1150 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part IV. 



tlie numeroui cottagert ji/xwi ilie estatet is 

 iia without any iiiterfer- 



to the vahip of every acre of such a farm, in addition to a fair 

 rent beini put ujion the meadow. 



The attention anil injluence of Lord Staffin-d has been used in 

 whatever way it could be employed beneficially in extending 

 the comfort or advancing the good behaviour of his cottagers ; 

 a conduct so characteristic of the great and wealthy proprietors 

 of these kingdoms, that it must ever distinguish them in the 

 history of human benevolence. 



Schools, wherever they have been necessary, have been en- 

 couraged, either aiding them by subscription, or by granting 

 the accommodation of school-houses. Two Banks for Savings, 

 one at Lilleshall and another at Trentham, of which Lord 

 Stafford is the treasurer, have been established, and the whole 

 details are conducted by his managers, assisted by the parochial 

 clergymen and the principal tenantry, and their success among 

 the agricultural labourers hus been very gratifying. 



The charities of this family are worthy of aii English noble- 

 man ; and during the residence of the Marquess and Mar- 

 chioness at Trentham, there is distributed daily to every poor 

 object, who is travelling along the road, and who applies for 

 the same, a portion of good wholesome bread, in quantity 

 about fourteen ounces to each full-grown man, and less in 

 proportion to women and children, with a pint of good table- 

 beer. The number of people who received this donafon in 

 18;9, amounteil to 950f men, 2376 women, and 1789 children, 

 consuming 1590 loaves, and 170.T gallons of beer. From this 

 charity are excepted all soldiers and sailors receiving the 

 King's pay, all persons residing within the parish of Trentham, 

 or in its immediate vicinity. Other distributions take place on 

 particular occasions ; for example, to those who reside in the 

 parish, annually on St. Thomas's day, there is a distribution 

 of a certain quantity of beef to the poor. During 1819, there 

 were 12,785 quarts of rich soup, and above 8500 quarts of milk, 

 distributed within the parish, besides 14,134 quarts of milk 

 given away under the head of allowances. Such facts are 

 strongly illustrative of the beneficial effects derived to the poor 

 from the residence of the great families of England on their 

 r^ective estates. 



The foregoing statement would have been given with some 

 hesitation, had not the facts been of a nature rather to exhibit 

 and illustrate the character and extent of the chanties distributed 

 by the gred families of England in general, than as being at all 

 lieculiar to the instance to which the details belong ; and 

 these facts may help to explain to foreigners the nature of the 

 connection which exists between the richer and poorer classes 

 in this country . 



The tonm of Lane-End, one of those which compose the 

 Staffordshire potteries, is partly situated on, and is jiartly 

 contiguous to the east end of the Trentham estate. The inha- 

 bitants being ill supplied with water, carried in barrels, they 

 petitioned to be provided with this necessary article, which re- 

 quest has been complied with ; and this town, after a very 

 considerable outlay, now enjoys a regular supply of water, con- 

 veyed in iron pipes. 



7797. WARWICKSHIRE. A surface of nearly 639,760 acres, mostly flat, but generally rich in soil and 

 beautiful in appearance. It is chiefly a corn county, and produces excellent wheat ; but also many fat 

 cattle, and formerly much cheese. There are no distinguished agriculturists in the county ; but it has 

 produced more good to agriculture than many others, by giving birth to Elkington, who gave rise to much 

 discussion on draining. {Hedge's Report, 1794. Murraifs Report, 1808. Marshal's Review, 1813. Edin. 

 Gaz. 1827.) 



The character 

 also an object of great solicitude, and 



ence with the manner in which a man may choose to occupy 

 himself, their regular and decent behaviour is made the sub- 

 ject of care and attention ; and the steward has strict directions 

 "to watch carefully over them, and where possible to promote 

 their improvement. Wherever a potato garden can with ad- 

 vantage be added to their cottage, that accommodation is 

 afforded them. In the vicinity of Trentham the cottages are 

 of the best sort, and with their gardens kept in the nicest 

 order. To almost every one of them is attached land for the 

 maintenance of one or two cows. It is a circumstance worthy 

 of remark, that of all the labourers who possess a cow, none 

 receive relief from the poor's rate, except one widow at Tren- 

 tham, who has a large family, and even in this instance, the re- 

 lief she receives is in a less ratio than any person labouring under 

 similar difficulties. (Loch in 1819.) 



11. Live Stock. 



Cattle generally of the long-homed breed. The Stafford- 

 shire cow is generally considered a tolerable milker, as well as 

 feeder. 



Sheep, Three sorts considered native breeds : the grey -faced 

 hornless, or Cannock heath sheep, with fine wool ; the black- 

 faced homed, with fine wool ; and the white-faced hornless, 

 with long wool. 



Swine. A cross between the slouched-eared and dwarf 

 breeds ; require little attentiou or feeding, and easily get fat on 

 the refuse of the dairy or barn. Pitt, the reporter, had a very 

 fine sow, which littered ten at the first litter. 



Rabbits. "Wild in the sandy lands. A good many bees kept ; 

 Thorley's plan tried, but bees are found to succeed best in 

 straw hives thatched in autumn. " Those which have not 

 raised a sufficiencv of food for winter, it is doubtless humanity 

 to destroy, as sudden sufibcation is better than a prolonged but 

 certain starvation." 



12. Political Economy. 



Roads now generally good; numerous canals; several pri- 

 vate rail-roads. Manufactures, iron, hardware, nails, glass, 

 toys, japanned goods, potters' ware, cotton cloth, silk fabrics, 

 leather, woollen, linen, and many others. Manufactures some- 

 times carried on in the country in straggling groups of houses, 

 but for the most part in towns. Many thousands both of men 

 and women employed in making nails. An agricultural society 

 at Newcastle, and another at Litchfield. 



Experimental Farming. " It would be a wholesome plan for 

 the Board to commence farming upon their own ideas, parti- 

 cularlv in counties where the modes of agriculture seem impro- 

 per ; for instance, Lancashire, Westmoreland, Cumberland, 

 Northumberland, &c. ; by which ocular demonstration their 

 plan might be imitated ; for hearing or reading of any particu- 

 lar practice will not do for farmers In general." Such is the 

 reporter's opinion, in oiurs a most erroneous one. 



1. Geographical State and Circumstances. 

 Climate, mild and healthy. S. W. the prevailing winds : 



effects of an easterly variation felt till the middle of May, 

 and vegetation checked ; not, however, by excess of damp or 

 frost. 



Soil, chiefly clay or sand, marl, and limestone. The portion 

 of sandy or moorish soil very small. The tract of land called 

 the county of Coventry is a rich, red, sandy loam, chiefly in 

 grass. The land near Birmingham is generally either sand or 

 stiff clay. 



Minerals, coal, limestone, freestone, iron, blue flagstone, 

 marl, blue clay, and soapy clay, which the late Earl of Warwick 

 attempted to prepare for sale as a soap. 



2. Property. 

 Largest estate Stoneleigh, Chandos Leigh, Esq., 25,000 



acres ; but a great variety of extent, and some curious and ab- 

 surd tenures. 



.3. Buildings. 



Warwick Castle and Ragley first-rate edifices. Old farm- 

 houses built of mud and timber, and frequently at the extre- 

 mity of the farms. The Duke of Buccleugh, at Dunchurch, 

 has constructed some good farmeries. 



4. Occupation. 

 Farms from 80 to 500 acres ; 150 the average size ; on the 



increase. Farmers in general exceedingly shy and jealous ; one, 

 considered as at the head of his profession, told Murray 

 " he did not see any advantage the county of Warwick would 

 derive from such a survey ; that it must do a great deal of hurt 

 instead of good ; and that such being his opinion, he declined 

 giving any information on the different heads of queries put to 

 him." Lands generally held at will, but very low rental. 

 Cheap farms, in general, are a drawback on industry and im- 

 provements : farmers that have cheap farms may farm well ; 

 out those that have dear farms must farm well, or their career 

 will soon terminate. 



5. Implements. 

 Ploughs the double and single Rotherham with wheels, the 



double drawn by five or six horses in a line, the single plough 

 by three and four, or five horses in a line, and in both cases with 

 a driver. Small's plough, with two horses abreast, and no 

 driver, the reporter remarks, would make better work, and do 

 more of it. Some winnowing and threshing machines in use 

 by proprietors. 



6. Tillage. 

 Large crooked ridges gathered very high with a small one 



l>etween ; go only one yoking per day throughout the year. 

 Fallowing general, and then two white crops. 



7798. LEICESTERSHIRE. 522,240 acres of gently varied surface and fertile soil ; distinguished for 

 its pastures, and for the progress that has been made in the improvement of cattle and sheep. It is tne 

 county of Bakewell, whose name will ever stand at the head of breeding farmers. [Monk s Report, 1794. 

 Pitt's Report, 1809. Marshal's Review, 1813. Smith's Geological Map, 1821.) 



7. Grass. 

 235,000 acres in meadows and pastures, and 60,000 in arti- 



ficial herbage. Formerly dairying common, and Warwick- 

 shire cheeses produced in abundance ; but now breeding is 

 fast assuming its place. Old pastures overrun with ant-hills 

 and mbbish. Murray very prophetically observes, that if 

 peace were to take place, grass lands would be safer for the 

 farmer than corn lands. Dairying and feeding both in practice. 



8. Gardens and Orchards. 

 The gardens of the Marquis of Hertford, at Ragley, noted 



for their pine apples ; few sale orchards of any extent. 



9. Woods and Plantations. 

 Oak and elm every where abounds ; the Leigh estate the 



best wooded, but every where abundance of timber 



10. Improvements. 

 Much draining done in the northern part of the county ; but 



it is rather singular that the names of Faieley, Elkington, or 

 their farms, are iwt once mentioned in Murray's report. 

 Joseph Elkington lived at Princethorp, in Stretton on Duns- 

 moor, six miles S. W. of Coventry, and afterwards in Birming- 

 ham. He died in 180C. He was a mere empiric practitioner, 

 and knew nothing of geology, the only foundation tor drain- 

 ing on scientific principles ; "less even than some of his con. 

 temporaries, as Farey has ably shown in the Derbyshire report. 



Irrigation practised in a few places on a small scale. 



n. Live Stock. 



No particular breed of cattle ; but as feeding is the prevailing 

 practice, farmers buy in whatever breed they think will pay 

 them best. 



Sheep a good deal attended to; the large-polled sheep, or 

 ancient Warwickshire, now generally mixed with other breeds. 

 The first cross of a Leicestershire ram and Warwickshire ewe 

 produces the best sheep for the butcher. 



Horses, the heavy black Leicestershire breed ; a good many 

 bred, of cart, coach, riding, and hunting horses. 



Poultry abounds, owing to the prevalence of small farms; 

 great quantities sent to Birminghafn and London. 



Game, as pheasants, partridges, and hares, more than com- 

 monly abundant. 



12. Political Economy. 



Roads tolerably good ; several canals ; innumerable manu- 

 factures, especially at Birmingham, for iron, and others of the 

 metal kind, and Coventry for ribands. 



13. Means of Improvement. 

 Leases ; a more economical mode of labouring ; draining ; 



drilled root, and herbage crops, and better rotations. 



