Typical Farms in Cheshire and North Wales. 
605 
12. The Farm of Mr. II. P. Wallet, Cotton Abbotts, near Chester. 
This typical Cheshire holding is in the township of Cotton Abhotts, near 
Chester. It is on the New Red Sandstone (Lower Soft Red Sandstone), 
and is about 100 feet above the sea level. There are some small portions 
of sandy land, but it is mostly of a retentive character, and is underlaid for a 
considerable depth by clay subsoil. 
The tenant has occupied for 20 years, under an annual tenancy from the 
Duke of Westminster. There were 80 acres in tillage when he entered, but 
now the whole farm of 282} acres is in permanent pasture. A permanent 
reduction was made in the rental some 10 years ago, and 10 per cent, was 
allowed on last half-year’s rental, to be expended in bones. The house is 
good. The dairy, an adaptation of a building designed for other purposes, 
is conveniently arranged, and is equipped with a steam engine of suitable 
power for driving shafting connected with churn, curd-breaker, &c. ; it also 
provides steam for heating the cheese room by means of pipes, for 
scalding vessels, and cleansing purposes. The engine forces cold water 
to cistern for domestic requirements, and pumps whey to mixing tanks 
for piggeries, &c. The cheeses are raised by a lift from the press room to the 
ripening or cheese-storing chamber. The buildings, on which a large outlay 
has recently been made, are skilfully arranged and elaborately finished. 
The plan on p. 607 will fully explain the details. The covered manure 
shed protects the concentrated manure of the cowsheds and piggeries which 
is daily collected in it, while the liquid manure runs from the buildings 
to a tank in a pasture field at back, and the overflow gravitates on the 
land. A pipe conducts the liquid to the next field, where the lower level 
admits of the liquid manure cart being filled from it, and it is then inex- 
pensively distributed on other parts of the pastures. 
A Dutch barn, 75 ft. by 24 ft. by 18 ft. high, has been erected by 
the tenant. The farm is all underdrained, two-thirds of it having been done 
before Mr. Walley came, and one-third since by him, the landlord finding and 
laying the pipes. The depth varies from 2 ft. to 2} ft., with 21-inch 
pipes. Portions of the draining done prior to his occupation are now 
becoming defective. The land is set out on the old Cheshire ridges. It is 
naturally adapted to pasture, but is renovated from time to time with mixed 
clovers and hay-seed. One hundred acres are mown each year, and the 
same land is not mown consecutively for two years if it can be avoided. 
After mowing it is manured with farmyard manure and bene alternately, 
and about 100Z. per annum is expended on boiled bones, which are found 
from Mr. Walley’s experience to be by far the most effective application that 
can be used. All the mowing is done by Harrison, McGregor & Co.’s grass- 
mowing machine. Straw has to be purchased for litter in the winter, but 
it is used sparingly, and sand takes its place in keeping the shippons clean as 
far as possible. The stock consisted of — 
3 Shire mares (2 kept for 
breeding, with foals). 
3 Shire colts. 
2 hacks. 
105 milking cows. 
17 feeding heifers. 
14 two-year-old heifers. 
3 bulls. 
82 pigs. 
A small stock of poultry. 
The Shire mares are of good stamp, and there are three very promising 
unbroken colts, aged one, two, and three years, bred at home. Mr. Walley 
rears no cattle. The whole of his cows and heifers are purchased. He 
usually buys 25 rising two-year-old heifers in February and March, and 
puts them to the bull later on. They to some extent fill up his dairy, but 
