582 



BRITISH HUSBANDRY. 



A Report of the Commissioners under the Poor Law Amendment Bill 

 states the prof^ress of the parochial expenditure from its commencement to the 

 present year, 1837, as follows: 



Enclosure of Fields. 

 An Act for facilitating the enclosure of open and arable fields in England and 

 Wales recites, that there are many parishes, townships, and places, the lands of 

 the several proprietors of which are frequently very much intermixed and dis- 

 persed, and it would tend to their improved cultivation and occupation of such 

 land, if the proprietors were enabled, by a general law, to divide and enclose the 

 same. It consequently empowers the parties interested to enclose such open 

 fields, with the consent of two-thirds in number and value of the proprietors, and 

 regulates the proceedings of Commissioners to be appointed for that purpose. — 

 For the provisions of the enactment see Statute 6 & 7 Will. IV., c. 1 15. 



Turnpike-Roads. 



Rate-payers keeping beasts of draught are not to be called upon in spring, 

 seed-time, or harvest, to assist in the conveyance of materials for the repair of 

 the highways : and no rate is to exceed, at any one time, the sum of 1 Qd. in 

 the pound, or 2*. 6c/. in the pound in the whole, for any one year ; 5 and 6 Will. 

 IV., c. 50*. 



The owners and occupiers of land adjoining to every turnpike-road ai'e bound 

 to cut, prune, and trim the hedges to the height of six feet from the surface of 

 the ground ; and also to cut down, lop, or prune the branches in such manner as 

 not to exclude the air so as to damage the road ; unless the trees be in a garden, 

 orchard, or plantation, being a shelter or ornament to a dwelling-house. On 

 neglect or refusal to comply with notice to that effect by the surveyor, the occu- 

 pier may be summoned before any justice of the peace, who may then order the 

 work to be done within ten days; and, if the order be not complied with, he 

 will be subject to forfeit 2«. for every 24 feet in length of such hedge, and 2d. 

 for every tree so ordered to be lopped, besides any charge which the surveyor 

 may incur in its execution. 3 Geo. IV., c. 126., s. 116. 



No person, however, can be compelled, nor can any surveyor be permitted, to 

 cut or prune any hedge, or lop any tree, betweeir the last day of September and 

 the last day of March. Ibid., s. 117. 



The Act also compels the occupiers of such land to keep open and cleanse the 

 ditches, so as to prevent injury or obstruction to the roads; under penalty for 

 neglect, after ten days' notice, not exceeding !jl. Ibid., s. 113. 



No doors or gates of any building or field can be made to open upon any 

 turnpike-road or foot-path, unless the hanging-post shall be so fixed as that no 

 part of the gate shall, when open, project over any portion of the path. In case 

 this be not complied with, and the necessary alteration completed within 14 

 days after notice from the surveyor, the owner may be summoned before any 

 justice of the peace, and fined 40s., besides the cost of the alteration. Ibid., s. 125. 



Neither may windmills be erected within 50 yards of any turnpike-road ; nor 

 any fire be kindled for the purpose of burning limestone, bricks, or clay, within 

 less than 1 5 yards, unless screened by a sufficient fence. 



Persons riding, or driving any cattle upon the foot-path, or causing any wil- 



* See an account of the chief clauses of the Turnpike Acts for Statute-labour through- 

 out Scotland, in vol. i., p. 153 of this work. 



