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ENGLAND. 



r ' "* 



Grazing 

 **'*'* 



re orchards of cherries and lilbeits. Tlic former are 

 common in most parts of Kent ; the latter are principally 

 confined to the vicinity of Maidstone, where they amount 

 to several hundred acres. 



SCT. IV. Grazing Husbandry. 



The principal dairy counties have been already enu- 

 merated. Of those appropriated to the making of cheese, 

 Cheshire and Gloucestershire are the most famous. Much 

 cheese is also made in that part of Shropshire which bor- 

 ders on Cheshire, anil in North Wiltshire ; the former 

 goes nnder the name of Cheshire cheese; the latter was, 

 till lately, called Gloucester cheese, now it receives its 

 appellation from die county where it is made. A strong 

 i hvese, somewhat resembling Parmesan, is made at 

 Cheddcr, in Somersetshire. The rich cheese called Stil- 

 ton, is made in Leicestershire, principally in the villages 

 round Melton Mowbray. A rich cheese is also made at 

 Leigh in Lancashire. The other cheeses made in Eng- 

 land, which have acquired a peculiar name, either from 

 the quantity made, or from the quality, are the Derby- 

 shire, Stockton, Cottenham, and Southern cheeses. The 

 two last are new-milk cheeses, of a singularly delicious 

 flavour; the places where they are made are in Cambridge- 

 shire. Bath and York are remarkable for their cream 

 cheeses. The county of Warwick, and Banbury in Ox- 

 fordshire also are remarkable for cheese : the former for 

 the quantity made in it; about 19,000 tons being sent 

 annually to London, besides a very large supply to Bir- 

 mingham. The cheese made at Banbury is distinguish- 

 ed for its rich quality. The principal counties in which 

 large quantities of butter are made, are Buckinghamshire, 

 Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire, Dorsetshire, and 

 Devonshire. Cambridge, Suffolk, and Yorkshire, annually 

 supply London with about 60,000 firkins. Epping also 

 is famous for its butter, nearly the whole of which is con- 

 sumed in London ; the quantity is about 20,000 firkins. 



The richest grazing lands in England are, the vale 

 of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, the marsh lands of 

 Somersetshire, the fens of Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, 

 &c. Romney Marsh in Kent, and the midland counties, 

 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, &c. The natural fer- 

 tility of some of these districts, and the fertility bestowed 

 upon others, by the agricultural skill, capital, and in- 

 dustry of the farmer, is astonishing. On the rich graz- 

 ing lands in Lincolnshire Sf sheep have been kept on 

 an acre during the summer, besides If bullocks; and 

 daring winter, the same ground has kept two sheep per 

 acre. 



The hay made in this kingdom is either from the na- 

 tural grasses, from clover and rye grass, or clover alone, 

 or from sainfoin. The first description, or meadow hay, 

 as it is called, is principally the produce of the western 

 counties, where comparatively little clover is sown, and 

 where meadows are most extensive and numerous. The 

 mode of making this species of hay is carried to the 

 greatest perfection in the county of Middlesex, particu- 

 in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. Clover 

 Hay, either pure, or mixed with rye grass, is most com- 

 mon in the southern, eastern, anil northern counties. 

 .in hay, is confined to those counties which Imve u 

 calcareous soil, as on such a soil alone this plant can l>c 

 pro6tably grown. The usual weight of a crop of meadow 

 hay, is from one to one and a half tons per acre ; of 

 oluvcr hay, from on* to two tous; and of sainfoin hay, 



about the same quantity. In those counties, which are Swfaba. 

 peculiarly favoured with an early and dry climate, clover ^^"Y"^ 

 is sometimes permitted, after it has been once cut, to 

 staiul lor the pur|K>se of procuring its seed ; but by far 

 the greatest proportion of clover seed is obtained from 

 Holland and Flanders. 



From the sketch which we have given of the arable General 

 husbandry of England, it will be perceived, that, with remarks* 

 the exception of a few counties, it is by no means gener- 

 ally deserving of a high character for excellence and im- 

 provement. Many of the implements employed are con- 

 structed on bad principles, and awkwardly made ; much 

 labour and expence in the cultivation of the ground is 

 thus needlessly thrown away. Besides, the ground in 

 many counties is imperfectly ploughed and kept clean ; 

 and courses of crops are followed, which tend to exhaust 

 it, or at least to prevent the farmer from reaping all the 

 advantages from his expence and labour, which, under 

 more judicious rotations, he could not fail to derive. 



SECT. V. Live Stock. 



But though the arable husbandry of England, on the Live stock, 

 whole, is thus defective and backward, the agricultural 

 character of the country must be placed deservedly very 

 high, on account of the breeds of its sheep and cattle, 

 and the great improvements which within these few years 

 have been made in them. Respecting the sheep of this 

 country, we shall enter into pretty full and minute de- 

 tails ; and we trust our readers will not deem these de- 

 tails too far drawn out, or superfluous, when they reflect, 

 that the investigation and account which we shall after- 

 wards give of our staple manufactory, will be thus ren- 

 dered more full, satisfactory, and complete. As die 

 same reason does not exist for being so particular respect- 

 ing the other branches of live stock, we shall bestow on 

 them a comparatively short notice. 



Before, however, we proceed to describe and enumerate Sheep, 

 die different kinds of sheep that are kept in England, 

 and to form an estimate of the quantity of wool which 

 they afford, it may bt; proper to premise some general 

 remarks respecting their management. Sheep are fed 

 either on the mountainous districts of England and Wales, 

 in the rich grazing grounds, especially in the midland 

 counties, and on the marsh lands, or on arable farms. In 

 the mountainous districts, the chief object is to breed 

 them ; where they are kept on grazing grounds, or on 

 arable farms, the principal object is to prepare them for 

 the butcher. In some parts of England they are kept 

 on arable farms, not only for the purpose of being fat 

 tened, but also to manure the fallows, by being folded 

 on them. This practice, however, is by no means ge- 

 neral. On these farms, the most common mode of fat- 

 tening diem is by means of turnips, oil cuke, hay, and 

 corn. 



There are great varieties of sheep kept in this country. Vuietie* 

 The principal kinds are, the Dishley or New Leicester, described, 

 the Lincoln, the Teeswater, the Dartmoor, the Exmoor, 

 the Dorset, the Hereford, the South Down, the Not folk, 

 the Heath, the Hardwick, the Cheviot, the Dunfaced, 

 the Romney Marsh, the Wiltshire, the Bsgshot Heath, 

 and the Spanish or Merino. Of these, however, it may 

 be remarked, that the Wiltshire and the Dorsetshire are 

 nearly alike in their form, the quality of their wool, and 

 their general properties; and that the Bagshot Heath 

 sheep are nearly extinct, or, where remaining, are so 

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