Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
133 
Nearly  the  whole  of  the  downs  is  now  broken  up,  and  produces 
moderate  crops,  with  paring  and  burning,  and  a liberal  use  of 
artificial  manures.  On  this  land  the  turnip-crop  is  uncertain, 
and  all  the  cultivation  and  manuring  of  the  best  of  our  farmers 
have  not,  at  times,  been  attended  with  success  ; but,  on  the  con- 
trary, sometimes  the  crop  is  a total  failure.  I have  heard  it 
remarked  that  in  no  other  country  are  there  so  many  failures  in 
the  turnip-field  as  across  the  Cotswold  Hills.  The  failure  is  to 
be  attributed  principally  to  this  description  of  land.  It  is  found 
not  only  in  considerable  tracts  together,  but  there  are  spots  and 
veins  of  it  running  across  fields  of  quite  a different  texture  to  the 
other  portions.  Whether  it  is  merely  the  mechanical  division  of 
the  soil  that  is  at  fault,  or  whether  some  essential  ingredients  are 
deficient,  has  not  yet  been  proved  by  analysis ; but  certain  it  is 
that  bone-dust  has  often  been  more  beneficial  than  a dressing  of 
farm -yard  manure. 
None  of  the  great  oolitic  rock  requires  to  be  drained;  the 
fissures  of  the  rock,  and  the  porous  nature  of  the  soil,  readily 
allow  any  superfluous  moisture  to  escape.  The  want  of  water  is 
oftener  felt  to  be  injurious  than  an  excess  of  it.  The  system  of 
farming  generally  adopted  is  the  five-field,  setting  aside  a portion 
of  the  thinnest  land  for  sainfoin,  to  the  extent  of  about  12  or  15 
acres  in  each  100,  breaking  up  a portion  every  two  or  three  years, 
and  replacing  it  with  a like  quantity  newly  laid  down. 
Usual  Rotation. 
1st  year.  Turnips  and  swedes. 
2nd  „ Barley. 
3rd  „ Seeds  mown  for  hay. 
4th  ,,  Ditto,  fed. 
5th  „ Wheat,  drilled  generally. 
And  some  still  continue  the  six-field  course,  by  taking  ouis 
after  the  wheat-crop,  which  is  objectionable.  If  Rudge,  35  years 
ago,  could  see  reasons  lor  deprecating  the  sowing  of  oats  after 
wheat,  the  objection  comes  with  tenfold  force  in  our  days  of 
agricultural  improvement.  On  some  of  the  best  land  the  four- 
course  is  practised,  and  wheat  taken  after  one  year’s  seeds,  and  a 
double  green  crop,  by  grow  ing  vetches  fpr  sheep-feed  before  plant- 
ing turnips.  Many  other  variations  of  the  above  mode  of  cropping 
are  adopted. 
The  Stonesfield  slate  and  fuller’s-earth,  lying  between  the 
great  and  inferior  oolite,  form  a narrow  belt,  running  through 
the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  from  Condicote  on  the  north-east, 
through  the  parishes  of  Naunton  (where  there  are  good  slate- 
quarries),  Ashton  Blank,  Notgrove,  Withington,  Chedworth, 
Colesbourne,  to  Saperton,  where  the  Stonesfield  slate  is  excavated 
from  the  canal  and  railway  tunnels. 
