LINCOLNSHIRE. 



bounded by di[l*nt hWU ni tultiTation, are features of an 

 »jri-eeable county. "But (lill more beautiful is that about 

 'I'l-cntfall ; froin fir Jolin SIiefTit-ld's lijiiging wood, and tin; 

 Ri-v. Mr. Slieffiold's oruaiticnted walk, foUowini,' the cliff 

 to Alkbornufjh, vhere Mr. Goulton's bt-autiful grounds 

 commaiid a groat view of the three rivers ; as tlie foil is 

 div, the woods lol'ty, a'ld tlu' county various, this muft be 

 rlleemeJ a noble ficiiery, and a perfeft contraft to what 

 I,incohiniire is ofti.-n reprefented by lliofc who have oidy 

 feen the parts of it that are very different. The svhole line 

 of the Ilumber henee to Grinilhy, when viewed from the 

 hii;her wolds, prefer.ts an objert that muft be intcrellnig to 

 all Tlii-s with the very great plantation of lord Yar- 

 ■b.iTOUgh, are feen to much advantage, from that moll beau- 

 tiful building, the maufoleum at Brocklelhy.'' Many other 

 parts of the county might be pointed out as prefeniing in 

 themlclves, or commanding, intereiling fcenery. The coun- 

 try around Grantham, alfo in the vicinity of Louth, and 

 that more particularly between 15ourn and the former place, 

 including the noble and fpacious woods of Griinllhorpe, 

 abound with that inequality of furface, that divi-rlihed m- 

 lercliange of hill and dale, wood and lawn, which conlliiute 

 the pifturelque and beautiful in natural fcenery. 



Lincolnlhire may be faid to piefent three great natural 

 features, each of which has a fpecific and nearly uniform 

 cluracter. Tiiefe are tlie wolds, heaths, and fens. Tlic 

 Jatter occupy the fGUth-eallern fide of the county, and 

 though formerly a mere walle and perfectly fterile, have 

 been, by means of drainage, S:c. rendered fubfervient to 

 agriculture ; many parts indeed may be pronounced un- 

 commonly fertile. On the fea coaft, towards tlie north 

 jiart of tiie county, this traft is narrow ; near the Hum- 

 ber it contracts to a mere (Irip of land. The heaths, north 

 and t'outli of Lincoln, and the wolds, are calcareous hills, 

 which, from their brows, command many fme views over the 

 lower regions. The rell of tlie county is not equally difcri- 

 minated, either by fertility or elevation. " The heath, now 

 jiearly indofed," fays .\rthur Young, " is a tract of high 

 country, a fort of back bone to the whole, m which tl\e 

 foil is a good fandy loam, but with c'ay enough in it to be 

 fiippery with wet, and tenacious under bad manai^ement ; 

 tut excellent turnip and barley land, on n bed of lime-llones, 

 at various depths, from li.\ inches to leveral feet, commonly 

 nine inches to eighteen. This hill flopes fharply to the 

 well ; the declivity of tlie fame nature, but generally good ; 

 and this extends fome dillance in the flat vale, for the firil 

 line of villages, (built alfo as the foil lies in a longitudinal 

 direction north and fonth. ) The foil is rich loam, con- 

 taining much pallurage." Between Gainfl)orough and 

 Newark, for twenty live miles, is a large tract of flat fandy 

 foil, the greater part of which has been inclofcd, and partly 

 <irained. The foil of the ille of Acholme may be laid to 

 be among the iineft in England. It confills of black landy 

 loams, warp land, brown land, and rich loams of a foapy 

 and tenacious quality. The under llratum at Stacey, Bel- 

 ton, &c. is, in HKiny places, an ini perfect plaller ftone. 

 Refpecling the general produces of the county, the higher 

 grounds are now mollly inclol'ed, and appropriated to til- 

 lage, and produce all forts of grain. Some of the wolds, 

 however, are not yet disidi'd, but are devoted to iheep and 

 rabbits. The lower lands that have been drained and in- 

 clofed, produce abundant crops of oats, hemp, flax, ^e. 



Lineolnlhire has long been famouc for a breed of fine 

 horfes ; but the adjoining county of York has nww the 

 credit for rearing many that are aftually bred in this county. 

 In I'ome ditlrifts great numbers of rfiares are kept for the 

 fole purpolie of breeding, la liylkijsi Divilion alraoit every 



farmer keeps fome ; and the number of colts reared is vpry 

 great. The neat cattle of this county are defcribed by Mr. 

 .Stone as being, for the greatefl part, of a large fort, 

 having great heads and fhort horns ; flout in the bone, 

 and deep in the belly ; with lliort necks and flcfliy quartert. 

 narrow hips and chines, high in their rumpK, and bare on 

 the Ihoulders. 'Die cows, he remarks, when fat, weigh 

 from eight to nine hundred, and the oxen from ten to twelve 

 hundred. The moil profitable flock of the county appears 

 to be (lieep. Numbers are bred and fattened in thii part 

 of the kingdom. Large quantities of wool are thence ob- 

 tained, to lupplv the demands of the neighbouring diftrlfts. 

 It is a euriou'i fai^l, that while fo much has bi-en faid in 

 commendation of the l.,eieellerniire breed, the Lincolnfhire, 

 which is the lame, fliould have been palled over in liltnce. 

 Mr Stone fays, ihele fheep are not even varieties. The- 

 Lincolnfhire, a large horned animal, adapted for the rich 

 grazing and marlh land of the county ; generally weighs 

 Will when fat, and bears a heavy fleece of coarfe but long 

 flapled wool ; the weight, per fleece, is eight pounds and 

 upwards. Mr. Young mentions a Iheep fold at Smithfield. 

 which clipped, the firft year, 2 jib. of wool, and in the 

 fecond year, 2 2, 'lb. Few manutaiJlures are ellaolifhed in 

 this county ; but here are two ob'ied.s of coiifidcrable mer- 

 chandize, rabbits' fur, and goole feathers Thefc ■were 

 formerly of great confequence, and furmflied articles of ex- 

 tenfive trade. I'Vom the fyftem of inclofing, now lo cxten- 

 fively adopted, both rabbits and gecle are much di.iiiniflied. 

 The rabbit warrens of this county were formerly much 

 more exteiifive than at prefent. and were prelerved on a 

 principle of im])rovement ; fome being broken up for tillage, 

 and others, which had been under tilth, being again laid 

 down for this purpol'e. The foil of old warrens, by the 

 rabbit* continually llirring and ventilating the earth in bur- 

 rowing, has been found incomparably better than lands of a 

 like nature left in their original flate. The fecundity ot 

 rabbits was a circumlVance of no fmall confequencc, wliea 

 the fkins of large well-chofen rabbits would produce 2s. 6J. 

 or ^s. each : at that time they were uled iu making mulls, 

 tippets, lining robes, &:c. : the dov^n was alfo employed in 

 hats. As the fl<ins conHitute tUe principal profit ijf the pro- 

 prietor, it becomes a primary object with him to attend to 

 the breeding, killing, &c, : Ikins that are free from black 

 fpotsonthe infide are faid to be in feafon. The trade is 

 now on the decline, not only from the diminution in the va- 

 lue of the flcins, but alfo from the means of conducting it 

 becoming daily more circumfcribed, it being now thought 

 good hulbandry to dellroy the warrens, and apply the land 

 to other ules. The number of warrens in this county has 

 been greatlv reduced, yet many thouland acres are flill de- 

 voted to this kind of llock. 



Many of what are called the fens, are in a flate of wafle, 

 and ferve for little other purpole than breeding and rearing 

 geefe, which are confidered the teninan's treafurc. They 

 are a highly valuable llock, aud live where, in the prefent 

 flate of thofe lands, nothing elle will : they are very pro- 

 liiic, and the young quickly become laleable, or fpccdily 

 contribute to increafe the ftock. The feathers are very 

 valuable ; and however trifling it may appear, the fale of 

 quills alone amount, on a large flock, to a confiderable 

 fum. " During the breeding feafon," Mr. Gough lays, 

 <' thefe birds are lodged in the fame houfes with the inhabit- 

 ants, and even their very bed-chambers ; in every apart- 

 ment are three rows of coarle wicker pens, placed one above 

 another ; each bird has its feparate lodge, divided from the 

 other, which it keeps polfefTion of during the time of fitti«ig. 

 A gozzard, ur gooleherd, attends the flock, and twice a 

 <lay 



