1800. ] Account of Thaydon 
of all theory is practice, and the aim of all 
amplification and generality is the limited 
and particular. 
This refleétion, and the modern fafhion 
of ftatiftical inquifitions (as they are cal- 
led), introduced by a very ufeful writer, 
has led me to fubmit the following obfer- 
vations on the agriculture of the parifh in 
which I refide for infertion in your mifcel- 
lany. 
Thoydon Garnon is in the County of 
Effex, about fixteen miles from London, 
and extends on the north to Epping, in- 
cluding @ part of that town, and on the 
fouth to Hyde’s Farm; on the eaft it 
reaches-2long the valley bounded by the 
elevation on which Hiil Hall (an ancient 
family-feat) is fituated, and on the weft 
inclofes Blunt’s Farm, Garnon Hall, and 
Cooperfale Hali. ‘The name of the village 
is Cooperiale, and the fteeple of the church 
according to Gough's Camden, was erect- 
ed about the middle of the fifteenth centu- 
ry, by a citizen cf St. Helen’s, in London. 
Near Epping, on the fkirts of the parifh, 
is a Roman ftation, mentioned by the fame 
author. 
The parifh includes about 2773 acres. 
Some fmall namelefs ftreams take their 
courfe through it, which dilcharge their 
currents into the Roder. 
The foil is a clayey loam, which has 
been very inconfiderably correSted by marle 
and chalk, the manures moft fuited to this 
kind of land; as the neareft place at which 
they have been procured is Stratford, a 
diftance of about 12 or 13 miles. 
A bed of marle has been difcovered at 
Hyde's Farm lately; the quantity of chalk, 
when examined .with the marine acid, is 
difcovered to be fourteen per cent. which 
places it in the clafs of calcareous marle ; 
and its retentive power over water, or the 
quantity it can retain without fuffering 
any to efeape or drop, is thirty-two per 
cent. Kirwan has shewn it to be a grand 
defideratum in agriculture, that the reten- 
tivenefs of the foil be proportioned to the 
rain ufual in the climate. Hence, as the 
retentive power of argill or clay is 250 per 
cent. it will be a material improvement to 
the lands adjacent, if extenfive beds of this 
marle fhould be difcovered, and it is parti- 
cularly mentioned here as a motive for ex- 
amination. 
The farms are fmall, varying between 
-gol. and 150l. rent, moft of them confide- 
rably under the latter. 
The hufbandry in general is oppofed to 
what is recommended by medern improv- 
ers ; and perhaps the principal impedi- 
ment to the changes the new difcoveries 
Garnon, by Mdr. Collier. 29 
have pointed out; is not the want of incli- 
nation, judgment, or enterprize in the 
holders of land, be the want of capital. 
The heavy iwing-plough ufed‘here, is 
likely to continue a favourite inftrument 
on ftrong lands ;-but the fin of the fhare 
fhould be widened, and the mould-board 
contracted. 
The narrow ftock harrow, Seiten five 
form a fet, drawn by three horfes at width, 
is well enough fuited to the foil, and can- 
not cafily be improved. 
None of the new implements are known 
in this parifli, except on one farm, where 
the drill, the horfe-hoe, and Cook’s ma- 
chine tor grinding feeds, are employed; on 
the fame farm I noticed the introduction 
of winter fallows, to the exclufion of fum- 
mer fallows ; but in every other, the old 
hufbandry is adopted, and the pernicious 
fucceflion of two crops of white corn. 
The courfe throughout the parifh, with 
few exceptions, is wheat, oats, fallow. 
Some potatoes and turnips iteve lately 
been introduced ; and on two farms, the 
culture of beans, hand- hoed with (ufficient 
care. 
The vicinity of Pppine has long been 
celebrated for the excellence of its dairies. 
Perhaps two-thirds of this diftrict may be 
in pafture, and a confiderable proportion of 
this always fed off. 
The number of cows on thefe fmall 
farms vary from five to tweuty ; and the 
butter produced is excellent, from the ex- 
treme neatnefs and {kill in this part of the 
management. 
“Phe price of labour in winter is, per 
day, 1s. 6d. 
Hedging and ditching two fpit deep, 
per rod, 6d. or 7d. 
In hay-harveft, beer, &c. per day, 23.- 
In ftraw, ss. to 8s. per acre. 
Boys, per week, 2s. 6d. - 
Female fervants, per annum, 3 guineas 
to 6 guineas. 
The greateft improvement in this coun- 
try is land-ditching, whichis performed at 
the expence of 208. per acre, but probably 
the mole-plough will fuperfede the neceffi- 
ty of this tedious and chargeable expedient 
in future. 
One great defe&t in the conduét of the 
farms is, that the occupants do not keep 
horfes fufficient to till them, which is pe- 
culiarly neceffary on the cold, {tiff foil here 
cultivated : an able French writer has af- 
firmed, that the tilth of land, or the fre- 
quent divifions of its parts, is of as much 
coniequence to the produce as manure, and 
it is effeéted at one-tenth or one- silat 
part of the expence. 
It 
