H38 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part IV. 



apples. A pood deal of saintfoin on the Chiltem, and other 

 calcareous soils, also on the stonebrasb, which is chiefly lime. 



7. Grass. 

 Some good meadows near Oxford, on the Thames and Isis ; 



very rich grass land at Thame. 



8. JVoods and Plantations. 

 Of considerable extent. A great part of the forest of Which- 



wood belongs to the government. Great attention paid by Fane 

 of VVormsley to pruning; many beech woods on the Chiltem 

 hills ; young wood at Blenheim neglected. The natural forests 

 of Whichwood and Stoken Church chiefly of beech, but some 

 oak, ash, birch, and aspen. 



9. Improvements. 



Fane, Prat, Davis, and others are of opinion, that the agri- 

 culture is much suuerior to what it was thirty years ago, chiefly 

 from the introduction of a better breed of stock, the use of roots 

 and herbage plants, and the enclosure of commons and common 

 fields. 



Scotch Farming. In 1809 an attempt was made to improve 

 the estate of Great Tew, by letting it to Scotch farmers. As 

 this originated in consequence of a pamphlet which the com- 

 piler of the present work published in 1808, it might be deemed 

 a defect in this sketch if the circumstance were passed over 

 without particular notice. It will, no doubt, long be recollected 

 in the county as at least a ruinous project of wild adventurers; . 

 this being the very mildest term applied to failures in similar 

 cases. At this distance of time, looking back on the matter, as 

 far as the result aflected ourselves, with our natural saiigj'roid, 

 we shall state our opinion as to the causes of failure. This re- 

 sulted principally from too great anxiety, both in the landlord 

 and tenants, to reap a large benefit ; and secondly, from the 

 general fall of prices, both of land and produce, which suc- 

 ceeded to the published report of the Bullion tJommittee in 

 1807. Anxiety to increzise the rent-roll induced the landlord 

 to let the whole of his estate of nearly 4000 acres, then under 

 nearly a score of tenants, to two cultivators, instead of trying 

 first the elfect of one or two moderate-sized farms under the 

 new mode. The same anxiety induced the tenants to offer too 

 high rents, and to attempt a profit by subletting. Before the 

 estate had been eight months let, it was sold on the new rental 

 for nearly four times the sum at which it was offered for sale 

 only a year before ; but the title not proving satisfactory to the 

 purchaser, the purchase was never completed. The landlord 

 became involved in diflRculties, owing to the expenses of new 

 buildings, roads, drainages, the purchasing up of certain out- 

 going tenants, and other causes : he found, that though one 

 person had been willing to buy the estate held on twenty-one 

 years' leases, yet that it would sell much better if held by 

 .tenants at will ; and Wcis thence induced to buy up from the 

 Scotch tenants the leases granted them two years before, and 

 was still unsuccessful in endeavouring to sell the estate. At 

 last the proprietor found himself with the greater part of his 

 lands in hand ; and one farm, it is proper to observe, was put 

 under the management of an Irishman, who rendered himself 

 notorious by some parts of his conduct, and finally left the 

 country clandestinely ; and whose actions have unfortunately 

 often been confounded with those of the Scotch farmers, after 

 all the latter had completely left that part of the country. 

 When peace was concluded in 1814, land fell still lower ; and 

 finally this estate was sold for less than half what it had been 

 sold for in 1809 : but still (which may be considered as re- 

 markable) for about double what was asked for it in 1807. It 

 was in 1823 probably not worth a third part of what was 

 given for it by the purchaser, from the change in the times; so 

 that even had the original scheme and sale worked well, it is 



7790. BERKSHIRE. One of the most beautiful counties of England; occupies a surface of 474,000 

 acres, of which about 200,000 are enclosed, or in parks or plantations ; 190,(X)0 in common fields and 

 downs ; 40,000 in forests, wastes, and commons; and 8977 in roads. Its productions are almost eqtially 

 corn and stock ; it produces a good deal of butter and cheese, and the breed of swine is noted for its ex- 

 cellence. The celebrated Jethro Tull was a yeoman in this county. George III. and E. L. Loveden, Esq. 

 were among its most noted farmers. On the whole it is a county much more indebted to nature than to 



probable that by that time both landlord and tenants would 

 liave been ruined ; for more money might have been raised by 

 mortgage on such an estate in 1810 than it would have sold for 

 in 1820. The depreciation of the estate has been attributed to 

 the breaking up of old turf; a most unfounded error, as there 

 were not 1000 acres to break up, and of them only 250 were 

 ploughed, and, as would have been proved had the convertible 

 system been continued a few years, greatly to the benefit of the 

 whole. We regret that the landlord, a most amiable and 

 patriotic man, sliould have suffered in this business ; but he 

 entered into it aware that he was incurring an extraordinary 

 chance of loss for an extraordinary chance of benefit, and of 

 course he takes the result as every man ought to do. Besides 

 he has still a very handsome fortune. 



As a trait of the siiirit ojtlie Board of AgricnUure at this time, 

 we may mention that Arthur Young examined the estate a few 

 weeks after it was sold at so high a rate, and drew up a remark- 

 able report (a MS. copy of which, from his office, is in our pos- 

 session) in favour of Scotch farminfj, which was published in 

 the first edition of Sir John Sinclair's Husbandry of Scotland. 

 In that report a disingenuous attempt is made to attribute to 

 the Board the merit of the introduction of Scotch farming into 

 this and other counties ; whereas it was and is perfectly well 

 known, that the Farmer's Magazine, the Scotch farmer Gour- 

 lay, lite of Wiltshire, and our pamphlet, were the true causes. 

 By the time a second edition ot the Husbandry of Scotland was 

 called for, Scotch farming had become unpopular, and the Re- 

 port mentioned, and all the compliments to the Board of Agri- 

 culture for hiving introduced it, were withdrawn. A general 

 account of all the operations on Tew estate by Scotch farmers 

 will be found in Designs for Farnu and Farm Buildings in tht 

 Scotch Style, adapted to England, iS(c. 4to. 1812. 



10. Live stock. 



There is a good deal of dairying in the county ; the perma- 

 nent grass lands being chiefly occupied in this way. The prac- 

 tices are almost entirely the same as in Buckinghamshire. The 

 butter is taken to London by waggons from al the principal 

 towns. Much good dairying at Atterbury. A. Young asked 

 John Wilson, of that nei^jhbourhood. If he ever fed on straw ? 

 Answer, " No ; straw be a good thing to lay on." 



Sheep, the Berkshire, Gloucester, Wiltshire, Leicester, and 

 other hardy breeds. Fahe has tried crossing the Ryelands and 

 South Downs with Merinos. Several other proprietors of farms 

 have also tried Down Merinos and other crosses; and some the 

 pure breed. 



11. Political Economy. 



Forty years ago roads " formidable to the bones of all who 

 travelled on wheels ;" now they are much changed for the 

 better. Birmingham canal and the Thames of immense im- 

 portance to Oxfordshire. A gooti deal of woo! , formerly woven 

 into blankets at Witney ; now very little. About the beginning 

 of the last century the manufac;ure of polished steel was intro- 

 duced at Woodstock, and flourished for half a century ; at 

 present nearly extinct. Steel chains have been made here 

 weighing only two ounces, and sold for 170/. Scissors from 

 five shillings to three guineas. The steel is wholly made from 

 old nails ot horse-shoes. Leather breeches-making and glove- 

 making have succeeded to the steel manufacture, and the latter 

 thrives well : from 360 to 400 dozen of gloves are manufactured 

 weekly. 



12. Miscellaneous. 



Dr. Sibthorpe, the late professor of botany at Oxford, left 

 200/. a year to endow a professor of agriculture and rural eco- 

 nomy, to be established as soon as the Flora GrurVa is completed. 

 This will not be for some years. 



art iPearce's Berkshire, 1794. Mavor's Report, 18' 

 1821.) 

 1. Geographical State and Circumstances. 



Clintate diversified, but in every part the air pure and salu- 

 biious ; in elevated situations pure, piercing, and braces by its 

 sharpness ; in the vales relieves the weak organs of respiration 

 by its soft and balsamic qualities ; no storms known in the 

 county. About Heading vegetation nearly a fortnight earlier 

 than in some parts of the county. 



Soil calcareous in general, but in some places gravel, and in 



ay; vale of the White Horse entirely chalk. 



als. None excepting chalk, Sarsden stones, a sort of 



a few claj 

 Mineral 

 large siliceous pebble, in lumps scattered over the AViltshire 

 and Berkshire Downs, and frequently blasted and used for pav- 

 ing. In the vale of Kennet is a considerable stratum of peat, 

 formed from prostrate trees and other vegetable bodies, and 

 used for fuel, and also burned for the ashes as a manure. The 

 ashes abound in sulphate of lime. 



Water. Some artificial lakes for breeding fish. Loveden has 

 one of thirty acres, and a " fish-house" or cottage, with an 

 apartment in which are three stews with covers, which lock, 

 so as to prevent even the cottager from stealing the fish. Many 

 gentlemen have ponds, which are let to tenants, and produce a 

 crop, if it may be so termed, every third or fourth year, of carp 

 and tench. The occupier stocks with yearlings about two 

 inches long, obtained chiefly from Yately, on the neighbouring 

 confines of Hampshire. The breeders are about eight or nine 

 pounds weight; but in the Berkshire ponds they are never 

 suffered to breed, but are sold olf to the inns at Henley and 

 other places, when the ponds are drawn, which is generally 

 once in four years, and weigh at that age about three or four 

 pounds each. The value of land thus applied cannot average 

 less than about twenty shillings per acre. The ponds are re- 

 gularly laid empty, and the fish with which they are stocked, 

 which are uniformly carp and tench, are taken out every third 

 or fourth year. The pond is afterwards allowed to lie fallow 

 for the remainder of the summer season, and is again stocked 

 early in the ensuing year with yearUng fry of the same species. 

 The ponds in one parish are all subject to an abundance of 

 coarse, bony, insipid fish, denominated Prussian or German 

 carp. As this species is carefully destroyed, it is wonderful they 



Marshal's Review, 1813. Smith's Geological Map, 



should increase with the rapidity and universality which they 

 appear to do. Every acre of pond, properly stocked and well 

 situated, must produce an annual increase of from eighty to 

 one hundred pounds weight. If artificially fed, the increase 

 would be greater ; or less, if the pond is not so situated as to 

 receive manure from the circumjacent lands. By retail, the 

 fish here are generally sold at a shilling per pound ; but under 

 particular circumstances they may sometimes be had as low a 

 tenpence. 



2. State of Property. 



Largest estate 8000/. a year ; a few of 5, 6, or 7000/.: Earl 

 Craven and E. L. Loveden, Esq. the largest proprietors ; several 

 handsome seats with land not exceeding 100 acres, and many 

 small freeholders and yeomanry. Some curious customs; at 

 Enbome and Caddleworth manors, belonging to Earl Craven 

 and k. W- Nelson, Esq., the widow of a copyholder, guilty of 

 incontinency or marrying again, lost her freebench or life in- 

 terest, unless she submitted to the ceremony of riding into the 

 court on a black ram, and of repeating some well-known con- 

 fessional lines. (See Addison's Spectator.) In the manor of 

 Great Farringdon the customary tenant's daughter, on being 

 convicted of incontinency, was to forfeit the sum of forty 

 pence to the lord, or to appear in court, carrying a black sheep 

 on her back, and making confession of her otfence in these 

 words : " Ecce porta pudorem poster ioris mei." Many other curi- 

 ous customs. 



3. Buildings. 



Windsor Castle and many fine seats ; houses of the yeoman- 

 ry genteel and elegant : farm-houses geneially comfortable. 

 Loveden's ample but ill arranged ; cottages of the poor gene- 

 rally in a bad state, some present erections better. {Jig. 991-) 

 Farmeries on collegiate or corjiorate lands generally in bad 

 repair, because the fines for renewal of the leases take all the 

 spare money, &c. 



Chelspy Farm, near Wallingford, in ISOO, the property of 

 IjoxA Kensington, and formerly rej)uted to be the largest and 

 most compact farm in England. Rent 1000/. per annum. 

 Before the dissolution of monasteries it belonged to the Abbot 

 of Reading, who had a seat here. "The great barn in which his 



