Agriculture of Nottiriffhamshirc. 
1G3 
and stored for cattle in I'eeding-houses and fold-yards, or for sheep 
on <rrass-land in wet weather ; and he dispensed with naked fallows, 
which previously had been prevalent. In each case at the coin- 
menciMnent of his tenancy the produce of the several parishes was 
very inferior to that at present realized : many more cattle and 
sheep are now well kept and fed in consequence of the draining 
of wet and retentive lands, autumnal cultivation, using linseed- 
cake and artificial manure, the drilling of corn and root crops, 
and carting the latter off heavy land, whilst naked fallows and 
crops sown broadcast have almost disappeared. 
Upon one of the farms of strong land above adverted to, con- 
taining 400 acres, 270 acres thereof being arable, 40 acres meadow, 
and the remainder pasture, the number of beasts kept previously 
to the year 1825 did not on an average exceed 15, and they were 
usually very poor in spring, having been wintered partly upon 
bay grown on wet land, but chiefly upon straw ; neither were any 
beasts fattened at that time. Tlie number of beasts now reared 
yearly on the farm is about 25 ; many are bought for feeding in 
summer and winter, and the general stock of cattle on the farm 
all times of the year is about 90. The number of sheep kept on 
the same farm prior to the year 1825 was less than 200 : those 
sold off were chiefly in a lean state; not more than 150 were 
clipped, and their wool was inferior. At that time the loss of 
sheep by rot and other diseases was great. The number of sheep 
now kept on the farm is nearly 400 : the whole are clipped, their 
fleeces, of superior wool, averaging not less than 8^ lbs. each, 
whilst those sold are all in a fat state. The loss of cattle or sheep 
by disease and casualty is now quite trivial. The grass land of 
the farm has become of greatly increased value in consequence of 
improvement by drainage and top-dressing ; the pasture land 
formerly was only fit for a very limited number of store cattle, 
and the artificial grasses kept few sheep. More than 57 acres 
have been converted from arable land to permanent pasture, and 
the whole of the pasture land, including artificial grasses, will 
now fatten cattle and sheep, and the meadows produce more than 
one ton and a half of good hay and superior aftermath yearly. 
The great quantity of excellent manure made on the farm causes 
increased fertility. Although more than four times the number 
of labourers are now employed on the farm than was the case in 
and previous to 1825, it yields much greater profit to the occupier 
than it did at that time, although the rent is increased cent, per 
cent, with the occupier's approval ; but subsequently all these 
practices have been generally adopted in these parishes, and, 
together with autumnal cultivation, with a liberal use of linseed- 
cake and of artificial manures, have led to a great increase in the 
number of cattle and sheep kept and fed. 
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