36 



Farming of Lancashire. 



clay to a light sand, may be found within the limits of this division ; 

 but it is generally light and friable. In the neighbourhood of 

 Cartmel and Holker there is a good deal of hard land — stony, 

 but very productive. Over-sands, around Ulverstone and through 

 the whole district of Furness, it becomes stronger, of a red loamy 

 nature, and produces good crops of grain ; on the sea-coast it is 

 lighter and more sandy. There are two distinct classes of farms 

 in this district — those which belong to large landed proprietors, 

 such as the Earl of Burlington, the Crown, and others ; and those 

 which belong to small freeholders. The former are large, and 

 superior in number and class to other parts of the county ; they 

 range from a rental of 150Z. to 400/., and some few higher than 

 that, even to 600/. per annum. The latter are freeholds of not 

 more than 40 statute acres, the property of a class of men known 

 in that country as " statesmen," who, living on their own farms 

 from generation to generation, are content with their small inherit- 

 ance ; and not having wealth nor the means of procuring it, live a 

 primitive and independent life amongst their native hills. These 

 men were formerly the worst farmers in the district, but they are 

 now becoming more alive to their own interest, and willing to 

 profit by the good example of their neighbours. What Mr. 

 Dickson wrote of this district in 1814 is still true with respect to 

 the occupation and size of the farms. To the north of the Lan- 

 caster sands they range from 20 to 100 statute acres ; but farther 

 north, in the vicinity of Ulverstone and in Low Furness, they are 

 as high as 300 or more ; and the Furness Abbey farm, Gleaston 

 Castle, and Holbeck, the property of the Earl of Burlington, 

 still hold the first rank. The rental of land in this district 

 ranges from 15s. to 32s. per statute acre. There is not much 

 wheat grown now in the northern district, except on Walney 

 Island, off the west coast of Furness : the prevailing grain crops 

 are oats and barley, the latter being taken by the maltsters at 

 Dalton and Ulverstone. The rotation formerly was, out of le}^ — 

 1st, oats; 2nd, barley, manured ; 3rd, clover; 4th, oats; and 

 grass seeds, or turnips after oats ; but the course is now improved 

 to — 1st, oats; then, where the sward is old and tough, a second 

 year of oats; 2nd, turnips, manured, or potatoes; 3rd, barley; 4th, 

 seeds for two or three years. This land might be made equal to 

 a four-course shift, but it will not do yet ; and when wheat is 

 grown, it is not advisable to dispense with a fallow. In Walney 

 Island wheat is grown generally, and the system is — summer fal- 

 low, wheat drilled, beans, barley or oats. Mr. John Patterson, of 

 Holbeck farm, to whom I am indebted for much of my informa- 

 tion respecting this district, came from Northumberland about 

 19 years ago, and, after his long experience of the country, finds 

 no reason to complain either of the soil or the climate ; the latter, 



