30 
Agriculture of Berkshire. 
The character of the soil is very various. Towards the west 
the coral-rag prevails on the hill, at the base of which runs 
the Cole : this river divides the counties of Berks and Wilts 
for a considerable distance. The land on the slope is generally 
good : on the south-east side there is stonebrash, with a sandy 
loam ; the intermediate slopes are various, and at the base of the 
hill is the Oxford clay. The grass-land generally is grazed for 
dairy purposes and is very variable in quality : on the slopes it 
is dry, healthy, and very productive ; so also is the best of the 
strong loams lying on clay when well drained, but there are fields 
adjoining Buscot which are cold and unproductive. 
The system of cropping generally adopted is the 4-course 
shift, but it is continually varied, as it is found that with high 
feeding too much straw would otherwise be grown : 250 quarters 
of oats, 100 quarters of beans, 40 quarters of barley, 25 tons of 
oil-cake, with a good deal of inferior wheat, beans, and peas, 
are, on an average, consumed in the year ; large quantities of 
mangel-wurzel are grown. There are 17 cart-horses employed : 
they are frequently used for timber-hauling on the estate. 
The neat cattle are of the pure short-horn breed, from the herds 
of Messrs. Booth and other well-known breeders ; 140 head are 
kept, consisting of 60 cows and heifers, 20 steers, 40 cow and 
bull calves, bulls, &c. There is a breeding flock of pure South- 
downs, from the stock of Messrs. Jonas Webb, Northeast, Throg- 
morton, &c. : 400 ewes, 200 ewe tegs, 150 wether tegs. The 
pigs are of the Coleshill breed, and have gained much reputation 
at many agricultural shows ; some of this stock have been sent 
to nearly all parts of Europe. 
With all this attention to the breeding and rearing of stock, 
I am pleased to add that the well-being and condition of the 
agricultural labourer has not been overlooked by his lordship. 
The village of Coleshill has been rebuilt. The cottages, con- 
taining as a rule three bedrooms each, and with 40 poles 
of ground attached, are of a superior description ; others are 
still being built as required, especially on farms where there 
is not sufficient cottage accommodation. I am told by a friend 
residing in the neighbourhood that his lordship is always ready 
to promote and assist in every benevolent work in the widest 
sense of the word. For some years past he has given prizes, 
not restricted to his own tenantry or labourers, for the best 
mowing, shearing, drilling, and other agricultural operations, 
and also for the best pieces of swedes, mangolds, &c. A village 
flower and vegetable show also takes place every year. These 
encouragements to good cultivation, good work, and, above all, 
decency of living, already show signs of good fruit, which must 
increase and extend as time rolls on. I am much indebted to 
