602 
Typical Farms in Cheshire and North Wales. 
provide for the escape of urine. There are ties for 95 cows, and boxes and 
sheds for 24 head of young stock at Weston, and for 48 cows at Chorlton, 
besides good stabling, sheds, yards, and well-appointed piggeries for 100 pigs. 
A Dutch barn, 135 ft. by 18 ft. by 19 ft. high, has also been put up by the 
tenant at Chorlton at his own expense, with the exception of the timber 
uprights, and the new dairy and cheese room there were erected by him at 
a cost of 140/., which has since been refunded in instalments at the rate of 
50/. per annum. Besides his outlay in the past at Chorlton in draining 
100 acres, in some parts completely and in others partially, in removing 
8,000 yards of old fences, in planting and protecting 2,138 yards of new 
quick hedges, in filling marl pits, &c., at an outlay of 150/., Mr. Barton has 
more recently incurred a heavy expenditure in improvements of the same 
character at Weston Hall. He has eradicated 1,700 yards of old fences, 
piped the ditches with 6 in. pipes, and levelled the banks at a cost of 3s. per 
rood of 8 yards ; has planted 400 yards of new quick hedges, filled pits, &c. 
involving an expense of 200/. ; drained with 6-inch pipes some 30 acres at 
depths varying from 4 ft. to 8 ft. 6 in. at the outfall ; and has effected a great 
improvement in the construction of a new road by which the milking herd 
wends its way directly to the buildings. The labour of this work, besides 
forming, and levelling, involved the cartage of 140 yards of material a distance 
of four miles. In addition he has also built pavements 60 yards in length 
by 41 yards in width. 
The holdings belong to Sir H. Broughton, Bart. Weston Hall was 
taken by Mr. Barton six years ago. Chorlton has been in the occupation of 
the Bartons for upwards of 200 years, and for 20 years of Mr. T. Barton, who, 
with the exception of the last six years, has resided there all his life. The 
tenancy is a yearly one terminating at Lady-day at a full rental. No per- 
manent abatement has been made in the rent, but a return of 10 per cent, 
has been allowed during the past three years. Mr. Barton stated that the 
local rates had increased of late years, but, as a set-off, tithe has diminished 
in value. The prescribed rotation of cropping is the four-course system, 
and the sale of hay, straw, &c., is not permitted except with the sanction of 
the owner. These covenants are not observed. No compensation clauses in 
favour of tenant are provided, but he could claim under local customs or the 
Agricultural Holdings Act. The farms together contain 600 acres, about 
320 in permanent pasture and 280 under arable culture. The latter was 
cropped with 120 acres of oats, — 40 of white Canadian, 46 black Tartarian, 
and 34 yellow one-sided ; 60 acres of green crops, viz., 30 acres of swedes, 
20 acres of potatoes, 7 acres of mangel, and 3 acres of cabbage and kale ; 
1 04 acres of clovers, comprising 56 acres of first year’s growth, 31 of second 
year’s, and 17 of third year’s leys. 
The five-course rotation is usually pursued, viz.: Oats; green crop 
(potatoes, mangel, and swedes) ; oats or barley seeded down ; seeds ; 
seeds. Wheat is scarcely ever grown, but would follow the green crop. The 
seeds receive an allowance of 5 cwt. of boiled hones per acre, and are mown 
the first year once, and sometimes twice. Occasionally the seeds are mown 
the second year, in which case they receive a top-dressing of 2 cwt. of 
superphosphate and 5 cwt. of basic slag. They are then ploughed up for 
oats, after being dressed with farmyard manure. After oats the land is 
autumn cleaned and deeply ploughed, then stable manure is put on the surface 
and lightly ploughed in. In the spring it is worked with the grubber and 
ridged for green crop. In addition to the dung, which is put on at the rate 
of 16 tons per acre, 5 cwt. of hone superphosphate is applied. Mr. Barton 
sometimes limes after green crop, in which case he does not apply his bone 
and superphosphate mixture on the young seeds. The roots having been 
removed, the land is ploughed up and sown with oats or barley the follow- 
