512 
Farming of the North Riding of Yorhhirc. 
that the soil is not unimprovablr, though there is great difficulty. 
But the systematic and permanent character of Mr. Wharton's 
improvements at Skelton is beyond all praise. No mechanical 
skill, no scientific appliance, no improved mode of cultivation 
which has stood the test of experience but he adopts, and his 
grateful tenantry are beginning to live and thrive around him, 
who before were the miserable occupants of a semi-neglected 
desert. 
The vale of Cleveland, once abundant in grass, and famous 
for its cheese and horses, has witnessed its grazing grounds 
piecemeal converted into tillage land, cropped as long as it 
would grow a corn crop — little or no extraneous manure brought 
bac k to rc])lace the loSiS — until lost in wet and adhesiveness ; 
keeping little stock; making less and less manure; every third 
year a bare fallow, so that a few wet seasons once prevailing, 
the great mass of farms being totally undraincd, there is nothing 
but starvation spread over nearly every parish. At one period 
lime was liberally used, and had beneficial eflfects, mechanical 
and otherwise; but this was disused, and since, the district has 
descended further and further in the scale of good cultivation. 
The improvements adopted may be classed under four heads — 
Draining, Artificial maiinrcs, Green crops, and Stock feeding. 
Various modes of draining have been tried, chiefly down each 
furrow, filling up with soil 20 to 25 inches deep, with horseshoe 
tiles without bottoms ; stones occasionally used, and in some cases 
the mole-plough has been tried, and the drains are running suc- 
cessfully after an interval of 30 years. But the best instances of 
its success are upon the grass land, where it has been of very 
great benefit. 
The artificial manures introduced into the district are princi- 
pally rape-dust and guano, and when used for green crops, are 
found to lay the foundation of success in making future manure, 
and keeping stock wherewith to make a profit, and sustain the 
manurial resources of the land. The green crops are principally 
clover, soiled, or consumed on the land, and turnips occasionally; 
and linseed, boiled or scalded, and mixed with chaff; or oil-cake 
given to the holding stock in the straw-yards either to assist the 
turnips, or as a substitute for ihem, when, as is no uncommon 
case, they fail in a very wet or a very dry season. The turnips 
are all carted off the land, and sometimes tares are substituted in 
part for clover. 
The old unimproved farmers adopt a course of cropjiing of 
1 fallow, 2 wheat, 3 odts, alternating sometimes villi 1 fallow, 
2 wheat, 3 beans; some again a little advanced have, 1 fallow, 
2 wheat, 3 clover — broken up for wheat. 
