On the Farminx) of Middlesex. 
25 
and upper-level sfravcls on the higher grounds, and in dry 
seasons these brooks, or rather watercourses, are nearly dry. As 
these are the natural drains lor the surface-water, so they receive 
the discharges from artificial drainage. The undulating con- 
dition of the surface quickens the discharge of the water that 
falls upon it, so that there is not such a stagnation as to cause 
serious inconvenience ; and it is probably for this reason first 
that land-drainage, or rather the drainage of the subsoil, has been 
little practised on the clays of Middlesex. Much of the grass- 
land having been at one time under arable treatment is still in 
ridge and furrow, and in wet seasons there is unmistakable evi- 
dence that the land is not under-drained ; indeed, this is often 
made still more evident by the opening of the furrows, so as to 
allow the water a freer escape from the surface. The reason of 
this seeming neglect of that which is now an agricultural axiom, 
namely, that all soils should be relieved of their water — when, 
as in this case, it can be effected by under-drainage — may be 
found in the fact that the greater part of Middlesex is under hay- 
farming ; and so the practice, if not the prejudices, of the county 
are against the removal of the water, lest the land should become 
too dry. It must be allowed that the hay of Middlesex is often 
of good quality, Hendon, perhaps, produces the hay which has the 
best name in the market. The Hendon bent {^Cynosurus cristatiis), 
the crested dog's-tail, is well known to the dealers, and is seldom 
found except on good meadow-ground. The wet surface of the 
clay hinders the later autumn grazing by neat cattle or sheep ; 
but the Middlesex farmer is content if he can secure an abundant 
first crop of hay, which he thinks is rather hindered than secured 
by under-draining. On the flat loams and gravels it is often 
difficult to find an outfall for land-drainage, especially when the 
loam is removed for the manufacture of bricks ; though it is 
often a part of the bargain with those who have to restore the 
surface-soil that they should provide for the drainage by the 
introduction of under-drains, so that the water, always present 
in these soils at certain depths, may not interfere with the 
after-cultivation where the brick-earth has been removed. 
Makkets. 
The markets of Middlesex, inasmuch as they are mostly 
metropolitan, cannot be identified with the agriculture of the 
county. The hay-markets are, to a certain extent, an exception ; 
for although large quantities of hay, and especially straw, 
come from other counties either by road, railway, or canal, the 
Middlesex-gi'own hay is deemed inferior to none, and is generally 
attractive to the buyer from the care bestowed on the making. 
