528 



LANCASHIRE. 



Oats. 



fotatoes. 



; r ''pect to agricultural implements, this county is not 

 so far behind as many other districts, tfie agriculture 

 of which is more celebrated. The ploughs in every 

 part of the rounty are light and well constructed; there 

 are no waggons ; and single horse carts are by no 

 means uncommon. 



The rotation of crops followed, is by no means judi- 

 cious or profitable. In m:iny parts, oats arc sown for 

 years together; and even in the Filde district, where 

 agriculture is more extensively the object of attention, 

 the land is cropped in a very severe and unhusbandlike 

 manner. The points of agriculture for which Lan- 

 cashire is most noted, are the application of marl ; 

 the cultivation of oats and potatoes; and its cattle: of 

 the first, we shall speak afterwards. The climate, and 

 in general the soil of the county, are favourable to the 

 growth of oats ; and this grain constitutes the principal 

 food of the labouring classes, #ven in the manufactur- 

 ing districts : hence oats are cultivated to a very great 

 extent, and in general with considerable attention and 

 skill. Various kinds are grown ; especially the tartarian 

 and the potatoe oats. Wheat does not succeed well in 

 this county, more from the coldness and moistness of 

 the climate than from the nature of the soil, for in part 

 of Furness, the low lands near the shore beyond Lan- 

 caster, the Filde, and the south-west part of the county, 

 there are excellent wheat land. There is still less bar- 

 ley grown, and scarcely any pease or beans. For po- 

 tatoes, Lancashire has long been famous; and indeed 

 the cultivation of this root is here extremely well under- 

 stood, and their cookery not less so. Lancashire is said 

 to have been the first county in which they were grown. 

 The best mode of cultivating them is on the sward ; 

 they are always drilled,, and well hoed while growing. 

 Great attention is paid to changing the seed, in order 

 to prevent the curl. The produce, on a medium, is from 

 200 to 300 bushels, of 90 Ibs. each, to the statute acre. 

 Early potatoes are much cultivated, and with very great 

 care and skill, near the large towns. 



Grass lands. Lancashire produces so little corn, that it is estimated 

 the corn raised in it would not support its inhabi- 

 tants more than three months in the year ; hence it will 

 be concluded that the larger portion of its lands are un- 

 der grass, which is the fact. In this department of 

 agriculture, Lancashire presents little that is interest- 

 ing ; its meadows produce hay not of very good quali- 

 ty, owing partly to the soil and climate, and partly to 

 the mode in which it is made. The common average 

 of the best feeding lands will support one cow on the 

 statute acre during the summer. 



There is one branch of horticulture for which Lan- 

 cashire is celebrated ; the best gooseberries have their 

 origin in this county ; and uncommon attention and 

 zeal are still shewn for the purpose of raising large and 

 new varieties. Meetings are annually appointed at dif- 

 ferent places, at which there are public exhibitions of 

 gooseberries, and other fruits, and flowers; at these 

 meetings gooseberries have been produced which weigh- 

 ed upwards of 17 dwts. ; and one year a gooseberry 

 tree yielded 2 1 quarts of fruit, which weighed 28 Ibs. 

 avoirdupois. The manufacturers, who generally possess 

 a small quantity of ground adjoining their cottage, spend 

 much of their leisure time in cultivating fruits and flow- 

 ers. Vegetables of different sorts are cultivated with 

 great care and skill near Liverpool and Manchester. 

 About five miles from the latter place there are upwards 

 of 60 statute acres planted with apple trees. 



There are no natural woods of any consequence in 

 this county, and, in general, it is baro of timber. A 

 mode of raising trees near tlie sea, which is generally 



Horticul- 

 ture. 



Woods. 



regarded as impracticable, has been followed with sue- Laneaehi 

 cess in some parts of Lancashire, which deserves notice. < "Y" 

 In order to protect the young trees from the sea air, they 

 are placed in holes, and sods raised rourifl them. It is 

 remarked, that the sycamore, ash, alder, fir, and pla- 

 tanus, thrive best in this situation. 



This county abounds in bogs or morasses, called here Mosses- 

 mosses. The principal are, Chat moss and Trafford 

 moss. Attempts have been made to drain and improve 

 these with considerable success. 



Of the manures employed in the greatest abundance, 

 and with most effect, marl may be reckoned the chief. 

 There are several kinds in this county. The principal 

 are the blue, or reddish slate marl, wnich contains a 

 large proportion of calcareous earth ; and the strong 

 clay marl, which contains less calcareous matter. The 

 poorest lands have been improved by marling ; and. 

 though the expence is heavy, it is found to pay well. 



The Lancashire long-horned breed of cattle have Cattle* 

 long been deservedly celebrated : on them Mr. Bake- 

 well made his improvements : they are found in al- 

 most every part of the county, but the prime stock is 

 bred in the Filde. Among the cow-keepers, all kinds 

 are met with, but especially the Holderness and Der- 

 byshire. A considerable quantity of cheese is made in 

 this county, but none of it is of very superior quality, 

 except what is made near Leigh ; this is little inferior 

 to the Dunlop cheese of Ayrshire, in mildness and 

 richness; yet it is surprising that the land here is 

 chiefly barren, the soil being shallow, with clay under 

 it. The quantity made from a cow, is about 360 lib. 

 fit for the market. There are very few sheep kept in 

 the southern parts of the county : in the northern parts 

 they are bred and kept upon the hills; but Lanca- 

 shire is not a sheep district. It is said, there is not a 

 single shepherd, properly so called, in the whole coun- 

 ty. Almost the only sheep kept, are the black faced 

 Scotch and Welsh. The Lancashire breed of horses 

 were used by Mr. Bakewell, as the basis of his im- 

 provements ; but in the county itself, little attention 

 is paid to improving or keeping up'this breed : they 

 are universally preferred to oxen for the purposes of 

 husbandry. 



" The Filde is the principal district in this county Poultry, 

 which keeps a surplus stock of poultry. Poulterers 

 also collect the chief part of what is brought to the 

 Ormskirk market, from the cottagers and farmers, and 

 retail them out again at the Liverpool market. On 

 Martin Mere, are turned a number of flocks of geese, 

 on a certain da}', brought from different parts of the 

 county. Those flocks are so marked as again to be 

 known. Upon this mere, they continue till about 

 Michaelmas, where they find sufficient food from the 

 grasses, insects, &c. The proprietor of the water 

 claims half of the stock that remains alive for their 

 summer's keep." 



It has been observed, that there is a greater length 

 of roads in this county, in proportion to its extent, than 

 in any other county in the kingdom : in the north, 

 and north-eastern parts, they are made of limestone : 

 in the middle and southern parts, the roads are paved 

 with stones, principally brought from the Welsh and 

 Scotch coasts. On the road between Manchester and 

 Liverpool, slag or copper scoria has been advanta- 

 geously used. 



Lancashire is the most manufacturing county, with- Manflfic 

 out exception, in the kingdom. Its staple manufac- tuie. 

 ture is that of cotton in all its branches ; but as we 

 have entered very fully into a view of this manufac- 

 ture, in our account of the Statistics of ENCHAND, our 



