36 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH RURAL HISTORY 



clover, and other grasses also received untiring attention at 

 Tovwishend's hands. It was discovered that the deep 

 roots of clover, lucerne, and other valuable grasses, which 

 had already been cultivated in the previous century, were 

 capable of breaking up and cleansing the soil. This led 

 to the custom of sowing clover instead of leaving the land 

 fallow each third year as had been the practice hitherto. 

 Instead, therefore, of corn, corn, fallow (under the three 

 years' " open " system), the rotation became corn, roots, 

 corn, grasses ; e.g. wheat, turnips, barley, clover. The 

 four-year rotation, first tried on the Norfolk estates, is 

 in consequence known as the Norfolk Course. It is un- 

 certain whether the honour of introducing this course 

 belongs to Townshend or to Coke of Norfolk, of whom we 

 shall treat subsequently. There is no doubt, however, 

 that Townshend was nicknamed " Turnip Townshend " 

 because of his interest in the change of crop-rotation. 



Bakewell (1725 to 1794). 



Another pioneer of the period was Bakewell of Leicester- 

 shire. At his farm near Loughborpugh, where he lived 

 in simple style, all kinds of interested people were enter- 

 tained. What Townshend and Tull had done for field 

 cultivation, Bakewell did for sheep. His " Leicester breed " 

 became famous. Bakewell was interested, too, in irrigation, 

 and in the breed of cattle and horses. Cleanliness and kind- 

 ness in the treatment of animals received his closest attention. 



English sheep and cattle had, hitherto, been notoriously 

 poor in quality, having been bred mainly for their wool 

 and hides. But Bakewell's example led to an improved 

 condition of stock. Sheep with large, loose frame, heavy 

 bones, and long thick legs, gave place to the short-legged 

 creatures well covered with flesh. Cattle, too, shared in 

 the general improvement. A comparison of the weights 

 of cattle and sheep sold at Smithfield between 1710 and 1795 

 shows what great progress had been made. Cattle increased 

 in average weight from 370 pounds to 800 pounds, whilst the 

 average weight of sheep changed from 28 pounds to 80 pounds. 

 It was said of Bakewell that he gave England two pounds of 

 mutton where one pound had been produced formerly. 



Thomas Wm. Coke (1752 to 1842). 



Coke of Norfolk was a man of property. At the age of 

 twenty-four he succeeded to the great estate of Holkham 



