LEICESTERSHIRE. 



699 



'<!' are blue ; the under rtrala are six inches thick, and two 

 ' fcet sunder. This limestone strongly resembles in ap- 

 pearance, composition, and qualities, the clay-stone of 

 Gloucestershire, which, when burnt, produces the strong 

 lime of that district The lime of Barrow is used not 

 enlv a* a manure, and for the common purposes of 

 hsAtiiik', but also for water-works, as, under water, it 

 Canal a strong and durable cement ; for the latter pur- 

 it is exported to Holland, &c. When the pier of 

 was built, Dutch terras wcs first used ; but 

 not being found to answer, Barrow lime was advantage- 

 ously substituted. In the quarries of this limestone some 

 curious minerals are found, such an fossil fish, plants, 

 &c. The most singular is a plain and bold representa- 

 tion of a flat fish, but what particular fish is not known. 

 It is more than a foot long, and of a proportionable 

 depth ; the scales, fins, and gills projecting from the 

 furface. In the vale of Belvoir, is a limestone similar 

 to that of Barrow. At Stanton- Harold is also limestone 

 of a good quality, in tile fissures of which rich lead ore 

 ml, hich \i (.melted izito metal. On Ashley 

 ii stone is' met with. It lie* at the depth of 

 688 yards, and is mixed with clay marl ; but does not 

 pay for smelting. On the east side of Charnwood fo- 

 rest, a thick heavy slate is raised, which is used for co- 

 vering buildings, and some of the thickest blocks tor 

 grave-stones. There are few parts of the county which 

 do not contain free-stone and brick-clay. The hill at 

 Mount Sorrel is formed of a rock of reddish granite. 

 This is so hard, especially after being exposed to the 

 air for some time, as to resist all tools. " Many houses 

 are built with them, and make a very singular appear- 

 ance. They are often imperfect cones ; and being too 

 hard to be cut or broken, the smoothest face is laid ou- 

 termost in beds of the excellent lime of Barrow. These 

 stones, from their uncommon hardness, are coveted for 

 painters' mullets." 



I ismalinhjii is one of the few counties in England 

 which is equally celebrated for its agriculture and its 

 manufactures. Some of the estates in it are very large, 

 particularly that of the duke of Hutland. The "tenures 

 are principally freehold. 'I here is little copyhold, .ml 

 still leas holding church tenure. In the grazing dis- 

 tricts of this county, there are many substantial yeo- 

 men who farm their own estates : In those districts the 

 farms are large ; in the other parts they seldom e 

 2OO acres. The graziers have long been justly cele- 

 brated for their skill, experience, intelligence, capital, 

 and success ; and there are many of them by no means 

 or, in most of these respects, to the well-known 

 BakewelL 



Ar.r.v .- I.-ici-MiT-i>.re i- much 111. .re <i'-tin-ui-li.-il :i .1 gra- 

 ksadrr. ling than as an arable county ; and the tillage land i' 

 nuifh less, in proportion, than that of im^t other coun- 

 ties. In the sooth, ea*t, and middle of the county, are 

 many farm* without any tillage land whatever. In 

 the north and west a proportion of each furm is gene- 

 rally kept in tillage-. According to Mr. Pitt, in liis 

 Agricultural Survey, one-half of the strong clay loam 

 (toe whole of estimates at 160,000 acres) is 



<-caional tillage: the whole of the more friable 

 loam, which he also estimates at 160,000 acres, is in 

 occasional tillage. According to this e-timate, there 

 are S4O.COO acres in occasional tillage, or under the 

 convertible husbandry : Of thr-e, he reckons 'J50.000 

 acres under wheat ; 40,000 under barley ; 30,000 under 

 oaU; 15,000 under beans, pease, and "vetch. - : 10,000 

 under tusnips, cabbages, &c.; 85,000 under clover ; and 

 5000 clean fallow. In the mode of cultivating these 

 crops there are few things requiring particular notice. 



>- - :. 



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The wheat harvest is in Augtist and the beginning of Lfiewter- 

 September ; the average produce of the county is about 

 28 bushels. Barley is a favourite crop, and is general- """"Y"* 

 ly sown after some green crop ; the produce is large, 

 about 41 quarters per acre. Leicestershire was former, 

 ly famous for beans ; and, indeed, the greater part of 

 its soil is particularly well suited for this crop. From 

 the large quantities and excellent quality of this crop of 

 grain near Barton, this village obtained the name of 

 Barton in the Beans. At present, however, beans are 

 not much cultivated. Turnips are extensively sown, 

 and their culture is pretty well understood. Cabbages 

 are more grown in Leicestershire than in most other 

 counties, the soil particularly suiting them : They are 

 generally planted in drills : they are given with great 

 advantage to ewes and lambs in spring. The natural 

 meadows on the banks of the Leicestershire rivers are Menders. 

 not only extensive, but for the most part of good qua- 

 lity ; especially those on the banks of the Scare, near 

 Leicester, and, indeed, as far as its junction with the 

 Trent. The oldest feeding land is in the south and 

 east of the county. These pastures consist principally Pasture*. 

 of grasses, there being little even of white clover. 

 There is very little old wood in the county, and, in- 

 deed, it is by no means a woodland county ; though in 

 many parts there is great deal of hoop raw timber. 

 As the spirit of improvement in Leicestershire has 

 been chiefly directed to grazing, great attention has 

 been paid to draining the land ; and Mr. Elkington's 

 method was very early adopted in this county. Irri- 

 gation lias also been carried on with considerable spirit 

 and success. 



It is from its cattle and sheep, however, particularly Cattle. 

 the latter, that Leicestershire derives its fame as an 

 agricultural district ; and to this fame it is indebted to 

 the late Mr. Bake well of Dishley Farm, near Lough- 

 borough. Before he began his improvements, this 

 county possessed no peculiar breed of cattle ; at least 

 it was by no means celebrated for a good breed. It is 

 foreign to the object of this article to trace the means 

 by which he brought the Leicester cattle and sheep to 

 their present high character and perfection ; but we 

 may mention generally the results of his improvements. 

 ' J he present improved breed of cattle is finer boned, 

 finer in the neck, throat, and bosom ; the back straight, 

 wide, and loaded with flesh ; the rump wide, thick, and 

 flesliy on the points, insomuch that, in some indivi- 

 duals, hillocks of fat are found thereon, and about the 

 root of the tail." The colour is red, the legs short, 

 with thin, wide, and spreading horns. The weight, 

 when fat, from nine to ten score the quarter, but often 

 much more. The principal aim of the graziers, is to 

 fatten their cattle for the butcher ; but attention is also 

 paid, in some parts of the county, to the dairy. Near Dairy. 

 Hinckley, Bos worth, &c. are many large dairies; and 

 also on the borders of Derbyshire, on the banks of the 

 Trent, and in the vale of Belvoir. The exquisite cheese 

 known by the name of Stilton, is made in Leicester- Stilton 

 shire. A good deal of this kind of cheese is made on cheese, 

 the farms near Melton Moubray. The quantity of 

 cheese generally sent to Leicester October fair, is about 

 200 tons annually ; and it is calculated, that of the 

 5000 tons annually sent down the Trent, from Leices- 

 ter, Nottingham, Derby, and the north of Staffordshire, 

 Leicester produces at "least 1 500 tons, which, it is cal- 

 culated, will require 7500 dairy cows. There are three 

 kinds of sheep at present kept in Leicestershire ; the 

 o]<l Leicester, the new Leicester, and the forest sheep. 

 The old Leicester seem to have been a cross between 

 the Leicestershire and the old stock of the county : 



