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XXII. — A Report on the Farming of Leicestershire. 

 By W. J. MoscROP. 



Prize Essay. 



Leicester, one of the North Midland Counties, is situated 

 nearly in the centre of Eng'land. Its greatest length from south 

 to north is about 45 miles, and its greatest breadth from east to 

 west a little over 40 miles. Its mean diameter is about 30 miles, 

 and it contains 522,240 acres. 



Its means of internal communication are good ; the length of 

 roads has been estimated at 1730 miles, viz., 300 miles turnpike, 

 and 1430 miles of cross roads ; and towards the end of the last 

 and beginning of the present century, further facilities wei'e 

 afforded by the formation of various canals. 



Its first railway (the Leicester and Swannington) was opened 

 in 1832, and since then the Midland line, with its numerous 

 branches, has so improved the means of transit as, with one or 

 two exceptions, to leave little to be desired. 



One connecting link is wanted on the west side between 

 Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Nuneaton, and another on the east side 

 between Market Harbro' and Melton Mowbray. The latter w^ould 

 traverse the heart of the grazing district, and would essentially 

 benefit the graziers and other residents ; but, unfortunately, it 

 would also intersect the famous hunting district, and when a 

 proposition was made by Lord Berners and others interested in 

 the welfare of this part of the county, it was met by the deter- 

 mined and successful opposition of the Gentlemen of the Hunt. 



Leicestershire is divided into six hundreds, besides the borough 

 of Leicester. The poor-law unions, parishes, and population, 

 according to the census returns of 1861, being as follows, 

 viz. : — 



Unions. Parishes. Population. 



Lutterworth 37 15,515 



Market Harbro' 41 16,034 



Billesdon 38 7,272 



Blaby 30 14^71 



Hinckley 14 16,374 



Market Bosworth .. .. 31 13,428 



Asliby-de-la-Zouch .. .. 29 28,480 



Loughboro' 24 24*109 



Barrow-ou-Soar 37 19,778 



Leicester 10 .. .. .. 68,190 



Melton Mowbray .. .. 56 20,171 



347 243,522 



The inhabited houses at the same date numbered 53,219, unin- 

 habited houses 2704, and houses building 217. 



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