456 The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 



tlie cost of hiring^ comes too bigh, except just at a push after 

 harvest : still in this respect the late Meeting of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society promises to be a new epoch in the history of the 

 county. JNIost gentlemen Avho visited the scene of the trials at 

 Wadborough must remember the way ip which the soil was broken 

 up ; 1, for one, thought that from the quantity of clay brought to 

 the surface the field was ruined ; but Mr. Smithin informs me 

 that although hitherto he has not grown any better crops, yet 

 he does not think any injury has been done to the land, and 

 probably in another year or so there will be an increase in the 

 produce. Although a first-class farmer, Mr. Smithin does not 

 himself cultivate by steam. 



The principal employers of steam-tackle are Mr. Randell, 

 Chadbury, near Evesham ; Mr. Higginbotham, Pensax ; Mr. 

 Alsopp, Hindlip ; Mr. Humphries, Pershore ; Messrs. Green 

 and Co., Newtown, near Worcester ; and Mr. Bonford, Pitchill, 

 near Evesham. The latter gentleman, who farms 800 acres of 

 land, partly on the lias formation, and partly on the new red 

 sandstone, has been one of the most energetic promoters of steam 

 cultivation, using first the Woolston system, and latterly two 

 engines with cylindrical drums surrounding their boilers, to 

 work Fowler's plough, or Howard's cultivator. His aim is to 

 combine stifle burning with thorough cultivation, and thus to 

 grow two green crops instead of one, or, indeed, instead of a bare 

 fallow. His proceedings are described at length in Mr. Morton's 

 Almanack for 1865 ; this subject has been so thoroughly dis- 

 cussed of late in this Journal, that this short notice may now 

 suffice. 



Oechaeds. 



The orchards of Worcestershire form a pleasing contrast to the 

 monotony of some counties, and although in many places they are 

 neglected, yet the increasing demand for fruit in the manufac- 

 turing districts tends to make these the most paying of crops, the 

 orchard, when once planted and out of the reach of stock, causing 

 very small annual expense. Such a scarcity of apples has never been 

 known as during the winter of 1865 and 1866 : ordinary apples 

 were then selling in Hereford in January at \d. each. Special 

 attention should be paid to the cultivation of sorts that will 

 keep till spring ; also to red apples, for which there is an increased 

 demand. Most of the western side of Worcestershire is parti- 

 cularly suited for the growth of apples, and even more so for that 

 of pears ; but the pruning and dressing of the trees is too often 

 greatly neglected. There are not so many young orchards being 

 planted as we could wish to see. 



Many of the best orchards on the western side of the county 



