77(6 Agriculture of Staffordshire. 
285 
Forty years ago, when no roots were grown on heavy land, the 
principle of cropping was to rest the land with two or three years' 
seeds, after which two corn crops could be got out of it. The 
rotation was — 
Fallow ; 
Wheat ; 
Barley or oats ; 
Seeds for two or three years ; 
Oats ; 
Wheat. 
Very little clover appeared in the second year's seeds, which 
consisted of perennial rye-grass, white clover, and trefoil ; these 
were mown for hay, and the crop, though slight, furnished suffi- 
cient winter provender for the horses and a few cattle and sheep. 
A few cows were wintered in the straw-yards, and the principal 
sales of stock were made once a year at the great fair held at 
Barton-under-Needwood, and formerly noted for its large show 
of heifers. But the produce of "the Forest" is now exported in 
another form, and the famous fair is about to be discontinued. 
The four-field rotation of crops succeeded the old system, viz. 
fallow (bare), wheat or barley, seeds, wheat ; but the loss of 
clover from its frequent repetition proved a serious drawback. 
As stock became dearer, roots began to be grown on the fallows, 
as well as tares for folding off and soiling ; and all but the 
heaviest fallows are now generally cropped in this way. Another 
great change has taken place, with the special object of resting 
the land from clover and corn, and of increasing the green crops 
at the least possible expense. The old system of laying down 
the land in "seeds" for two or three years has been revived. 
The practice of laying the greater part of the dung on the seeds, 
and getting roots by means of artificial manures, is greatly 
extending. The red marls are singularly disposed to pasture ; 
the best of them make excellent turf in five years, and though it 
takes fifteen years to make good turf on colder soils, even the 
poor clays of the Forest are better suited for grasses, under rota- 
tion, or permanent, than for anything else. Having regard, there- 
fore, to present prices of produce, the cost of labour, the supply 
of manures, and the expenses of cultivation generally, it is pro- 
bable that the present is the best mode of cultivating the Forest 
clays and others suited to pasturage. Two-thirds of the Forest are 
in grass, and the quantity has been greatly increased in the last 
ten 3"ears, 
existing records is shown to have been a tree of note upwards of 600 years ago. 
This makes it at least coeral witli the Conquest ; I am of opinion, however, that 
it dates much further back." 
