HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [89 



On laying land to permanent grass, which has been done upon 

 some of the lawns, which have been cultivated for improving the 

 herbage or levelling the surface, the land is effectually under- 

 drained ; if necessary, lime is freely used, and the grass seeds al- 

 ways sown with the first crop after turnips, cow grass and white 

 clover to about 201bs. per acre, and Buxton hay seeds half a bushel, 

 the latter collected by the ostlers of innkeepers at or about Buxton, 

 and bought from them by seedsmen, and believed to be free from 

 weeds and couch grass. Some parts of the south lawn thus sown 

 last season, is now extremely promising for pasture. 



The wheat and barley is always sown with Cooke's drill, in rows 

 at nine inches, pease of course wider, the crop always clean hoed, 

 and no weeds suffered to grow therein. 



A complete farmery has been erected, consisting of a farm-house 

 and offices, barns, stables, very extensive cow sheds, hoggery, 

 roomy farm yards, store-houses, smith's and carpenter's shops, 

 coach and cart houses, rick yards, and every convenience, within a 

 compact square ; and the whole business is managed by a regular 

 system. Only one man is permitted to cut the hay-ricks, who 

 deals out the fodder to the grooms, carters, and cow-keepers, with- 

 out waste or loss. 



The grass land, besides clover, consists of about 600 acres, of 

 which about 70 acres is water meadow, principally on the Trent : 

 the morassy parts have been effectually drained, and the herbage 

 improved ; and the irrigation is attended to in various ways upon 

 both the catch and pane work, some of the land having been so 

 laid out. Mr. Ginders is convinced, from close observation, that 

 no improvement can answer better than watering meadows with 

 due attention, but they will not admit of neglect ; the gutters must 

 be annually cleansed, and the water spread in rotation and pe- 

 riodically. By such attention, some of the meadows on the Trent 

 have been twice annually mown, the first time the end of May, or 

 early in June, producing two tons of hay per acre, the second 

 time in August, a ton and an half per acre, and an aftermath to 

 graze in autumn : no manure required, but due attention to the 

 water, by which the ground is kept fully in heart, and further im- 

 proved. An immense stock of hay is thus raised, some of the sin- 

 gle hay ricks being supposed to contain 150 tons of hay. The live 

 stock kept on this farm consists of from 300 to 500 breeding ewes, 

 of the best new Leicester breed, from the stock of Mr. Buckley: 

 these rear annually an equal number, the twins making up for 



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