284 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



same day into the agricultural region known as the Yale of 

 Gloucester. 



The general aspect of this district is exceedingly beautiful ; 

 undulating, like Herefordshire, with more frequent extensive flat 

 surfaces, very large hedges, and much timber ; thickly peopled, 

 the cottages and farm buildings old and picturesque, and the 

 fields well stocked with cattle. 



The agriculture of the district is similar to that of Cheshire, 

 except that it is in general much behind it, neither draining nor 

 boneing having been common improvements. The people I fell 

 in with were usually lacking equally in courtesy and intelligence, 

 and I learned nothing of value agriculturally, until I reached, at 

 near nightfall, a farm conducted agreeably to the wishes of one 

 of the landlords of the Vale, especially with the intention of giv- 

 ing his tenants an example of a better system of farming than 

 they were accustomed to be content with. 



For this purpose, an ordinary farm of 260 acres, in the midst 

 of the estate, was, about ten years ago, put into the hands of an 

 excellent Scotch Agriculturist, Mr. Morton. His first movement 

 was to remove the superfluous fences and the enormous quantity 

 of hedge-row timber that the farm, like all others in the district, 

 was encumbered with. It gives us a great idea of the amount of 

 this, as well of the value of timber in England, to learn that 

 what was thus obtained merely from the fences of 260 acres was 

 sold for over $17,000 ! There is now very little, if any, interior 

 fencing upon the farm. The surface-water was drawn into one 

 channel, and the whole farm under-drained with three-feet drains. 

 Upon the steeper slopes the drains were laid with small stones, 

 otherwise with tile. This was the only case in which I heard of 

 stones being used by any good farmer of late years in England 

 for drains. Even where stone is in the way upon the surface, it 

 is found more economical to employ tile or pipes. After thor- 



