Book 1. 



AGRICULTURE OF CHESHIRE. 



1121 



Cottaget much the same a in other counties; hnprovlng 

 with the age. All the intelligent persons whom Dr. Holland 

 c<>n versed with, liave invariably found, that the attachment of 

 a small portion of land to the cottage of the laborer has been 

 the direct means of rendering his situation in life more comfort- 

 able and easy, and of inducing those habits of honest independ- 



ance, of temperance, and of industry, which are most efficaci- 

 ous in promoting the happiness of individuals, and, conse- 

 quently, the general interests of society. 



Lord Penrhyn's pouitry-hovses, at Winhington, are supposed 

 the most magnificent that have ever been built. They are 

 united in a building which consists of a handsomel regular 

 front, extending about 140 feet : at each extremity is a neat 

 pavilion, with a large arched window. These .pavilions are 

 united to the centre of the design by a colonnade of small cast- 

 iron pillars, painted white, which support a cornice and a 

 slate roof, covering a paved walk and a variety of different con- 

 veniences for the poultry, for keeping eggs, com, &c. The 

 doors into these are all of lattice work, also )>cunted white, and 

 the framing green. In the middle of the front are four hand- 

 some stone columns, and four pilasters, supporting likewise a 

 cornice and a slate roof, under which and between the columns 

 is a beautiful mosaic iron gate ; on one side of this gate is an 

 elegant little parlor, lieautifully papered and tumished; 

 and at the other end of the colonnade a very neat kitchen, so 

 excessively clean, and in sut'h high order, that it is delightful to 

 view it. This front is the diameter or chord of a large semi- 

 circular court behind, round which there is also a colonnade, 

 and a great variety of conveniences for the poultry : this court 

 is neatly paved, and has a circular pond and pump in the middle 

 of it. The whole fronts towards a rich little field or paddock, 

 called the poultry paddock, in which the poultry have liberty 

 to walk about between meals. It happened while the re|)orter 

 was there to be their dinner time, at one o'clock. At this hour 

 a bell rings, and the beautiful gate in the centre is opened. 

 The poultry being then mostly walking in the paddock, and 

 knowing by the sound of the be'.l that their repast is ready for 

 them, fly and run from all corners, and rush in at the gate, 

 every one striving who can get the first share in the scramble. 

 At that time there were about COO jwultry of diffident kinds, in 

 the place, and although so large a number, the semicircular 

 court is kept so very neat and clean, that not a speck of dung is 

 to be seen. This poultry place is built of brick, excepting the 

 pillars and cornices, and the lintels and jambs of the doors and 

 windows, but the bricks ate not seen, being all covered with a 

 remarkably fine kind of slate from his lordship's estate in 

 Wales. Theseslatesareclosely jointed and fastened with screw 

 nails, on small spars fixed to the brick; they are afterwards 

 painted, and fine white sand thrown on while the paint is wet, 

 which gives the whole an appearance of the most beautiful 

 freestone. 



4. Occupation. 



Farms very small ; a great many under ten acres ; only one 

 or two at 350 or 400 acres ; excluding all those under ten acres, 

 the averzige of the county may be seventy acres. Large and 

 small farmer* completely different characters; -different in 



4 



their habits, and, by consequence, in their idew. Industrr and 

 excellent management of the dairy-women of thi county much 

 to be commended ; leases generally for seven years. 



5. hnplements. 



Rotheram plough and other good implements. A short 

 strong scythe, with a blade twenty inches in length, and con- 

 cave in the middle, is used for scooping out the crowns of nuh 



6. Arable Lands. 

 In small proportion to the pastures. Cabbages a cood 



deal cultivated for cattle. Carrots near Altringham for the 

 Manchester market, and also seed for the London seedsmen. 

 Onions also for the Lancashire markets. The soil about 

 Altringham dry and loamy; the carrots large, coarse, and fit 

 only for horses and cattle. 



7. Grass. 

 Natural meadows numerous, rich, and fertile. They are 



situated on rivers, which, from the frequency of heavy rains, 

 overflow and enrich them- Extent of upland pasture very 

 considerable; that on a tolerably stiff' clay soil, especially with 

 a substratum of marl, is reckoned the best for the dairy ; mora 

 milk may be had from cows pastured on a rich loamy soil, but 

 it is esteemed inferior in point of quality. Many farmers com- 

 plain that their land is too rich for the dairy, by which the ad- 

 hesive properties of the cheese is diminished; feeding of catti* 

 little practised. 



8. Gardens and Orchards. 



(ood gardens to most of the farm-houses. '* All the va- 

 rieties of raspberries, currants, strawberries, and gooseberries, 

 are to be met with in the farm and cottage gardens in Che- 

 shire. The culture of the latter firuit has been particularly at- 

 tended to of late years ; and there are several meetings in dif- 

 ferent parts of thecuunty, where small premiums are adjudged 

 to those who produce, out of their own gardens, gooseberries of 

 the greatest weight. The common firuit trees, such as the 

 apple, pear, cherry, and plum, are likewise grown in almost 

 every garden. Of the latter kind, the damascene plum is by 

 much the most common ; and is an article of considerable pro- 

 fit to the cottager. 



Oixluirda not numerous, and rather on the declme. 



9. Woods and Plantations. 

 Few of large extent, yet the quantity of timber very greatly 



exceeds what would be a fair average for the kingdom at 

 large. In the northern and middle parts the number of trees 

 in the hedgerows and coppices is so considerable, that, from 

 some points of view, the whole county has the appearance of an 

 extensive forest. The most considerable ancient woods in 

 the Earl of Stamford's park at Durham Massey. Few spot* 

 can boast such an assemblage of stately oaks; elms, and beeches. 

 During a storm of wind, on the 21st of January, 1802, several 

 hundred trees were torn up by the roots. One of these, when 

 barked, contained 403- feet of timber, and was sold at six 

 shillings and sixj)ence per foot, to the extent of 373i feet. An 

 elm blown down at the same time measured 146 feet. A colo- 

 ny of herons had for ages fixed their residence on the sum- 

 niits of these trees ; but on one of them being torn up thev re- 

 treated to a neighboring grove of beeches, where they iiava 

 ever since enjoyed a secure abode. 



A planlation of lOOO acres at Taxall, F. Jodrell, Esq. ; it was 

 planted by WTiite, the landscape gardener, of^ Woodlands, 

 Durham, at five pounds per acre, half the trees to be firs. Ex- 

 tensive plantations by Ashton, on Delamore forest. 



Whitely, an ingenious tanner, at Ashley, near Knutsfbrd, 

 made some experiments a few years ago with the twi^ and 

 ends of the boughs of oak, as a substitute for the bark. These 

 ground down, and used in the same way as the bark, mani- 

 fested strongly astringent properties ; but the necessity there 

 was found to be for jtheir immediate application, took away 

 verv greatljfrom their value ; and their use is now almost en- 

 tirely discontinued, though the plan at that time was adopted 

 by several other tanners^ 



10. Improvements. 



Draining a good deal practised, especially with bricks and 

 stones; Paring and burning, marling, sanding, claying, and 

 liming, also practised -to different degrees of extent. Sand of 

 advantage cniefly by altering the texture of the soil, as that 

 used contains no calcareous matter; 



11. Livestock. 



Present stock of dairy cows a mixture of the long and short 

 homed, the Derbyshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Welsh, 

 Irish, Scotch, and New Leicestershire cattle. Those cowa 

 reckoned best which are bred on the farm. Calves reared from 

 the best milkers, and at two years old put to the bull. Cows 

 housed about the middle of November ; permitted to go dry ten 

 weeks before their time of calving ; usual drv foods, wheat, 

 barley, and oat straw, hay, and crushed oats. The two former 

 kinds of straw are found to make cows go dry much sooner 

 than the latter; and another generally allowed effect attri- 

 buted to -such straw is, that more than the usual time will be 

 required to chum the cream of cows when so fed ; but wheat 

 straw is esteemed much more wholesome than barley straw, 

 as having less of those effiects attending it. Three or four 

 weeks before calving, hay ^ven ; and from calving to turning to 

 grassy some ground or crushed oats twice a day. The cows are 

 turned into an outlet (a bare pasture field near the buildings) 

 almut ten o'cloct in the morning, and housed again about four 

 in the afternoon the winter through, or earlier if they shewed 

 an inclination to return; but have no fodder in the outlet. 

 Turning the cows out to crass in good condition is a matter 

 much attended to, in order that they may, as the term is, 

 " start well ;" tor if a cow is not in good condition when turned 

 out to grass, or has been too much cried with barley straw. It 

 is a long time before she gets into full milk. 



The ox-cabbage and Swedish lumip are the kinds of green 

 food most esteemed and cultivated in Cheshire. The former is 

 usually given to the cows when the after-grass is consumed ; it 

 is sometirnes given in the spring to cows that have newlj 

 calved. "The large sugar-loaf cabbage has been occasionally 

 used, when the pastures begin to iail'and the after-grass is not 

 ready : a circumstance which frequently happens, especially in 

 dry weather Turnips are given to the cattle in the winter, 

 while they are ftding on straw ; and as, at this time, n6 

 cheese is made, any objection to their use, from the flavor 

 thev give to the milk, is of little con<iequence. The reporter 

 made inquiries from several farmers, with a view of ascertain- 



