80 



Farming of Northamptonshire. 



but more frequently the labour is performed by men and women. 

 When the hay has been exposed to the weather for some time, 

 and has lost its natural smell and colour, salt is spread in layers 

 in the stack at the time of carting ; cattle will then eat it better, 

 and it is considered to be improved. Rick-cloths, with pulleys 

 and poles, are occasionally used for protection during the time 

 of making the hay-rick. 



Grass land is principally manured with a compost made of the 

 scourings of ditches, road-scrapings, with a portion of lime or 

 farmyard manure. The dung of cattle is also by many persons 

 collected together and spread over the land. Nitrate of soda, 

 soot, and other light dressings, are also applied. When rain falls 

 soon after the application of nitrate of soda the effects are speedily 

 visible in the dark green hue of the grass. Water-meadows, 

 irrigation by artificial means, are not much practised. The late 

 Adam Corrie, Esq., tried it very successfully on a meadow 

 in the parish of Wellingborough, but rendered himself liable 

 to an action at law, and had to pay damages to the proprietor 

 of an adjoining mill, who brought an action for interfering with 

 the mill-stream. It was formerly adopted in some meadows 

 belonging to Earl Spencer at Chapel Brampton, but is now aban- 

 doned, upon the plea that the quality of the grass was rendered 

 coarse and inferior. The late C. Tibbits, Esq., of Barton Sea- 

 grave, carried it out in that parish, but I understand his successor 

 has not persevered in the plan. 



Many grass-fields lie in ridge and furrow-lands, and remain in the 

 same state as when they were sown down at the time of the enclosure 

 of the parishes, with the headlands and furlongs still very promi- 

 nent. The meadows and lowlands which have never been ploughed 

 lie more even. It must be admitted that throughout this county 

 very little attention and labour are expended upon the grass-land ; 

 meadows suffer from the stagnant water being permitted year after 

 year to stand on the surface during the winter months ; repeated 

 crops of hay are taken off without any return ; our rich pastures 

 are too frequently overrun with thistles, nettles, and hassocks, and 

 a considerable breadth of them rendered unfit for winter pasturage, 

 owing to the want of drainage. The second-rate grass-land and 

 inferior pastures are not being improved, mole-hills are suffered to 

 accumulate, rushes and moss occupy the surface instead of herbage, 

 and the land yields a very small produce to the occupier. This 

 description of grass-land has not enriched the tenant nor improved 

 the rental ; it has done but little towards causing a greater demand 

 for labour, and has not contributed much annual increase of pro- 

 duce to supply the wants of the community. The law of progress 

 has not reached the hroad acres of our cold icet pasture-land. 



