The Country Gcntlcinaii s Magazine 



175 



2aamblc!5 



bii Boati, llibev, anli ^tVail 



FARMING IN YORKSHIRE. 



THIS county at a very early date was divided 

 into three portions, called Ridings. The North 

 Riding contains about 1,350, 12 1 acres ; it is bounded on 

 the north by the river Tees, which separates it from 

 Durham, and on the south by the East and West 

 Ridings. Its population is estimated at 264,182 per- 

 sons. The East Riding comprises the south-eastern 

 portion of the county ; it is bounded on the north 

 and west by the rivers Haiford, Ouse, and Derwent ; 

 and on the south by the river Humber. This Riding 

 contains 771,139 acres, and has a population of 

 295,021 persons. The West Riding, which contains the 

 remaining portion of the county, is bounded on the 

 north by the rivers Ure and Ouse, on the east by the 

 Ouse and Humber, on the south by Lincolnshire, 

 Xottingham, and Derby, and on the west by West- 

 moreland, Lancashire, and Cheshire. It contains 

 1,709,307 acres, and a population of 1,623,530 per- 

 sons. 



The North Riding contains a great variety of soils. 

 To the extreme west the mountain limestone prevails, 

 forming a very picturesque country of hill and dale. 

 The soils in the valleys amongst these hills are very 

 fertile and highly valued. Eastward of this district 

 there is a belt of poor soil, chiefly composed of the 

 debris of the millstone giit and decomposed shale. 

 Still proceeding east we pass successively beds of new 

 red sandstone, magnesian limestone, lias-clay, and 

 oolite, the soils in each of these districts partaking 

 more or less of the geological character of the stratum 

 upon which they rest. To the east of the Riding 

 lie the Yorkshire moors, comprising nearly 400,000 

 acres of land ; many of these moors rise fully 1200 feet 

 above the level of the sea. The greatest extent of 

 valuable land is situated in the centre and northern 

 portion of the Riding. The vale of Cleveland, com- 

 prising the low-lying land, which extends from the 

 moors to the banks of the river Tees, contains a large 

 area of land resting on the lias clay ; it is cold, unproduc- 

 tive, and costly to work. The general rotation on the soils 

 are i fallow, 2 wheat, 3 oats, or i fallow, 2 wheat, 3 

 beans or clover. Drainage is sadly needed in these 

 districts, and the farm buildings are far from satisfac- 

 tory. A large amount of capital might be profitably 

 laid out on permanent improvement. The absence of 

 leases, and compensation for unexhausted improve- 

 ments, prevents the tenants carrying out the much 



needed works of improvement. In some localities 

 landowners have made the improvements, and charged 

 the tenant a per-centage on the outlay. Though there 

 are a good number who have acted thus, the greatest 

 number appear to have no interest whatever in the 

 condition of their properties. It is extraordinaiy that 

 landlords, with so many examples of successful drain- 

 age around them, are not more alive to their own interests. 

 The farms in this district are small ; little stock is 

 kept, the dairy being the chief object of small farmers. 

 On the soils of the limestone and sandstone districts a 

 different system of cultivation is adopted ; on these 

 soils turnips are largely grown, and a much larger 

 number of cattle fed. The four-course rotation is the 

 most common ; some of the best farmers have ex- 

 tended this course into a six-coui-se, by introducing 

 beans instead of a portion of old clover, the clover not 

 being found to succeed when sown on the same ground 

 once in every four years. On these soils oats are 

 sown on the clover leys, and barley and wheat after 

 turnips. Turnips in these districts are generally con- 

 sumed on the ground by sheep getting cake or com. 

 Last year 773,977 acres of land in this riding was 

 under crops — 222,189 acres corn crops, 77,916 acres 

 green crops, 69,231 acres clover, and 365,383 acres 

 permanent gi-ass. About 30 per cent, of the corn 

 crop consisted of wheat, about the same proportion of 

 oats, about 25 per cent, of barley, about 5 per cent, 

 beans, and the remainder lye, peas, &:c. Of the 

 77,916 acres under green crops, 58,796 acres consisted 

 of turnips, and 9169 acres of potatoes. 



Many eminent breeders of cattle are resident in this 

 Riding. Though the breeders on the nortli side of the 

 Tees were formerly the most noted, their brethren on 

 the soutliern banks have now far eclipsed them. The 

 improved shorthorn breed of cattle is the most valued, 

 in all highly-cultivated districts. The old " Yorkshire 

 cow " is fast losing caste. A considerable number of 

 horses are bred in this part of Yorkshire ; they are 

 generally much heavier than those bred in the East and 

 West Ridings. The celebrated Cleveland bays have not 

 now the status they formerly had ; they are much less 

 in size than the animals bred t\A'enty or thirty years 

 ago. Animals nearer the racehorse have been employed 

 for breeding purposes. The original coaching variety 

 has nearly disappeared, and is replaced by a light, 

 active animal, nearly thorough bred, possibly more 



