Book I. 



AGRICULTURE OF WARWICKSHIRE. 



J 107 



pxhausting crop is quite correct, in consequence of their per- 

 niittinf^ it to stand so lon^ u|K)n the fJ^rounU. 



One improvement the tenants have paid much attention to, 

 and a more valuable one tliey could not adopt, which is the 

 coiutruction uf waler-meathtf. They have lost no opportunity 

 in malting use of whatever water they could obtain for this 

 purpose. They were allowed the rou^h materials to construct 

 the tlood-gates, and the example was shown them as to what 

 could be done in this respect to a ver> great extent at Tren- 

 tham. The value of this improvement is well known to 

 every experienced a^iculturist in England, and no opportu- 

 nity "should be lost in takinz advantage of every circumstance 

 to promote its adoption. There has been lately finished, a new 

 water-meadow on the home farm at Trentham, at the expense 

 of about twenty pounds an acre, which will now let for near four 

 |X)unds an acre, beside the advanta^ tierived to the adjoin- 

 ing upland. This meadow was not worth ten shillings an 

 acre, previous to such an improvement. It consists of a small 

 deep dingle, with steep banks, in which a copious spring rises 

 near the top ; the upiier part being formed into a fish pool. 

 From this head the water is conducted on the different levels 

 on each side, with the proper catch-water drains carrying the 

 water round the various knolls. The whole being adorned by 

 lome fine trees, it forms for its extent a very perfect union of 

 useful and ornamental farming. It shows how much may be 

 made of such a piece of land, ""incapable of any other sort of 

 useful occupation. 



Much money, horverer, in thif neiglthorhvnit has hem thrown 

 amaff by materinf; land which has not been previously tho- 

 roughly drained ; this latter improvement is the foundation of 

 all others. Another mistake has also been fallen into, by at- 

 tempting to convert into water-meadows peat soils, without 

 first bringing them to a proper state of consistency by means 

 of repeated heavy rollings and top-dressings. A jiroportion of 

 ten acres of water-meadow to every hundred acres of pasture 

 or arable land, adds at least two shillings and six-pence an acre 

 to the value of every acre of such a farm, in addition to a fair 

 rent being put upon the meadow. 



The attention and injliience of iMrd Stafford has been used in 

 whatever way it could be employed beneficially in extending 

 the comfort or advancing the good behaviour of his cottagers ; 

 ft conduct so characteristic of the great and wealthy proprietors 

 of these kingdoms, that it must ever distinguish them in the 

 liistory of human benevolence. 



Schools, wherever they have been necessary, have been en- 



the accommodation of school -honses. Two Banks for Savings, 

 one at Lilleshall and another at Trentham, of which Lord 

 Stafford is the treasurer, have been established, and the whole 

 details are conducted by his managers, assisted by the parcK-hial 

 clergymen, and the principal tenantrj-, and their "success among 

 the agricultural laborers has been very gratifying. 



The charities of this family are worthy of an English noble- 

 man ; and during the residence of the Marquess and Mar- 

 chioness at Trentham, there is distributed daily, to every poor 

 object, who is travelling along the road, and who applies for 

 the same, a portion of^good wholesome bread, in quantity 

 about fourteen ounces to each full-grown man, and less in 

 iiroportion to women and children, with a iijnt of good table- 

 rieer. The immber of people who received this donation in 

 1819, amounted to 9.504 men, M76 women, and 1789 children, 

 consuming 1.590 loaves, and 170.T gallonsof beer. From this 

 charity are excepted all soldiers and sailors receiving the 

 King's pay, all persons residing within the parish of Trentham, 

 or in its immediate vicinity. Other distributions take place on 

 particular occasions ; for example, to those who reside in the 

 parish, annually on .St. Thomas's day, there is a distribution 

 of a certain quantity of beef to the )>o"or. During 1819, there 

 were 12,785 quarts of rich souj), and above 8600 quarts of 

 milk, distributed within the parish, besides 11,134 quarts of 

 milk given away under the head of allowances. Such facts 

 are strongly illustrative of the beDClicidl ellects derived lo the 



poor, from the lesidence of the great familiet of England, un 

 their respective estates. 



The foregoing statement would have been given with somt 

 hesitation, had not the facts been of a nature rather to exhibit 

 and illustrate the character and extent of the charities diitri- 

 biUed t)y the ureat fanalies of England in general, than as being 

 at all peculiar to the instance to which the details belong. 

 And these facts may help to explain to foreigners the nature of 

 the coimection which exists between the richer and poorer 

 cla.sses in this country. 



The town of Lane-End, one of those whi( h compose the 

 Staffordsliirc Potteries, is partly situated on, and is partly 

 contiguous to the east end of the Trentham estate. The inha- 

 bitants Iwing ill supplied with water, carried in barrels, they 

 petitioned to be provided with this necessary article, which 

 request has been complied with ; and this town, after a very 

 cuiisideralile outlay, now enjoys a regular supply of water, con- 

 veyed in iron pi}>es. 



The character of the mimermis cottagers upon the estatetj it 

 alst) an object of great solicitude, and without any interfer- 

 ence with the manner in which a man may choose to occupy 

 himself, their regular and decent Ijehavior is made the sub- 

 ject of care and attention ; and the steward has strict direction* 

 to watch carefully over them, and where po.ssible to promote 

 their improvement. Wherever a potatoe garden can w ith ad- 

 vantage be added lo their cottage, that accommodation it 

 afforded them. In the vicinity of Tientham, the cottages are 

 of the best sort, and with their gardens kept in the nicest 

 order. To almost ever) one of them is attached land for the 

 maintenance of one or two cows. It is a circumstance worthy 

 of remark, that of all the laborers who possess a cow, none 

 receive relief fiom the poor's rate, except one widow at Tren- 

 tham, who has a large family, and even in this instance, the 

 relief shF receives is in a less ratio, than any person laboring 

 under similar difHcuIties. 



1 1. Live Stock. 



Cattle generally of the long homed breed. The Stafford- 

 shire cow is generally considered a tolerable milker, as well ai 

 feeder. 



Sheep. Three sorts considered native breeds : the grey faced 

 hornless or Cannock heath sheei), w'*h fine wool ; the' black 

 faced homed, with fine wool ; and the white faced homiest, 

 with long wool. 



Sn'jne. A cross between the slouched-eared and dwarf 

 breeds ; require little attention or feeding, and easily get fat on 

 the refuse of the dairy or barn. Pitt, the reporter, had a 

 very fine sow, which littered ten at the first litter. 



Rabbits. Wild in the sandy lands. A good many bees kept ; 

 Thorlej's plan tried, but bees are found to succeed best in 

 straw hives thatched in autumn. " Those which have not 

 raised a sufficiency of food for winter, it is doubtless humanity 

 to destroy, as sudden suttbcation is better than a prolonged but 

 sudden starvation." 



12. Political Economy. 



Roads now generally good; numerous canals; several pri- 

 vate rail roads. Manufactures, iron, hardware, nails\ glass, 

 toys, japanned goods, potters ware, cotton cloth, silk fabrics, 

 leather, woollen, linen, and many others. Manufactures some 

 times carried on in the country in straggling groups of liouses, 

 but for the most part in towns. Many thousands both of men 

 and women employed in making nails. An agricultural so- 

 ciety at Newcastle" and another at Ijtchfield. 



Experimental farming. " It would be a wholesome plan 

 for the Board to commence farming upon their own ideas, ))ar- 

 ticularly in counties where the modes of agriculture seem im- 



firoper ; for instance, Lancashire, Westmoreland, Cumber- 

 and, Northumberland, &c. ; by which ocular demonstration 

 their plan might lie imitated; for hearing or reading of anr 

 particular practice will not do for farmers in general." Suck 

 is the rejKirter's opinion, in ours a most erroneous one. 



7012. WARWICKSHIRE. Asurfareof nearly 600,000 acres, mostly flat, but generally rich in soil 

 and t)eautiful in appearance. It is chiefly a corn county, and produces excellent wheat, but also many 

 fat cattle, and formerly much cTieese. There are no distinguished agriculturi.sts in the county; but it 

 has produceil more good to agriculture than many others, by giving birth to Elkington, who gave rise to 

 much discussion on draining. {iVedge's Report, 1794. Murray's licport, IS08. Marshal's' Review, 1813.) 



1. Geographical State and Ciraimstances. 

 Climate, mild and healthy. S.W. the prevailing winds; 



effects of an easterly variation felt till the middle of May, 

 and vegetation checked ; not however by excess of damp or 

 frost. 



Soil, chiefly clay or sand, marl, and limestone. The portion 

 of sandy or moorish soil verv small. 



Minerals, coal, limestone, freestone, iron, blue flagstone, marl, 

 blue clay, and soapv clay, which the late Earl of Warwick at- 

 tempted to prepare for sale as a soap. 



2. Property. 



Largest esUte Stone-Leigh, Rev. Thomas I-eigh, 2.5,000 

 acres ; but a great variety of extent, and some curious and ab- 

 surd tenures. 



3. Buildings. 



Warwick flastle and Ragley first rate edifices. Old farm- 

 houses built of mud and timber, and frequently at the extre- 

 mity of the farms. The Duke of Buccleugh, it Dunchurch, 

 has constructed some good farmeries. (Cottages miserable 

 hovels. 



4. Occupation. 



Farms from 80 to .500 acres ; 1.50 the average si/*; on the 

 increase. Farmers in general exceedingly shy and jealous; 

 one considered as at the head of his profession, told .Mur- 

 ray " he did not see any advantage the county of Warwick 

 would derive from such a survej- ; that it must do a great deal 

 of hurt instead of good ; and that such lieing his opinion, he 

 declined giving any information on the different heads of que- 

 ries put to him. I>ands generally held at will, but very low 

 rental. Cheap farms, in general, are a drawback on industry 

 and improvements: farmers that have cheap farms may farm, 

 well, but those that have dear farms mutt farm well, or their 

 K-areer will soon terminate. 



5. Implements. 



Ploughs the double and single Rolheram With whurU, the 



1 B 



double drawn by five or six horses in a line, the single plough 

 by three and four, or five, horses in a line, and in lioth cases wfth 

 a driver. Small's plough with two horses abreast, and no driver, 

 the reporter remarks, would make better work and do more of 

 it. Some winnowing and threshing machines in use by pro- 

 prietors. 



6. TUlage. 



Large crooked ridges gathered very high with a small one 

 between ; go only one yoking per day throughout the year. 

 Fallowing general, and then two white crops. 



7. Grass. 



235,000 acres in meadows and pastures, and 60,000 in arti- 

 ficial herbage. Formerly <lairving common, and Warwick- 

 shire cheeses produced in abundance ; but now breeding is fati 

 as.suming its place. Old pastures often overrun with ant-hills 

 and rubbish. Murray very prophetically observes, that if 

 peace were to take place, grass lanils would'be safer for the fat- 

 mer than com lands. Dairying and feeding both in practice. 



8. Girdcnsand Orcliards. 



The gardens of the .Marouess of Hertford noted for their 

 pine amiles; few sale orchards of any extent. 



9. Woods and Plantations. 



Oak and elm every where alwunds ; the Leigh estate the 

 best wooded, but every where abundance of timber, 



10. Improvements. 



Much draining done in the northern pari of the county, but 

 it is rather singular that the names of Fazeley, Elkington, or 

 their farms are not once mentioned in JVlurrays n^pori. 

 Joseph Elkington lived at Princethorp, in Stretton on Uuns- 

 moor, .six miles S.W. of Coventry, and afterwards in Birming- 

 ham. He died in 1806. He was a mere empiric practitioner, 

 and knew nothing of geology, the only foundation for drain- 

 ing on scientific principles ; less even than some of his coo- 

 temporaries, as Farey has ably shown in tha Derbyshire ru|icrt. 



Irrigation practised in a few places on a small icale. 



