Farming of Northamptonsliire, 



109 



in many cases deteriorating in value every year. A wealthy pro- 

 prietor could not more safely invest his capital than in the ere(;tion 

 of suitable homesteads where required ; and permittin^^ a consider- 

 able proportion of the grass land to be ploughed up, would 

 give an impetus to the industry of the locality and increase the 

 produce of the soil. It would, like many other good examples, 

 soon be followed by others ; and districts wliich now have little 

 to recommend them (save as galloping ground for hunters), would 

 experience a pleasing and beneficial change. Tt would un- 

 doubtedly increase in some degree the responsibilities and duties 

 of the proprietor, but it would be for the benefit of the common- 

 weal, and contribute to supply the wants of an increasing popula- 

 tion and the extending requirements of the country. Improve- 

 ments might be effected on many estates by revising the localities 

 of many farms, in order to render them more convenient for 

 occupation. 



Farms are now often ill laid out, occupations intersecting each 

 other, when by the exercise of a little judgment in an exchange 

 between occupiers of fields lying contiguous to each other, hold- 

 ings might be made much more " ring-fenced." An addition of 

 some grass or meadow-land would be of great advantage to farms 

 having now a small proportion. There exists great dispropor- 

 tion on some large estates, both with regard to the quality of the 

 land on different farms, and also to the extent of accommodation. 

 You will sometimes see one large farm with a small house and 

 buildings ; and a large house and homestead allotted to a small 

 farm of 70 or 80 acres. All these revisions should be under the 

 direction of a practical steward, having a knowledge of the dif- 

 ferent qualities of the land, and able to tell, by personal inspec- 

 tion, not only the condition but also the requirements of every 

 farm on the estate, and who should encourage the tenantry to 

 carry out the most improved system of cultivation, and I have no 

 doubt the tenantry would duly perform their part. We have 

 already sufficient evidence in this county that the best farmed 

 and best managed estates are under the direction of practical 

 stewards, or of gentlemen who take the management of their 

 estates into their own hands ; and we have a large number of the 

 latter class who are liberal landlords, and have a respectable 

 tenantry ; while those estates that are neglected, or under the 

 direction of men who take no interest in their improvement, are 

 generally the worst farmed and the least productive in the 

 county. 



The complete drainage of the valley of the river Nene is essen- 

 tial to a more uniform and effective drainage of the jirinci pal part of 

 the county. 



The natural great watercourse of the county is the river j\ ene, 

 which flows through nearly its entire length, being augmented in 



