The Agriculture of Staffordshire. 
275 
sumption of a considerable amount of ])urcliased cake, &c., tlie 
dairy produce of the farm has been greatly increased, and the 
appearance and quality of the herbage have greatly changed. 
As, however, his entire occupation of more than 300 acres is 
rather widely scattered, I prefer to accede to his desire and 
describe more in detail the adjoining farm, occupied by his 
father, Mr. John Carrington. 
Croxden Abbey Farm is one amongst many equally satisfactory 
examples of farms held in this county without a lease, and kept in 
the highest state of cultivation, perfect confidence and a thoroughly 
good understanding subsisting between landlord and tenant. Lord 
Macclesfield is the landlord. The farm is thus divided: — 
Acres, 
Plough land 60 
Young turf 50 
Old turf 140 
Water meadow 24 
Meadow 36 
Total 310 
The arable land is cropped as follows : — 
1st year, swedes and cabbages. 
2nd year, wheat or oats. 
3rd year, seeds. 
4th year, seeds. 
5th year, wheat (or oats). 
6th year, oats (or wheat). 
Five horses are kept. 
The cultivation must be briefly described : — 1st. Fallow crops. 
The stubbles are scarified if the weather permits, and if their 
state requires it ; if quite clean, they are ploughed 7 or 8 inches 
deep early in the autumn, in lands 4 yards wide. In spring the 
land is ploughed back, cultivated across with four horses, and 
then cultivated the opposite way. Being clean, the land requires 
very little harrowing, which would be objectionable, making the 
surface too fine and liable to run together in wet weather. After 
applying the dung for cabbages, the land is ploughed in wide 
lands, the artificial manure harrowed in, and the plants set with 
a line and spade 1 yard apart. For swedes the third ploughing 
is followed up every day with the Norwegian harrow, bringing- 
the surface fine, and the land is immediately ridged up 27 inches 
apart. The operations must be done with expedition ; and without 
careful management the work of obtaining a good tilth may be 
undone in fickle weather. About 15 tons of dung per acre are 
spread in the drills and 3 cwts. of guano per acre sown on the top, 
and the ridges split down on the manure with a double-breasted 
