292 Fartn iiuj of Leicester si l ire. 



best soil is lound on the hills, and the coldest and worst in the 

 valleys," but his description will not apply to the present day ; 

 for, as a rule, the best and most fertile soils are seen in the 

 valleys and long slopes where the warp-drift lies thick. On 

 the summits of the hills the soil is inferior, but probably the 

 poorest of all is found upon the sides of the steep hills where 

 the drift deposit is only partial, or is wholly wanting, and the 

 surface-soil is derived from the lias, 



A large extent of this Division is in grass. Many farms have 

 no land in arable, others have a portion varying from one-sixth 

 to one-third. About the centre, and on towards the north, a small 

 portion of the land (principally in small farms) is devoted to 

 dairying ; but the great bulk of it is grazed by fattening cattle 

 and sheep, forming the great meat-producing district of Leices- 

 tershire, which contains some of the richest pastures in the county, 

 or perhaps in England, 



Nature has done much for these pastures, and although in 

 individual instances she has been well seconded by Art, and 

 these instances are undoubtedly becoming more numerous, yet it 

 must be confessed that to the native excellence, rather than to 

 any extraordinary pains bestowed on their improvement, is 

 Leicestershire indebted for her surpassing fertility, and for the 

 high rental — probably the highest of any county in the king- 

 dom — received by her landowners. 



Generally this heavy land lies in the high-backed serpentine 

 ridge — an unmistakable indication of drainage wanted. Some of 

 these furrows are very deep, the fall from the crown of the ridges 

 varying from one to three feet. 



Within the last twenty years much land has been drained, 

 some re-drained, and much yet remains that would be greatly 

 improved by draining. 



The most prevalent practice has been to run the drains up the 

 furrows, and where put in sufficiently deep, and not too far apart, 

 the beneficial results have been great. 



The cost of the operation is generally shared between the 

 landlord and tenant ; the former giving the pipes, and the latter 

 providing labour to put them in. In some instances the work is 

 performed under the supervision of the owner or his agent ; 

 others stipulate a certain depth, insisting on 4 feet, or with- 

 holding the tiles ; while again some leave it entirely to the dis- 

 cretion of their tenants. 



Drains are now rarely put in at a depth less than 3 feet, the 

 general depth being from 3J to 4 feet ; but there is no question 

 but that a few years ago much light and inefficient drainage was 

 performed, and large sums of money comparatively wasted, 



Caird gives an illustration of the occasional evil consequences 



