80 
The Farming of Cheshire. 
From the Hundred of Bucklovv : — 
" Draining since 1808 has increased one hundredfold ; and, instead of 
using (as was the custom then, and till within the last few years) kids, sods, 
stones, and red sandstone, the materials now worked up are blue or red 
tiles, under \Yhich, unless the bottom of the drain be hard and likely to 
stand good, soles of alder-wood or thin blue slates (which are most approved 
of) are placed, one at each end of the tile. The drains, are cut from 8 to 
10 yards apart, a little further or nearer, as the gouty nature of the land 
may require." 
From the Hundred of Eddisbury : — 
" A good deal of draining has been done within the last few years ; but 
there is yet much more to be done. The work is much better executed 
than formerly, and is chiefly laid with draining tiles upon slate." 
From the Hundred of Wirral : — 
"Rapid strides towards improvement in this branch of husbandry have 
been made within the last six or eight years ; but, from the tenure being 
yearly, the credit or discredit (as the case may be) should rest entirely with 
the landlord. Where estates are unincumbered, and the owner of the 
estate has a wish to promote his own interest, as well as that of his tenant, 
much good has been done by tile draining ; but very much yet remains to 
be done, both upon arable and pasture lands. About one-thirtieth 
part of the district has been drained within the last twenty years : this 
seems a small proportion, but I believe it will be found nearly correct." 
From the Hundred of Nantwich : — 
' " A great improvement is yet to be made in this neighbourhood by pro- 
per drainage. The tenantry are allowed a limited quantity of tiles yearly, 
which they are expected to put down at their own expense ; but this they 
gladly do, having discovered the benefits arising from this process.'' 
A correspondent in the Hundred of Broxton supplies the fol- 
lowing particulars: — 
" Lord Westminster's estates in this neighbourhood (except much of the 
townships of Aldford, and the two Churtons, and the meadows) consist very 
generally of a claij-soW, varying in depth, quality, and tenacity, resting upon 
a few inches of an unwholesome rammel, under which is a stiff marl sub- 
soil. The discharge of superabundant si/^/ace-water is here the object of 
draining. No springs or uprising waters are to be contended with, nor is 
the soundness and regularity of the ground often interrupted by boggy 
places or sand-pits. The bulk of the land has long lain in butts, or looms, 
of a width from six to nine yards, perhaps averaging about seven : these 
butls cannot be much altered in form or direction without injury to the 
I'armer. Most of the land is saturated with rain-water all winter, so much 
so that in undrained fields a liole dug will usually fill within a few inches 
of tlie surface, and so remain : and in a hot summer the ground will bakf 
to the hardness of an unl)urned brick. This is the character of the worst 
parts {i.e. Belgrave and Pulford), but the description applies in a great de- 
gree to most of the estates. Under these circumstances the system ol 
draining is simple, and almost uniform. A drain is laid down each rean,or 
furrow, l)etween the butts or looms, falling into a main, which crosses the 
lower ends of the furrow-drains at right angles, running parallel with the 
fence from which it is separated by the headland. 
" One million tiles a year are now made and used on this property : that 
number will lay 190 miles of drain, and drain 500 acres." 
