148 Leftet's fiom a Scots Fannet^f Aptil 



and has fince been gradually extended, by tlie aid of ca- 

 nals, fo as to admit of communication with almoft every 

 part of the kingdom, Yorkfliire poflefles the full advan- 

 tage of water carriage. Indeed, w^ithout it, the valuable 

 manufa£lure of the Weil Riding could hardly be carried 

 on. It gave us pleafure to learn, that the adventurers 

 ^erCj upon the whole, handfomely repaid. 



The foil hereabouts is all incumbent on limeflone, and 

 large quarries of this valuable mineral are wrought in the 

 neighbourhood of Ferry-Bridge, which, after undergoing 

 the procefs of calcination, is tranfmitted, by water car- 

 riage, over the whole of this large and valuable di(lri£t. 

 The hufljandry of the county, refpe£ling its application, 

 appears, however, very imperfect ; and I am inclined to 

 think, that much of it is ufed, not from a conviction that 

 it will produce beneficial confequences, but merely be- 

 caufe the tenants are taken bound to lay on a certain 

 quantity each time their land is fallowed. As two crops, 

 or at mofl three, are only allowed to be taken after one 

 fallow, and as the arable lands afe generally kept con- 

 llantly under the plough, it neceflarily happens, that lime 

 is often applied when the ground is exhaufted, or when 

 it is in an improper condition for receiving benefit from 

 calcareous manures. The money, therefore, expended in 

 the purchafe of this article, muft, in many cafes, be con- 

 fidered as mifapplied, which would not likely happen, 

 were it left to the judgment of the pofleffors, how often, 

 and to what extent, the foil required the application of 

 fuch a flimulus. 



It will be generally acknowledged, that the moft bene- 

 ficial mode of liming land, is, to give a fufficient dofe at 

 once, when the foil has been enriched by a quantity of 

 dung, or has been recently refreihed, by remaining feve- 

 ral years in grafs, which precludes the neceffity of a re- 

 petition for a confiderable number of years. The old 

 grafs lands of Yorkfhire would therefore be a fine fubjecl 

 for the operation of this article, which is juftly regarded 

 as the bafis of good huibandry ; while the lands prefently 

 in aration would be equally benefited by throwing them 

 into grafs. It is evident, however, that thefe things can- 

 not take place, till the nature of the connexion betwixt 

 landlord and tenant is materially altered ; for, under the 

 prefent fyllem, it is highly improbable that any fuch im- 

 provements will be pra£lifed. 



