Farming of Bedfordshire. S 



on the north-west will be found some narrow beds of limestone, 

 dividing the gravel from the great body of clay ; in that part of 

 the county the soil is generally good cropping-land. 



There are but three rivers in this county worthy of noiice-^-the 

 Ouse, the Ivel, and tlte Lea. The former, by far the largest, enters the 

 county on the north-west, at Turvey, bearing with it the tributary 

 waters of Buckinghamshire, and describes a course so singularly 

 winding that, before it reaches Bedford, a distance in a direct 

 line of only 8 miles, it has performed a circuit of about 26 miles ; 

 thence it pursues its deviating path to St. Neot's, on reaching 

 which it has left the county. The lands in the district thus 

 described present many differences in point of quality and culti- 

 vation, but there is throughout an adhesive clay-soil. Again, 

 starting from Stevington, and passing through Stagsden, Kempston, 

 Wooten-bone-end, and Cranfield, you make the western boundary. 

 Then, on the east, commence at the back settlements of Little 

 Barford, Tempsford-Marsh, Everton Downs, until you approach 

 the Hazels ; thence you may reach, per saltum, Cockayne-Hatley, 

 Wrestingworth, and Dunton, and so complete the eastern bound- 

 ary. In all these districts there are still the same unyielding, 

 tenacious clays. 



Further, if you scale the hills to Brogborough-High-House ; 

 glance across the lands which intervene to Battlesden, Es-ofins:- 

 ton, Stanbridge, and Billington ; then more southerly, to the 

 back of Silsoe, Gravenhurst, Meppershall, Shillington, Higham, 

 and Barton ; and now commence a tour, in an opposite direction, 

 over the Lidlington Plat to Morston, in which vicinity are some 

 of the best grass-lands in the county ; thence to Wootton, 

 Houghton Conquest, Wilshamstead, via Moxhill Farm and Cople- 

 Hoo, you will have seen or traversed, not all, but by far the 

 greater part, of the clay-lands of Bedfordshire. 



This last district can boast of the best class of strong land, and 

 will yield, by good farming, and in favourable seasons, the most 

 splendid crops. Nothing is more certain than that even these 

 clay-lands, when in the hands of persevering and enterprising 

 farmers, can be made exceedingly productive. Indeed, the ob- 

 stacles overcome and the improvements effected by men of this 

 stamp during the last 30 years are worthy of all praise. The 

 land has been drained ; many of the old crooked ridges have 

 become straight ; wide and irregular fences, as needless and waste- 

 ful as they were ugly, have been removed ; straight white-thorn 

 fences have been planted, and are kept about four feet high; 

 while many of the roads, which were formerly impassable, are 

 now good and well kept. 



The improved state of the clay-lands in this county must, to a 

 great extent, be attributed to successful underdraining. This 



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