38 WEST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE 



carting, which is a consideration where no horses 

 are wanted for tilling. 



The cows are milked in the fields, and the milk 

 carried up in cans shaped for strapping on the back. 

 Fern and rushes cut off the moor are largely used 

 for litter. 



It is noticeable that there is hardly any garden 

 cultivation attached to the houses or cottages. No 

 fruit and hardly any vegetables seem to be grown ; 

 even the potatoes are largely bought from the 

 neighbouring tillage districts. 



In one village, where there have been several 

 acres of allotments on Lord Bolton's estate for a 

 great number of years, many of them are not 

 cultivated at all, which in former times were much 

 sought after. The general opinion amongst his 

 betters was that ' the labourer is now too well off 

 to care.' The labourer himself was of opinion that, 

 as the soil was poor, and wanted very good cultiva- 

 tion and much manure to make it profitable, it was 

 not worth his while to bother with it after a hard 

 day's work. 



Markets. 



The middleman is very much to the fore in these 

 districts. Cheesemakers are practically in the hands 

 of factors, who come round the farms regularly ; 

 and the business is a good deal spoilt by the value 

 of good cheese being appreciably lowered by the 

 amount of bad cheese made. There is no uniformity 

 in the make, and the advantage to he gained by 



