two Earths St an half,* 3 4 2 0 13 9 Two Earths, 0 3 2 270 •o 13 4 There are fo many contradictions in this table, that I know not what clearly to make of it ; the leaft tillage giving the greateft crop Should make two earths fupe rior to three or more ; inftead of which they are much inferior. Nor is it rent -that reverfe* [ 277 1 TeverFes the order of the table; for the highefl in product, is within fix-pence an acre of the lowefi in rent ; in a word, the number of ploughings feem to have very little effect ; this being the cafe, let us examine the point, and fee if we can account for the apparent contradidtion. There is only one place in this lift where they1 give a complete fallow for barley, which is Sampford •$ throwing that afide, we are to enquire into the proper tillage of turnip land, or a Hubble for this grain. Early fowing is one of the moft impor tant articles in the culture of barley : if three ploughings can be given, and the feed got in in March at furtheft, certainly the tillage will be fo much the better ; but rather than defer the fowing three weeks or a month, I had much rather throw in the crop on one earth. Turnip land it fhould be remembered muft be ploughed once or thrice ; the firft earth turns in the dung of the fheep that eat the crop ; the fecond turns it up again ; that will not do for fowing, but another muft be given to throw it back again : turnips are of moft ufe in the fpring*. February and March for inftance; now what time is there after fuch a feafon of confirming them, to give the land three ploughings ? It is evident enough that the T 3 feed [ 278 ] feed would not be in the ground till the end of April, or the beginning of May. Hence it is that the belt and moft atten tive farmers have in many feafons found it advantageous to watch the lucky moment of ploughing their turnip lands, fo that they may break up in fine moulds, which will, always be the cafe, if the precife time is duly attended to ; one earth then brings it to crumbling order, and the harrows make it garden fine ; in fuch a cafe the feed is got in early, and the land at the fame time in good tillage. But, on the contrary, if the farmer will, in defiance of the feafons, and a late fowing, give his turnip lands , three earths, he will depend on the weather for having three feafons inftead of one, and all of them almoft equally neceffary ; for what figure will a barley crop make, the tillage for which is given, while the land is in bad order ? Loams which are not abfolutely dry, will require pulverization, and at the fame ' time muft be ftirred only when quite dry. It is for thefe reafons that I apprehend we find the produdts of barley not propor tioned to the number of earths ; which muft ever depend on, the ftate of the land, with an.abfolute provifo in all cafes, never for the fake of giving more earths, to wait till a late fowing,- c 279 ] OATS. Place. Earths. Seed. Crop. Rent. CL B. P. |Qi B. p. /. s.' d. Mr. Ray, 3 040 6 0 0 0 14 0 Near Bury, 3whi. ibla. 0,4 0 4 0 0 0 12 0 Hedingham, 040 5 0 0 0 12 6 Sampford, TI 040 4 0 0 0 14 0 Braintree to ' Chelmsford, 3 030 3 0 0 0 15 0 Turville, 040 4 4 0 090 Lanvachers, 032 2 2 0 0 15 0 Around Newport, 0 2 2 2 0 0 080 From the Devizes to Salifbury, 050 5 0 0 050 From Salifbury to Romfey, 0 5 2 4 4 0 0 16 0 From Alresford to ' Alton, 0 4 3 3 0 0 076 From Alton to Farnham, 040 4 0 0 0 17 6 About Ripley, 042 4 4 0 O 12 O About Ilford, 3 O4O 6 0 0 1 10 0 From Ingatefione to Chelmsford, 1 O4O 3 0 0 0 13 6 One Earth. Turville, 040 44 0 090 Lanvachers, 032 22 0 0 15 0 Newport, 022 20 0 080 Devizes, 050 50 0 050 Salifbury, 052 44 0 0 16 0 Alresford, 043 30 0 076 ./&«», 040 40 0 0 17 6 Ripley, , 042 44 0 0 12 O Ingatefione, Averages, On 0 4 0 30 0 3 5 0 0 f. 0 13 6 0 4 0 n 5 e Earth and an hal Sampford, 040 40 0 0 14 0 T4 i 280 J Three Earths. Seed. Crop. Rent . CL B. P. Q; B. P. I. ,. '4 040 6 0 0 6 14 0 040 4 0 0 0 12 0 040 CSO' 0 12 6 03 0 3 0 0 0 15 Q 0 40 600 1 10 0 P 3 3 462 0 16 8 Mr. Ray, Bury, Hedingham, Braintree, ' 'ilford, Average, Recapitulation. From three Earths;, ° 3 3 462 3 16 $ @ne and an half, 040 40 0 0140 ¦r . • one, 040 35° on?; We cannot draw abfolute decifions from this table, beaaufe the gradation of rent tallies exactly with that of ploughing, con-. fequ'entiy we know not which caufe to attribute the variation to. But we may fairly conjedture that the" advantage of giving three earths for the crop, comes in ^s a principal caufe. With turnips the difference 'is great, between the right hufbandry of that vegetable, as practifed in Norfolk, Suffolk, Effex/ &ci and as they are managed in Wales, and about Burchalke, near Salifbury ¦: fbr of all crops, none require hoeing fo much; there is none that will pay fo well for that operation, the value of them being very trifling without it. The extenfive ufe of them is known hut little of, except in 2 Norfolk, t 281 ] Norfolk, Suffolk, and Effex-, that is, all the ufes to which they may with profit be applied. One of two places excepted, I found no farmers, but in thofe counties, that underftood any thing of the hufbandry of fatting cattle with them ; . feading lean fheep, being the only ufe they put theift to. A univerfal lofs attending a bad cul ture of beans and turnips, is the lofs Of a year for a -poor crop; for nothing is a better preparation for corn, than thefe vegetables, when kept perfedtly clean, but none worfe, when managed, in a Slovenly manner : and accordingly we find, that where they plough and hoe thoroughly, their beft crops of corn fucceed thefe fallow Ones. The clover hufbandry I found univerfal, from the north of Norfolk, to the further end of Glamor ganfhire. Some variations I found in the management of it, but none fo ftriking as thofe mentioned in the article pf turnips. The worft is the fowing of hop-clover in WUtfldire and Hampfhire^ which paltry fpecies is not comparable to the common broad clover. Ray-grafs is likewife foWn much too univerfally : I found \t frequently On foils by far too good for it ; broad clover alone, is infinitely pre ferable, except on Very light land. The variations in the courfes of crops I found pretty confiderable. In [ 282 ] In the marled parts of Norfolk, it is ; I Wheat, 4 Clover and Ray- 2 Turnips, grafs. 3 Barley, • In the improved farm, near Bury, ii Suffolk ; I Turnips, 3 Clover, 2 Barley, 4 Wheat. Mr. Lord; i Fallow, 3 Clover i year or 2 2 Barley or Oats, 4 Wheat. Near Bury ; 1 Turnips, And, 2 Barley, 1 Fallow, 3 Clover, 2 Wheat, 4 Wheat, 3 Oats or Barley. 5 Barley. About Hedingham, in Effex : 1 Fallow, 5 Turnips, 2 Wheat, 6 Barley, 3 Peafe, 7 Clover. 4 Wheat, Sampford ; Likewife, 1 Fallow, 1 Fallow, 2 Barley, 2 Barley, 3 Oats. 3 Clover, Alfo, 4 Wheat. 1 Fallow, Another, 2 Wheat, 1 Fallow, 3 Oats. 2 Barley, 3 Beans, If [ 283 ] If the third or fourth crop of this courfe - is well manured for, it is a very good one, on rich lands. Between Braintree and Chelmsford : 3 Clover, I Fallow, 2 Barley, 4 Wheat. This courfe upon lands too heavy for turnips is excellent. Sometimes they vary it, but for the worfe : i Fallow, 2 Wheat;, 3 Barley, 4 Wheat.. No manuring can make the laft crop of wheat a good one. For very rich lands, the courfe between Dartford and Shooter 'x- hill is excellent : I Peafe, 2 Turnips, 3 Barley, About 'Turville : i Fallow, 2 Wheat, 3 Barley, 4 Oats. Arid, I FalloWj 2 Wheat, 3 Oats or peafe. And, I Turnips, 2 Barley, 3 4 5 i 23 45 6 Clover,Wheat. Clover, Wheat, Earley. And, Turnips, Barley, Oats, Clover, Wheat, Barley. AU bad. About L 284 j About Stoken Church, in Glouceflerjhire : 1 Fallow, 3 Spring-corn, 2 Wheat, 4 Clover* Between rfetsford and Oxford : 1 Wheat, 4 Fallow, 2 Beans, 5 Barley, 3 Barl'ey, 6 Clover. This is a ftrange courfe for any foil. It is the fame between Woodjlock and Witney,- About • Sherborn on Cotfwould-hills, Giou- ceflerfhire : 1 Fallow, 3 Peafe, 2 Wheat, 4 Barley. Between Netvnham and Chepfiow, Glau*- ceflerfhire: 1 Fallow, 6 Barley, 2 Wheat, 7 Clover, 3 Peafe, 8 Wheatj exceed- 4 Oats, ing good. 5 Turnips, Between Chepfiow and Newport : 1 Fallow, 4 Oats, ' 2 Wheat, 5 Ray-grafs, and 3 Barley, ' clover. But of all others, I beg you will remark the following, about Cowbridge, in Gla morganshire : 1 Wheat, 4 Oat?, 2 Barley, 5 Fallow, 3 Oats, Between C 285 j Between Devizes and Salifbury • 1 Fallow, 3 Barley, 2 Wheat, 4 Hop-clover, &c. Around Salifbury : 0 1 Fallow, 4 Oats, peafe or 2 Wheat, beans. 3 Barley, Between Aylresford and Alton, in Hamp- fhire, a very odd courfe : 1 Turnips, 4 Fallow, 2 Barley, 5 Wheat, 3 Graffes, 2 years, 6 Barley. Between Guildford and Ripley, in aSW-tv .• 1 Fallow, 4 Clover, 2 Wheat, 5 Wheat, 3 Spring-corn, 6 Beans. About Ilford in Effex : 1 Fallow, 5 Barley, 2 Wheat, 6 Clover, 3 Oats, 7 Potatoes. 4 Turnips, There are more to commend, upon the whole, in thefe courfes, than in any other article mentioned yet; for the hufbandry of introducing a crop of pulfe* roots, or grafs between every two of corn, is very .prevalent, and an excellent principle it is. U we except the Welfh. courfes, which arq very bad, and one or two more, a crop, and fallow, or fallow crop, are univerfal. In j" 286 ] In the long courfes it appears now fonfible the farmers are, that corn will not bear any repetitions, with fo much profit in the long run, as by* introducing either legumi nous crop or roots. This article of cropping judicioufly, is of infinite importance. How is it poffible that any land, - be it ever fo well ploughed and manured, can nipvort four fucceffive crops of corn, upon the ftrength of one fallow ? according to the cuftom about Cowbridge in Glamorganjhire ! It is abso lutely impoffible that good crops can be gained by fuch hufbandry ; for the laft two muft be over-run with trumpery, and ' weeds, without any ftrength to get the better of them. No courfe can exceed that of turnips, barley, clover, wheat ; when the land is fo dry and found as to yield good turnips, and admit their being fed or carried pff, and at the fame time rich enough to pro duce wheat; which circumftances I take to be of all others, the ftrongeft proofs of a good foil. But even this courfe has been found liable to objections : in the turnip and clover countries, many farmers are perfuaded their lands become furfeited with them ; infomuch, that after a long repetition of this courfe, fcarce any turnips can be gained, without much dung on the fame fields, which, at firft, produced plentifully without L **7 J without any. And their clovers they firidt rife thin, die in the winter, and wear out very foon. The remedy wanting in this cafe, fuppofing the evil real, is a fubfti- tute for each of thefe crops- In light foils, none are comparable to carrots and potatoes ; and I might obferve, that they will grow in much heavier ones than com monly imagined. I have cultivated them myfelf, in no inconfiderable quantities, on a good wheat foil, and with great fuc cefs ; and in heavy lands, cabbages thrive, with proper management, in an extraordi nary manner. Thefe crops would ferve to vary the courfe inftead of turnips, and the ground would bear the repetition of three much better than of one crop. Inftead of clover,, fainfoine and lucerne might be introduced; which would laft in the foil five years, in perfect vigour, and form by that, time a turf, the breaking up of which would yield an extraordinary profit. I do not, by any means, recommend thefe plants to the exclufion of clover, for I am very fenfible of its prodigious value ; but only to introduce them in rounds,- in cafe the foil is tired of the latter. Refpedting manures, a recapitulation of the intelligence-will give fhe-beftidea of it. Farni yard. Norfolk: , Quantity per acre, K. 12 loads* - I 288 ]>' Mr. Ray, at foflock : • Method. Carts earth into his yard, and upon that fodders his cattle. Quantity per acre, 12 to 20 loads. Near Bury : Quantity per acre, 20 loads, each 36 bufhels. Sampford: Quantity per acre, %o to 30 loads, mixed . with border earth. It is worthy of obfervation that there are no reafons of any confequence given by farmers, for the quantity they lay on of their yard dung. In one place 12 loads are ufed, in another 30 ; and if you affc the reafon, there is none for you but cuftom. But this is a part of hufbandry knowledge, which ought to be fixed on more certain grounds ; we ought to know for inftance what quantity is moft profitable, for it is not at all clear that 50, 80, or 100 loads, may yield more profit clear to the farmer upon one acre, than upon three or four ; but then a proper crop muft certainly be thrown in ; of the hoeing kirid, and not white corn. The following variations might be attended to. 20 loads of dung. 20 ditto, and 5 of earth* 20 10 ditto* 20 15 20 ¦ >"¦¦"' 20 [ 289 ] 30 load" of dung, ~~ 30 10 of earthy 30 20 30 30 40 -™. 30 40 ¦ i- 40 5° 4° 5° jo 60 — 60 < 50 60 50 7° ~- 70 _ yo $0 ___ 80 -r— SO IOO ¦ IOO 80 IOO ¦¦ IOO The dung all made of the fame quantity 6f ftraw, and number of cattle ; and the earth of the fame. quality : by degrees fuch a fcale of experiments might be formed j and tried ; the Smaller quantities- for beans or peafe, and the larger ones for turnips^ carrots, potatoes, &c. The refult would be particularly instructive, for moft huf- bandmen are ignorant what" quantity of dung per acre is moft beneficial. U [ 290 -J MARLE. ' In Norfolk: Quantity, ioo loads. Sort. Fat and foapy. Expence, k 176 Labour and team, — — » - 1 7 6 X. 2 15 a Duration. 20 years. Mr. Wright, at T'hetford r Sort* Hard and chalky. Benefit. Very great. Billerieay : Sort. Chalk. Expence. Brought from GVva^x ; 5 | No afhes ufed. Salifbury. The farmers will not take the coal afhes and mortar rubbifh under 3 d. or 4 d. a load. fflinchefler. All ufed ; foap-afhes 2 x. 6 d. a load. There is no town in the kingdom of any fize, but what yields a confiderable quan tity of manure annually; afhes of wood and, Goal, horfe dung, the cleaning of Streets, the riddance of privies, poultry, and hog d.ung, Shambles,, offal, foot, and a variety of other manures, are to be met with in all towns. In moft they are to be had for a very low price, in fome for nothing at all ; in both thefe it muft be highly advan tageous to purchafe them ; and thofe farmers who have the opportunity, and do not make ufe of it, furely deferve reprehen sion ! But there are fome places where the expence is much higher ; in them it is to be confidered how far it will anfwer. At what price Should they buy ? How many rriiles may they venture to go for it ? Thefe are important points, and fuch as might in any fituation be very accurately decided by a courfe of experiments. The enquiry is not fo much the propriety of now and then fending a waggon for a load when there U 3 happens [ 294 ] happens to be a fpare day in the farm; but to know how it would anfwer to keep a team and a waggon going the year round, to do nothing elfe. In the above minutes at Bury, it feems they go from four or five miles for all forts of town manure, and pay 2 x. 6 d. or 3 xf a waggon load of 80 bufhels for it, and reckon the whole expence iox. or 12X. a load. Let us form a calculation of it, for a whole year. 1. X. d. Coft of a waggon, 25 0 0 Ditto of four horfes, 80 0 0 t)itto harnefs. 12 0 0 117 0 0 Intereft of that fum, - . s 17 Q keeping, fhoeing, and decline of value of four horfes, at 15/. 60 0 Q Wear of the waggon, 2 p Q A man, 25 0 Q 300 loads, at 3 x. - 45 0 Q Sundry expences, at 6d. - 7 10 O J"45 7 9 From whence we find that their calcui- lation of 1 o or 1 2 x. is too high, this is not above 9X. 6d. Now 36 bufhels are a common cart load, therefore the 300 at 80., are [ 295 ] are 666 loads, or about 4X. 5 d. a load. This I fhould conceive very cheap, and that much money might be made by an intel ligent femible farmer, by fuch pradtice of keeping a team to do nothing but bring manure ; provided he is at the fame time rich enough to expend the neceffary fums befides the ftanding expences of his farm. He ought not to provide lefs than two years expences befides the 117/. perhaps not lefs than three, or 546 /. as bringing the ma nure takes a year, the firft crop takes an other, and that is not expected to reimburfe the whole. Whatever fituation a man is in, he fhould calculate in this manner, and then he will at once know the fum he muft have to exe cute the idea, and how much per cart load the manure will coft him ; he cannot then fail of underftanding the expediency of the meafure, from comparing it with other means of procuring manure. All around London, at a fmall diftance, they have a proper idea of bringing various forts of manures ; but at the diftance of 10, 12, and 18 miles, they do not by any means bring a twentieth part of the quan tity which they ought; confidering what rich forts they might procure at a fmall expence. The Stevenage road is, however, an exception to this. U 4 A cal- [ 296 3 A calculation fimilar to the above, will Shew the Expence of carting from LondoA at the diftance of 17 miles. latereft of 117/, Horfes, - - *- Two men, - Wear of waggon, 150 loads, at 4 x. (coal afhes, 5X. dung, 2 x. night foil, 3 x.) Turnpikes, zs.6d. Mens allowance, 2 x. - l8l 9 Q Suppofe the other three days in the week they plough each pair of horfes and man half an acre, and reckon man I s. 3d. an acre,' and horfes 1 x. in all 3 x. 3 d. an acre; it is 1 50 acres : this muft be deducted - - 24 7 & Total fpr 150 loads, - 157 2 o /. x. d. 5 J7 0 60 0 0 5° 0 0 2 0 0 30 0 ® 18 12 6 ?5 0 Q 333 loads coming to this fum, are 9/. 5^. a load,. I have no idea of this anfwering ; farmers at fuch a diftance muft therefore always go up loaded with fomething that will pay the expence of the journey. At [ 407 ] At ten miles the. account will be as under. Intereft of 117/, - M 5 17 0 Horfes, _ 60 0 0 One man, r ,. 25 0 0 Wear _. 2 0 0 3 op loads, at 4X. - 60 0 0 Turnpikes, 2x. - 30 0 0 Man's allowance, 6 d. - 7 10 0 Total - 190 7 0 666 at that fum are 5 x. 9 d. a ldad ; a price at which I apprehend it would anfwer. The manure arifing from burning the furface, I firft met with in Glouceflerflnre : they find it extremely beneficial, if not practifed too often ; it cleans the foil great ly, and enriches it equally ; nor do tur nips, particularly, ever fail the year they pare and burn ; and the expence, at which they have the operation performed, is very trifling, from 14 x. to 20 x. per acre. This method would anfwer greatly in, many parts of the eaftern counties, but they have no idea of it; except burning the fedgy turf and ftubble in the Ifle of Ely. It is, beyond all doubt, the beft way of breaking up old and bad paftures, and fitting them for corn. It is a ridiculous notion, to fup- pofo [ 29S: ] pofe it fit only for wet lands, fince in the parts of Glouceflerfhire and Wales through which I paffed, they pradtife it to great profit on very dry ones. The variations I found in the article of the manner of tillage, were extremely great, and form an inftance of as mistaken riianagement as any I met with. This will appear very evident, from the fol lowing table of foils, Strength, and quan tity ploughed per day. Improved parts of Norfolk. Light turnip land : 2 Horfes, 2 Acres. Acrofs Suffolk and to Braintree in Effex. Light, loamy, and fome heavy beanland : 2 Horfes, 1 Acre. ' At Lord Clare's, in Effex. Loam too heavy for turnips : 2 Oxen, 1 Acre. Between Braintree and Chelmsford. _ Mixed foils, both light and heavy ; tur nips and beans : 3 Horfes, fometimes four, 1 Acre, Between Acton and Uxbridge, Middlefex. Both light and heavy ; turnip and bean- land : 4 Horfes in" a line, 1 Acre, [ 299 1 Around Wycomb, iri Buckingham/hire, Light foil ; bears good turnips : 5 horfes, often fix, From fto i acre, About Stoke-Church, in Oxfordfhire. Chalky foil : 6 Horfes, i Acre, Turvill. Stoney foil : 4 Horfes, i Acre, Near Sherborne, on Cotfwould-hills, Glou-* ceflerfhire. Light, but chalky and poor : 4 Horfes, i Acre. From North-Leach, through Glouceflerfhire, Monmouthfhire, and Glamor ganfhire. Light and middling turnip-land, &c. Eight oxen ; never lefs than fix ; or four, and two horfes, From f to i acre. Between the Devifes and Salifbury. Light and middling ; great quantities of t.urnips, 4 Horfes, never lefs than three, Scarce one apre. In the neighbourhood of Salifbury, Various foils, but in general light : 3 and 5 horfes, } Acre, t ?°3 j Through Hampfhire, Light dry foil in general: 4 Horfes,' i Acre. Between Guilford and Cohham in Surry. Much fand ; and light loam : 4 Horfes, and often if Acre, light foil, more, . . i Acre, heavy. 4, 6, and 8 oxen, About Ilford, Effex,, Gravel : . 2 Horfes, . i Acre. *< If you eaft ypur eye lightly over this table, it will finely be evident, at once, what a wafle of ftrength is common, thro' nine parts* in ten of this tract of country. I fhould remark to you, that in many places where only two horfes plough an acre a day, particularly in Suffolk and Effex, the foil is to the full as -heavy, as in any ¦ of the other counties-, wherein fix and eight oxen are ufed :. fix horfes I have feen at plough, upon tilt turnip-land, which .was level ; where the hills are Sleep, one horfe or a yoak of oxen might reafonably be added; but the farmers in thofe parts ufe as many in a light level fand, as in a Stiff and hilly loam ; and what is as ftrange, do as little in a day. If the excefs was only in oxen, the yuatter would, not he of fuch general bad con- [ 3d ] confequence ; but to think of innumerable horfes being kept meerly in compliance with the obftinacy of the low people, {for I believe the labourers are the great* patrons of the pradtice, and will not touch a plough without the ufual number of beafts in it) is a public misfortune : to fee vaft tracts of the kingdom cultivated, with fuch ufelefs numbers of horfes,' and at the Same. time worfe managed than other' heavier parts, where not half the number are ufed, is a very melancholy fight '; an«f Ought to influence the nobility and "gentry, in thofe mistaken parts, to ufe all their power with their tenants, to make them break through fuch vile cuftom s.. Even upon the hills, their method of proughkig is abfrird ; for they ; general^ cut the furrows up and down the • fide, inftead of acrofs it; by which means, twice the ftrength is neceffary to plough 5 < — the goodnefs of the land is wafhed ou« with hafty Showers-; and the crop da maged "into the bargain. In more level countries, I have always- obferved the beft hufbandmen diredt • the ¦ ploughing^ acrofe the flope of an accidental hill they may have, for reafofls obvious enough amongft them ; but not fo plain to idle fellows, in this indolent country, who like to go in coffees of men and beafts to their work ; and who WouM infill upon a driver for 2 one [ 302 } Orie horfej if they were brought to ufe but one. In Short, I venture to affert, that, in all the tract of country, through which I paffed, one half, at leaft, of the draught cattle, taken at a medium, might be dif- penfed with ; for though in many parts only two horfes are ufed, yet the more than double in others would allow of half the total being deducted. You will eafily con ceive what a public benefit this would be. If the clamours on account of the high prices of provifions have a good founda tion, they fhould induce thefe mistaken people, who plough with five or fix horfes, becaufe their fathers did, (and would with fifteen, had it heretofore been the cuftom) to leffen their teams one half, and apply half the land, on which they raife double the quantity of oats they want, to the cul ture of wheat ; and the ground which fup- ports them in fummer, to the fatting Of fuch cattle as are food for man, inftead of fuch as come only to the kennel.— -i found the ufe of oxen rather wearing out, even in the ox counties. Thefe remarks remind me of the me thods by which hogs are in general main tained. Thofe animals are of infinite importance to the nation, in yielding fuch vaft quantities of meat : and if a fcarcity of provifions in general, is now, or fhould be L 303 ] be the cafe, nothing could foonef remedy" it, than increafing the Stock of fwine ; a bufinefs infinitely more eafy to perform, than an increafe of either Sheep or large cattle. It is remarkable, that the hufban dry of feeding hogs with clover, is tole rably known only acrofs the county of Suffolk and a part of Effex, of the whole tour. They almoft every where keep no more than their meer dairies would main tain, and where they were fmall, their malt grains and rubbifh corn. Between Wood- fldck and Witney, a clover country, they feed their hogs in fummer with beans, whereas in Suffolk it is common to Shut a parcel of the quarter or half-grown hogs into a field of clover, if; it has a pond in it, the latter end of May, and. never take them out till Michaelmas; and they are found to thrive incomparably with that food alone. The whey, Skim-milk, and grains, they keep for their fows and pigs, and other fmall hogs, too young to feed on clover alone : nor can . a field of that grafs be turned to fo much profit by any other management. Lucky hits, may in feeding it, turn out to vaft profit ; but in more common, and more certain ways of managing it, either by making hay, or feeding with other cattle, the profit by hogs is found much fuperior. I cannot, therefore, avoid wifhing, that this excel lent [ 304 j lent article of hufbandry was more known" and pradtifed ; as I am certain it would nai only prove of very, great ufe to the farmers^ but yield a much greater plenty of pork* than the prefent fmaller number of hogs* can do* All the farmers I talked with, on this fubjett, however, gave, I could per ceive, but little credit to what I told them ; for their notion of clover is, that 'tis twenty to one, but it burfts and kills half the cattle turned into it. A cow or a bullock turned in, while wet with the dew, and very hungry, will now and, then burft ; but t never within my own experience knew it* nor ever heard at home, of its affedting a hog fo* The State of the clover hufbandry wiil be feen by the following table. Mr. Ray, at Tofiock : Vfe. Mows twice for hay; Value i 2/. 10 x. per acre. Near Bury : Vfe. Feed it with hogs, &c. Seed fomej crops rife to 10 or 12 /. an acre* Hedingham : JJfe. Feed hogs and cows, &d Braintree to Chelmsford: Vfe. Do not feed hogs on it, thinking it dangerousfo them. T 305 j Lanvachers : Vfe. Feed their hogs very much >vith it Alresford to Alton : Vfe. Sow it with a view to feeding hogs* Turnips are another article that demand attention ; I have already mentioned the importance of hoeing ; but the application and value of the crop Should here be minuted. ' Value, &c. of turnips. Mr, Ray, at Tofiock : per acre, by fatting beafts iri Stalls, 2 /. 10 x. Near Bury : Value. Sell at I /. 10 x. Turvill : Value. Sell from 40 x. to 3 /. Average 2 /. 2 x. Ripley : Vfe. Stall feed oxen ; a good acre will fatten two middling fized beafts. It is always neceffary when the value of a turnip crop is mentioned, to afcertain what the application is : we here find that .Stall-feeding* beafts pays 2/. 10 x. an acre; this appears to me to be very little, on com parifon with 1 /.. 1.0 x. and 2 /. 2 x. felling prices ; for 20 x. an acre in one cafe, and 8x. in another, call it 14 x. upon an ave rage, are by no means fufficient to pay the X expence £ 3o6 ] expence of drawing, topping, carting, and . cleaning for the oxen. The benefit to the farm may be called nearly equal, as the felling prices are for feeding on the land with Sheep ; and flail-feeding raifes dung in the farm yard. , But in this cafe, as in fo many others, experiments accurately made, fhould decide what reafon cannot afcertain :- It is an object of very great importance; for many farmers may. have the opportunity of chufing the ufe of the crop, and in fuch cafe, it much behooves them to make a right choice. I Shall .beg leave to recommend to experimental huf- bandmen this' point, as very worthy of their attention : We want to know what is the value of a given. quantity or weight of turnips fed- upon the land ; and alfo the value of them fed in flails. Hollow draining is an article of huf bandry very little attended to in any part of 'this tour but Suffolk and Effex, as will appear by the following particulars. Near Bury : Depth. 25 to 30 inches. Materials. Fill up with bufhes. Expence ', i\ d. a rod labour. Effect. Exceedingly great. Hedingham: , Materials. 'Straw. Expence. 2 d. a rod labour. [ 3o7 J Braintree to Chelmsford : '¦4 , Depth. Main ones, 2 feet, Branches, 22 inches. Materials. Wood and ftraw. Expence. 2 d. a rod labour, and fmall beer, Ingatefione to Chelmsford : Depth. 22 inches. Materials. Wood and ftraw. Expence. 2d. and 2! d. a rod labour. The expence of this operation we find is. Very inconfiderable ; but the benefit of it is greater, in the opinion of the farmers who pradtife it, than that of any other article in country management. Flat, wet, cold clays and loams, are fome of the worft foils tfiat a man can occupy, but their very nature is changed by this draining ; they become dry and mellow, are to be ploughed at feafons which without this operation would not admit a horfe upon them; throw out much better crops; and rnanure, which takes little effect while the land is very wet, becomes of much impor tance when it is dry. The bufinefs is likewife eafily performed,- and the mate rials every where to be found, that it is aftonifhing the pradtice is not more gene ral. Farmers in Effex affert, that the im- provernent of one crop very often pays all the expence. X 2 During r 308 ] During the whole journey, you have certainly remarked, that I was very atten tive to the rent of the land : I wanted to difcover the mean value of that part of the kingdom, through which I paffed, • and to obferve what portion was wafle and un cultivated. It is true, my journey was fo fmall, compared with the whole extent of the kingdom, that few general calculations or maxims, can be founded upon the refult pf it; but the want of perfedtion is no reafon againft ufing thofe means, which are in our power of arriving as near it as poffible ; perfons more intelligent, and poffeffed of better means of fmoothing dif ficulties, though not more active, may one day or other complete the tour of the whole kingdom upon fome plan of this nature ; that political arithmeticians may have a good foundation for their calculations, inftead of hazarding them upon mere guefs-work and conjedture. Always re member that I, in no inftanGe, offer you thefe minutes as any thing perfect, but only as a flight fpecimen of what I wifh was in my power to complete. Was this little journey extended over the reft of England^ I fhould have it in my power to fpeak in other terms, than thofe I ufe- at prefent. From the fea-coaft of Norfolk, almoft acrofs the country to Northwold, in the 2 road [ 309 j road to Thetford, the foil is generally cul tivated ; here and there, a mile or half a mile of Sheep-walk may be found ; (to the weftern corner, about Snettifham, a good 'deal) but in general it is but little. This line of country, upon the whole, letts, I believe, on a medium, at 6x. or 7X. an acre. From Northwold to Thetford, is an uncultivated tradt of fheep-walk. From Thetford to Ingham, in general, uncultivated : then to Bury, light land, but cultivated ; mean rent about 3 x. 6 d. or 4x. an acre. Here we have reckoned one line of uncultivated land, which is near 16 miles acrofs, Another line acrofs it, is from Culford to Brandon ; ten miles. Another from Newmarket to Brando?z, eighteen *. Upon the whole, I believe, there is a fquare of about twenty miles of uncultivated Sheep-walks and warrens. From Bury by Hadleigh, to Sudbury, and to Braintree, the foil is good, and well cultivated ; and letts, upon a medium, at , about I2x. or 13 x. per acre. From Braintree to Chelmsford, and to Billericay, it is yet better ; letts for about X 3 16 x. * There are very extenfive tra&s of uncultivated land that break into cultivated parts befides the above mentioned, and perhaps of treble the quantity, from Bournbridge to Newmarket ; and witnefs the adjoining fen. [ 3io ] 1 6 x. ' and from thence down to Tilbury fort, at about iox. The mean rent, therefore, acrofs the county of Norfolk, and a part of Suffolk, as far as Bury, is about 5 x. or 5 x. 6 d. ' an acre. This is a line of 70 miles. From Bury acrofs the reft of Suffolk and all Effex, to Tilbury fort, which is 70 miles more, the mean rent is about 1 3 x. 6 d. or 14 x. an acre. ¦ • About Gravefend, in Kent, fome at 8 x. and others at 1/. and 1 /. iox. Between Dartford and Shooter's hill, at 20 x. Nearer London, and before you come to the gar dens, it runs up to 2 I. From London to Barnet, all grafs ; letts from 40 x. to 3 L From Barnet to the Mimms, about 12 x. From Guilford to London, 30 miles, about 1 2 $. From London to Burntwood, 1 7 miles, 35 x. * From London, another way, to Vxbridge, 30 x. Here is a tradt of country around Lon-? don, five feveral ways out of it, and from 20 to 30 miles diftance ; the medium of rents is about 30 x. an acre. But I believe if a circle of 30 miles was taken, and all its contents, barren land, forefts and all, the mean rent would not amount to near 20 x. * Reckoned by the Stratford road, and not the Forejl. [ m 1 2ax. which is a fcandalous circumftance to the agriculture of that proud neighbour hood ; every fpot of which is within reach of more manures, than any three cities in Europe can boaft. From Vxbridge to Stoken Church, which croffes the county of Buckingham 27 miles, the mean rent is about iox. an acre. From Stoken Church to Tetsford, 10 x. From Tetsford to Oxford, inclofed 2 o x. open 9X. From Oxford to Witney, about 1 5 x. From thence to North Leach, .7 x. This line acrofs Oxfordfhire, about 40 miles . I believe the medium will be found about 11 x. confidering how Small* a part is inclofed. From' North Leach to Crickly-hill, about 5 x. From thence to Gloucefier, 1 6 x. From thence to Newnham, 1 2 x. From thence to Chepfiow, I4,x. This line extends 50 miles through Glouceflerfhire, and the me dium rent I calculate at iox. 6 d. or 1 1 x. From Chepfiow to Newport, 14X. From Newport to Bridgend, .-12 x. This is a line of about 50 miles. Medium, 12 x. 3 d. or 1 2 x. 6 d. From the pafiage to Brifiol, 25 x. From Brifiol to Bath, 7 x. From Bath to the Devifes, 20 x. This cut through Somer- fetjhire, and the rich part of Wiltfhire% for 40 miles, letts on a medium at 1 9 x. X 4 , From [ 312 1 From the Devifes to Salifbury, moftly fheep-walk, but including the adjoining farms, 22 miles, 5 x. From Salifbury to Winchefler, 1 2 x. About Crux - Eaflon, 9 x. From Winchefler tq Alresford, 9 r. From thence to Alton, 7 x. 6 d. From thence to Farnham, 1 7 x, This line extends acrqfs Hampjlrire near 50, miles, and I reckon the medium, 12 x. FrOm Farnham to Guilford, about 8x. The circle around London, ^before fketched, concludes it. The Tour lies through about 600 miles pf various country : the following little fummary will affift in forming a general mediuin : Miles. I. x. d. Norfolk to Bury in Suffolk, 70 — o 5 o Suffolk and Effex, - - 70 — o 13 6 Acrofs the London circle, - 40 — 1 10 o Buckinghamfhire, - - 27-^0 jo o Qxfordfhire, - - 40- — o 11 o Qloucejlerfhire, - - -. 50—0 10 6 Monmouth and Glamorgan- fhiresy --_-,. 50—0 12 6 Somerfetfhire, and part of Wiltfhirex - 40 — o 19 o sWiltflrire, - 22- — 6 5 o Hampfbire, - - - 50 — o 12 0 [ 313 ] I have calculated thefe feveral propor tions, and believe the general medium is 12 x. yd. per acre. I muft repeat again, That you are not to expedt an abfolute accuracy in fuch a fketch as this ; miftakes, doubtlefs, there will be, but I apprehend thefe mediums are near the truth. Through the preceding pages the parti culars of feveral farms are given, not fuf ficiently numerous to form important con- clufions upon, but fuch as fhould not be totally overlooked. I fhall therefore add a flight table of their particulars thrown into columns under their refpective heads. [ 3*4 j Acres. Rent. Arable Nc i. — iioo 2.— 2000 3-— 25° 4.— 90 5.— 130 6. — 5000 7.— 100 8.— 9— 1©. — 1500 11. — 400 £¦ *75 s. 1 2 per ac 60 £. 100 2500 s. 8 p — 25° 100 1 5 per ac, 200 £. 600 170 9° Gr- by each farm, J 4947 132 10 28 20 Total 286 This number divided among 3070 acres Is ten acres per head. Divided in a rental of 1473 /• is 5/. per head. I forbear extending thefe proportions to the whole kingdom, becaufe the Tour by no means comprehends a fufficient variety of foils and other circumftances to juftify the founding general maxims upon. Roads * Much extra labour is ufed by all in hay and corn harvefts, &c. &c. but none of that is taken- into the account, nor is it fufceptible of calculation. L 3*8 ] Roads deferve fome attention. I chiefly' travelled upon turnpikes -; of all which, thag from Salifbury, to four miles the other fide of Rumfey, towards Winthefler, is, without exception, the fineft I ever faw. The truftees of that road, highly deferye all the praife that can be given, by every one who travels it, for their excellent management i to management the goodnefs of. it muSt'be owing ; for fine as their materials are, yet I have in other counties met with as fine; but never with any that were fo firmly United, and kept fo totally free -from loofe ftones, rutts and water ; and, when I add water, let me obferve, that it is not by that vile ; cuftom of cutting grips for it to run off, to the dislocation of one's bones in crofting them, and to the utter destruc tion of all common beauty refulting from levelnefs ; but by rendering the furface fo immoveably firm, that carriages: make no holes for it to fettle in ; and having every where a gentle fall, it runs immediately off. To conclude the whole, it is every where broad enough for three carriages to pafs? each other; and lying in ftraight lines, with an even edge of grafs the whole way, it has more the appearance of an elegant gravel walk, than of an high-road. Next to this uncommon road, the great north one to Barnet, I think, muft be ranked. Then the Kentifh one : and the i others [ 3^9 ] others to Chelmsford and Vxbridge' fucceed. Next I rank the 18 miles of finifhed road, from Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, to fix miles this fide of Cardiff.. As to all the reft, it is a prostitution of language to call them turnpikes ; 1 rank them nearly in the fame clafs, with the dark lanes from Bil- lericay to Tilbury fort. Among the bad ones, however, fome parts of the road from Tetsford \o Gloucefier, are much better than -the unmended parts -from Gloucefier to the good road above-mentioned, on this fide of Cardiff'. The latter is all terrible; but then it is a great extenuation, to obferve that they have been at work but two years. Much more to be condemned, fis the execrable muddy road from Bury to Sudbury in Suffolk ; in which I was forced to move as flow as in any unmended lane in Wales: For ponds of liquid dirt, and a feattering of loofe flints, juft fuffiT cient to lame every horfe that moves near them, with the addition of cutting vile grips acrofs the road, under pretence of letting water off, but without the effect *, - * The hacknied-argument, that the water muft be carried off, is pf ,f/> - * 83 - -" $f flampfhire, about - 70 - - "6 £ Surry, hear Farnham, about 40 *- «¦ 7I and continues fo to the near neighbourhood of London, except a fall of f d. once near Ripley. Effex, between Ingatefione and Chelmsford, - 26 - - 8f" Y3 [ 3^6 ] The excefs of this halfpenny, I believe, held but a little time ; in general, 8 d. You muft certainly allow, that the rife and fall of thefe prices, in proportion to the diftance from the capital, are too regular to be the effect of foil, or accident ; they are palpably caufed by the London markets ; fince if goodnefs of foil, or quan tity of grafs operated fo Strongly, it fhould fink inftead of raife the London prices. The difference between that city and the cheap parts of the kingdom, is 3 d. per lb. which is very confiderable, much more than I apprehended. The variation will appeal: at one view in the following little table : London, and 20 miles round, d. mean price, - - 8 From 20 miles to 60 - 6f From 60 miles to no - 6 From no miles to 170 - 51 And the general medium is 6f ; but if the proportion of numbers who eat, is taken in, it will be higher. — In excufe for being thus particular, in relation to butter, I muft plead, that it is the only commodity which cannot be transported from a diftance to London ; and confequently it Shews the proportional influence of that capital, better than any other article. I fhould however remark, that butter is much dearer, even in the moft diftant counties, if t 327 ] if any other articles are commonly font to London ; for the leffening the quantity of any one fpecies - of provifions, will fome- what increafe the price of every other. The general medium of cheefe through the whole journey, is 3! d. per lb. As to butcher's meat, fome difference Will be found between the capital and the diftant parts of the kingdom ; as the very expence of driving beafts muft occafion fome. I think the beft way of difplaying the prices, will be to give the medium of mutton, beef, and veal. Places. Dijlance. Prices. Mutt. 1 Beef. d. d. 4 4 , Miles. 100 to 120 70 5542 20 1212 In Norfolk, Suffolk, Effex, Hedingham, — — Braintree, — — Billericay, Kent, Bexley, Middtefex, Hayes,. Oxfo'rdfhire, Stoken -, Church, - 40 — tetsford, 45 — — . Witney, 65 Gloucefterfhire, Sher born, Gloucefier, Newnham,- Montnouthfhire, Chep fiow, . Newport, i.'.n j m Cowhriige? 78 107 123 135 175 Y4 4 41 4 55 5 41 4§M 4 4 4 4 31 31 4 4 41 4f 5 4 4 4i 4 3% 4 3§ 4 4 Between Braintree and Chelmsford, Kent, Bexley, IrfiddlefeXy Barnet — LIays,_ Buckingham/hire, High Wycomb, OxfordJh\re, Sto ken, Church, Pay per Week. Miles. 100 65 55 40 12 10 12 30 40 Wint. s. d. 6 o 6 6 6 <3 7 o 10 6 10 6 9 9 6 o 6 o Sum. s. d. 7 0 8 0 f8 6 10 6 in II 9 ° 6 o Harv.. \ s. d.\ Medium. s. d. 17 IQ 7 6, 11 6 14 0 7 7 8 0 14 0 19 0 17* 6 17 6 8 5 11 $ 11 7 n a 17 3 8 5 12 0 7- 1 * Hay time 10 s. but as it lafts not fo long as fpring divifion, I call it 8 s. 6 d. They make great eawiimgs at hpp-rworki f Liitto, gs. 6d. therefore call it 8 j-. 6 d. % Ditto, 14 s. but lafts fo little a time, call it 1 1 s ¦ 6/. t) Ditto, 12 s. therefore, fay 9 s. f [ -m J Pay per Week. Counties and Places. Between Tetsford and Oxford, • Between Wood/lock and Witney, "Gloucefierjhire, Sherborn, • Shipton, • Crickley, ~—— Between Gloucefierjhire and "Newnham, — — Bet. ditto and Chepfiow, Monmouthfhire, between ditto and Newport, Newport, : Glamorgan/hire, Cowbridge, Bet. Bri fiol and Bath, Wiltjhire, Melk- Jham, Bet. De vifes and Salif bury, -, Bet. ditto and Rumfey, Difi.Miles 45 65 78 98. "5 13° 140 H5i75 112 96 8580 W^int. s, d. 6 0 6 o 46 f6 o 46 5 6 6 0 5 5 5 o 6 o 6 o 5 o 5 o 5 6 Sum s. d. *7 6 6 6 6 0 7 3t If 5 o §6 6 7 ° 6 6 5 o 6 o 7 ° 7 3 5 o 69 Harv. s. d. 12 0 9 6 10 0 10 O 10 O 12 0 12 0 II 6 118 0 6 0 4- 8 6 8 6 10 0 10 6 Medium s.d. 7 * 6 0 5 * 6 10 5 2 6 6 6 10 6 5 5 2 6 o 6 7 6 2 5 3 6 5 * Nine millings in hay, fay therefore 7 j. 6 d. f Never ufed before laft winter to be more than 4 /. 6d, % Nine Ihillings in mowing-time, and 7 s. in fpring, fo I reckon the medium 7 s. 3d. || Six millings in mowing-time. § In hay-time, gs. ^1 But 5 s. but mowing heightens it. 4- Only 7 s. but mowing and reaping raife it. f 335 I Pay per Week. Counties and Places. Hampjhire, bet. ditto and Win- chejler, '. Bet. Alres- . ford and Alton, Bet. ditto and Farnham, Surry, between /• Guilford and i Ripley, ^—^ About King- fione, Effex, Ilford, Between In- .. gatejlone and Chelmsford, ,DiJl Miles. 75 554528 12 6 26 U d. 6 o •7 o 6 o 7 o 8 o 8 6 7 o Sum. s. d. 6 6 7 o 6 o 8 o 12 O 10 o 8 o Harv. s. d. IO o * 8 o 16 o 13 6 18 0 17 6 iS 6 Medium S. d. 6 77 6 x 8 0 10 o 9 n 8 6 Thefe mediums, according to the di£« tance from the capital, are as follow : Twenty miles around London, s. mean price, - - 10 From 20 to 60, , - -, 7 From 60 to no, - - 6 From 1 10 to 170, - 6 General medium, 7 x. 9 d, per week. One remark 1 fhould make, which is, that throughout the whole Tour, the la bourers d. 98 43 • In this and other inftances the daily pay is the fame as in winter; but then the mowing and reaping being done by the piece, I ftate the proportion as ex- a£tly as I am able. I 336 J •bourers earn in the year more than thd above fums, for I every where found that much work was done by the piece. Now it is Well, kriqwn they always earn more iri that , manner than at daily wages ; which In the year rnakes a very corifiderable dif ference : within the extent Of my expe rience and information, this difference amounts to a. full fourth, the proportion taken of all forts of work ; for if you turn Over the preceding Sheets, you will find that the prices pf the piece-work are, in genera}, out of proportion to the daily prices ; they are fo much higher : and this" is the cafe, not with any particular county or place, but univerfafly. No labourers will take work by the piece, without a certainty of earning more than the com mon pay, in return for working fo much, harder for themfelves than they do for theif matters. In my own opinion, this circumftance! will more than raife the general medium 7x. 9 d. to 8 x. You fee, Sir, by thefe tables, that the* influence of the capital, in railing the price of labour, is prodigious; the difference between the extremes, being no lefs than 4x. bd. or near three-fourths of the loweft country price. Nor can any the leaft rea fon be given for this. At London tfie blread is eat as cheapj as any where* and mea [ 337 j irieat -only id. per lb. dearer than the cheapeft part of the' country ; 'the price of provifions, therefore, has nothing to do' with labour.- The vaft' poputbufnefs of London and its neighbourhood; ought to lower the price of labour ; and did riot the debauched life of its inhabitants occafion them to be more idle than in the .country, it would have that effect- : but the very maxims and principles upon^'which "life : -is1 founded in great' ' dities, ' are1, tlie moft? powerful of all ' enemies to' ' common in- duftry. -£ • But it is riot only on a general view, that a want of proportion-between labour a-nd: provifions is found -; for it is the fame at -particular places; where' proyifions are the— cheapeft, it'rwill not be found that labour is- the: fame. ¦ UpOn comparing the prices of both, they will be found fo various, that chance alone" feerris to guide thefn : this random variation, however, has ' nothing to do with the rife of prices, the nearer you approach London; as it is regular, and has an evident and powerful caufe. Politicians are fo clear in their opinion, that low prices of labour are of fhe utmoft importance to all trading States;' that I muft be allowed to exprefs my amazement, at the legislature's fuffering the capital to in- Z creafe [ 338< f creafe in the prodigious manner it has* done of late. If Landpn, asj^t is qalcujkue.di, contains one Sixth part of the; nation j one, fixjh part of the nation*s, labour is ther^bjfr raifed* near three fourths of its price, t and another vaft rife, is to the distance! of near 100 miles j arid this amount; tft a third. All this is upon a fupppfitipjjk tfyat the influence of the capijtal) does nog reach 175 miles.; which there is no reafon to beKeve the. cafe ; but as that* was die furtheft point of the Tour, and of courfe labour the cheapeft, it is taken as tjhg uninfluenced mean : was ft extended to a inuch greater djfhince, this, influence of X>ondon wouM appear yet ftronger. If a low price of labour is a public benefit,, furq the fize of London, is a: public emit! \ ¦ \ wifh thefe inquiries were regularly extendejfe even to the Highlands of Scotland and the weftem ifles,; fuch a jpurney would afford plenty of matter for enlarging upon thefe Subjects. 1 Shall now pafa on to manufacturers. Of their earnings I Shall give you a little Sketch 1 Lavenhayn, fays and caliinancoes, s, d. earn per week, on a medium, the year round, - - 59 Sudbury, burying-crape, &c. - 7 6 Hedingham, s bays and fays, - 7 o Braintree, fays and druggets, -60 j. a* Witfiey, piece-goods arid blankets, 1 1 o Gloucefier, pins, - - ii o Wilton, carpets, - «. n 0 Salifbury, flannels and linfeys, 8 o Rumfey, ratiriefs, - - 9 o Wool-coriibers every where on an average, _ ~ . ". , ", «. *3 o Mediurri earriirigs in' the Eaft of England; from Lavenham to Ard'intfee iriclufive, - 6 6 In the Weft, at Witney and' Glou- f ceffer, - - - - ti o In the South, Wilton, Salifbury, and - - - 94 Medium of labourers pay" in trie Eaft, abouf the above manufac turing towns and neighbour hoods, taken from the table, , page 333, - - - 80 Ditto, around thofe in the Weft, Ditto, thofe in the South, on. five acres and an half. Potatoes inrmany. places fell at-2;x. ?x. 6d. and 3. x. a bufhel ; 60 o- at 2 x. 6 d.raxe 75 L Ariofher object which demands attention in the minutes of this Tour, i.s fheeofnpa- rative profit of cultivating certain foils. The hufbandry of feveral places is mentioned, in which the farmer muft make a confi-. derable profit, but it does not appear what foil or given circumftances are moft advan tageous ; or in other words, in what place 3 men- [ 35° 1 meratfoneef in this Tour, a man Would* firf in with a view to the profit of hnfbandry, preferable to other places. This is art enquiry pregnant with Utility ; I fhall make it from the particulars of thofe places' v^nere they are minute enough. In the improved parts of r Norfolk, a cal culation1 of a farm of iioo acres is given, by which it appears1 that the annual profit is 1263 /. or r/. 3 x. per acre per -ann. This .muft by no means be thought a fmall ad vantage ; for in that Country it is not the return of little tracts of land, but of very great farms; from 1000 to 3000 acres of fend. If a farmer maintains his family tipon the 3 x. an acre, and lays up the pound* he will in 20 years on 1000 acres, le worth 20,000 /. This rate is fufficient to account for the largeft fortunes that have been made in Norfolk by farming. Mr*. Or bell Ray's' courfe of hufbandry: at Tofioe, givesrme a different opportunity of calculating this ppint. His courfe of crops is, i Turnips, 3 Clover, a Barley, 4 Wheat. And his expences and products from the account given, will be as follow : [, as* ] TURNIPS. Expences. I. s. J. Five pflorrghings, at 4X. 1 o o Three harrowings, 4 d. o 1 a Seed and1 fowing, - ' o 1 j Twice hoeing, - - 066 drawing; and carting to ftalls for beafts, - - - o 15 o 16 toads yard compoft, f- 1 4. a' Ni B. Made at home. 100 loads an acre, loam and clay, i which lafts 20 years* the- ex- pence 3 /. therefore pen ann. 030 Rent, &c. - - 1 o. a 4' IO 9 Product. Value of the turnips, 1: IO 0 I,ofs,, - 2 O 9 BARLEY. ' Expences. Three ploughings, O 12 0 Harrowing, O I 0 §eed„4 bufhels, at 2 x. 6 d. 0 IO Q Sowing,. - O O 3 Mowing and harveft, O 5 0 Thrafhing 6 qrs. O 6 0 Carrying out, - O 3 0 Claying rent, - O 3 0 Rent; &e. I 0 0 [ 352 J Produce. I. x. a. 6 nr<5. at ^o.r. - - 600 Straw and chaff, - -100 7 ° ,-.°- Expences, - - - 3 ° 3 Profit, - - 3 19 9 CLOVER. Expences. Seed, - - -650 Sowing, - - 003 Mowing, making, and ftacking twice, - - d 1 2 ; o' Clay, - - 030 Rent, &c. - •-- 1002 o z Produce. Value of the hay, - 2 10 o Expences, - - 203 Profit, * - 099' C 353 ] ¦ WHEAT. Expences. /. X. d. One ploughirig, , - i ' Seed, 2 bufhels, at 5 x. 0 0 4 10 0 0 Sowing, - - Harrowing, - - Water furrowirig; Reaping, - Harveftirigj Thfafhingi 38 bufhels, at 3 */. Carrying out, - * Clay, - - Rent, - - - 0 0 d 0 b 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 5 1 9 4 30 3 0 60 66 60 0 2 J9 3 Produce. 38 Bufhels, at $s. 9 10 0 Straw, &c - 1 0 0 10 10 0 fixpences, 2 *9 3 Profit, - - 7 10 9 Recapitulation. * Profit by barley, Ditto clover, 3 0 r9 9 99 Ditto wheat, 7 10 9 11 19 6 Aa [ 314 1 /. x. d. Brought over, - - n 19 6 Lpfs by turnips, - - 209 Clear profit, - - 918,9 Which is per acre, per annum-, 298 Per ioo acres, - - 248 6 0 Per 1 000 acres,' - - 24S3 6 8 1 From' this fyftem of. hufbandry it is extremely evident that a farmer may well ,afford. two fallow crops (one a lofing one, and the other yielding very fmall profit) in four years, and. yet his land pay him extremely well : this is the great leflbn that ought to be inculcated from this courfe. The turnips and the clover are not only ferfedtly _ effedtual in cleaning the land, , ut enable him to raife large quantities of dung, at a very cheap rate. This circum stance is brought about to much the greateft Advantage, by mowing the clover for hay, and eating it together with the turnips in flails by fattening oxen ; which Was Mr. Ray\ management, and riiarture fctonfidefed, I have no doubt' of its proving far more advantageous than feeding the turnip's rjff with Sheep, in which appli cation thfey will very feldom pay fo much as f 355 , ] k& 2 1, iox. an acre. By means of this application of the turnips and clover, and the proper introduction of them between the corn crops, the land is always kept clean arid in good heart. But it is here neceffary to make a varia tion, and fiippbfe carrots to be introduced inftead of the turnips in the way of the prefent Mr. Ray, and according to his account; Expences. I. s. d. As Slated by Mr. Ray (fee ap pendix) - - 7 17 6 Clay rent, - - 030 Topping, cleaning, laying up, hsd fuppofe, - - i 10 o 9 10 ¦Produce. 700 Bufhels, fuppofe at 6 d. Expences, - Profit by Carrots* Barley, Clover, ; Wheat, *7 16 0 9 10 6 7 19 6 3 J9 9 0 9 9 7 10 9 Total 19 9 9 Per acre per annum, A a 4 17 5 I 356 J /. s. a. Per ioo acres, - - 487 i 8 Per 1000 acres, - 4870 16 6 Here we find the profit 'of a courfe doubled by introducing carrots inftead of turnips at fo low a price too as 6 d. a bufhel j and at the fame time all the advantages of the turnip culture retained, but in a greater degree ; the manuring, cleaning, &c. all are fuperior to the turnips: this Shews the very great importance of carrots, and proves the "neceffity of attending well to them by thofe who are defirous of pufh- ing their hufbandry to the higheft profit. All foils except Wet and ftiff clays, and thofe which are very fhallow on a rock, do extremely well for carrots. The next courfe I fhall ftate is the culture of the clay foils in the fame county by the Rev. Mr. Lord, whofe firft opera tions are draining and claying. His courfe of crops is, 1. Fallow, 3. Clover, 2 years, 2. Barley, 4. Wheat. FALLOW. > Expences. I. s. a1. Five ploughings, - -"" 100 Harrowing, - " - - 016 [ 3S7 ] /. x. d' Brought over, - - i i 6 Water furrowing, - - o i Draining, 3 /. claying, 6 /. in all, ' * 9 /. fuppofe the twentieth per annum, 090 Rent, &c. - - - o 17 7 Qrs, at 20 x. Straw, &c. Expences,Fallow,' Profit, o o 8 6 BARLEY. Expences. Three ploughings, 0 12 0 Harrowing, - 0 1 0 Seed, - - - , 0 10 0 Sowing, - 0 0 3 Mowing and harvefting, 0 5 0 Thrafhing, 7 qrs. - - 0 7 0 Carrying out, 0 3 6 Clay and draining, 0 9 0 Rent, &c -- 0 J7 0 3 4 9 Produce. - 7 0 0 X- 1 0 0 8 0 0 -> 3 4 2.-8 9 6; 13 -.,.. 5 3 A a 3 [ 355 ) CLQVERrExpences. Seed and fowing, - - Clay and draining, Rent, &c. - ., - /. o o o X. 5 9 J7 3 o o I n 3 Produce. Fed ; a common hiring rent in the neighbourhood, is 2 /. 2 x. fay therefore, - - - 2 io o Expences, - - - i 1 1 3 Profit, - - o 1 8 9 CLOVER, 2d. Expences. Clay and draining, - -090 Rent, &c. - - - o 17 o 160 Produce. Value of the food in proportion to the firft year muft be* - 200 Expences, - - - 160 Profit, - - o 14 o f 359 J WHEAT. Expences. /. X. d. Ploughing, — 9 4 0 Harrowipg, - 0 1 0 Manuring, - 1 10 0 §eed, -^ - - 0 IO 0 Water furrowing, - 0 1 0 Sowing, - p 0 3 Reaping, - 0 5 0 Harvefting, - P 1 6 Thrafhing, 5 qrs. - 0 10 0 Carrying out, - 0 5 0 Clay and draining, - 0 9 0 Rent, £tc. P 17 0 4 i3 9 Produce. 5 Qrs. at 5 x. - 10 0 0 Straw, 1 0 0 11 0 0 Expences, *. 4 *3 9 Profit, - w - 6 6 3 A a 4 [ 36o ] /. x. d. ' Recapitulation^ Profit on Barley, - - 269 : Clover, 1 ft year, o 18 a ': —Ditto, 2d ditto, - o 14 o -Wheat, - - 663 IQ 5 9 2 1 2 205 16 8 2058 6 8 Total,Per acre, per annum, Per 100 acres, - Per 1000 acres, Mr. Lord's foil was naturally a poor, cold, wet, hungry clay, which at iox. an acre would be rented by no means cheap; but we find from great exertions of good hufbandry that it is made ex tremely profitable, notwithftanding a fallow and two crops of clover come in in five years. It is by fowing corn fo feldom, that fuch great crops are gained. The next hufbandry I fhall examine is that at Bexley in Kent, which is a fine rich loam on chalk, at 20 x. an acre. The courfe of crops, 1. Peafe podded, and then turnips, 2. Barley, 3. Clover, 4. Wheat. L 361 j /. X. 4 Peafe and turnips. Three ploughings, aj 8 x. - 1 4 0 JIarrowing, - ,.. - '. _ 0 2 0 Drilling peafe, r - p 2 6 Seed, - 0 12 0 Manuring, 2 0 0 Two ploughings, 0 16 0 Seed turnips and fowing, 0 1 3 Hoeing, - - 0 6 6 Rent, t 10 0 T7the> - - ° 3 6 Rates, - - 02 6 - 6 ¦ 1 0 6 10 3 Produce. Peafe fold on the ground, 4 0 0 Turnips, ditto fed, r 2 0 0 6 0 0 Expences, - ¦? 6 10 3 Lofs, - 0 10 3 BARLEY. ... t Expences- ¦ v - Three ploughings, - 1 4 0 Harrowing, 0 1 6 Seed, 4 bufhels, - 0 10 0 I 362 1 . Brought over, Sowing, - Mowing and harvefting, Thrafhing, '6 | qrs. Carrying out, - Rent, &c. - I. x. * l$ 0 0 0 8 0 9 0 3 1 6 6 3 0 9 30 4 2 9 . Produce. 6 | Qrs. - Straw, - 6 10 1 10 0 0 Expences, ¦» 8 0 4 2 0 9 Profit, - 3 17 3 CLOVER. Expences. Seed and fowing, Mowing and making twice, Rent, &c. - -1 0 5 1 0 1 6 0 0 0 2 11 0 3 Loads, at 40 s. Expences, 6 0 2 11 0 0 Profit, fa n 3 9 0 I ?63 ] WHEAT. Expences. /. X. its architecture in a general ftile ; but Inigo, Jones's part is .. very fine. Houghton is, a magnificent edifice ; Blenheim the famej but heavy. As to their fize, 1 am ignorant which is the largeft hjoufe : However the following Sketch will difplay it, at leaft in the pro portion to what is" Shewn : which I take generally to amount to all that is worth feeing. Bb [ 37° 1] Rooms. Holkam.. I Houghton. Blenheim. ; . Wilton. WaftfleaJ. Leng. Bre. Leng.Bre. Leng.Bre. Leng.Bre. Leug^Bre. Hall, Jt 48 48 t4° 4° f53 44 50 28 53 45 Saloon, 42 27 §40 30 *44 33 t§6o 30 30 30 Drawing- ' iitrom, 33 2Z 30 21 28 28 *t3'° 3° 27 27 Ditto, 3322 30 21 35 z5 30 25 Ditto, 35 25 tM-° 27 Ditto, 1 25 25 27 27 Dining- '¦ room, 28 28 30 21 #*, , 45 2' 27 27 Ditto, t+3° 2I . ' 25.2S Ditto, 40 27 Ditto, 4° 35 Bteakfaft- room, 24 24 30 25 Library, 50 .21 2 if 22I 1.80 43 Statue- gallery, 114 22 Ball-R. - -' \ _ 75 27 Bed-cha. 30' 22 2I§ 22§ 30 25 24 20 Ditto, 24 22 2lf 22f 25 22 Ditto, 21 21 22| 18 1 27 22 Ditto, 21 21 18 18 27 22 Ditto, 2 1 2 1 Ditto, 21 21 • - ¦ ¦ - - Dreffing- ' - i room, *24 22 22f l6| 24 24 25 25 27 25 Ditto, 28 24 t^?f 21 26 i8t Ditto, 22 21 Ditto, 22 21 Ditto, 22 21 Ditto, 22 21 J J 48 High. J 40 Ditto. +60 Ditto. §40 Ditto. * 45 Ditto. -)-§ 30 Ditto. *f 30 Ditto, -ft Called, limproperly, the Antichamber. ** Not feen. +4- Called the Marble Parlour. * Called the Land- fcape-Robm. + Called the Cabinet. j There appears a deficiency -of dreffing-rooms at Wanfiead ; but it mould be remembered, there are four drawing-rooms and dining-rooms, fome of them adjoining the bed-chambers. [ 37 * 1 .Rooms. Holkam. \Houghton.\Blenbeim. Le'ng. BreALeng. Bre\Leng. Bre. Wilton. Leng.Bre. Anti- ch amber, 21 21 Ditto, 21 21 Ditto, 21 21 Hunting- room, -. 25 25 Totals, 749 511 35° 295 448 271 265 184 1269 - ^45 7-1-9 449 Wanjfead.Leng. Bre. 660 476 j 07-6 - ¦-'-- - . ... . ,r - "..". ' " m Blenheim hall and library, Wilton ; faloon, and Holkam Statue-gallery, are the fineft rooms in thefe houfes. •;. * In' refpedt of complete apartments ;"6f bed-chambers and" dreffing-roorris, Holkam arid 'Wanfiead, fome ' wpuld think, nearly on a par, the latter four, the former fix ; but the latter are much the beft rooms. I include four rooms at Wanfiead, which in the table are called either dining or drawing- rooms ; the advantage, however, is on the fide of Holkam. A ball-room is found at Wanfiead 'alone. Holkam chapel (not mentioned in the table) is preferable to that at Blenheim. As to the deficiencies of thefe houfes, they appear at one view in the table. But I muft remark in general, that no houfe I have yet feen is perfedt by many degrees. " Suppofe one was to be formed out of all thefe ; take the Shell of Holkam, and ima gine it to contain Blenheim hall and library, Wilton faloon, Wanfiead ball-room and B b 2 large - £ 3> ] large dining-room, befides every thing it has already, it would be infinitely finer than it is ; but ftill it would waht a mufic- room and a jpidture-gallery. Irie laft is an infinite addition to a gteat houfe, but the former is indifpenfabki Of all luxu ries, none is more elegant than this charm ing art ; pictures and ftatues may be dif- pofed in any room ; but mufic in perfection, muft have orie appropriated to it — nor can any furniture be more magnificent,, tha'n what ought to adorn fueh a room. ' Upon the- whole, Holkam is not only the largeft, but undoubtedly the beft houfe. m ¦! i ' *-•)<'! ii. A PPEND] X. « INGE Mr. Kay's article was printed, I have been favoured with fome ex planations from him concerning the ex pences of his carrots and potatoes. The following is his account. Potatoes. j 60 Rods pf trenching, at 8 d. per rod, - 1 5 I,qa ufe for all his lick horfes ; feldom failing of effect ing their cure.. Their effect; in fatting horfes is fo great, that Mr. Pennifion, of Saffron Walden, who had 10 acres, in fix weeks fattened two borfes with them, which' would not have fold for 5 /. each, to the value of 27/. at which price he fold them. < Sainfoine Mr. Gardner has alfo tried, and with good fuccefs; his crops of , hay generally two loads an acre ; which yield a far greater profit than the common hufbandry of the country. About t 384 ] About Audley-End\ the. Newmarket road leads through an open country, moft of it arable field-land, which lets at 8 j. or 10 j. an acre. Their open-field courfe is, 1. Fallow, 3- Barley. 2. Wheat, And, 1. Fallow, 3- Oats, Peafe> or 2. Wheat, tares. In the inclofures they fubftitute, 1. Turnips, 4. Wheat, 2. Barley, 5- Barley, &c. 3. Qover, Wheat yields from 1 to 2f quarters per acre ; barley after turnips, 3 quarters. Never were more miferable crops feen than all the fpring ones in the open fields j abfolutely beneath contempt. With the barley or oats they fometimes throw in clover or trefoil, which crops make a figure that is truly deteftable ; they are, literally fpeaking, covered with thiftles to an excefs that no-body will conceive who has not feen them : all are left to perfect their feeds. I paffed by when they were quite L 385 J quite ripe, and every gale of wind blew whole clouds over the country: I flopped to make enquiries ; they affured me that clover and trefoil ran fo to thiftles, that it was impoffible to help it. And I can eafily believe1 that the beft hufbandry in the world would fignify nothing, if any man was fuffered to leave his Crops to become what I faw; for *there were feeds enough to Stock all the kingdoms and em pires between Britain and China. But if phe and all were to join in mowing every thiftle before he feeded,-for a year or two, and at the fame time change their courfe, by fowing their barley after the fallow, their clover and trefoil after that barley, and their wheat upon the clover, they would then find crops of good corn with out thiftles. I would purfue this courfe, notwithftanding the land's being common field. That it is extremely pradticable will appear from the following compa rifon. - Prefent coUrfe, Courfe prophfed, i. Fallow, i. Fallow, a. Wheat, 2. Barley, C c 3- Barley, 3- Barley, 4. Fallow, 5. Wheat, •I 386 | 3. Clover, which I could mow as well as they their barley>; and if I kept, the land in heart, twice by the time they ^ot their barley off. 4. Clover, left the fecond year it would be folded by all the cattle of the "field keeping on it. 5. Wheat. By which change, I fhould have my Share of the common field in excellent husban dry and order, while their fecond crops of corn kept them in their prefent mediocrity. One man in this country will, I am very ¦ Sure, object to it ; I mean, farmer Riccartf: Seeing a field fo ftuck with thiftles, that a moufe could fearcely get between ' them, and in the full pride of their bloffoms: Whofe field x is that f Farmer Riccart*s. Pre sently another appeared : And whofe is that? Farmer [387] Farmer Riccart's : A third? Farmer Ric- cart's. If I lived in this country, I fhould .wifh farmer Riccart at the .devil ; and iKOuid take any honeft means to fend hina. thither. Who is his landlord ? Near Audley-End, I obferved two fmall fields of lucerne, which I fuppofe belong to Sir John Griffin: they are in- drills about 2 feet afunder, and kept very clean. The crop was weak, arid teemed, I thought, tp complain of the Jand. Qne of the fields is drilled acrpfs, fo as a _horfe-hoe" cannot be ufed in it *. Page 70. In the tract of country extending from Sudbury to Bures, &c. upon the river Stour, is found much good 'land, and in many C c 2 refpedts * Audley-End is an inftance, and a very ftrik ing one, that nothing is impoffible with art— that you may find a houfe in a pit, and place iff on a hill : the improvement here is admirably- executed ; nothing is over-done, and yet every -thing that the. nature of the place required. :Lord Thomond's water is an excellent imitation ,of a river ;¦ but the firft fight on the entrance much the fineft. [ 388 j. reflects excellent hufbandry. Farms are in general of a moderate fize, from &o/. to 20p/. a year, but rifing from 30 /. to 406/. a year. The foil of the arable parts, which are upon the hills or high grounds that bound the meadows on the river, is in general a gravelly found loam, that is rich enough for wheat, and at the fame time dry enough for 'feeding turnips on it, which I have more than once obferved before are the charadteriftics which of all others pleafe me the beft, being expreflive of every good quality that land can have for all common crops. They have, how ever, in every farm almoft, fome fields that incline too much to clay for turnips. Rent runs in general at 15 s. or 16 s. an acre, including both arable and meadow; but fome fmall farmers pay 20J. Their courfes of crops are in general 'thefe : . 1 Turnips, 4 Wheat, 2 Barley, , 5 Barley or Oats, 3 Clover 1 year, This is the moft common courfe ; the only exceptionable crop in it is the fifth, which it [ 389 J is certainly bad hufbandry ; fome few farmers (the very beft of them) drop that crop of barley. i. Turnips, 4. Wheat, 2 Barley, 5. Peafe, 3. Clover, 6. Oats. An extreme good courfe ; but if the peafe turn out a very thick crop, they do not omit fowing wheat after them inftead of the oats. Upon the heavy lands, 1. Fallow, 3. Clover, 2. Barley, 4. Wheat. Which is an excellent courfe ; but fome times they run it, ' 1. Fallow, 4. Wheat, 2. Barley, 5. Barley or Oats, , 3. Clover, Which, as in the former courfe, is very bad ; throwing in peafe or beans after the wheat, and then taking the barley or oats, would have nothing exceptionable in it. I fhould obferve, that thefe men have long ago difcarded (I mean the beft farmers among them) the old and moft unprofitable C c 3 cuftom t 390 j cuftom of fowing Wheat upori a fallow, which throws all the courfe in confufior*, and excludes clover to any capital ufe ; for though it may be fown in the fpring among wheat, yet the naoft that is to be looked for from fucfi a flovenly practice, is fome Sheep- feed inftead. of a field of weeds. ; and wheat on fallow, being on the ridge, were the clover to fucceed ever fo well, It could not be mown, which is the'principal rife of it. Sowing wheat on clover, they of eojlrfe plough but once for it, ufe two biafhels of feed, and get upon an average two quar ters and an half. For barley after turnips, they have two methods ; one, to plough but once, and immediately harrow ih the feed ;' the other, to ftir three times: the pdint depends on the judgment of the farmer; if he hits off the exact time for the firft ploughing, the land will break up in fine mPulds, and the barley do as well as on more earths, with the great advantage of getting it in early : but if the firft ploughing leaves the foil iri rough order, more tillage Should be given till it is fufficiently fine : this L S91 ] this nicety in ploughing can only be gained by experience. They fow 4 bufhels of barley, and reckon the average crop at 4 quarters and an half. For oats after wheat, they plough thrice ; after peafe, &c. only once ; fow 4 bufhels an acre, and gain upon a medium 4 quar ters to 5. For peafe they give but one ploughing, fow 2 or 3 bufhels an acre, and get about 2 quarters and ah half; Some of them %and-hoe their peaWcrops, and never fail of finding the practice very fuccefsful. Beans are not cultivated intarge quantities 5 but they plough only once for them, fow 2 buShels an acre, hand-hoe them twice, and get 3 and an half or 4 quarters in return, - Here and there a farmer fow§ a piece of colefeed, for the fake of Spring-feed after turnips are gone, for ewes and lambs y in which tfiey reckon it extremely profitable. Their turnip culture is very complete. They plough four, five, or fix times for them, generally manure with farm-yard C c 4 dung, f 392 3 dung, at leaft a part of the crop ; hand-hoe them always twice, at the expence of feven or eight Shillings an acre : their crops are very fine, and they feed them on the land with fat wethers or oxen ; fome few far mers ftall-feed their beafts, but the general way is to fatten in the field. Their fyftem of turhip-feeding is connedted with their rich meadows ; for in Augufi they buy in' large quantities of oxen (many from St. Ives in Huntingdonfhire) of a great fize, and turn them into the afterT-grafs of the meadows, which keep them well till, the end of OSlober, and then they put them to turnips, felling as fall as fat in the fpring, which is ;upon. the whole an excellent fyftem- Turnips are worth, upon an ave>- rage, about 2/, 2 s. per acre, .. Clover, as I obferved in their courfes of crops, is fown with barley that follows turnips or fallow- They both mow and feed it ; fome mow twice for hay, others once for hay and once for feed ; others mow the firft crop and feed the fecond ; and this is the moft common method. A middling acre will yield at one mowing two [ 393 ] two loads of hay, worth 35 s. a load ; and if cut a fecond time, a load and half, worth 30 j. a load. They feed it pro mifeuoufly with all forts of cattle, but principally appropriate it for hogs, horfes, and fheep ; for all which; they think it ex ceeds the richeft meadows. Refpedting the wheat, they are of different opinions ; fome think that crop the beft after mowing, others after feeding ; and if a thin coat of manure is fpread, they get as good crops after, feeding, as after hay or feed, and often better. But of late years, the beft farmers have got into a new fyftem, which they find excellent ; it is to lay on the ma nure upon the plover, in the winter after the barley is reaped ; by which means their crops of hay and food are much increafed, and the wheat is cleaner than when the manure was fpread directly for that. This hufbandry deferves imitation ; one farmer here has mown four loads and an half of hay per acre at two cuts, and fold the whole for 50 j. a load, which is ill. $s. an acre. Tares [ 394 3 Tares have been fowcn now and. then for hay; they ufe only the fummer tare; fow it on one earth in March, and mow for hay when juft going off the bloflbnp,; greaj crops are gained, even to2f t&ns per acre j but the hufbandry is not common. Nothing known here of fainfoine, buck wheat, carrots, lentils, hemp, fjaxj or potatoes. In manuring, they depend principally on -the farm yard; they cart the dung from it to heaps near the fields where they intend to fpread it, and forming layers of earth and marie or chalk, mix it together ; and a load of fuch, compoft they reckon very nearly as good as a load of the dung alone. They understand and pradtife the fyftem of chopping and gathering ftubble j but do not pradtife it with fo much attention as it deferves. Moft of the large flocks of fheep are folded. There are no wet fields in the country undrained ; every farmer is fo fenfible of the importance Of keeping his lands per-* > fectly I 395 ] fedtly dry, that hollow' ditching, is no where better underftood : they plough four furrows firft, and then dig tvpp Spits, at the expence ©f i| d, a rod; they, do not cut them at the diftahce ef" more' than two rods afunder: the effect is ^always found to be very great. Grafs lands are principally meadows on the river, of which they have an exceed ing fine tract. Let by itfelf, it would be about 20 s. an acre for only the crop of hay, as it is common land .after mowing. \ The average crop of hay is about 2 1 loads per acre; and the after-grafs is of great ufe in fattening thofe beafts which are bought in for turnips. Ther.e are fome large dairies, but not many ; a good cow will give 6 or 7 gallons of milk in a day ; and yield an annual produdt of 5 /. or 6 /. To ten cpws they will keep two or three- breeding fows and the, pigs brought by them ; and they reckon that a dairy-maid can take care of 1 2. In winter, they feed them on ftraw and turnips, with a little hay at calving. Swine I 396 ] Swine fat to about 15 ftone. Flocks of ' Sheep rife to 3000, which number is kept by a great farmer in the neighbourhood ; but in general they - are much lower. They are not properly flocks, but annual flocks, bought in lean and fold fat : the profit from fbs. to 15 j. a head. In their tillage, they reckon four or five horfes neceffary to 100 acres arable ; and fome will keep fix. They never ufe more than two in a plough in their ftrongeft work, and generally do about an acre a day. Suffolk ploughmen are more valued tfian the Effex ones. They ftir about four inches deep. The hiring price of plough-' ing 5 s. an acre. The annual expence of a horfe, including his decline in value, they calculate at 1-5 /. They ufe both foot and wheel ploughs, but prefer the latter. They break their ftubbles ufually before Chrifimas. In Stocking farms, they reckon better than 2000 /. neceffary for a farm of 300 acres ; [ 397 ] acres ; ioo meadow, and 200 arable; which fum the^y divide as follows. /. s. d. Rent, 240 0 0 Tythe, 3-r. 6 d. in jT. 42 0 0 Rates, is. 6 d. 3P 0 0 12 horfes, at 20/. 240 0 0 Harnefs, 18 0 0 One broad-wheel waggon, 70 0 0 Three narrow ditto, 70 0 0 Six carts, 72 0 0 Six ploughs, 12 0 0 Three pr. harrows, 6 0 0 Three rollers,. 5 0 0 Sundry implements, 30 0 0 Furniture, including dairy, IS? 0 0 Seed for 50 acres , wheat, 35 0 0 50 Barley, 30 0 0 50 Clover, 12 IP 0 ' 50 Turnips, 2 10 0 80 0 0 10 Cows, 70 0 0 Swine, J5 0 0 150 Sheep, 120 0 0 Carry over, 1270 0 0 ¦£ 398 ] ^ /. J", d. Brougtit over, 1279'. o o to oxen for after-grafs and turnips, at 10/. - 300 o o "our fervants and eight labour* ers, at 20/. on an average, 240 o o Two boys, at 10/. . - 20 o' o Two maids, at 1 2 L - 24 o 0 loufe-keeping a year for the farmer and family, (exclu sive of fervants) and pocket- expences, &c. 'ceding 1 2 horfes a winter, )itto cows, &c. \. year*s wear and tear, >afh iri hand for incidental expences IOO 0 0 5° 0 0 20 0 0 5° 0 0 100 0 0 2174 0 0 And they calculate the annual expences nd produce of fuch a farm in the follow- ng manner. Expences. Lent,Tythe,lates, Carry over, 240 0 0 42 0 0 30 0 0 312 0 0 I 399 ] /. s. d. Brought over, 312 0 0 Labour, , 284 0 0 Seed, 80 0 0 Wear and tear, 5o 0 0 150 Sheep, 120 0 0 30 Oxen, 300 0 0 . 1 1 46 0 0 I Produce. 50 acres wheat, i.| qrs. per acre, 125 qrs. at 45 j-. 281 5 o '50 acres barley and oats, 4! qrs. per acre, 22*5 qrs. Bedudt for horfes, 68 Remains of barl. 1J7 a't 24J. 188 8 o to "CoWs, - - - 60 o o Swine, . - - 30 o o 150 Sheep, - - 200 o pJ '30 oxen,' - - 500 o -0 170 load of hay to Spare, at 40 .r. 340 o o 'Tot.ar produce, - 1599 13 O Total - expence, - 1146 o 0 Clear profit, - - 453 * 3 ° Thofe farmers who do not make this profit, are fuch as either hired too much land [ 4°° ] land for their money, or that run their land by taking too many crops of white corn in a courfe. It Should alfo be obferved, that if the meadows were not common field after mowing, 170 loads of hay fhould on no account be allowed to be fold, according to the principles of good hufban dry ; but on the contrary, a proportion of the land applied to fummer fatting oxen, and the reft of the hay ufed for winter- feeding them ; which would be far more advantageous to the farm in raifing ma nure ; but as the meadoWs muft be mown, the arable farmer can ufe no more hay at home than fufficient for confuming by fuch cattle as his turnips will enable him to keep. In this' farm, the 50 acres clover are fuppofed to be fed through the year, fup- porting the io cows, 12 horfes, and 150 fheep: the 100 acres of meadow to yield 250 loads of hay, of which the cows may take - - 10 loads, The Sheep, - - 10 The horfes, 30 The oxen, 3080 r[ 401 ] Total, - 250 Deduct - - 80 Remains to fell, - - 17© Land in this neighbourhood fells at thirty to thirty-two years purchafe. Tythe in general compounded at 3 s. 3 d. 3 s. 6 d. &c. in the pound ; but fome parifhes are gathered. Poor rates, 2 j. to 3 j. 6 d. The employment of the poor worhen and chil dren, fpinning wool. All drink tea, and moft of them twice a day. All farmers have leafes ; nine, fourteen, or twenty-one years. LABOUR. In winter, is. 2d. In hay-time, 1 s. 4 d. In harveft, is. Bd. Reaping wheat, ss- t0 7 s' Mowing barley, &c. is. 6d, .'- '_ Hay, — is. 4*/. to is. Hoeing turnips, firft, $s. Second, 3 s. Beans, firft, 6 s. Second, 3 j". a D d Ditching, [\4-02 ] Ditching^: 6 d. to i-x. 6d. - Water-furrowing, i o d. a Score. Filling cart, 2 d. 2f d. 3 TI A Scythe* 4-r. . A fpade, 4 each 1 load hay, at 30 s. 300 o o Improvement in 200 oxen, fuppofe only 5/. each, ;' Expences, Clear profit, , I have fuppofed the -product of the car rots by fattening the oxen, to be lefs than has been actually experienced by feveral men who have accurately tried it. The difference between gaining near 400/. a year, the dung of 200 fat oxen, and the advantage of confuming all the hay of the farm at home, in one cafe, and lofing 14/. in the other, is fo immenfe, that it needs very little ~comment. . I think this calculation fhews how much it behooves thefe farmers to adopt the cul ture of carrots, inftead of that of turnips, upon their dry gravelly loams ; nothing can be clearer than the very great gain they would thereby enfore ; even to the amount of [ 4^> J of much raore clear profit from their car rot fallow, than they a(t prefent make. of their whole farms. What, an aftpnift>jng difference alfo between the dung of 30 oxen and that of 200, relative to the pro fits of all the reft of the farm. Anpther point of management I ShaJU mention^ is~ the article of chopping and gathering their ftubbles ; they do this in part; that is, enough to litter their yards once at the beginning of the feafon, but they feldom do it over all their wheat crop, neglecting much. This is a very bad con- dudt, and deftrudtiye of mUch of their profit : the crops of a farm depend entirely on the quantity of manure raifed ; the whole at tention of a hufbandman all winter long fhould be exerted to render the compoft dunghill as large as poffible, which can never be effected without making the moft of all the Hubble of a farm. It is an amaz ing quantity of litter cattle will convert to rich manure, if they are properly fup*' plied with it. I have very rarely , feen them littered with a view to railing as much dung as poffible j and yet no object aboii t [ 4" ] about a farm deferves greater attention. If thefe farmers entered into the culture of carrots for flail-feeding oxen, as I have propofed, they would find themfelves ne- ceflltated to gain a.s large a quantity of litter as poffible. ' Another circumftance which it is necef fary to fpeak to is ' the , culture of the meadows on the river St our : I before remarked, that moft of them are common after the hay-crop ; but there are fome tradts which are abfofote property ; thefe I fhould propofe to convert to water mea dows, by which means they might be mown twice or thrice every year, like thofe in Berkfhire and Wiltfhire, where this hufbandry is fo well underftpod ; the improvement would much more than pay: the expences of .dams, drains, rfluices, &c. Page 158. Hufbandry at Lanvachers. It is melancholy to travel through fuch confiderable tradts of country bleffed with a fine and fertile foil, but cultivated in -fo imperfedt a manner. It is amazing how the farthers; can pay any rent for landthus [ 412 ]•; thus managed ; I apprehend it is the grafs part of their farms that fupports them, and enables them to fupport the lofs which I Should conceive muft attend the arable. Their keeping 12 oxen and 4 or 5 horfes to 100 acres of arable land, is fuch a fyftem as would amaze an EaSt-country farmer : fuppofe 1 horfe is reckoned for 2 oxen, this is above 10 horfes for' that quantity of land ; which, moderately fpeak- ing, is doubling the expence of tillage, be fides the extra's of drivers for the ploughs. Ploughing an acre of land in fuch a fyftem cannot coft lefs than 10 s. an acre. Having 8 or 9 men alfo for fuch a por tion of land, and at the fame time - not hoeing any crops or pradtifing a good hufbandry, Shews another profufion which muft be attended with a correfponding lofs,. by railing the farmer's expences enor- moufly, without bringing him any pro portioned return. Their courfe of crops of 1. Fallow, 5. Ray-grafs and 2. Wheat, clover 5 years, pared 3. Barley, and burnt, 4. Oats, [ 4*.3 ] And alfo, i . Fallow, . 4. Clover 2 years, 2. Wheat, 5. Wheat. : 3". Barley, are fo very bad, as to be under fuch cir cumftances incompatible with profit. Of which can there be ftronger proofs than .their crops on good lands: Wheat, 17 bufhels. Beans, 15 Barley, 18 Peafe, 15 Oats, 15 And that the benefit of fuch a culture, if any thing, is extremely trifling, will appear from the following calculation ; the circumftances taken from the account of their management. ' 1. FALLOW and WHEAT. Three ploughings,. at 1 p s. 1 10 0 Seed, 2 bufhels, fuppofe at 6s. 0 12 0 Sowing, 0 0 6 Reaping, 0 5 0 Harvefting, 0 2 0 Threfhing 17 bufhels, at 3 d. 0 4 3 Carry over, 213 9 t 414 j I. s~~. d, Brought over, 2 13 9 Carrying out, \\d. - 0 2 if Rent, - 0 9 0 Tythe and rates, - - 0 2 6 Ditto fallow year, - 0 11 6 Manuring, fuppofe - 1 10 0 5 8 io| Produce. 17 bufhels, at 6 j. 5 2 0 Straw, - - 0 10 0 . 5 12 0 5 «- iof Profit, . 0 3 If 2. BARLEY. Two ploughing^ 1 0 0 Harrowings, 0 5 0 Seed, 3 bufhels, at 3 s. 0 9 0 Sowing, 0 0 3 Mowing, 0 1 6 Harvefting, 0 3 0 ThrefMhg 18 bufhels, lid. 0 2 3 Carrying out, id. ' 0 1 6 Rent, &c. - 0 11 6 • 2 14 I 415 ] Produce* I. s. d. 18 bufneis, at 3J, - 2 14 o Straw, - - o 10 o 3 4 0 Expences, - 2 14 0 Profit, - 0 10 0 3. OATS. One ploughing, 0 10 0 Harrowing, 0 3 6 Seed, 3§ bufhels, at 2 s. 3 d. © 7 10 Sowing, 0 0 3 Mowing, - 0 j 6 Harvefting, 0 3 0 Threfhing, 15 at i| 3 ploughings, at ex. 300 0 0 Harrowing, 2 s. 6 d. « 5° 0 0 Seed, 1 2 s. 240 0 0 Sowing, 3d. - - 5 0 0 Sainfoine feed for 200 acres, at 1 5 J". - *¦ - 150 0 0 {Sowing, id. "1 10 0 Carry over, 901 5 0 Ee 4 * C 424 1 /. s. d. Brought over, 901 5 o Mowing, harvefting-, arid cart ing, $s. 100 o o Threfhing, 4 qrs. an acre, 1600 qrs. at is. Ad. 106 13 o Carrying out, at 6 d. - 40 o 0 Rent, &c. as before, 80 o o Standing expences, 200 o o ¦ ¦ 280 o 0 Clover feed and fowing for 100 acres, at 5.*. 3d. - 26 5 o 100 -head of young cattle, to eat the ftraw and make dung, 300 o o Total, - - 1754 3 o Third year, Turnips, Barley, Clover, and , Sainfoine. Expences oh 100 acres of tur nips as laft year, 30 s. 9 d. per acre, - - 153 15 0 Manuring from farm-yard as far as it goes, fuppofing 1000 loads, at 6d. labour, 25 o 0 Carry over, 178 15 o [ 425 ] * /. s. d. Brought over, 178 l5 0 Mowing, making, carting,' and ftacking ioo acres of clover twice, I2j. 60 0 0 Ditto 200 acres of fainfoine once, at 6 s. 60 0 0 Three ploughings 100 acres of barley, at 5 s. 75 0 0 Harrowing, 2 s. 6 d. 12 10 9 Seed, 12 s. 60 0 0 Sowing, 3d. 1 5 0 Mowing, &c. 5 s. 25 0 0 Threfhing, 4 qrs. per acre, 400 qrs. at is. Ad. 26 13' 0 Carrying out, 6 d. 10 0 0 Rent and ftanding charges, 280 0 0 Total, 789 3 0 No cattle bought for ftraw or hay, as the farm is now in perfect order to let. EXPENCES. Firft year, - - 798 15 o Second, - - 1754 3 o Third, - - 789 3 o 3342 1 o [-426 ]. 4 PRODUCE, /. s. d, Firft year, turnips,- fold to be fed off with fheep, at30J.* 75Q o 0 Second year, 1 00 acres turnips, at 30 s, - - 150 o o Barley, 1600 qrs. at 22 s. 1760 o o 100 head of young cattle coft 300/. improved by 400 acres, at 5 s. an acre, to 400 /. 400 o Q Third year, jqo acres turnips, at 30s. - - 150 j 00 acres of clover hay, 2 loads ; 200 loads, at 30 j. - 30*0 2,00 acres fainfoine hay, 100 loads, at 30 s. - 1 50 400 qrs. of barley, at 22 s. 440 0 0 0 0 0 Q 00 Total produce, » 4IO° Expence, - - 334? 0 I 0 P Profit, - - 757 *9 Q * Note, this plain is in ' the midft of the greateft fheep country in England, where there would be ,no difficulty of felling five times as many turnips as here fuppofed, [ 427 ] /. s. i, Firft improvement, - 2304 4 6 The above profit, - 757 19 o Total expence of the improve ment, with 1000 1, farming flock to gp on with, j 646 5 6 The farm would then let for at leaft 12 s. an acre, upon the moft moderate calcula tion; this is per ann. for 500, 300 o 0 Deduct old rent at 1 j. 6 d. for 640, - - 48 o o Remains improvement, 252 o o Which at 30 years purchafe is, 7560 o o Deduct the expence, - 1646 5 6 Remains net profit, - 5913 14 6 Befides the 140 acres of plantation, which will be found the moft important part of fhe whole. The average product per acre of three plantations of Mr. MitforcTs, (B>ee"Farmer's Tour* [ 428 ,] Tour, Vol.111, p. 211, 212, 221.) of 48, 45, and/40 years growth, is 762 /. this growth gives an annual cutting of 3 acres in a plantation of 140 acres, that is of 2286 /. The forts, firs and pinafters. For the firft five years, the plantation yields only fag got wood ; for the next five, fome that is faleable: from ten to twenty years, the thinnings may be reckoned at 20 s. per acre : from twenty to thirty years, at 30 s. from thirty to forty-four, at 40 s. and then the annual cutting of three acres comes ; after which, I fhall fuppofe the thinnings only to pay expences of new planting the land, &c The account will be therefore as folio ws per annum. " I. s. d. Improved rent profit, - 252 o o Deduct intereft of 1646/. 66 o o Profit per ann. for 1 o years, 186 00 Thinnings of 1 40 acres planted, 140 o o Frofit per ann. the next 1 o years, 326 o 0 |86 00 Thinnings of 140 acres, 210 o o Trofit per ann. the next 1 o years, 396 o o [ 429 J /. s. d. 186 o o Thinnings, - - 280 o o Vrodtper ann. the next 14 years, 466 o o 186 o o Three acres, at 762/. - 2286 o o Profit per ann. ever after, 2472 o o This is the account of one fquare mile, being 640 acres, and forming one farm ; the account of the 470 will be as follows. V- - /. Improved rental, at 12 s. an acre, 144,000 Deduct old rental, at 1 j-. 6 d. 22,560 Net improvement, - 121,440 Which at 30 years purchafe is worth - 3,643,200 Deduct the expence of 1 646 /. per fquare mile, - - 773,620 Remains net profit, - - 2,869,580 L 43° J /. Exclufive of 65,800 acres planted* Improved rent profit, * -, 121,440 Deduct inteteft of 773,620 h 3°>944 Profit per ann. for 10 years, 90,496 90,496 Thinnings of 65,800 acres planted-, at 20s. - ¦* 65,800 Profit per ann. the next 10 years, 156,296 90496 Thinnings, at 30 x. - » 98,700 Profit per ann.' the next ten years, 1 89, 1 96 90,496 Thinnings, at A6s. * «- 131,606 ¦ r 1 ri Profit />*r tf«/z. the next 14 years, 222,096" 90,496 Cutting 1410 acres, at 762/. 1*074,420 Profit />lt dwz. ever after, - 1,164,916 t 43i J ' And to fhew how important an expen diture this profit is gained by, and of courfe population, &c. fo greatly encou*» raged, let us multiply fome other cir cumftances of the firft mentioned farm by 470, the total number. Fencing, building, paring, burn- /. irig and planting, Farming flock, - tuijnips, 1,082,880 479,400 Firft year's expenGe of Second year, Third year, 375>6o7824*380- 370,830 Total, 1,570,817. Improvement, Stock,Three years, Total, 1,082,880 479,400' 1,570,817 3.133,097 Three years produce, 1,927,000 Suppofe each farm to have a farmer, his- Wife, and 3 chil- Souls. dren, in all, -. - - 5 Men fervants, - 4 [ 43,2 ] Souls. Brought over, 9 Maids,- - - - 2 Boys, - * - -2 Labourers, - - - 15 Each labourer a wife and 3 chil dren, - - 60 88 And to the 470 farms, - 4L,36o Here we find that fuch an improve ment as this .creates a clear income to the landlords of more than eleven hundred thoufand pounds a year; forms a new rental of more than ninety thoufand a year, and of courfe fuch an income to the tenants, who in return fupport many other claffes ; and, in the whole, gives birth to a new population of more than forty thou fand fouls, immediately dependant on the improvement ; befides the great number of people fupported by thefe new landlords, farmers, labourers, &c. All -this forms a fyftem of national improvement of infinite confequence ; of a magnitude which thofe who tranfiently ride over this dreary wafte cannot immediately conceive. The three '¦''-• ; firft [. 433 1 firft years produce, before the lands are got in that order they would be in after wards, amounts to very near feven hun dred thoufand pounds a year : it is a very moderate computation to calculate them at a million fteriing, exclufive of the noble plantations which would yield fuch. a great profit. Such an undertaking as this wants - nothing but refolution to overcome" all- difficulties that would arife in it. It might be executed either as a national work, or* by the fubfcription of a company; by hiring the plain of its poffefrors for 99 years, at a rent fomething better than the prefent ; which would be a great advan tage to their eftates, as at the expiration of the leafes, they would come into valuable and well cultivated lands, inftead of the former waftes : this I mention, upon the fuppofition that they would not attempt the execution of any fuch plan them felves. Suppofe the farmers (as they probably Would) found it advantageous to have 200 acres out of the 500 always under fain- F f foiriej f 434 I foine ; 300 would remain, thefe they ought to throw into the courfe of, 1. Turnips, - 3. CTpver, 2. Barley, 4. Wheat.' Of each 75 acres : the wheat at 2| quar ters per acre would yield 187 quarters, and .the barley at 4 quarters per acre, 30a quarters. Upon the whole 470 farms, it would be, Wheat, quarters, - - 8*7,8 go Barley, ditto, - - 141,000 The 75 acres of clover, and 25 of the fainfoine, fhould be fed with cows, and. . would maintain ,50 through the fummer ; thefe would require near 50 loads or 25 acres of fainfoine hay. The 75 acres of turnips would ftall-feed 150 oxen, who would each eat a load, of fainfoine hay ; about enough would be to fpare for the team. > Thus each crop on the farm wpuld- be juft. proportioned, to the other. The product of the cows in butter, cheefe, and veal, at only 5 /. a head, would be 250/. [ 435 1 2$ol. per farm, and over the /. whole, - - 117,500 The oxen at 12/. would be 1800 /. per farm, and in the whole, 846,000 And this befides the various other articles of produce. While a kingdom ppfleffes fuch refources of plenty in her foil, is it not a ftrange abfurdity for her fubjedts to be clamorous for fear of famine ? Writers who do not fufficiently reflect on the quantity of food for man which a given breadth of country will produce, are violent in their declama tions againft exporting corn, and againft the'inclofing of commons ; as if the height of the prices felt by the Englifh could be owing to either of thofe caufes. It is evi dent, that the way to have plenty of pro vifions is to cultivate every part of our foil that will admit of it : and at the fame time that the breaking up fuch waftes caufes a plenty of provifions, it increafes the valu^ able, part of our population. In a word, it has every good effect that can ever be looked for from national works. F f 2 Many C 436 ] Many perfons are apt. to cbnfider calcu lations of this fort as vifionary ; they think that a traveller may much eafi'er cry out, What pity this plain is not cultivated ! and a writer in his clofet expatiate on it with his pen, than any one can carry their fchemes into execution. If fuch great profit attends the culture of thefe wafies, why did not our fathers and grand-fathers . attempt it ? It is eafy to. talk .of having wheat and barley and fat oxen, where we now only find fheep- feed, but not ,fo eafy to produce them. But the prudence and moderation of fuch fentiments are more apparent than real ; and entirely overlook feveral circumftances Of decifive' importance. What originally occafioned the bounds of wafte "lands ? Why do we fee them of fuch irregular fhapes ? Does the cultivated land jet into the commons juft where the •foil is beft, and is it only bad land that is left open ? Nothing farther from the fadt. One can attribute the variations to chance alone. You fee in the arable fields adjoin ing the plain, better crops of corn -than v - A I have I 437 1 I have fuppofed; you find the foil is the fame : you can, upon the minuteft examination, fee no reafon for one tradt being inferior to the other, if under equal management. But the condudt fuppofed in the preceding calculation, would give the advantage very much to the new inclo- fures, and that to a much greater amount than the prefent fheep-folds. But if the truth in thefe cafes was fairly fpoken, landlords would reply (inftead of denying the propriety and profit of fuch works) / have not the money. What you propofe may be, as I believe it is, very true ; but I fp end my income, and was it larger, fhould know what to do with it, without bufying myfelf in ploughing and carting. This is the reafon we fee fo few great im provements carried on. Let not any one therefore condemn the propofal as im practicable, becaufe it is not in practice. But this fhould convince the patriotic minds, who wifh to fee fuch works under taken in an effectual manner, that the way to bring them into execution, is to take them into their own hands. A fociety of F f 3 men, [ 4$ ) men, each fubferibing a certain fum of money for the purchafe, or rental on long leafes, of fuch large wafte tracts, and for the improvement of them by converting them as foon as poffible into farms, would be able, without any great difficulty or hazard, to effect moft noble works pf this fort. INDEX, INDEX. sfCTO N, the manner of cultivating peafe in that ***¦ neighbourhood, 124. Soil and quantity of land ploughed per day from thence to Uxbridge, 298. Alton, the chief crops from thence to Farnham, 207. Ampton, the feat of Mr. Calthorpe, defcribed, 36. Audley End, the open field courfe of crops in that neighbourhood, 384. A different courfe propofed, 385. Author, thanks the Rev. Mr. Ray for his informa tion, 49. Returns thanks alfo to the Rev. Mr. Lord, for the account of his hufbandry, 51. Acknowledges his obligation to Dr. Tanner, for his information refpe£ting his Lucerne plantation in Hampfhire, 67. Aylesford, the foil from thence to Alton, 205. The fize and rent of their farms with their courfe of crops, ibid. A fketch of the ceconomy of their farms, 206. Price of labour and provifions, 207. Variations in the courfe of crops from thence to Alton, 285. B "Baker, Mr. improvements propofed by him on the barley hufbandry in Effex, 79. Ff 4 INDEX. Baldwin, Mr. his experimental agriculture at Clap- ham, 216. A letter of his giving an account of his cultivation of lucerne, 220, & feq. Another letter of his on the fame fubje£r, 225, & feq. Remarks on the particulars contained in thefe letters, 2*27. Barley, culture of, in Effex excellent, 78. Observations of Mr. Baker thereon, 79. Culture of, at Saling-, by John Yeldham, Efq. 82. The feed and crop of, in different places, 252. Earths, feed, crop and rent in different places, 274. Expences and produce of a crop at Mr. Ray's at Toftockj 351. Of the fame at Mr. Lord's, 357. Expences and produce of a crop at Bexley in Kent, 361. At Lanvachers, 413. 418. Barnard, Mr. Berkley Square, an account of his collection of pictures with remarks, 118, &c. Bath, a curfory view of, 179. Soil and rent of the land thence tQ Devizes, 181. Price of labour and provifions,, 182, 183. Beans, feed and crop of, in different places, 257, Good crops of, more from other circum ftances than the richnefs of the land, 266, Hoeing them, a very neceffary operation, 267. Bentley Green, a defcription of this village, 209. Prices of labour and provifions there, 210, Bexley, in Kent, ftate of hufbandry in this neighbour-. hood, 92. The price of labour there, 93. The courfes, produce and expences of the crops there, 360. • (. INDEX. Billericgy, ftate of hufbandry there, 85. Price of their provifions with the expence of manure,' 86, The prodigious fize of the farms in this neighbourhood, 86. 89. Badnefs of the road thence to Tilbury, 88. Soil of the land and rent from thence to Chelmsford and Braintree, 309. Blackheath, Sir Gregory Page's feat there defcribed, 98. A defcription of the gallery with the pic tures, and remarks, 99. Of the paintings in the drawing-room, 100. ' The fubjedts of thofe in the drefling-room, with critical remarks, ibid. Blenheim, the feat of the Duke of Marlborough, defcription of, 139. The grand hall, the fineft and largeft per haps in England, ibid. Pictures in the drawing-room by Rubens, 141. Thofe in the breakfafting room, ibid. The death of Seneca, with two others, in another drawing room, 142. The library, a very noble room, ibid. Compared with Holkham, Houghton, Wanftead, and Wilton, 370. Boulainvilliers, his account of the Norfolk hufbandry full of miftakes, 22. Braintree, in Effex, an account of the manufactures there, 75. The earnings of the manufacturers there, with the price of provifions, 76. The foil from, thence to Chelmsford, 82. Their courfe of hufbandry, ibid. The method and care they take in draining their wet lands, 83. State of a farm in this neighbourhood, 84. Prices of their labour, provifions, and im plements, ibid. 85. IN D 'E X. Braintree, variations in the courfe of crops from .thenee to Chelmsford, 283, Soil, and quantity pf land ploughed per day, 298. Soil of the land and rent from thence to Sudbury, 309. Bread, a table of the priee of, in different parts of the kingdom, 323. Brifiol, a defcription of the ferry or paffage from thence to, Cbepftow, 170, Courfe of crops and rent of land thence to Bath, 174. Price of labour and provifions, ibid. & feq. Some things in the neighbourhood worthy to be viewed by curious travellers, i8&, & feq. Bulfhr&de, & defcription of the duke of Portland's Park there, 127. Burford and Sherborn in Oxfordshire, the courfes of crops there, 146. Enek>fures very fcarce here ; fome planned by Mr. Dittton, at Sherbors, 146. Prices of labour and provifions in this neighbourhood, 147. Bterxet, the profitable culture of, at Stoak in Norfolk, 33> 34- A vaft quantity of the wild fort near {Salif bury, 193. The earl of Northington's experiment wkb, at the Grange, 204. Experiments on, by Mr. Johnfton near Uford, 235. Obfervations on the experiments, 347. Bury, in Suffolk, a defcription of that town, 38. The wild heath in the neighbourhood might be converted into arable farms, 36. The price of manures in this neighbourhood, 51- 55r INDEX. Bitry, the prices of labour, implements, and pro vifions, 51, 52. Their courfe of crops, 52. Particulars in regard to their method of huf bandry, 53, etfeq. Their fences very incomplete, 56. An account of their dairying, 57. Their feveral methods of ftocking, 60, & feq. Articles neceffary for a farm of 200 acres in this neighbourhood, 61. Price of land, with their tythes and poor rates, 63, A fketch of their management and ceconomy of a farm of 250 acres, ibid. Their method of ploughing, 64. Variations in their courfe of crops, 283. Mean rent of land in that neighbourhood, 310. Butcher's meat, a table of the prices in various places, 327, &c. Difference of the price in London and other places, 229. Butter, tables of the various prices of, in different places, 324. Cabbages, the culture of, much recommended, 79. Calthorpe, Mr. his feat at Ampton, defcribed, 36. Candles, the prices of, in different places, 331. Carrots, the drill cultivation of, by the Rev. Mr. Ray, 47. A drill plough for the feed of this root much wanted, 49. Obfervations on the cultivation of, 348. Often preferable to turnips in hufbandry, 356. 366. An account of the cultivation and expences of, by Mr. Ray, 375. I N D E, X. Carrots, the fattening hogs with them confidered, 37°- The great object is to know how many pounds of pork a ton of carrots will give, 378. Cultivated by Mr. Gardner, at Chefterford, with great fuccefs, 380. His method of cultivation and the expence, 381-, Of excellent ufe for fick horfes, 383. Expences of 40 acres of, 408. Champion, Mr. a defcription of his copper works near Briftol, 170, & feq. Cheefe, .the medium price of, 327. Chelmsford, in Effex, the courfe of crops from thence to Ingateftone, 238. Prices of labour and provifions, 239. Chepfiow, the price of meadow ground and arable land there, 156. The paffage or ferry from thence to Briftol defcribed, 170. Clare, Lord, an account of his introducing oxen inftead of horfes in hufbandry, at Gosfield in Effex, 73, &feq. Clay, ufed as manure for the fame purpofe as marie, 291. Clifton, a defcription of the grotto there, 187. Clover hufbandry, much recommended, 273. Univerfal from the north of Norfolk to Glamorganfhire, 281. A table of the ftate of, in fome places, 304. Expences and produce of a crop at Mr. Ray's at Toftock, 352. The fame at the Rev. Mr. Lord's, 358. The like at Bexley in Kent, 362. Cultivation of, near Sudbury, 392, 400. Coals, a table of the prices of, in different places, 331- INDEX. Cobham, Mr. Hamilton's park there, worth attention, 213. The Gothic temple and grotto, 214. The ruined arch, ibid. The cafcade and Hermitage, 216. The beautiful landfcape from the hermit's parlour, 217. The fine profpedt from the tower, 218. Comparifon of this feat with Mr. Mor ris's at Persfield, 219. Cozens, Mr. a defcription of his houfe at Redland's near Briftol, 189. Crickley hill, the neighbourhood full of picturefque views and romantic fpots, 150. Their courfe of crops, with the price of labour and provifions, 150, & feq. Crops, a fketch of the mean produce of, in Norfolk, 242. About Bury in Suffolk, 243. Around Hedingham, Saling, Chelmsford, and Dartford, ibid. About Stoken church, Turville, Cotfwood hills, Lanvachers, Salifbury plain, Rom fey, Alton, &c. 244. From Alton to Farnham, between Guild ford and Ripley, about Ilford, Chelms ford, and Newport, 245. Remarks on the above fketch, 246, & feq. The quantity of feed compared with the product, 250. Tables thereof, with remarks, 252 to 260. The variations of the ameliorating or fallow crops, and the caufes explained, 265. A general table of the number of ploughings for every crop in different places, 270. Variations in the courfes of, in different parts, 282. INDEX. D Dairy, the method of conducting one, as purfued by a farmer's wife for thirty years, in the neighbour hood Of Bury, 57, & feq. Dartford, in Kent, variations in the courfe of crops from thence to Shooter's hill, 283. Defpenfer, lord, a defcription of his feat at Wycomb, 120. Remarks on the ch»rch built there, 129. Devizes, fome account of the farms from thence to Salifbury, 184, & feq. The particular culture and courfe of their crops, 187. Price of labour and provifions, 189, & feq. A v^ft quantity of wild burnet in this country, 192. Excellent fheep-walks in this neighbour hood, 193. Devonfhire houfe, Piccadilly, an account of the paintings there, with remarks, 120, & feq. Docking, the feat of Mrs. Henley, %q. The plantations, though fjqall, in a pretty tafte, ibid. Draining, the method and benefit of, in various parts, 306. Effex, an account of the introduction there of oxen, inftead of horfes, in hufbandry, by lord Clare, 73, & feq. Method of draining wet lands there, 83. The requifite ftock on a farm there, 84. Prices of labour and provifions, 73. 76. 81. 84. 86. The prodigious fizes of their farms in this county, 89. A comparifon of the Effex with the Norfolk farms, 87. Badnefs of the roads, 88. 3 INDEX. Fffex, the farms, not overgrown ones, between Ingatefton and Chelmsford, 237. Euflon, the feat of the duke of Grafton, 36. F Fallowing, the procefs of, in different places, 264-. Farms, ' population of, 317. Farnham, an account of the culture of hops there, 208. The amount of a crop, 261. G Glamorganfliire, imperfect ftate of hufbandry about Cowbridge and Bridge-End, 164, & feq. Their courfe of crops, 165. Their farms in general fmall, 166. Prices of labour and provifions, ibid. Several points in which the farmers here want to be inftructed, 167. The courfes their foil is beft adapted to, 168. The fituation of this county very advanta geous, ibid. Gloucefier, the fiaple manufacture of, 152. ' The earnings of the manufacturers with the prices of provifions, 153. A defcription of the roads and country from thence to Newnham, 154. Prices of labour and provifions, ibid. & feq. Gosfield, in Effex, noted for the feat of lord Clare, 73. Gravefend, fome account of, 90. Greenwich park, the beautiful profpedts from thence, 95. A defcription of the hofpital, 97. The proportion of the chapel exceedingly beautiful, 98. Grotto, a defcription of that at Clifton, 187. Guildford, in Surry, the rents and courfe of crops from thence to Ripley, 211. Their method of tillage, 2r2. Particulars of one of their farms, 213. Price of labour and provifions, ibid. Variations in the courfe of their crops, 285- IN D E X. Guildford, foil, and quantity of land ploughed per day from thence to Cobham, 300. H Hanhorough, in Oxfordfhire, the ftate of hufbandry .there, 140, & feq. Their extraordinary method of eftimating crops, 147. Price which land lets at here, with that of labour and provifions, 142, & feq. Harte, Mr> his knowledge in hufbandry, 179, &feq. Hayes, ftate of hufbandry there, 124, & feq. Price of labour and provifions in this neigh bourhood, 125, & feq. Hedingham, in Effex, the amount of a crop of hops there, 261. Variations in the courfe of crops there, 282. Henningham, in Effex, an account of the cultivation of hops about that town, 71. A manufactory of Bays and Says carried on there, 72. Courfe of crops in the neighbourhood of this place, ibid. The proportions of one farm, 73. Prices of labour and provifions, ibid. Hertfordfhire, ftate of hufbandry between Barnet and , Hatfield, .9,8, & feq. Their ploughs and ditches much cenfured, 100, & feq. Price of labour, 123. Hogs, the great importance of breeding them, 303. Thrive greatly when fed upon clover, ibid. The fattening them with carrots confidered, ' , 376- Holkham, the celebrated feat of the countefs of Lei- cefter, 3. Appears moft magnificent when entered by thefouthern approach, ibid. The obelifk and villas from thence, 4. INDEX. Holkkath, the temple^ and views which it com mands, 5. . The front of the houfe and wings, 5, & feq. The great hall, 7. The architect not deficient in the pleafing ftile, though fomewhat cenfurable as to magnificence and proportion, 8. The faloon* ibid. The landfcape room and ftate bed-cham- - ber, 9. Lady Leicefter's apartments and the flatue gallery, 10. '" The dinihgrroom and the late Earl's apart ments, 11. The ftfanger's wing, 12. The moft ftriking circumftance in this houfe is the convenience,' ibid. The principal pictures with remarks, 14 to icj. The park, 19^ . Compared with Houghton^ Blenheim, Wil ton, and Wanftead, 368., Hops, an account of the operations and expences of a crop at Henningham, 71. Some account of thofe about Hedingham and Farnham, 261. Horndon, in Effex, from the fummit of a hill, near this place5< a moft aftonifhing profpedt, 89. Houghton, the feat of the earl of Orford, the fituation of, 23. The grpat hall, faloon,, &c 24. The Carlo Maratt room, ibid. Remarks on feveral of the capital pieces in the picture gallery, 25 to 29. Hufbandry, ftate of about Bury in Suffolk, 53, & feq. . ¦ . Obfervations on Mr. Ray's Syftem of, 354. An examination of that at Bexley in Kenf, 36°' r „ tx g 1 N D E X. Horfes, tfie number kept on 1 170 acres, and on if8o arable land, 316. fennen, Mr. an account of his collection of paintings in . Ormond ftreet, Bloomfbury, with remarks, 115, &feq. Ilford, in Effex, the cultivation of potatoes there, admirable, 231. General ftate Of hufbandry in that neigh bourhood, 233. Prices of labour and provifions, 234. Experiments of Mr. Johnfton irt this neigh bourhood, 235. Variations in the courfe of crops, 285. Soil, and quantity of land ploughed per day there, 300.- Implements in hufbandry, the prices of, 321. Innes, captain, of Henley upon Thames, the parti culars of a farm of his, 136. "Johnfion, Mr. his experiments, on. lucerne and burnet, near Ilford,. ^35. A harrow of his contrivance, 236. K Kent, a view of the hufbandry there, 92. ' King's Wtflin, the feat of Mr. Southill, a defcription of, 185, • Kingjlon, Surry, courfe of crops in that neighbour hood, 214. •Price of labour and provifions, 215. L Labour, comparative view of the medium prices of, 333- More earned by the piece than by daily wages, 336. Low prices of, of importance in trading ftates, 337. Too low in fome parts of the kingdom, 342. INDEX. Lanvachers, a great deal of good and bad hufbandry practifed there, 157, & feq. Their courfe of crops, 158. Their farms, in general, fmall, 159. Lime the great manure here, 160. Price of labour and provifions, with that of Implements, ibid. 161. Their bad management in keeping fo many oxen and. horfes, 412. Their courfe of crops examined and cen- fured, ibid. & feq. A new courfe propofed, and its fuperiority demonftrated, 417, &c. Lavenham, in Suffolk, cultivation of lucerne there, 64. Its manufacture of Says and calimancoes, ibid. The church a moft beautiful building, 65. The farmers in this neighbourhood culti vate the tick bean with uncommqn ad vantage, 65. Lewifham, in Kent, thence to Blackheath, moftly occupied by gardening farmers, 93. Their fyftem profitable, but requires great trouble and attention, 94. Price of provifions in this neighbourhood, 96. Lime ufed for manure, 292. Livermere, the feat of Mr. Lee, defcribed, 36. London, affects the price of meat every where in the country, 229. Its influence inraifing thepriceof labour,336. The fize of, a public evil, 338. Lord, the Rev. Mr. rector of Great Welnetham, keeps a farm, the foil of a ftiff ftrong, white clay, and full of fprings, 49. His hufbandry adapted to keep it in good order and to make it yield excellent crops, ibid. 49. His general courfes of crops, 50. Several important leffons from his method. of hufbandry, 51. Gg2 INDEX. Lord, courfe of his crops in the clay foils, 3^6. Obfervations on his fyftem of hufbandry^ 360. Lucerne, management of* by Sir Robert Turner at Wareham, 3. Ufeful experiments made in the culture of^ by Mr. Ray, at Toftock, 45. Continuation thereof by his fucceffor, the Rev. Mr. Ray, 47. Experiments by Mr. Davey of Laven- ham, 64. Plantations of, at Hadleigh, belonging to the Rev. Dr. Tanner, 65, & feq. Account of one Jjelonging to Peter New- come, Efq. 68. Two fields of fine broad eaft near Grave fend, 91. A three acred piece of drilled near Briftol,. 176. A fmall field of, drilled in j:ows near Salif bury, 191. Several experiments by Mr. Baldwin, 218* A letter of this excellent cultivator, giving the produce of an acre of lucerne -and- many other particulars, 221. Another letter on the fame.fubjedt, 225* The expences and neat produce of an acre of lucerne,. 227. Experiments of Mr. Johnfton, near Ilford, 235- A review of the feveral experiments in the cultivation of, 343, &c. The expences and profit calculated, 344. Obfervations on the different experiments, 34°* Two fmall fields- near Audley End, 387. Lynn, a defcription of this town, 30. A quantity of fine manure loft here, the farmers neglecting to carry it away, 31. INDEX. " M Manufacturers, a table of their earnings at their vari ous works in different places, 338. Their high earnings the caufe of riots, 340. .Manure, the price of, near Bury, 51. Very expenfive at Billericay in Effex, 86. This article, in hufbandry, ftiould be fixed on certain grounds, 288. Variations to be attended to, ibid. Marie and clay ufed as manure, 290, 291, Method of, near Sudbury, 394. Town manure, the prices various at diffe rent places, 293. Calculation of the expence of, for a whole year near Bury, 294. Expence of carting from London at the dif tance of feventeen miles, 296. The fame at the diftance of ten miles, 297, The manure arifing from burning the fur face very beneficial, ibid.- Marling, wonderful effedts of, in the county of Nor folk, 4. The improvement thereby lafts . above twenty years, 9. A vaft tract of uncultivated land converted by this means into a profitable farm, by Mr, Wright, near Thetford, 35. Marie, a valuable manure, 290. Morris, Mr. a defcription of his beautiful plantation at Persfield, 169 to 184. N Ifarford, the feat of Price Fountain, Efq. 32, Contains a collection of valuable curiofi- ties, ibid. An account of fome of the pictures, with remarks, 33. tfewcome, Mr. his experiments on lucern, 68, Gg 3 INDEX, Newnham to Chepftow, the roads very bad, 155. Courfe of crops on theirploughed ground, 156. Price of labour and provifions, ibid. Variations in the courfe of crops there, 284. Newport, courfe of crops around this place, 162. Their culture of beans and turnips cenfured, , 163. Prices of labour and provifions, ibid. ¦ Norfolk, the wonderful effects a fpirit of improvement has wrought in fome parts of this county, 3. Rents and leafes of the farms from Holkham to the fea weftward, and to Swafham, 7. Courfe of crops there, g. A fketch of the ceconomy of one of their farms of 1100 acres, 10. ij, & feq. The culture of turnips carried on here in a very extenfive manner, 12. The ufe to which they are applied, 13. Large fortunes made by the farmers of this county, 15. 21. M. de Boulainvilliers account of the Nor folk hufbandry full of miftakes, 22. Prices of labour and provifions in this couhty, ibid. Mr. Curtis's farm, of Sommerfield, one of the greateft improvements of the country, 17. Variations of the courfe of crops in the marled parts of, 282. T.he foil, ftrength, and quantity ploughed per day in the improved parts, 298. Soil of the land and rent from Northbold to Thetford, 309. Northington, earl of, his experiments on burnet, 204. v Northumberland houfe, a defcription of, 103, & feq. An account of the pictures with remarks, 104, & feq. The balKroom, one of the moft elegant in London, 105. IN D E X. O Oats, the feed and crop of, in different parts, 254. Table of the earth,, feed, crop, and rent, in different places, 279. Expence and produce of a crop at Lanva chers, 415, Oxen, the introduction of, into Effex, in works , of hufbandry, by lord Clare, 73, & feq. Bad management of, at'Stowe, 148. Pretty much ufed at Shipton, 149, Alfo near Chepftow, 156, Employed for draught and tillage, at, Bridgr- end, 166. Oxford, remarks on the city and buildings of, 138. Variations in the courfe of crops from thence to Tetsford, 284. Page, Sir Gregory, defcription of his feat at Black heath, 9.8, & feq. An account of the paintings, with remarks, 99, & feq. Paintings, a defcription of thofe at Holkham, 14, & feq. At lord Orford's, Houghton, 2~:':- n. In FOUR VOLUMES, Oftavo, •: Price- I 1. is. in Boards, or 1 1. 4 s. Bound, ..The Second Edition, with Additions, > (Illuftrated with twenty-fix Copper-plates of fuch new- inventedlmplements of Hufbandry as deferve to be generally known, and Vievvs °f fome romantic Scenes, which occurred tb' the Author in the Courfe of his Journey) A SIX MONTHS TOUR ^THROUGHOUT THE NORTH of ENGLAND. CONTAINING, An Account of thePnESENT State of AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURES, And P OP UL ATI O N, ' In feveral COUNTIES of this KINGDOM. particularly, V. The State of the Wafte Lands, which might and ought to be cultivated. VI. The Condition and Num ber of the Poor, with their Rates, Earnings, &c VII. The Prices of Labour, Provifions, and the Pro portion between them. VIII. The Regifter of many curious and ufeful Expe riments in Agriculture. I. -The Nature, Value, and Rental of the Soil. II. The Size of Farms, with Accounts of their Stock, Produfts, Population, and various Methods of Culture. III. The Ufe, Expence, and Profit of feveral Sorts of Manure. IV. The Breed of Cattle, and the refpe&ive Profits at tending them. interspersed with Defcriptions of the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, And other remarkable Objedls. N. B. In the minutes of this Tour are regiftered the parti culars of above- 716 w Hundred Original Experiments on various points of Hufbandry, communicated by many of the Nobility and Gentry; particularly on Cabbages, Carrots, Potatoes, Lucerne, Sainfoine, Burnet, Graffes gathered by hi^id, Madder, Grain and Pulfe drilled and horfe-hoed. Manures, Draining, &c. &c. &c. COUNTIES Travelled in this TOUR. BEDFORDSHIRE, RUTLANDSHIRE,' YORKSHIRE, DURHAM,NORfHUPrBERLAND, CUMBERLAND, WESTMORLAND, LANCASHIRE, CHESHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE, OXFORDSHIRE. III. Handfamcly printed in One Volume, Oclave, Price Five Shillings and Three-pence in Boards, The Third Edition, Corrected and Enlarged, Illuftrated with Cuts of the new-invented Implements, A SIX WEEKS TOUR Through the Southern Counties of ENGLAND and WALES. . Defcribing, particularly, {;.'. The prefent State of Agriculture and Manufactures. II. The different, •Methods of cultivating the Soil. III. The Succefs attending fome late Experi ments on various Graffes, &c. IV. The Prices of Labour and Provi fions. V. The State of the working Poor in thofe Counties, wherein the Riots were moft remarkable. Interfperfed with Accounts of the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, and other Objedls worthy Notice. COUNTIES Travelled in this TOUR. NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, OXFORDSHIRE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, MONMOUTHSHIRE, GLAMORGANSHIRE, WILTSHIRE, BERKSHIRE. JV. B. In thefe Three Tours are inferted the Regifter s of near a Thoufand Original Experiments, made by --various of the Nobility and Gentry, upon almoft every Qbjeli in Practical Huf bandry, with the general Refult of their Experience and Obferva tions in the --whole Circle of rural Oeconomics ; not the accidental Effeils of Trials made in the fame Years as the Author travelled, but regular Minutes of Series of Experiments conducted 'for many Years before. Here are liievji/e contained the Particulars of common Hufbandry through an Extent of four thoufand Miles ; comprifeng all thofe Circumftances 'which are neceffary to be knovjn, in order to form a compleat Syftem ofBritiJh Agriculture. IV. Handfomely printed in Two Volumes, O3ayo, Price \os. 6d. in Boards. Illuftrated with Copper-Plates. The Third Edition, corrected and enlarged, of THE FARMER'S LETTERS To the PEOPLE of ENGLAND. Containing the Sentiments of a Practical Hufbandman on various Subjefts of great Importance ; particularly, The Exportation of Corn ; the Balance of Agriculture and Manufactures 3 th^prefent State of Hufbandry ; the Circumftances attending large and fmall Farms ; the prefent State of the Poor ; the Price of Provifions ; the Pro ceedings of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, &c. the Importance of Timber and Planting ; Emigrations to the Colonies ; the Means of pro moting the Agricu lture and Population of Great Britain ; on raifing large Sums of Money by improving Eftates ; on the Methods of railing the Rental of Eftates ; on various Improvements, fuch as Draining, Manuring, Fencirg, and raifing new Buildings, or remedying the Inconveniencies of old ones ; of Paring, Burning, Liming, &c. on improving feveral Sorts of Wafte Lands, Moors, Downs, Wolds, &c. &c. To which are added, S Y L V ^E: Or, Occafional Tracts on Hufbandry and Rural (Economics. The Whole calculated to fhew the great Profit attending the Improvement of Eftates, both in cultivated and uncultivated Countries. N. B. " The SECOND VOLUME may be had feparately, to complete the Setts of former Purch-fers. v. - . ,; In Two Volumes, 03a