128 



Lincolnsliire Fens. 



remainder with oats, beans, coleseed^ and turnips, with a small 

 portion of barley. 



A great deal of oil-cake has been consumed for the improve- 

 ment of the yard manure ; and bones, lime, salt, and ashes have 

 been used to a small extent, all of which have proved to be very 

 beneficial. Very little underdraining has been done at present, 

 but there is every likelihood of its becoming general in a few 

 years. 



Arthur Young, in 1798, mentions a farmer at Brothertoft (in 

 this fen), who, " before the draining and inclosure, paid 20^. rent 

 for a cottage and croft. His stock on the fen was 400 sheep, 500 

 geese, 7 milch cows, 10 or twelve young horses, and 10 young 

 beasts. Such a person, if ever one was heard of, must have been 

 injured by an inclosure ; for never could be known a more perfect 

 contrast between the rent and stock of a holding. But he now 

 rents about 50 acres of the inclosure at 255. an acre^ and greatly 

 prefers his present situation, not only for comfort, but profit 

 also." And since that prodigious increase in the value of this 

 land it has still been progressing, letting now for upwards of 2/. 

 per acre, and producing abundant crops of corn and pulse. 



TVildmore Fen and IVest Fen. — On the opposite side of the 

 Witham from Holland Fen is Wildmore Fen," and further 

 eastward is West Fen ;" both of which form one district 

 of soil so similar in every respect that they may be both 

 noticed together. This tract is bounded on the south and 

 south-west by the Witham, from near Boston to Tattershall 

 Ferry-bridge ; on the north-west by the highlands of Tatter- 

 shall, Coningsby, Tumby, Mareham, and Revesby; and on 

 the east by the high grounds of Stickford, Stickney, and Sib- 

 sey ; forming part of the fourth district," taxed by the Witham 

 Act. These fens — after the attempted drainage already noticed 

 in an earlier part of this Report — were under the superintendence 

 of a Court of Sewers, the drainage being principally carried on 

 by means of the Adventurer's drains ; but the river Witham being 

 neglected and nearly silted up, they became so much oppressed, 

 that application was made to Parliament in 1762, when the Wi- 

 tham Act passed, by which a number of drains were made suffi- 

 cient to carry off the downfall waters only — the upland waters 

 still pouring down upon the Level, so as to render the inclosure of 

 it impossible. Another Act was therefore procured in 1801, for 

 more effectually draining these fens; and another division of this 

 district, called the " East Fen," was incorporated with the fourth 

 district." Some new drains were executed under the direction of 

 Mr. Rennie, a catch-w^ater drain was cut round the base of the 

 highlands, and a proper outfall provided to carry the hill waters 

 separately to sea, thus draining a tract of 40,000 acres. 



