Book I. AGRICULTURE IN THE BRITISH ISLES. 127 



sixteen or eighteen inches. This is but an imitation of the hand-hoe, or a succedaneum 

 to it, and can neither supply the use of dung, nor of fallow, and may be properly called 

 scratch-hoeing." But in his mode of forming ridges, his practice seems to have been 

 original ; his implements display much ingenuity ; and his claim to the title of father of 

 the present horse-hoeing husbandry of Great Britain seems indisputable. A translation of 

 Tull's book was undertaken at one and the same time in France, by three different per- 

 sons of consideration, without the privity of each other. Two of them afterwards put 

 their papers into the hands of the third, M. Du Hameldu Monceau, of the Royal Academy 

 of Sciences, at Paris, who published a treatise on husbandry, on the principles of Tull, 

 a few years after. But Tull seems to have had very few followers in England for more 

 than thirty years. The present method of drilling and horse-hoeing turnips was not 

 introduced into Northumberland till about the year 1780 {Norlhum. Survey, p. 100.); 

 and it was then borrowed from Scotland, the fanners of which had the merit of first 

 adopting Tull's management in the culture of this root, and improving on it, about 

 1760, and from them it has since made its way, but slowly, in the southern part of the 

 island. Tull was born in Oxfordshire, was bred a barrister, and made the tour of 

 Europe. He commenced his experiments on his own estate, but being unsuccessful, was 

 obliged to sell it. He afterwards took a farm in Berkshire, where he renewed his oper- 

 ations. He published his book in 1731, and died in 1740, leaving a son, an officer in 

 the army, who ruined himself by projects, and died in the Fleet prison in London in 1764. 



786. In the live stock of British agriculture, very little improvement had been made pre- 

 viously to the middle of the eighteenth century, or later. About this time, the best breed 

 of cattle and sheep were about Doncaster, in Yorkshire, and in Leicestershire, and the 

 first grand and successful effort to improve them was made by Robert Bakewell, of 

 Dishley, in the latter county. Bakewell was born about 1725 or 26; and soon after 

 arriving at the years of maturity, took an interest in improving the breed of sheep. His 

 father was a farmer, and died in 1 760 ; but the son had taken an active management of 

 the farm for many years before that time, having began, about the year 1755, that course 

 of experiments wluch terminated in the important improvements for which his name is 

 celebrated. {Hunt's Agricultural Memoirs, p. 35 ; Fleming s Farmer s Journal, August, 

 1828, p. 319.) 



787. By BalceweWs skilful selection at first, and constant care afterwards, to breed from 

 the best animals, without any regard to their consanguinity, he at last obtained a variety 

 of sheep, which, for early maturity, and the property of returning a great produce of 

 mutton for the food they consume, as well as for the small proportion which the weight 

 of the offal bears to that of the four quarters, are altogether unequalled either in this or 

 any other country. The Dishley or New Leicester sheep, and their crosses, are now 

 spread over the principal corn districts of Britain ; and from their quiet domesticated 

 habits, are probably still the most profitable of all the varieties of sheep, on farms where 

 the rearing and fattening of live stock are combined with the best courses of tillage 

 crops. 



788. The practice of Bakewell and his followers furnishes an instance of the benefits 

 of a division of labour, in a department of business where it was little to be expected. 

 Their male stock was let out every year to breeders from all parts of England ; and thus, 

 by judiciously crossing the old races, all the valuable properties of the Dishley variety 

 descended, after three or four generations, to their posterity. By no other means could 

 this new breed have spread so rapidly, nor have been made to accommodate itself so easily 

 to a change of climate and pasture. Another recommendation of this plan was, that the 

 ram-hirer had a choice among a number of males, of somewhat different properties, and 

 in a more or less advanced stage of improvement ; from which it was his business to select 

 such as suited his particular object. These were reared by experienced men, who gave 

 their principal attention to this branch alone ; and having the best females as well as males, 

 they were able to furnish the necessary supply of young males in the greatest variety, 

 to those farmers whose time was occupied with other pursuits. The prices at which 

 Bakewell's rams were hired appear enormous. -- In 1789, he received twelve hundred 

 guineas for the hire of three brought at one birth ; two thousand for seven ; and, for his 

 whole letting, at least three thousand guineas. {Encyc. Brit. art. Agr.) 



789. Messrs. Matthew and George Culley carried the improvements of Bakewell into Durham and 

 Northumberland, and perpetuated them in the north of England and south of Scotland. Messrs. Culley 

 were pupils of Mr. Bakewell in 1762 and 1763, and Mr. George Culley soon became Mr. Bakewell's 

 confidential friend, and was always considered his favourite disciple. After practising their improve- 

 ments for a number of years in the county of Durham, they removed, in 1767, to Fenton farm, near 

 Wooler, in Northumberland, containing upwards of 1100 acres. At this time, the sheep flocks that 

 were kept on the arable and grazing districts of Northumberland were a large, slow-feeding, long-woolled 

 kind ; and a mixed breed, between those long-woolled sheep and the Cheviot. These breeds were rarely 

 got fattened before three years old ; but the improved Leicesters (which were introduced by Messrs. 

 Culley) were sold fat at little more than a year old ; and though they met with much opposition at their 

 first introduction, there is now scarcely a flock to be found that has not been improved by them. Their 

 breed of short-horned, or Teeswater, cattle, was also a great acquisition to the district ; and the breed of 

 draught horses was considerably improved by their introducing a stallion of Mr. Bakewell's. Tliey were 



