Farming of Leicestershire. 319 



Silver Cup, for the best-managed farm in the county, had been 

 awarded to him shortly before. It would perhaps be diflficult to 

 instance a tenant at the present time whose investment approached 

 25/. per acre ;* yet that capital is freely sunk in the improvement 

 of their farms by many of the large farmers here, is an undoubted 

 fact, honourable alike to both owner and occupier. 



Grazing Farms. — The farm and management of Mr. John 

 Spencer of Odston fairly exhibits the most advanced practice on 

 these farms in this Division. 



Odston Hall, Mr. Spencer's residence, is situated three miles 

 north of Market Bosworth, and possesses great historic interest as 

 being the property and dwelling of Bradshaw, who presided at 

 the trial of Charles I. The house has been refronted, but the 

 internal arrangements are maintained as originally designed, and 

 the rooms generally are in excellent condition. 



The farm and house is the property of Lord Howe, the soil a 

 deep rich loam on a strong marl subsoil, and in extent 400 

 acres. 



210 acres are in permanent grass, and 190 acres in arable, 

 cropped on a six-course rotation, viz., oats, wheat, roots, barley, 

 seeds, seeds. 



For wheat after oats, the cultivation commences as soon as 

 possible after harvest, by skimming and harrowing the stubble, 

 after which it is left until the braird of the shed-oats and weed- 

 seeds is effected. In some instances lime, at the rate of 3 

 tons per acre, is applied as a manure for the wheat, and is now 

 spread on the land and ploughed in with a 6-inch furrow. The 

 wheat is drilled 10 inches apart, at the rate of 1^ to 2 bushels 

 per acre. 



A few years ago this application of lime was the general 

 practice, but latterly more portable manures have been, to a 

 great extent, substituted ; Mr. Spencer's substitute being oi cwt. 

 J-inch bones, and 5 cwt. salt per acre. Commercially, he con- 

 siders this change to have been beneficial, his crops being quite 

 as good, while the outlay, calculating the heavy expense of lime 

 cartage, has been less. 



In preparing the land for root-crops, Hancock's pulverising 

 plough has, to a considerable extent, been very successfully used. 

 The stubbles are scufHed and cultivated immediately after 

 harvest, the root- weeds picked off, and the annual seeds vege- 

 tated ; farmyard manure, at the rate of 20 loads per acre, being 

 then spread on, the pulveriser-plough drawn by five horses covers 

 it in, and the spring cultivation confined to harrowing. 



* That being nearly the amount invested l>y jNIr. Everard, as related by himself 

 to the writer. 



VOL. II. — S. S. Y 



