Agriculture of Nottinghamshire. 
41 
It is to the 6000 acres which are lying in Nottinghamshire, 
separated from the far larger part in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, 
and which are divided by the river Idle, as it forms for some 
miles the northern boundary of this county, that we propose to 
confine our remarks. This part belongs to the several parishes 
of Misterton, W'alkeringham, Gringley-on-the-Hill, Evert(m, and 
Scaftworth, which villages form a semicircle of several miles on 
its southern side, the high ground on which some of them are 
built resembling headlands on a sea-coast. These vast plains, 
when seen 'from the higher grounds, as they stretch for upwards 
of 20 miles in a northerly direction, without any object to break 
the monotony of the scene, are very striking ; and from the great 
likeness they bear to the Pontine Marshes, over w hich the sea 
once unquestionably flowed, leave an impression that such was 
their case in ages long gone by. The natural productions of this 
interesting deposit were high reeds, and flags with edges indented 
like those or a sickle, amidst gigantic tussac grass, which formed 
the haunts of various kinds of wild fowl, and where was heard the 
mournful booming of the bittern, now extinct. 
It is less than half a century since this morass was first at- 
tempted to be brought into cultivation. At that time it was so 
absolutely a bog that no horse could in many parts be used for 
ploughing it, and this operation was performed by manual labour. 
As the drainage was improved, the land became firmer; and from 
the abundant crops of rape and oats which it at first produced, 
gave promise of a fruitfulness quite extraordinary, which was for 
a time fully realized. This remarkable fertility was moreover 
increased by a system of paring and burning — an operation of 
easy accomplishment on a porous soil, but which in the end proved 
decidedly injurious to the land, by reducing its surface below the 
drainage then provided for it, although probably the natural 
compression arising from its being laid dry occasionally was more 
the cause of that inconvenience than the paring and burning. 
From whatever cause this might arise, the consequence was the 
same ; and serious apprehensions were for a time entertained lest 
a considerable part, if not the whole, of this tract of valuable land 
would be forced out of cultivation through the want of drainage ; 
but at length steain -power was suggested as a remedy, and it has 
since proved quite successful. 
In 1828 a steam-en jfine was erected of 40-horse power, at a 
cost of upwards of 6000Z., for lifting the water by a wheel. The 
engnie is placed upon the main drain, about three quarters of a 
mile from the river Trent, into which the drainage of these cars 
empties itself ; but unfortunately, when high tides flowed up that 
river, there was frequent interruption to the drainage, from the 
water in the river being higher than that in the drain; and it 
