A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



opportunity of comparing the methods of the past with those of the present. 

 In both attention is drawn to the practice of ' paring and burning ' old sain- 

 foin layers in preparation for turnips, as being essential to clean farming and 

 the maintenance of fertility on the light soils of the Cotswold Hills. The 

 operation consisted in cutting a thin slice from the surface with the breast- 

 plough, an implement shaped like a spade, and fixed on a shaft with a 

 crossbar at the end, which was held by the labourer in both hands and 

 propelled from his thighs. The slice being cut was turned over by moving 

 the cross-handle from right to left. When they were dry the turfs were 

 gathered into heaps and stifle burned, not being allowed to burst into flame. 

 The object of this operation was to destroy weeds, grubs of wireworm, and 

 larvae of other harmful insects, as well as to provide a fertilizer for the 

 turnip crop. The practice is immemorial on the Cotswold Hills, and 

 Bravender remarks that he has known * hundreds of farmers who have prac- 

 tised breast-ploughing and burning, but not one who has discontinued it." 

 In 1857 Voelcker described it as 'a practice, the advantages of which are 

 fully confirmed and explained by modern chemical science.' Besides the old 

 sainfoin layers, foul wheat stubbles were also breast-ploughed and burned with 

 advantage. The great increase in the cost of manual labour, combined with 

 the introduction of superphosphate of lime, dissolved bones, and other arti- 

 ficial manures, has led to a general discontinuance of this ancient and 

 excellent practice, which had so much to recommend it. Another change 

 that has taken place in the fifty years since the date of Bravender's essay is 

 that oxen are no longer used as draught animals in the cultivation of 

 the soil, which is now entirely effected by horses, with the occasional 

 assistance of steam. In spite of the publication of the opinions of many 

 practical men, based upon actual experience, and proving the superior 

 economy of the ox-team as compared with horses, the former has now 

 passed away owing very greatly to the extreme difficulty of getting lads 

 willing to work with the bullocks, such labour for some reason or other 

 being considered derogatory and is not likely to come back. Old and 

 experienced cultivators of the light hill soils laid great stress on the benefit 

 to the land caused by the treading of the ox-teams, and it was an 

 undoubted preventive of wireworm, while upon the heavy soils where the 

 land could only be cultivated for brief periods at certain seasons, and where 

 it was consequently necessary to get a large area of land worked in a short 

 time, an additional team or two of oxen, that were cheaply maintained, 

 and when not required could be laid aside without detriment, enabled 

 the work of the farm to be carried out with a less number of horses. 

 The treading of cattle is also less inclined to poach the land when in a 

 wet state, from the more gentle pressure of the hoof, and also from the 

 fact that, unlike horses, the hind feet are, in walking, not placed in 

 the exact spot that has just been trodden by the fore feet. In 1850 

 the practice of using the presser and roll to consolidate the soil before 

 wheat-planting, and again in spring, was only just being substituted for 

 the ancient custom of driving sheep and cattle over the land, and giving 

 the flock a bare fold with the same object. 



Gloucestershire shared in the agricultural prosperity of the kingdom from 

 1853 to 1874 due to the expansion of trade and manufactures, the gold 



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