Farming of Derbyshire, 



53 



sand and gravel. The greater part of the draining is completed, 

 particularly those portions as belonging to the Devonshire estate. 



The course of cropping on the mountain lime is nearly uniform, 

 and confined to the growing of turnips, rape, clover seeds, and 

 oats, with occasionally wheat and bere (big), and is as follows : — 



1st Year. — Fallow, turnips, roots, &c. 

 2nd do. Oats or rape. 



ord do. Seeds, mixed clovers, with 8 to 12 bushels of natural 

 hay seeds. 



In this state and by the mode of laying down the land on rape, 

 the seeds are pastured from 14 to 16 and 18 years, and ploughed 

 up for oats, the land improving by the rest. Natural grasses are 

 indigenous to the limestone soil, and the couch grasses with 

 ordinary care in the fallow rarely show themselves. The turnips 

 are generally drilled on the flat, with improved machinery, and 

 receive from 2 to 4 quarters of bones per acre with ashes, and 

 from 2 to 3 cwt. of guano sown broadcast. On the best-cultivated 

 farms the manure is reserved for the seeds and the meadow lands. 

 The turnips are not consumed where grown by sheep, but carted 

 on to grass lands during the winter. One reason given for this 

 plan is, that " owing to there being so little soil, it is impossible 

 to fence them by nets or fleaks in the usual way." Another 

 reason given is, " that the sharp pieces of chert are continually 

 cutting the sheep's feet and producing inflammation and foot-rot." 

 Perhaps the best reason for this practice will be, that in these 

 showery regions the sheep are more comfortable on the grass with 

 cleaner food and a better layer. Many of the upland farms are 

 large, and from 400 to 800 acres, keeping a flock of breeding ewes 

 and rearing great numbers of calves every year. Since the 

 epidemic, which has been attended with heavy losses to many of 

 the farmers, greater numbers of calves have been reared ; because 

 it is found that animals bred on the land are less liable to disease 

 of all kinds, than those which have been driven from fair to fair. 

 On the extensive farms of One Ash and Meadow Place from 30 

 to 40 calves are annually reared. They are subject to the quarter 

 evil, or speed (sometimes called black leg) which attacks them 

 in the legs, for which there is no remedy. As a prevention to 

 this evil, for it is an evil of magnitude, the young animals are 

 Towelled in the dewlap, and suppuration kept up during the cold 

 season. The disease is not now so common as it was 20 years 

 ago. The calves are better reared and cared for, their blood is 

 in a more active and healthv state ; but the greatest reason why 

 the quarter evil is less frequent is, that they are now kept in fold- 

 jards or houses, of late years provided. Dairy cows are subject 

 to red water when pastured too long on the black soil, particularly 



