570 THE 
AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[Aue. 22, 
liming ; 5th, by irrigation or warping ; 6th, by plough- 
ing, digging, trenching, or subsoiling ; 7th, by establish- 
ing villages, towns, and factories, and by employing the 
i in the fact of the various products 
of the soiland the minerals beneath it; for when the sur- 
face is poor, the bowels of the earth are commonly rich in 
such substances as are calculated to be employed either in 
fi orin the imp of the soil itself. 
Limestone, chalk, gravel, marl, clay, peat, or sand, may 
often be found not far distant from land to which they 
might be profitably applied. 
The improvement of heath land must eommence with 
a boundary-fence inclosure, making needful roads or 
canals and efficient drainage where it is required. 
Without these preliminary steps, other efforts are of 
little value : unless it be merely spreading quicklime on 
the heath after having burned it and the Gorse, &e., by 
which means the pasturage has, in many cases, been 
improved, and in some parts, as in Craven, good herb- 
age, full of white Clover, has taken the place of the 
heath, merely by the application of quicklime. Salt 
may, also, there is reason to believe, be very advan- 
tageously applied after burning the heath and immedi- 
ately'before the application of the lime, or in conjune- 
tion with it. This process may be ad geousl 
making the greatest possible improvement with an 
ja gn p P, y 
10" 
profit, however small it may be. 
With this view, eorn crops should be grown very 
seldom on the poorest heath land. On such it has been 
found profitable to grow two or three successive green 
crops, and then sow down with corn and Grass seeds, 
as was done at Thornton with a piece of sandy heath of 
such poor character that it was considered by neigh- 
bouring farmers as being incapable of improvement. 
Turnips and Rape were the green erops, which, of 
course, were eaten on the land where they grew ; it 
was then sown down for pasture with Rye, which was 
a fair crop. In the year 1841, Mr. Rob, of Thorp. 
field, near Thirsk, purchased the Catton estate ; 88 acres 
of which were heath land. From an impression that 
this land was too poor to be worth cultivation, it was 
planted with Larch and Oak trees, 35 years before Mr. 
Rob purchased it, at an expense of 6/. per acre ; but 
such was the sterile character of part of the plantation 
that the trees had to be replaced three several times, 
and many of them at last were not thicker than a man's 
arm. The soil consisted of a thin stratum of peat, 
covering about 3 feet of grey or yellow sand, below 
which there is a red marly clay. The whole contained 
ete 
DA 
adopted a year or two before the ground is broken up. 
A great quantity of high moor land, which is unsuit- 
able for cultivation, may, nevertheless, be profitably 
improved by planting Larch, Fir, and other trees. In 
many instances these have caused the heath to disap- 
pear; aud when the trees have been well thinned the 
ground has produced more and better food for stock 
than it did previous to its being planted. Some such 
land has, by planting, been made productive tillage, or 
occasional tillage ground after the trees have been re- 
moved. There is much high table land, as upon Ham- 
bleton (in the N. W. of Yorkshire), covered with heath, 
the unproductiveness of which land is, in a great mea- 
sure, to be attributed to the climate, there being a fair 
depth of soil of moderate quality. In such situations it 
has been found very desirable to make screen plan- 
tations of trees, which tend greatly to ameliorate 
the climate; for though they grow but slowly they 
may“ generally be i helteri pro- 
p t water, and on that account a portion 
of the trees were planted on 4-feet lands, or “ lazy- 
beds,” and on them they were most successful. To 
improve this unprosperous heath-growing plantation, 
Ir. Rob let the whole to labourers to dig about 9 inches 
deep, at from 47. to 67. per acre, including the stubbing 
of the trees, which were thrown upon the digged sur- 
face. The heath was turned downwards, the trees were 
carried off, part of the top-wood was sold, and the 
remainder burned on the ground. 
The next process was that of draining with tiles laid 
upon. fiat soles, e drains were from 3 ft. 7 ins. to 
3 ft. 10 ins., excepting the main drains, which were 
about 7 ft. in depth. The tiles were covered with heath, 
and the drains filled with sand, the clay being spread 
upon the surface wherever any was dug out; but, in 
one case, where it was returned to the drains, they had 
to be opened and filled with sand. The eost of drainage 
averaged 4/. 17s. per acre. A portion of the most un- 
Aah 
g and 
young plants with walls of sods or 
Stones, which, in such situations, are commonly 
the most suitable fences at first for the outside boun- 
dary. Where the cover was rough it has generally 
been found best to burn it; but without paring and 
burning the soil, except where it is strong ; though 
where it was so it has commonly been beneficial to burn 
it. On the contrary, though burning a sandy soil has 
been the means of obtaining a quick return, it has after- 
wards proved to be unprofitable. In some instances 
irenching with the spade, and burying the Heath has 
been profitably performed, In other places deep 
wide trenches have been dug out of the open furrows 
after ploughing. By this means ‘clay has been cast 
upon poor sandy or peaty moor earth, and so greatly 
improved it as to cause good crops to grow where onl 
very bad ones were previously obtained, This might 
be done very profitably in many places where it has 
never been attempted. Clay is very commonly to be 
found under sand ; and in many places marl, or clay- 
marl might probably be found where it has never been 
thought of. Irrigation has also been made a most pro- 
fitable method of converting a barren heath into a won- 
derfully productive meadow, by little more than the 
powef of water judiciously applied. This has been very 
successfully effected by the Duke ‘of Portland, at Clip- 
Ston Park, where by turning the course of a small 
river, and carrying it on as high ground as possible, 
land has been raised in value from under 5s. to 5/. an 
aere. And even this, great as the improvement is, has 
been surpassed by Mr. Henderson and others in the 
neighbourhood of Edinburgh. There are many hun- 
dreds of acres which might in the same way be im- 
proved by turning the course of a small stream over 
high barren moors; and in some cases it might be 
found profitable to erect machinery for the purpose of 
raising water to irrigate high land; and on low land 
such machinery might be very beneficially employed for 
the double purpose of drainage and irrigation. Machi- 
nery may also be used for warping with muddy water ; 
or for raising warp-soil from out of pits where it has 
been, or may be collected, as has been done by Mr. 
Gossip on Thorne waste, where by means of engines 
and a moveable railroad, some of the most barren kind 
of peaty moor has been covered, from 4 to 8 inches 
thick, with rich warp-soil, and thus converted into most 
productive land. We have noticed many other places, 
particularly in that neighbourhood, where warp-soil 
either is already collected, or might be collected into 
pits, and thus conveyed on to land that lies too high to 
be warped with water. The wonderful benefit. of 
Water-warping is strikingly displayed in the vicinity of 
the Ouse and Trent, where much barren heath and 
other poor land has been covered with rich soil ; and 
there is still much poor heathy moor, which appears to 
be capable of being very profitably improved in the 
same way; but not without a considerable outlay of 
capital. As was well observed by a very spirited and 
judicious farmer in that neighbourhood, “land is grate- 
ful,” and will well repay a large advance of capital 
employed with judgment. The attempts to improve 
moor land have generally, we believe, been successful 
where they have been carried on with spirit and judg- 
ment. When disappointment has followed, it has com- 
monly arisen from too great eagerness to grow corn- 
raised 
tecting the 
p soil, so dug, was harrowed and sown with 
Oats; to allow the heath to decompose and break up 
more readily. . The crop, however, was a miserable 
one, which did not pay for the cost of seed and labour. 
The remainder was well harrowed, to obtain a loose 
surface soil; and early in May, lime (from Kepwick and 
Sutton-under- Whitest liff) was applied at the rate 
of 3 chaldrons per acre. This was worked in by drag- 
ging twice, and ploughing shallow once. Turnips were 
drilled in June, with 14 bushels per acre of bones, upon 
the flat surface, and a fair crop was obtained, which 
was eaten on the land by sheep. The following spring 
the land was drilled with Oats, which produced 9 qrs. 
and 6 bushels per acre. After the Oats, the land was 
sown in 1843 with meslin (Wheat and Rye mixed), 
and produced 32 bushels per acre. . On a portion of the 
land, while the sheep were eating the Turnips, 11b. of 
Linseed-cake per day was given to each of them. This 
was sown with Oats in 1844, and produced 102 qrs. per 
aere. Onsome of the high land, after a crop of Rye, Mr. 
Rob has been and now is carting on clay marl, at the rate 
of 400 loads per aere. A high part of the field is 
selected, and the hill bisected ; the soil is taken off and 
thrown back ; the sand is also removed, and the clay 
marl is taken out to the depth of about 3 feet. The 
sand is then returned and covered with the soil, so as 
to leave the field nearly level. From the above, and 
many similar instances, which may be observed in 
various parts of the kingdom, it is evident that Heath 
land of very poor quality may be profitably improved 
by a spirited outlay of capital, for which it forms a safe 
and very beneficial investment ; benefiting at the same’ 
time the owner, the occupier, the labourer, and the 
public. Improved cultivation, with thorough draining, 
subsoiling, and purchased manures, has of late years 
made land, which was formerly considered unworthy of 
cultivation, to produce more in a course of years than 
land of natural good quality did under the old system 
of two crops and a summer fallow. And it is probable 
that in a few years, by the combination of science with 
practice, agriculture will be so much more improved, 
that the quality of land will be of comparatively little 
importance. On all land, the value of manure is too 
much practically disregarded ; but on poor soils.it is 
especially needful to use every means to increase its 
quantity, and to improve and retain its quality. Not a 
drop of liquid manure ought to be wasted ; neither 
should any of the gaseous virtues be suffered to escape 
from the midden. Dry peat and other kinds of earth 
may often be advantageously added both to liquid and 
solid manures; and some kind of manure should 
always be drilled in with the seed. The farmer should 
never forget that “muck makes money,” and costs 
money. Without manure of some kind he ought not, 
on a poor soil, to expect success; and without good 
eultivation he does not deserve it. He should always 
consider, that to farm well a large capital per aere is 
absolutely requisite; and that he cannot reasonably ex- 
pect success if he undertakes a larger quantity of land 
than his capital is fully equal to, so as to manage it in 
the very best way. The landlord, too, should consider | 
that he cannot expect a tenant who is possessed of 
capital and skill to risk his money, and exert his ener- | 
gies without ample security, and a reasonable prospect | 
of success, Thus many a heath may be converted into | 
fruitful fields ; and the British isles may yet become a l 
crops. Instead of this the design should be that of 
*4 
productive garden.— An Old Farmer 
HOW TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF THE 
AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 
(Concluded from p. 553.) b 
Having thus noticed several of the means which ap- ^ 
pear to be the most useful in immediately improving: 
the condition of the labourer, and which are undoubt- 
edly the means, if any, that must be used among our 
present race of workmen ; the next inquiry is, in what 
way is this improvement to be insured to the future gene- 
ration ? The only satisfactory answer is, it must be done 
by edueation. Agriculture is rapidly progressing. The 
farmer finds that the old systems will not do ; something 
more than mere common sowing and reaping are now 
requisite. Science must, ere long, be brought. into” 
common and constant practice ; and the labourer; 
therefore, as well as his master, must be advanced up" 
to the required mark of mental attainment ; he must- 
have knowledge enough to grapple with new difficulties, 
and understand new modes of operation. This, then, 
is the grand, the capital improvement—the labourer 
must be educated. This training of the mind will cause 
him to know more of his own powers, and develope and 
strengthen them ; thus making him a better workman, 
a more useful member of society, and capable of pro- 
fiting by every advantage. The education of the la- 
bouring class, besides enlarging their mental faculties 
and furnishing them with an invaluable store of know 
ledge, will give them the habit of thinking, will quicker’ 
their understanding, and make them, in short, intelli-. 
gent. They will therefore be of incaleulably more: 
benefit to the farmer. They will be better labourers) 
attending to their various employments systematically + 
and vigorously, as knowing perfeetly the end to be 
attained ; better herdsmen and shepherds, appreciating’ 
the value of cleanly feeding and steady management of 
stock. They will see the utility of carefully preserving 
every portion of manure, not only on the farms where 
they are employed, but for their gardens or allotments. 
They will be better members of society. Ignorance 
fosters vice; and when once they become enlightened, 
especiallyas all our systems of education are based upon 
such sound moral principles, practical virtue will exten- 
sively prevail. This, besides making them of more benefit 
to the community, will be the great renovator of their 
condition; for the various means that have been 
noticed may encourage habits of industry, and assist the: 
labourer in supplying his wants ; but only prudence, 
sobriety, and integrity will secure happiness from such 
advantages. As mental and moral improvement, there- 
fore, are the essentials of the labourer’s happiness, in 
order that he may enjoy their blessings, he must be 
trained and instructed in early life. Schools for the 
accomplishment of this object abound in most districts,’ 
and one of the best schemes for instructing the children 
of the rural population is that of * Self supporting Agri- 
cultural Schools.” At these schools the children are not 
only well taught in the usual branches of knowledge, but 
gain agricultural information by working on the 
“School Farm.” They thus learn the management and” 
various operations to be performed in the cultivation of! 
land ; and besides having such a healthy exercise, each’ 
scholar receives a share of the produce, which pays the! 
expence of his tuition. 
It is impossible to estimate the amount of good which~ 
the present means of education will confer upon the 
succeeding race of workmen. For, independently of: 
the vast number of charity-schools of different kinds— 
even from our union-l where ls receive, 
so to speak, a good education), what numbers go out 
into the world with better means of obtaining a liveli- 
hood, and surer defences from the evils of poverty than 
are possessed by those multitudes of children that live 
untaught and neglected ! The poor children previously: 
to being thus instructed, are invariably the most destitute ' 
—generally orphans—and so under the old poor-law 
most likely to have been the burthen and pest of society 
but they are now sought for by all the lower class of 
farmers and tradesmen for servants and apprentices, 
merely on account of their extra attainments, Althoug 
this has been effected by legislation and not by “ private 
exertion,” still it shows what education may do in agri- 
cultural districts alone. Let all, then, who feel an in“, 
terest in improving the labourer's present eondition^ 
and preparing his children for a better state of things in’ 
uture, exert their influence to promote education and* 
the diffusion of knowledge. Let them enforce a full and 
regular attendance at the various week-day-and Sunday? 
schools, and aid in the establishment of circulating librae 
ries for the poor and their children. 
Education will in future be the only sure antidote to 
poverty and distress. There is no cause for apprehend- 
ing a future scarcity of work—no room for dark foxe- 
bodings of this sort— because of the great improvements 
which are going on in husbandry. The farmer sees 
now that his utmost energies are required to “increase 
the quantity” of his produce. This is the grand aim of 
agricultural science; and attendant upon it'is the ið" 
crease of work. More tillage is necessary, and many. 
more hands are employed ; but then the principal de- 
mand is for skilful workmen ; and thus education mus 
be the labourer's most valuable boon, and will aid him 
most in earning a living. There is no reason whatever 
to dread future evils in his condition; everything seems to" 
predict prosperity, and he may without fearing disap- 
pointment, hope for regular employment and good 
wages. He may look forward to the time when he 
shall possess a comfortable dwelling, and be the cultivator 
of a profitable allotment ; but the secret of his enjoyr 
ment of these advantages will be that he knows the 
blessings :of industry, temperance, frugality, and con-- 
