158 



State of Agriculture in Northimherland. 



pending either exclusively upon the sales of live stock or corn, 

 the farmer is in possession of both, with a large parcel of wool of 

 superior quality. In no county, perhaps^, has the introduction 

 and cultivation of turnips added in an equal degree to the pro- 

 duce of the land as in this ; and in few, probably, are the alter- 

 nate systems of grazing and tillage made to work together with 

 greater advantage. In former times, a large portion of the pas- 

 ture-land was preserved uneaten during a great part of the sum- 

 mer for the use of the sheep- flock in winter ; which, with the 

 aid of a little hay, was brought through in poor condition. To 

 produce hay for this purpose, and for horned cattle and horses, 

 occupied another portion of the grass-land, so that little stock, 

 comparatively, could be kept ; nor could it be fattened in the 

 district — the practice being to sell the disposable stock in the 

 autumn, to be driven into Yorkshire and other counties : but now 

 that one-fifth of the tillage-land is annually producing fine tur- 

 nips, little hay is required for sheep ; a far greater number of 

 sheep is produced, and the district is capable of fattening in the 

 winter a large portion of the stock that is reared. At the same 

 time, the produce in corn, in consequence of the extra quan- 

 tity of manure arising from a full stock of cattle, the superior 

 state of the land from the high culture bestowed upon the turnip- 

 crops^ and the richness imparted to it by consuming a large por- 

 tion of them by sheep upon the land where they grow, has been 

 increased in a degree almost incredible. It is difficult to obtain 

 data to prove the real extent of this increase ; but I happen to 

 have one instance in point, for which I am indebted to my friend 

 the present Mr. CuUey, of Lowberry, upon which I can fully rely. 

 The Messrs. Culley, of whom I have previously made mention, 

 entered to the farm of Wark, which is situated on the southern 

 banks of the Tweed, opposite to Coldstream, in May, 17H6. The 

 crop of that season, belonging to the preceding tenant, was valued 

 over to them, as is common, at harvest, and was estimated at 15 

 bushels per acre for oats, and 9 for wheat. But the crop on the 

 same farm, after being in Messrs. Culley's occupation for 15 years 

 — some family arrangement having caused it to be valued — was 

 estimated at 84 bushels per acre for oats, 62 for wheat, and 72 

 for barley : and it is reasonable to suppose that the increased 

 value of the live stock and green crops on the farm would be 

 somewhat in a similar proportion.^ From this statement it ap- 



* It ought to be observed, that this extraordinary crop was the produce of 

 a favourable season, and of the best land in that district. From such in- 

 formation as I have been able to obtain, I should rate the produce of the 

 Tweed-side lands, on an average of seasons, at from 28 to 36 bushels 

 of wheat per acre ; barley, 38 to 46 ; oats, 45 to 56. Mr. Thompson, of 

 Screraerston, who is a very active and intelligent farmer, paying a rental of 



