Pitchill, Tilesford, and the Grove. 
489 
enumerated, is the length of time which a good set of tackle is 
expected to last. 
Tilesford Farm. 
This farm, consisting of 360 acres, of which about 100 are in 
permanent pasture, was taken at Michaelmas, 1864. The sub- 
soil is a stiff lias clay ; and the state of the drainage, the foulness 
of the land, and the poverty of the crops would require the pen 
of a " Talpa " to render them picturesque. All that I have 
to do is to show by what means such a farm has gradually 
been rendered dry, clean, and fertile, without any excessive ex- 
penditure, and without the loss of a single year's crop, except 
in a few fields where twitch, onions, or wild oats were unusually 
luxuriant. In describing this history, it will be most conducive 
to clearness and facility of comprehension if each field be taken 
in succession, just as their courses of cropping were described to 
Mr. Randell and myself on the ground.* 
Grass Land. 
Home Field. — This is a piece of permanent pasture, mea- 
suring about 10 acres ; the greater portion of it has been very 
much improved by draining and folding sheep on it in the 
summer, giving them artificial food. The effect of manures has 
also been tried, and a mixture, consisting of ^ cwt. of nitrate of 
soda, ^ cwt. of guano, and 1 cwt. of superphospate per acre, 
which had been spread over one of the lands early in the year 
by the manure distributor, as an experiment, had, in April, made 
a very conspicuous mark. 
The remaining portion was so bad that it seemed necessary to 
have recourse to some extremely vigorous means of improving 
it. Accordingly, it was broken up and dressed with 100 cubic 
yards per acre of burnt clay ; and the next spring it was planted 
with swedes, then with mangolds the year after, and again with 
mangolds the third year, the usual manures for those crops being 
given in each case. When the land is considered clean enough 
and good enough it will be laid down again for permanent 
pasture. 
Long Furlongs. — At present this is a very poor pasture, 
measuring about 24 acres ; but the land is somewhat lighter 
and better than most of that on the farm, so it will be ploughed 
up very soon. Hitherto the improvement of it has been confined 
to such matters as a thorough draining and the removal of super- 
fluous timber. A regular grove of trees has been removed ; and 
three or four hedgerows, besides numberless clumps of gorse and 
* The details of the management and improvement of the Tilesford Farm were 
communicated to us by Mr. IJomford s very intelligent foreman, Mr. James. 
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