WASTES. 
189 
sheep, and the farmer stocks with his proportion of 
such stock, as is most convenient to him; he further 
says, they are generally the poorest of the land, that 
would not pay much for tillage, but support flocks of 
sheep for folding on the common fields, which is an 
excellent manure for one crop : the commons, however, 
he admits, might be impi’oved by fencing in ; the poor¬ 
est parts of them, he says, are often covered with furze, 
or thorns, which are useful in many respects. Few 
counties have less proportion of common or waste land 
than this, which might, however, be wholly much im¬ 
proved by enclosure, cultivation, and plantation. 
Wire Forest, west of Bewdley, and in the north-west 
of the county, is of considerable extent, and penetrates 
into Shropshire; it is part w r ood land, and part open 
common land, of a cold indifferent quality; the wood 
land is well furnished with oak, from which are thinned 
immense quantities of poles, which, after stripping off 
the bark, are sold underjdie name of Black Poles. 
Of the small, or detached commons, or w r aste land, 
Mitton Common, near Kidderminster, is a poor barren 
sand ; Hartlebury and Lynall Commons, of some hun¬ 
dred acres, would make good arable land in the turnip 
and barley culture; Oldfield, near Ombersley, is now 
good sheep land and plantation ; Burley and Astley 
Commons, near Stourport, are sound land, adapted for 
turnips and barley; besides which, are many other 
commons in various parts of the county, which might 
be improved into good arable and pasture land, by en¬ 
closure and cultivation. 
CHAP. 
