506 The Cumberland and Westmoreland 
Description of Land. — There are 102 acres of arable land, and 
92 of meadow and pasture. The character is described by Mr. 
Handley as " light and gravelly." It might perhaps be more 
accurately styled " stony in the highest degree." It is on the moun- 
tain limestone formation which fills up this valley from Kendal 
to Milnthorpe ; and where there is sufficient soil this description 
of land is perhaps as fertile as any in the county. But the beds of 
stones of all shapes and sizes in which Mr. Handley's swedes were 
this season cultivated, would, with any other climate than this 
damp and genial one, probably offer very little encouragement 
to either the root- or the corn-grower. Here, however, the 
smallest admixture of the brown soil with the stones over which 
man and horse blunder, seems with proper management to give 
its fruit to the tiller of the land. 
Crops and Cropping Course. — The course of cropping is 
generally pretty regular, viz. : 
(1) about 20 a. Roots (nearly all swedes). 
(2) „ 20 a. Barley. 
(3) ,, 20 A. Seeds grazed. 
(4) „ 20 A. do. do. 
(5) „ 20 a. Oats. 
The swedes are capital in quality, and with Mr. Handley's 
management large crops are grown. The barley is good, and is 
nearly always sold for malting. The oats are good, but are 
consumed principally on the farm. The whole of the oat and 
barley straw is eaten by cattle. It is noticeable that no seeds are 
mown, but 24 acres of meadow are regularly made into hay. No 
hay or straw is sold off the farm. 
Roots. — Occasionally a piece of land is kept down longer than 
the ordinary period if the seeds are doing well, and this year the 
piece prepared for that crop had laid in grass no less than five 
years. The land is subject to charlock (here known as field 
kale), but couch grass gives very little trouble. It is generally 
ploughed twice, the first time as soon as possible after harvest, 
and the second time in March or April, each time with two 
horses and to as great a depth as the soil will allow, and then 
ridged for the swedes, which are sown as early as possible in 
May, and even sometimes in April. The ridges are 30 inches 
apart, and are made with a double-breast plough, two horses 
doing four acres a day. About fifteen tons of farmyard dung 
are applied beneath the ridges, and in addition 7 cwt. or 8 cwt. 
of artificial manure. Of this latter, 5 cwt. is generally bone 
superphosphate and 2 cwt. Peruvian guano. When farmyard 
dung cannot be spared the roots get 12 cwt. or 13 cwt. ot 
artificial manures in about the same relative proportion. 
