4797] 
expeditioufly, five or fix rows or ftitches 
are done at the fame time, by fixing the 
hoes at proper diftances in a crofs beam of 
‘wood: ‘the bottoms of the hoes are in 
form fomething like the plough-fock, with 
a wing on each fide, each of which is 
direéted between two rows, and while it 
cuts up the weeds, lays the mould on 
each fide, againft the ftitches. By thefe 
means, his farm: is always like a large 
garden, and very rarely miffes producing 
heavy crops; while thofe of his neigh- 
bours, who have not yer adopted. his 
plan, are almoft {mothered with weeds. 
ZL found Mr. Ducket juft fowing his 
turnips, for which I thought the prefent 
a late feafon; his turnip-ftitches are 
Marrow, and he prefers the {mall round 
turnip to the larger fort; which, he 
obferves, ftlands the winter better. Mr. 
Ducket was the original inventor of the 
fkim-coulter, for which the Royal Society 
made hima prefeor of sol. It confifts of 
a thin plate of iron, with a tharp edge, 
fixed horizontally to a common coulter, 
‘and its ufe is to pare off the fward in 
ploughing up grafs-ground or meadow, 
and to turn it to the bottom of the furrew, 
where the wreft, or mould-board, com- 
pletely buries it with earth: it is like- 
wife ufeful in ploughing rough’ ground, 
avhere much ftubble, weeds, or rvots are 
on the furface, becaufe it {weeps all float- 
ing matter to the bottom of the furrow. 
Yoree or four horfes are put to aplough in 
all this country, which confequently ren- 
ders a driver neceflary, and Mr. Ducket, 
with all his ingenuity and agricultural 
knowledge, has not yet difcovered that 
two horfes and one man are able to do as 
much work with a plough, in any given 
time, and as completely, as four horfes 
and two men; fo ftrongly do prejudice 
and common cuftom hold even the moft 
enlightened. That gentleman, however, 
has adopted a means of partially removing 
the difadvantage ; for, although he had 
no idea of dividing the horfes and men, he 
“adds.a plough on fome occafions, or ufes a 
double plough : which, with the affiftance 
of four horfes and two men, turns two 
furrows at once. This uncouth imple- 
ment, however, if I miftake not, he 
_ only employs on fine turnip-grounds, and 
the like: itis, neverthele{s, an improve- 
ment in this country, where the moft 
fimple and profitable methods of ploughing 
Jand are noc known. Mr. Ducker is 
equally attentive to the management of his 
fheep: they are of the Dorfetthire breed, 
with long horns, white faces and legs, 
fine wool, and have lambs at all times of 
_ Mon@ery Mac, No. XXV. 0 
Tour of England—Ejber to Vi altom 
447. 
the year ; which laft remarkable property 
is the principal reafon why he prefers 
them to any other forts. His vicinity 
to London enables him to fell his winter 
lambs to the greateft advantage. The 
fecundity of thele ewes is very furprifing ¢ 
itis very common for one of them to yean 
five or fix lambs a year; and Mr. Ducket 
tells me, he had one ewe which yeaned 
ten Jambs in lefs than eighteen months ¢ 
the firit time fhe had four, the fecond 
three, and the third three ; all of which 
were fatted, and went to market. He 
always keeps his lambs in a houfe for 
the purpofe, and brings his ewes to 
fuckie them there, at regular intervals, 
both day and night, after which they are 
turned out into the pafture again. The 
lambs fuck the ewes pramifcuoufly. This - 
judicious farmer has been honoured with 
repeated vitits from their Majefties, in 
order to view his highly cultivated farm, 
with which the king in particular feemed 
much pleafed: that circumftance points 
to a trait in his Majefty’s charaéter, 
which is not only very pratfe- worthy in 
the man, but in the king. What more 
fubftantial fervice can a king do his peo- 
ple, than to patronize and encourage 
agricultural improvement? — 
July 20th, Ether to WatrTon on the 
Thames, in Surrey, three miles. The 
country continues as in my laft journey, 
only near Walton the road leads over a 
barren common, which produces much 
heath and furze, like many of our Cum- 
berland moors, This common nearly ad= 
jos the fine feats and parks of the 
Duke of York, the Earl of Tankerville, 
and Sir Henry Fletcher, to which it - 
forms a good contraft, and, it would 
feem, is fuffered to wear old nature’s garb 
for that purpofe. Walton is a pretty. 
large well-built village, on the fouth 
banks of the Thames. AsHiey Park, 
‘the {mall but delightful refidence of Sir 
Tenry Fletcher, is about a quarter of a 
mile from Walton. I took the oppor- 
tunity of waiting on, and was kindly’ 
received by Sir Henry and Lady Fletcher: 
that gentleman is one of the magiftrates 
for the county of Surrey, and member of 
perliament for Cumberland, and fuch are 
his approved virtues and general eftimation 
in that county, that, if L recolleét righr, 
this is the fixth parliament in which he 
has fat for Cumberland, and moftly with. 
out any oppofirion to his eleétion being 
even attempced ; but Sir Henry is one of » 
thofe gentlemen whom the inhabitants 
have reafon to regret asabfentees. Lord 
Pehle houfe and: gardens are elofe 
3 ss) 
