20 



Farming of Lancashire. 



miserable herbage with long rows of rushes in the furrows show 

 too plainly the great want of draining and management in the 

 occupiers. Mr. Brockholes has, during the last twenty-eight 

 years, since he came into possession of the property, drained 

 upwards of 2000 acres, chiefly with stones and across the fall : 

 many of the drains were at first laid out by himself so level that 

 they have been choked up by the deposit of ferruginous matter, 

 called canker, and require now to be done over again with tiles 

 and on a better system. His soil is for the most part a stiff clay, 

 and he does not approve of draining in such cases deeper than 

 3 feet. Being a constant resident, he is able annually to lay out 

 large sums in improving his estate, and spares no pains in making 

 it one of the finest in this part of the county. 



On the property of Mr. Jacson, which lies between 4 and 

 7 miles north of Preston, a series of improvements was effected 

 during the lifetime of his father, who will long be remembered in 

 that district as a real benefactor in his generation, and his son 

 continues to follow in his steps, endeavouring to recover a fine 

 estate from the effects of former bad management. On a pro- 

 perty of 2600 acres nearly thirty sets of farm-buildings have been 

 rebuilt (at a cost of 27,000/.) within the last sixteen years, or so 

 renewed that it amounts to the same thing; and instead of the old 

 houses made of mud walls and thatched roofs, may now be seen 

 throughout the whole of it good substantial tenements built of 

 brick and covered with slate. They are decidedly above the 

 average of farm buildings, and though not adapted to the use of 

 steam-power or any other of the modern scientific improvements, 

 are justly deemed well suited to the means of those who occupy 

 them. 



The farms are not large, the most important being from 180 

 to 200 statute acres, but the average is about 80; they were 

 formerly let on yearly tenancies, but seven years is now the usual 

 term, and some of the farmers are willing to enter into agree- 

 ments for ten, but for the most part they are reluctant to bind 

 themselves for so long a period. As a class they are incapable of 

 estimating the responsibilities which the covenants of a lease entail 

 upon them ; in their anxiety to get the farm, they are willing to 

 enter into conditions the force of which they do not understand, 

 and which consequently they care not to fulfil ; wanting in capital 

 and energy both of body and mind, they are unable to appreciate 

 or carry out an improved course of husbandry, and looking with 

 suspicion on any plan which seems to differ from their own 

 method, are reluctant to abandon the practice of breaking-up the 

 land for successive grain crops; to preserve the greater part of the 

 farm in grass is the aim and object which a good farmer ought to 

 have in view throughout this district, but after such a process of 



