

YORKSHIRE. 



YORKSHIRE. 



1201 



fodder for the cattle in winter. The crop usually average 8 the game 

 M wheat, but the price fluctuates greatly. Turnips used to be gown 

 oa grass-land pared and burnt, or ploughed two or tliree times after 

 baring been fed off late in spring ; but now the usual cultivation of 

 this root on the Northumberland plan is generally adopted, with a 

 my careful preparation and manuring. 



Potatoes are a very essential crop on many farms, and are mostly 

 ihipped to London, where they fetch a good price. The Yorkshire 

 red* are a favourite sort in the market. The produce is from 200 to 

 800 bushels per acre. Flax is still sown, but to a much smaller extent 

 than formerly. A considerable quantity of mustard is sown in the 

 neighbourhood of York, which is ground and sold as Durham mustard. 

 The principal part of the North Riding consists of grass-lands, and 

 is appropriated to the dairy. There was once a fair proportion of 

 timber-trees both in the woods and hedge-rows of this Riding, but they 

 have been much thinned. Ash still abounds in the dairy districts, 

 being useful for butter firkins and other dairy implements which 

 require a white wood. 



The short-horned breed of cattle is the prevailing sort all over 

 Yorkshire, and of this there are some varieties. Those of Cleveland 

 and the Vale of York are known by the name of the Tees-water breed, 

 and in England are called the Holderness breed. Oxen are fatted to 

 a great size, and seldom used for draught. In the West Moorlands the 

 cattle are smaller, and on the borders of the West Ridiug and West- 

 morland the long-horned breed is very common. Many heifers aud 

 cows of the Tees-water breed are sent to the dairymen in London. 



The old Tees-water breed of sheep ia large and coarse, but the breed 

 has been much improved by crosses from the Dishley breed. The 

 sheep on the Western Moorlands are horned, with gray faces and legs ; 

 and many of them have a black spot oil the back of the neck : their 

 wool ia coarse. 



The breed of horses all over Yorkshire is well known and highly 

 appreciated. For carriage-horses, Cleveland bays are in high repute 

 when they have some blood. In the dales of the Eastern Moorlands 

 and on the coast many useful horses are bred, of a moderate size and 

 very compact, which suit the manufacturing districts. Mares are 

 used very generally for farm work, and are made to give foals every 

 year. 



Many of the observations made on the agriculture of the North 

 Riding of Yorkshire are equally applicable to the whole county, and 

 consequently need not be repeated : we shall only notice those points 

 which are peculiar to each Riding, and begin with the East Riding. 

 This riding extends along the German Ocean, from tlio river Hartford, 

 southward to the Huinber. The length of this riding from the south- 

 east to north-west is 52 miles, and from south-west to north-east 42 

 miles, containing above 750,000 acres, mostly cultivated. The high 

 hills called the Wolds are cold and bleak, from their exposure and 

 want of shelter ; but they are healthy, and form strong robust consti- 

 tutions ; and although the winters and springs are cold the soil is 

 fertile, and the crops are generally abundant, especially in very dry 

 ceasons. There is a moisture arising from the chalky subsoil which is 

 very favourable to vegetation. The Wolds, however suited to pas- 

 tures and spring corn, produce no good wheat. In Holderness, where 

 the land is sheltered aud the soil fertile, abundant crops of excellent 

 wheat are raised, and the flat nch pastures along the Humber are 

 equally remarkable for good grass. The climate on a level with the 

 sea is much milder. 



Howdennhire, with Ouse and Derwent, being situated inland, and 

 sheltered by the Wolds from the north-east, have a milder climate 

 than the districts nearer the sea, although the frost and snow are of 

 longer continuance in winter. 



The soil of the Wolds is a light friable calcareous loam over a chalk 

 rubble, which covers the solid mass of chalk. There are flints in the 

 soil, but not of such a size and in such quantities as in other chalk 

 districts in the south. On the banks of the Humber there are above 

 14,000 acres of warp-land, a stiff clay rendered by the process oi 

 warping of extraordinary fertility. A certain proportion of fine sand 

 in the warp is essential to its greatest fertility. Sunk Island, now a 

 most fertile cpot, forming part of the coast, was once a mere sand-bank 

 in the Humber. 



A large tract of poor sandy land extends in a north-west direction 

 from South Cave nearly to York. Parallel to this, and along the 

 Ouse, lies a tract of a very fertile alluvial soil, fit for any kind o: 

 agricultural produce. In the Vale of Derwent the soil varies greatly 

 Tbe East Biding is very well watered ; the Derwent, being navigable 

 from its junction with the Ouse to Maltou, greatly facilitates its 

 communications. 



The farms and estates in the East Riding are of considerable extent 



The farmhouses and labour- ra' cottages are generally comfortable 



There is a peculiarity in the harvesting of oata in this Riding, which 



worthy of notice. The oats are cut by the sickle, as wheat is else 



lere : the sheaves sro tied loosely very near to the corn, and th( 



sare spread out and set singly and upright; so that the wine 



readily finds access to dry them. Some time after a fresh band i 



made, and the fir*t ehenf is tii d round the middle, while the uppe 



loosened; this scrvea to bind the next sheaf, and so on 



is a little extra labour in this mode of tying, but it is wel 



repaid iu a m-.i~t clituato by the condition in which the oats thu 



reated are stacked, and by the goodness of the straw, which other- 

 wise often acquires a musty taste in the stack, even if the oats are not 

 njured. 



Beans are a profitable crop in the heavy soils of this Hiding. Rape 

 s extensively grown in Holderness both for sheep feed and for seed. 

 About Hedon, Patrington, Sunk Island, and other rich warp-lands, 

 much cole-seed and rape-seed are raised, which are sent to the oil- 

 mills at 1 1 nil. On breaking up the sheep-walks on the Wolda rape ia 

 >ften successfully grown. Sainfoin has been introduced wherever the 

 mbsoil is chalk, where it is an invaluable plant. Potatoes are very 

 extensively cultivated in Holderness and Howdenshire. The best 

 orts have been long known by the names of Red-nose kidney, Flat 

 white, Purple kidney, and Cape kidney ; the Green top aud Ox noble 

 ire very productive, but better suited to feed cattle with than for the 

 ;able. Swedish turnips, cabbages, and carrots are extensively grown. 



In the East Riding the proportion of grass-land on the farm is much 

 ess than in the other Ridings. Most of the pastures have been 

 )loughed up, even on the Wolds; and those only which lie low aloir^ 

 ,he rivers have been left as permanent meadows. The salt-marshes 

 along the sea are very useful, especially to recover horses which have 

 )een overworked ; sheep likewise get fat on them after a time. There 

 s but little timber in this Riding, either in woods or hedge-row*. 

 The Wolds are naturally qnite bare of treea. Some plantations have 

 jeeu formed on them, but they contain little useful timber. Draining, 

 on a very extensive scale, has been done in Hoicierm-ss and other flat 

 and low parts of the Riding, by which low and marshy grounds have 

 )een rendered fertile. Works have been erected at great expense 

 under the authority of several Acts of parliament, from 1762 to the 

 present day. Near the sea-coast ' wreck ' or eea-weed is very exten- 

 lively used for manure; and after a storm the farmers' carts may be 

 seen busily employed at low water collecting it. It is laid in heaps, 

 where it soon ferments, and, as soon as is convenient, is carried on 

 ;he land; if left to rot.it would waste away and be of little use. 

 Bones and various other manures are now extensively used on tho 

 .ighter soils. 



Holderness cattle have been mentioned before, and scarcely any 

 other breed is found in the East Riding. 



On the rich pastures the improved Leicester breed of sheep is found 

 the most profitable ; on the Wolds the Southdowus have been intro- 

 duced with great success. 



No part of England produces such fine and valuable horses as the 

 East and North Ridings of Yorkshire. We have mentioned tho 

 Cleveland bays. The introduction of full blood into this breed has 

 produced some clever hunters, which have been sold at high prices ; 

 but for the carriage many still prefer the pure Cleveland bays. 



The West Riding of Yorkshire is situated nearly in the centre of 

 the kingdom, but, from its numerous rivers and canals, has a free 

 intercourse with the east and west coasts. In an area of more than 

 1,700,000 acres, the soil and climate naturally vary. It is in general 

 dry and healthy. The eastern aud northern portions are similar to 

 the Ridings so situated, while the west partakes of the moist and 

 hilly nature of the counties bordering on the Atlantic. We need only 

 observe on tho agriculture of the West Riding, that a great part of 

 the Riding is in pasture, the arable laud being chiefly found on the 

 northern and eastern portion, where it is cultivated much in the game 

 manner as in the adjoining Ridings. 



As grazing ia well understood in this Riding, much cattle is pur- 

 chased to be fatted here, but not many are bred ; consequently a 

 much greater variety may be observed in the stock than in the other 

 Ridiu8. The grass will nearly fatten an ox in summer. With fha 

 addition of turnips and hay iu autumn, oxen are made very fat, espe- 

 cially with the help of linseed-cakes, which is sometimes succeeded 

 by oatmeal and hay for the last 10 days, in order to avoid the flavour 

 so readily discoverable in beef fed with oily food. Many hogs are 

 fatted in this Riding, the hams being cured for the London market, 

 while the flitches are readily disposed of among the manufacturers, 

 who never find bacou too fat. 



This Riding was formerly better wooded than the rest of York- 

 shire, but the forests have been destroyed, and the land divided and 

 cultivated. There is a considerable demand for oak and ash of small 

 size for the use of the mines and collieries. Much land in the Riding 

 is fit for little else than planting firs and larch, and where the latter 

 wood has thriven considerable profit has been made in a few years by 

 well-managed plantations. 



The properties aud farms in the West Riding are generally smaller 

 than ia other Ridings. 



Manufactures. In its industry, as well as in other respects, York- 

 shire is an exceedingly varied and interesting portion of the kingdom ; 

 and the West Riding forma one of the moat important manufacturing 

 districts in England, comprising important seats of the woollen, 

 cotton, linen, iron, and hardware and cutlery manufactures, as well as 

 considerable quarries and mines. Of these the woollen manufacture 

 may be considered the great staple of the district. Cotton factories 

 have been established at various places in the West Ridiug. Flax- 

 spinning is carried on to a greater extent at Leeds than anywhere else 

 in England. The flax manufacture arose in Yorkshire, probably from 

 the extensive growth of flax in tbe county ; aud when the culture of 

 flax declined the manufacture still continued. Leeds and Barneley 



