108 
The Farmin/ji of Cheshire. 
seems to be tolerably well managed. Returned to Congleton, and thence 
went to Macclesfield, calling in my way at Eaton Hall, the seat of Crawford 
Antrobus, Esq., beautifully situated about two miles from Congleton. 
About four miles from Macclesfield came to an estate, the land miserably 
poor and badly managed, with a superabundance of timber, sadly neg- 
lected. Passed on to Macclesfield, whence, after obtaining some informa- 
tion, I proceeded along a hilly road and wild country through Bollington, 
to Lyme Park, the seat of T. Legh, Esq., where I arrived too late in the 
evening to see its beauties. On this line of road the farming is most unin- 
teresting ; remained for the night atDisley. On the next morning took a 
stroll through Lyme Park ; the house is a noble mansion ; the park has a 
wildness about it which is seldom seen in this part of England ; high 
uncultivated hills, covered with fern and rushes : there is a number of 
wild cattle on these hills, the breed of which has been there for centuries ; 
they are perfectly white. There are buildings for these cattle to run in 
during the winter, where they are fed on hay, and have rushes to lie upon 
and make manure. The park, in the greater part of it, is wet and rushy, 
and very much in want of draining : a little draining has been done, which 
answers exceedingly well ; about LOOO sheep are kept in the park. Re- 
turned to Disley, and thence proceeded to Stockport. At Hazel Row 
there is a good tile-yard, where the price for the largest size of draining- 
tiles is 32s. per 1000. The railway viaduct of 26 arches, on brick pillars, 
is an object of great interest in this neighbourhood. From Stockport drove 
to Altrincham; where I remained for the night. There is a tolerably good 
specimen of draining in this neighbourhood : on the same road a common 
has lately been enclosed by consent of the freeholders, Mr. Tatton of 
Withinshaw being the principal one : it appears a barren soil, consisting 
principally of grey sand, fox-bench, and peat, and requires draining and 
marling ; the men receive a shilling a rood for trenching it, and the first 
crop is generally potatoes. The following morning inspected several 
farms, the course of cropping on which has been described in the general 
remarks on that head. From Altrincham proceeded to Dunham Massey, 
the seat of the Earl of Stamford and Warrington : the land in tillage here 
is a deep black loam, and appears to be well managed on the alternate 
green-crop system. About eighty head of cattle, consisting of Scotch 
bullocks and short-horned cows, are fed in the park, and what ai-e not sold 
off before Christmas are put upon turnips. On leaving Dunham I observed 
some good meadowing : proceeded thence to Mere, where there is an 
excellent implement manufacturer named Harkes, who is doing an exten- 
sive business, and has frequently obtained premiums at the different agri- 
cultural meetings. Went thence to High Leigh, and saw a farm belonging 
to Egerton Leigh, Esq., in the holding of Mr. John Owen ; it consists of 
160 acres, and is decidedly the best managed farm 1 have seen. There are 
two bone-mills in this vicinity ; one little more than a mile off, worked by 
steam on a large scale. A quantity of American bones is crushed here, 
besides those brought from the surrounding neighbourhood ; the large 
bones when crushed are sold at a higher price than the small ones ; the 
former are now selling at 6/. 10s. per ton, the latter at 5/. 10*. ; they are 
ground more finely than formerly, and are consequently considered better 
for the land, and are here preferred to boiled bones ; the other works are 
at Hoo Green, and are on a smaller scale ; the proprietors, Messrs. Ockles- 
ton, have also an establishment at Massey Brook, Lymm, near Warrington. 
From High Leigh, drove to Knutsford, and slept there. A great extent of 
draining has been done, and is yet progressing on the estates in this neigh- 
bourhood, the landlords finding tiles. Mr. E. Leigh, Mr. Cornwall Legh, 
Mr. Brooke, Mr. Egerton, and Lord l")e Tabley, are the principal land- 
owners. Went to Tatton, the seat of Wilbraham Egerton, Esq.; on my 
