100 
The Farming of Cheshire. 
regards weeds in the hedgerows along by-roads and around 
ponds. There are few farmers who do not think it necessary to 
cut the weeds in their grass-fields once a year, but the hedgerows 
are frequently neglected, even on well- cultivated farms, this being 
considered one of those unimportant works which can be post- 
poned till " a more convenient season," but unfortunately this 
time seldom arrives, until the farmer is upbraided by the seeds of 
these weeds crossing his path in every direction, and alighting on 
his well-cleaned fallows, &c. Observing a fine crop of seed dis- 
persed through the country by a gentle breeze in the month of 
September last, a plan occurred to me, which, if generally 
adopted, would soon materially lessen the growth of weeds arising 
from such neglect. It is simply this — supposing that all town- 
ships could be induced to join in the undertaking, a small fund 
might be raised by a levy of one halfpenny or one penny per acre, 
according to circumstances, on each farm in the township ; the 
former sum I believe would, in most cases, be found sufficient. 
A treasurer should be appointed, whose business it should be to 
collect the money, and employ a person approved of by a majority 
of the inhabitants, to go diligently through the township and care- 
fully destroy all weeds in- the situations before alluded to ; he 
should be provided with a long pole having a small hook attached, 
which could be closed at pleasure, like a clasp-knife, to prevent 
accidents while leaping (as he would sometimes have occasion to 
do) over fences : his labours should commence at stated periods, 
say on June 1 , and again towards the middle of July, as many weeds 
might spring up through the brambles after the first cutting. As 
soon as the work has been completed to the satisfaction of the 
treasurer, payment should be made, and the surplus, if any, car- 
ried to the next year's account. As the work would not be very 
laborious, in many instances paupers might be employed. 
Farm Buildings. 
Although many of the old inconvenient buildings are still 
remaining in various parts of the county, they have been 
generally much improved within the last twenty years ; with 
very few exceptions, whenever old buildings have been taken 
down and rebuilt, they have been made much more spacious than 
formerly ; and instead of the narrow stalls whicii were scarcely 
wide enough for small Welsh cows, with room behind barely 
sufficient for a person to pass, they are now made large enough 
for the improved breed of cattle, with many conveniences which 
before were never thought of; and slates or tiles (even where the 
old buildings remain) are frequently substituted for thatch. 
There is an error, by no means unfrequent, and which therefore 
deserves notice, in the construction of calf-pens, and in placing 
