Hexgrave and Leyjiclds. 
447 
bianco of a bush drain. The rent was IG.v. per acre, and the 
whole farm would barely keep a score of poor beasts. I'he roads 
could only be called such by courtesy, as, if fifteen quarters of 
wheat had to be sent to Mansfield, only five could be drawn 
from the granary on the waggon, and the rest was carried in 
sacks on horses' backs and piled on the waggon when it reached 
the high road ; but the new tenant soon altered that, and made 
about three miles of good road at his own expense. The farm 
is situated on high table-land, sloping away on the south side to 
Beesthorpe Valley, which was formerly full of hop-yards, but they 
are now all laid down to grass. The late Mr. Parkinson had 
once 1100^. worth of hops from 10 acres, and still hop-cultivation 
did not pay in the long run. " North Clays " were duly quoted 
in the Borough, but they could not rival the Kentish and Sussex 
samples. A good deal of the old pasture at Ley fields, including 
some hop-ground, was laid down 40 or 50 years ago, and three 
of the meadows of about 12 acres each are flooded at intervals. 
It is not done regularly, as the brook is small and it cannot be 
turned on at will. In a lucky season from 30 cwt. to 2 tons of hay 
can be got from them. No top-dressing is used beyond merely 
forking the dung about. There are about 12 to 14 acres of hay 
at Leyfields, and the same of red clover, which is not sown more 
than once in 10 years. 
Nearly all the fields are watered by putting down troughs in 
the drains, which have always an abundant supply of good 
water. Much of the draining on the arable land was done 40 
years since ; when furrow drains were put in at every 8 or 9 
yards, and a quantity of deep drains on the low ground, which 
catch the deep water and tap the springs from the hills. The 
draining upon about 60 acres of the farm, taken to in the last 20 
years, has been done chiefly by the tenant, the landlord giving the 
tiles. 
Leyfields is just on the edge of Sherwood Forest, which in 1609 
extended from Nottingham to Doncaster, over a tract of some 
95,000 acres. Beyond a few oak trees it may be said to be quite 
disforested, and, in fact, there is very little timber on it. The 
hedges, of blackthorn, have got good hold of the clay, and are 
kept high as a shelter to cattle till they form pretty formidable 
bullfinches. The fields are from 10 to IG acres. 
The land is suitable for oats, wheat, and barley if the season 
be dry and they do not get late on to the ground to sow it. There 
are no bare fallows, and the rotation is oats or beans out of pas- 
ture, wheat, turnips, barley, seeds two years. If the land is 
laid down with red clover for mowing, wheat follows and oats or 
beans are omitted. 
The turnips are principally Skirving's purple-tops, with a few 
