Farming of Liiicohisldre. 



349 



enough to supply his own household whh dairy produce, and fur- 

 nish a few pounds of butter weekly for the market. The cows 

 are fed in yards during the winter on cut meat," that is straw 

 and clover, usually cut an inch or an inch and a half long-. 



The proprietors are not generally large owners ; and all the 

 tenant-farmers are tenants- at-will. Some holdings amount to 

 1000 and 1300 acres each, but there are a ereat many 60 and 

 80 acre farms, the average size being about 200 acres throughout 

 the hill district in front of the chalk. All the parishes near to 

 the Fens are tithe-free: they possess allotments of fen land, the 

 tithes being compounded in the following manner : — When the 

 three fens named East, West, and Wildmore, were drained, — • 

 of the total quantity of 40,009 acres the Duchy Court of Lan- 

 caster took one-twentieth part as a compensation for manorial 

 rights, and the remainder was divided into parochial allotments 

 amongst the towns claiming righl: of common. Acts of parlia- 

 ment were subsequently passed for the inclosure of the fen aiiot- 

 inents, and the waste lands within these parishes ; and after a 

 certain portion was decreed to the impropriators in lieu of tithes, 

 the rest was awarded to the proprietors of toflsteads and lands 

 within the respective parishes. 



In the townships north of these the tithe still continues an 

 annual burden of 05., 65., or 7s, per acre. 



The general surface of the hills which run several miles north- 

 ward from Keal is much more wooded than that of the Wolds, and 

 there are several extensive woods and fox-covers. The fences are 

 generally neat quicks ; in many places upon banks ; small grips 

 or ditches being dug, the earih laid all on one side, and the quick 

 planted on the bank thus raised. But this is an injudicious plan, 

 the soil falling away from the stems and roots on each side, and 

 by this exposure damaging the growth of the hedge. The whole 

 tract was anciently covered with gorse and ling, having cultivated 

 spots and pastures round the villages — it now has the aspect of 

 thriving crops and luxuriant herbage in almost every part, being 

 generally highly cultivated. The rent probably averages about 

 3O5. per acre. 



The improvements which have taken place upon the sand and 

 red clay soils are well worthy of attention, and mainly consist of 

 tinderdraining, marling, and liming. The drains are constructed 

 with a view of cutting off the springs upon sloping land ; very 

 few stones are employed for the purpose, the tile and sole being 

 most usual. The drains are invariably deep, and the practice of 

 this great point of good husbandry is universal throughout the 

 district. Arthur Young states that at the period of his survey the 

 wetness of the hill-sides about Mavis Enderby, Bolingbroke, &c., 

 was lamentable, and that ''he was a desperate fox-hunter, who 



