1/6 



TJic Country Gentleman's Magazine 



suited to modern wants, but possessing nothing of the 

 strength of the old race. 



Where flocks are kept, the improved Leicesters are 

 generally preferred. Some farmers purchase Cheviot 

 ewes at the northern fairs, cross them with Leicester 

 rams, sell the lambs fat to the butcher, take the wool 

 and dispose of the ewes in the autumn. A large variety of 

 the pig is found in this part of the county ; specimens 

 of enormous size are sometimes shewn at the local and 

 other shows; smaller sized varieties are, however, 

 coming more into favour. Last year the live stock of 

 this Riding consisted of the following animals :— 

 45,885 milch cows, and 84,030 otiier cattle, 698,638 

 sheep, and 66,590 pigs. 



The East Riding is generally divided into three 

 divisions— ist. The Wold district, comprising the 

 central high gimmd of the Riding ; 2d, Howdenshire 

 and the vale of York, extending from the west side 

 of the Wolds to the rivers Ouse and Derwent ; and 

 3d, Holdemess, stretching from the sea coast to the 

 eastern parts of the Wold. The chalk wolds of 

 Yorkshire are much the same as the chalk hills 

 in other parts of England. The country is much 

 more picturesque than the downs of the south. The 

 land is all enclosed, and generally by good well- 

 kept fences. The wolds rise highest in the north, 

 near Bishop Wilton Beacon, where they are fully 800 

 feet above the sea level. From this point southwards 

 they gradually dip, until at Brantingham, the most 

 southern brow of the wolds in Yorkshire, they are not 

 above 500 feet in height. Upon these elevated plains 

 the soil is about 2 feet in depth, it consists of a dark 

 loam, not unfrequently containing a large amount of 

 clay. The farms are large, varying from 500 to 1500 

 acres in extent. They are generally held by men 

 possessed of the necessary amount of capital, and who 

 have intelligence and judgment to turn it to good 

 account. The land is easy to work, and under good 

 management produces satisfactoiy returns. Corn, 

 mutton, and wool are the chief products of this district. 

 A very small proportion of the wolds require draining, 

 the subsoil generally being so porous and open. 

 Rents vary from 15s. to 25s. per acre. The employ- 

 ment of artificial manures — bones, guano, &c. — has 

 vastly improved the agriculture of this district. A much 

 wider area of land is now under root crops. On some 

 of the best managed farms the following rotation is 

 adopted — I oats, 2 turnips, 3 wheat, 4 swedes, 5 

 barley, 6 seeds. The yield of grain is not large — 

 wheat 26 bushels, barley 38 bushels, oats 50 bushels. 

 The soil of the lower wolds consist of a light friable 

 calcareous loam, not more than 9 or lo inches in depth. 

 Though, in many instances resting on a chalk rock, 

 these soils do not contain much lime, frequently not 

 more than 5 or 8 per cent. On these soils it is of the 

 greatest importance to get the land thoroughly con- 

 solidated ; for this purpose Crosskill's and Cambridge's 

 rollers are in great request. 



The usual custom is to consume on the ground, with 

 sheep, as great a proportion of the crops as possible. 



The holdings are smaller than those on the higher 

 wolds, and command a little higher rent. 



In Howdenshire and the Vale of York, a great 

 variety of soils are met with — rich warp lands, heavy 

 lias clay, sandy and gravel soils. The cold clays of 

 this district are very unproductive. The rents vary 

 from 1 2s. to 25s. per acre. The old system of these 

 crops and a fallow is still the common rotation. 

 Drainage is sadly required on the clay soils. On the 

 sandy and gravel soils the agricultural practice is 

 better, but still far behind that of some districts further 

 north. Along the course of the Ouse, there is some 

 rich warp land, which produces good crops of wheat, 

 oats, beans, potatoes, and flax. The prevailing soils 

 throughout this district consist of tenacious clays and 

 blowing sands. 



Holdemess is a low-lying country, seldom rising 

 higher than 50 feet above the level of the sea. Many 

 thousand acres in tliis district have been formed by a 

 deposit from the waters of the Humber. Until about 

 a century ago this land was a profitless morass, under 

 water at the turn of spring tides, affording capital 

 duck shooting, but of no value for any other purpose. 

 An embankment has been made to protect the land 

 from the effect of spring tides ; and, by working and 

 drainage, the soil has been brought into a highly 

 fertile condition. Great bulk of the land is under the 

 plough ; on these soils too much straw is generally 

 obtained, and crops often suffer from being much 

 lodged. On some of the best managed farms the fol- 

 lowing rotation are adopted — -i, rape ; 2, wheat ; 3, 

 beans ; 4, wheat ; or, I, oats ; 2, beans ; 3, wheat ; 

 4, beans. Some portions of the higher land of south 

 Holdemess are suited for the cultivation of turnips ; but 

 the greatest part is too heavy. On the heavier class of 

 soils the following rotation is common : — i, fallow ; 2, 

 wheat; 3, seeds; 4, wheat; 5, oats; 6, beans. On the 

 banks of the Humber warping has long been practised 

 with most successful results. By attention during the 

 warping process, it has been found possible to influ- 

 ence very materially the character of the deposit. 

 When the tide is first admitted, the heaviest particles, 

 composed of sand, are deposited ; afterwards, on the 

 motion of the water becoming less, the finer particles 

 of sand and clay ; and, finally, silt, composed of 

 ilocculent earthy matters. The first and second 

 deposits are highly valued, and so also the third, but 

 it is composed of such fine particles, the soil formed 

 is heavy, retentive, and costly to work. On 

 this account, therefore, the third deposit is seldom 

 allowed to fall, the water being passed off as soon as 

 the first two deposits are made. By warping a large 

 area of worthless land has been rendered fertile and 

 productive. The cost, including large drains and 

 other works, varies from^iotO;^i5 per acre. In some 

 instances the tenant did the work ; but it is generally 

 done by the landlord, and the tenant charged a per- 

 centage on the outlay. The process takes about three 

 years for completion — one year for working, one year 

 for drying, and the third year for consolidation. During 



