The Farming of Cheshire. 
77 
the half-bred short-horn, from a cross by the best Welsh breed and Holder- 
ness, is preferable to the cross of the Lancashire long-horn and Holderness : 
and, generally considered, it is much better adapted to the land. But the 
most profitable cows I have seen were a mixture of the Guernsey and pure 
Durham breeds. Great improvements have been effected in the breeds of 
pigs since the publication of Dr. Holland's book ; those now considered 
the most profitable, and the most in use, are a cross of the Berkshire and 
Shropshire — the ears a little pendent over the eyes, the bodies lengthy, 
not stinted, or too compact in make. But, of course, there are still 
amongst us many mixtures of breeds." 
From the Hundred of Macclesfield: — 
" Very few sheep are kept here, it being considered that in summer they 
injure the cow-pastures : some are kept for winter pastures by the farmers 
to serve the Derbyshire flock-masters." 
The State of Drainage in Cheshire. »■ 
Having made a very extensive personal survey of the county, 
and taken into consideration the nature of the soils which predo- 
minate, I. have arrived at the conclusion that, although on manv 
estates a considerable extent of draining has been effected within 
the last few years, and some excellent specimens of this desirable 
'operation are now in progress, the drainage is lamentably defec- 
tive, there being very few farms which do not require it ; and it 
is obvious that where the landowner does not give liberal assist- 
ance, it is (with some rare exceptions) totally neglected. These 
remarks do not apply so much to those lands which abound with 
natural springs (and in which cases one drain, rightly placed, will 
sometimes effectually answer for several acres), as to the clay and 
meadow lands, on the latter of which so high a value is set. 
Much of the clay-land is of so tenacious a quality that the only 
possibility of materially improving its value is by thorough-drain- 
ing. Where land of this description has not Ijeen formed into 
.large high butts, it appears to me, and it is also the opinion of 
many practical men with whom I have conversed, that the butts 
should be formed to the width of about 6 yards, with an elevation 
of 1 in 12 — 3 inches to a yard — from the rein to the centre, and 
drained down each rein : this exactness in making the butts may 
not be so essential in arable land, but in pastures, where there 
are large stocks of cattle, the soil in very wet weather (unless 
there be a little descent for the water) would soon become 
poached, and much damage would be done to the grass. On 
some of the best clay-land, if it have a tolerable slope, I do not 
consider thorough-draining necessary ; particularly if it be kept 
much in pasture, and the butts be well formed. An implement 
is used in some parts of the county for the purpose of draining this 
kind of land ; and if taken along the reins once every winter, 
when the land is in a moist state, it effectually answers the object 
of its construction. It consists of a sliarp-edged wheel, fixed in a 
