452 The Agriculture of Worcestersldre. 



then put lightly upon tlie fires with a shovel." The expense is 

 from 3/. to 4/. per acre, as follows — 200 yards in a heap : — 



£. s. d, 



' 100 yards per acre, laliour to burning, at 6 J 2 10 



2 tons coal (slack), at 9.S 18 



Wheeling and spreading a distance of 50 yards from the heap, 



and filling and spreading the remainder, 100 yards at l^cZ. 12 6 



Total .. ..£406 



By these means he doubled the crops formerly grown. In 

 1863 he writes further (Vol. xxiv., p. 540) : — " Twenty-two years' 

 experience of the effects of burning clay-land have confirmed my 

 first impression of the benefit to be derived from it ; and I may 

 say with confidence that on such soils, apart from draining, 

 I know of nothing by which so much good can be effected." He 

 adds that he prefers wood faggots to coal, not only as being 

 more economical, but because the soil is not burned so hard ; he 

 also finds a greatly-increased quantity of sheep can thus be kept 

 on the land. 



He also gives the following as a desirable system of rotation 

 after the land has been so burnt : — 



1st year : Wheat. 



2nd : Half clover (mown), half mixed seeds (grazed). 



3rd : Wheat. 



4th : Half beans, half fallow crops, reversing the root and 

 bean crops every four years. 



Some of the best farmers in the neighbourhood of Evesham, 

 where the land is good and drained, grow a crop of Nonpareil 

 cabbage, part of which is sold at market and the rest eaten off 

 by lambs by the beginning of June. The land is then planted 

 v/ith turnips, of which a heavy crop is obtained and eaten off by 

 the middle of November, and a good plant of wheat is obtained 

 by the middle of December. 



Several other variations in the rotations might be named, but 

 they are known to most farmers, and such statements are difficult 

 to follow ; suffice it to say, that from the high price of meat, the 

 growth of roots, especially mangolds, is gradually increasing on 

 the heavier soils. 



This county produces very fine wheat, some of which has 

 weighed 68 lbs. to the imperial bushel. This crop requires to 

 be planted very early on the heavy land. Barley is not generally 

 grown, but some of very fine malting qualify is produced on the 

 medium soils. 



An eminent brewer informs me that the best districts for 

 barley are those of Bredon, Eckington, Severn Stoke, Ripple, 

 Kempsey, Pershore, Wick, near Pershore, Hallow, Hanby, and 



