183S] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



145 



Turnips are imleoil coiisuniod on the lands, where 

 the soil is dry, by sheep. 



A trial is just now in progress of using bone 

 dust, as a manure lor tlie production of turnips; 

 and if it. succeeds, as i? expected, this assistant 

 will be much usi>d here in future. 



Draining. — The lirst ojieration of management 

 has been in every case to ensure a co;n|)iete under- 

 drainage, to relieve tiie lands from the springs by 

 which they were surcharged, as well as attending 

 closely to open draining. The improvement ot' 

 close draining has been most, ellectually done by 

 tiles manutactured on the estate, at a distance of 

 about tliree miles, and in the same manner as is 

 practised in StaH'ordshire and Warwickshire. Ma- 

 ny hundred roods of drains have bi en executed in 

 this way, and with complete success. The open 

 draining has also been a pomt of paramount con- 

 sideration. The ditches, or main drains, have al- 

 ways invariably been cut out to the proper level, 

 so as readily and freely to discharge the water de- 

 livered into them. The sides are carefully sloped 

 back by the spade, so as to discharge the water 

 from the ridges; and the earth so cut away, as 

 well as all high head-ridges have been in every 

 case most carefully mixetl up with lime, repeated- 

 ly turned over at pioper intervals, and, lastly, ap- 

 plied as a rich compost in top-dressing the adjoin- 

 ing lands, after being depastured fur the first two 

 or three years. It is very surprising that sloping 

 in the sides of main drains, and open ditches, 

 which is a means of providing an ample supply of 

 rich manure in thousands of cases, is almost inva- 

 riably neglected by the practical iarmer; and that 

 he should equally neglect to remove the high 

 head-ridges existing in almost every field (occa- 

 sioned by the repeated use of the plough), which 

 would be the means of enriching the ailjoining 

 lands at an inconsiderable expense. This, with 

 ditch and road scrapings, anil every possible 

 means of increasing the quantity of putrescent 

 manure, have been closely and successfully at- 

 tended to here, and with great success; and as the 

 application of compost so collected has been al- 

 most in all ca.ses to pasture lands, the effect has 

 been excellent; while the grounds, when broken 

 up for white crops, after being so manured, have 

 — even on very inlijrior soils — yielded full and fair 

 crops. Indeed the system pursued for a number 

 of years, of turning every particle of soil not re- 

 quired for the production of useful crops, into com- 

 post to be ap|)licd as a top-dressing to the grass 

 lands has been Ibund very beneficial. 



Management of Pasture Lands. — The climate 

 here, in common with the whole west coast of 

 Britain, is rather wet; and considerable quantities 

 of rain fall in Cuiuberland, in consequence of its 

 proximity to the Atlantic. Dry soils therefore are 

 of the greatest value here, and grass husbandry 

 on many accounts is the most proper and natural 

 tor the district. 



When lands are well and judiciously laid down 

 to permanent pasture, the expense of their man- 

 agement is at once reduced. The local situation 

 of this part of Cumberland, bordering on Scotland, 

 renders it in a great measure a grazing or cattle- 

 dealing country, and pasture land, of a good quali- 

 ty, is constantly in request, and yields full and fair 

 rents, when let from year to year; or, when farm- 

 ed in a run of seasons, it produces, either by rat- 

 tle or sheep, a fair return to the grazier. Tlie 

 Vol. VI— 19 



greatest part of the cattle and sheep sold in the 

 great Scotch markets, in Calloway, and the north 

 of Ireland, pass through this country to Carlisle, 

 the great jjoint where they change hands. 



Old Crass Lands. — Around the house of Ne- 

 therby a very considerable extent of old graea 

 land exists. This has been completely under- 

 drained; and as it was disposed to produce moss — 

 so as to render the pasturage late in cominc to 

 maturity — a very heavy dose of hot lime was ap- 

 plied about ten years ago to the whole, with re- 

 markably good effect; lor after the first year's ap- 

 plication, the moss was eradicated, and the pas- 

 ture is now unrivalled in the country. The soil 

 alluded to is generally good clay loam on an open 

 bottom. 



Xew Grass Lands. — Whether on light or heavy 

 soils, it has been the constant custom here, in the 

 first place, to lay the lands completely dry by un- 

 der-draining; then to clean and . pulverise the 

 hauls completely by summer fallow or tureen crops; 

 to apply all the jirutrescent manure that could 

 possibly be produced or purchased at a lair price. 

 On light soils, turnips are consumed, by sheep 

 folded on the grounds; and on clay soils, the tur- 

 nips, if any are produced, have been regularly 

 consumed in the larm-yards, and the manure so 

 produced has been applied to the ensuing white 

 crop. In all cases, supposing the lands (of what- 

 ever description of soil they may consist.) to he 

 thoroughly cleaned, the course here has been to 

 sow out to permanent pasture with xhe first white 

 crop, and with the following variety uf pasture 

 seeds, viz. 



If Clay Lands, 



Timothy Grass - - 



Pacey's Ryegrass - 



Red iClover - - - 



White Clover - - 



(f flight Dry Soils, 

 Pacey's Ryegrass 

 Red Clover - - 

 White Clover - 

 Cocksfoot - - - 

 Rib Grass - - 



Pleiim prafensc. 

 Solium perenne. 

 Trifolium pratense. 

 Trilblium repens. 



Solium perenne. 

 Trilblium pratense. 

 Trifolium repens. 

 Dactylis glomerata. 

 Plantago lanceolata. 



Jlay is ncv.cr taken from lands intended to re- 

 main in permanent pasture. These lands, whether 

 heavy or liirht soils, are constantly depastured 

 with sheep for the first season. If clay lands, the 

 grass is depastured from 1st May to 11th Novem- 

 lier, and if light soil, li-om 1st May to 1st March 

 yearly; and no stock of any kind is admitted on 

 either description of soil between the terms men- 

 tioned. The second year any onhnary description 

 of stock is admitted. In the course of years it 

 has been Ibund necessary to break up some part 

 of these lands, and to lay them down anew to 

 permanent pasture: the ibllowing varieties of pas- 

 ture seed are now sown and ajiproved of here. 



Clay Lands, 



Timothy Grass - - - Pleum pratense. 



("ocksl()ot ----- Dactylis glomerata. 



Meadow Fescue - - - Festuca pratensis. 



Dog's-tail ----- Cynosurus cristalus. 



Meadow Cat's-tail - - Pleura pratense. 



Pacey's Perl. Ryegrass Solium perenne. 



Red Clover - - ^ - Trifolium pratense. 



White Clover - . - - Trilblium repent'. 



