BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 



Bucking- Jjg's HistOt'l/ and Anlitiuitic<s aj tin' TdVIt, t/nmlrcil, 

 hamslure. ant ] /),., m ,., ,/ o f llnckiiiialmm ; lYnn-MiA Thiir ; Ma- 

 -""V "'' t( , i,' / ' ; and the />V //' <' 1 ' ///</ /JWo, 



by Brayleyand 15ritt.ui, \"l. i. |>. -.SO. (*) 



BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, <>m- of the inland 

 Counties of England, is bounded on the south by 

 Berkshire and a point of Surrey, from which it is 

 separated .by the Thames ; on the west by Oxford- 

 shire ; on the north by Northamptonshire ; and on 

 the east by the counties of Bedford, Hertford, and 

 Middlesex. 



Camden is of opinion, that the name of this coun- 

 ty is derived from the Saxon Jiut:/n-n, indicative of 

 the beech trees with which the county was formerly 

 covered ; while Spelman and W r illis affirm, that it is 

 derived from liiicrcn. signifying bucks or deer, with 

 which the forests of the county were at one time 

 stocked. 



The Chiltern Hills and their appendages, occupy 

 the southern parts of Buckinghamshire, which is 

 elevated, healthy, and pleasant. These eminences 

 are principally composed of chalk, intermixed with 

 flints ; and, as the soil is very shallow, with a chalk 

 bottom, the flints are regarded as necessary for keep- 

 ing the surface moist, and protecting the grain from 

 the too powerful effect of the sun. On this account, 

 the farmers do not attempt to clear the soil of these 

 stones ; but in many cases they are rather anxious to 

 increase than diminish their number. The soil in this 

 part of the county is very much inferior to that of 

 the northern district, though it is extremely produc- 

 tive, from the attention which is paid to the cultiva- 

 tion and improvement of the land. The lightness of 

 the soil calls forth the utmost activity on the part of 

 the farmer. Every material that can be employed as 

 manure, is carefully collected, and judiciously ap- 

 plied ; ;md every improvement in agriculture is rea- 

 dily adopted. The extensive and prolific vale of 

 Aylesbury occupies the centre of the county, and 

 furnishes a rich pasturage to vast quantities of 'cattle. 

 The dairy and grazing systems are chiefly followed 

 in this part of the county, the amazing fertility of 

 -.\hich \vas known in the days of Drayton, who men- 

 tions it in the following lh*es: 



Aylesbury "g r. vale that tvalloweth in her wealth ; 

 And On her wholesome air continually in hc.iltr.) 

 Is lusty, firm, and fat, and holds her youthful strength." 

 The wonderful fertility of the soil about Ayles- 

 bury and Buckingham, where the meadows bring 

 forth their produce almost without exertion, has ge- 

 ed among the farmers a remarkable degree of 

 indo!. j nc? and inactivity. They considered it as a 

 disgrace to suffer a heap <.f manure to be seen at one 

 end ot their field. to plough in -straight lines, to 

 ib .n ant-hill on his j,ustnres, or to pern-it 

 more wati r than falls ironi the heavens to pass over 

 their n (. '.n\s. The line brooks and rivulets which 

 flow through the meadow*, are allowed to pursue 

 their course unused ; arch excepting in the neigh- 

 bourhood of one or two ot t^ic pdp r-rnills, there is 

 scarcely an acre of land irrigated through the whole 

 county. The northern parts of Buckinghamshire 

 are diversified with -entle sand hills, which enter it 

 from the county of Bedford. 



The soil of this county is composed chiefly of rich 



i. strong clay, chalk, and loam upon gravrl. 

 Wheat, barley, oaia, beam, and taihtoi; pni.. 



cipal article* </f produce in the Chiltem iln>- 

 Only a small pnrt uf tho r.<.>: tl.ern division of the 

 .ty is arable. The great quantity of butter which 

 is made annually on the pasture and nn.-aduir faims, 

 is chiefly sold to the London dealers, who contract 

 for it every half year. Eight pound* (sixteen ounce* 

 to a pound) in the averag. weight or butter produ- 

 ced wrekly from each cow in summer ; while six 

 pounds is the average weight in winter. A mill 

 churn, wrought by a horse, ha* been lately introdu- 

 ced into some of the d facilitate the opera- 

 tion of churning. In other dairies, a barrel ch.mi 

 is used, wrought by tw> men, who make from six 

 to six score pounds of butter at one churning. The 

 scum and butter- milk are employed for the purpose 

 of fattening swine. Calves are suckled in great 

 quantities in the neighbourhood of Medmenham and 

 Great and Little Hampton } and, at the town ot 

 Ayiesbury, and in its vicinity, the rearing of ducks 

 for the supply of the London market i> an object of 

 great attention. By a restriction of food, and by 

 other artificial means, the ducks are prevented from 

 laying till the months of October and November; 

 and, for some weeks previous to this period, they 

 are fed with stimulating provisions ; and when the 

 eggs are ready, a hen is employed to sit, and is fre- 

 quently obliged to continue in the nest till three suc- 

 cessive broods are hatched. Exhausted with this 

 duty, the animal often dies as soon as it is perform- 

 ed. When the young escape from the shell, they 

 are nursed with particular care at the side of a fire ; 

 and by such artificial and unnatural means, ducklings 

 are sent at Christmas to London, where they have 

 sometimes been sold from fifteen shillings to a gui- 

 nea a pair. 



In the agricultural operations of Buckinghamshire, 

 the labour of horses is preferred to that of oxen. 

 The heavy quality of some parts of the soil, and the 

 fimtiness of other parts, have induced the fanner te 

 decide in favour of the former. The swing and high 

 wheel ploughs, drawn by four horses, two abreast, 

 are principally in use in the southern parts of the 

 county ; while the loose-handle swing, and low wheel 

 ploughs, wrought by five or six horses in a line, are 

 generally employed in the northern division. The 

 nature of the leases in Buckinghamshire is a very 

 considerable obstruction to agricultural improvement. 

 The tenants are confined to two or three crops and 

 a fallow, and they are prohibited to grow clover and 

 j;T-en food. 



The manures chiefly employed in this county, arr 

 marl, peat-ash, yard and rabbit dung. Hair <-nd 

 hoofs are strewn with great advantage on the strong 

 and cold soils ; and the wheat and young clover are 

 greatly invigorated by the application of soot and 

 ashes. 



The rents of farms vary, in general, from L. 60 to 

 L. 250 a-vear ; a few rents are as high as L. 500, and 

 two or three rent at L.I 000. The commons were esti- 

 mated at 91>900 acres, but a v< ry considerable pro- 

 portion of these arc now inclosed. The heaths of 

 Iver, Fulmer, Stoke, and Wycorr.br, along with thr 

 other waste lands, do not exceed 600 acres. Great 



Ii4inlnre. 



