24 



Farming of Derhij shire. 



opposed to the tank, and the distribution of liquid manure either 

 by pipes or water-carts ; and, in the writer's opinion, will out- 

 live it. On the magnesian limestone very few tanks can be 

 found. "They don't answer," it is said — " they are too much 

 trouble." Another says, " I have spouted my buildings, and 

 converted my tank into a soft-water cistern ; and I would advise 

 everybody else to do the same." 



Manarjement of Crops. — After three-fourths or four-fifths of 

 the turnips are consumed on the ground with sheep, the next 

 operation is drilling the barley in the spring at the rate of 3 

 bushels to the acre, which is generally admitted by practical men 

 to be the proper quantity on these soils. Drilling is preferred, 

 because it allows the land to be dressed down and fallowed, to 

 remove any remnant of weeds left from the previous year. The 

 clovers are sown at the same time, and mixed or not with Italian 

 or common rye-grass to suit the farmers' purposes. Some never 

 mix the clovers, but sow clear white after one fallow, and clear 

 red and cov/ grass after the next ; and by this means prevent the 

 frequent repetition of the red clovers. Eight to 121bs. of clover 

 seeds, and 1 to 2 pecks of rye-grass, are the usual quantities applied 

 per acre. On limestone farms there is usually a want of old grass 

 land, and the clovers are usually mown the first year and pastured 

 the second. After this follows the rape, as before given, or the 

 wheat. The land is ploughed with the skim-coulter and pressed 

 down, and the seed- wheat sown at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. 

 Occasionally, where the width of the fields will admit, the 

 harrows follow the presser, and the wheat is drilled across the 

 ploughing. The advocates of this system state, " the wheat is 

 not so much choked with grass." Ploughing matches, in the 

 axitumn, are encouraged by the Heath, Bolsover, Staveley, and 

 other farmers' clubs. A spirit of emulation is with the plough- 

 man ; and the land prepared for wheat is as true and straight in 

 the furrows as if geometricians had been at work with parallel 

 rulers. 



Lucerne and sainfoin are gone out of fashion: it would be 

 difficult to assign a reason why the latter is not more extensively 

 grown, excepting, perhaps, " the land is wanted for turnips." It 

 is a fact that, since the growth of Swede turnips has been pushed 

 to the present extent, but little sainfoin is grown. The turnip, 

 and all that follows in its train, the barley, the wheat, and the 

 sheep, appear the great staple of magnesian soils. 



The Breed of Cattle is of a mixed and various kind. They are 

 chiefly bred on the land, and have been improved by the admix- 

 ture of Durham blood ; but they have been more improved by 

 better nursing and rearing. Some are bought in the autumn for 

 the straw-yard, where they receive during the winter a little oil- 



