1803.) > — Statiftical Account of the Parifh of Orton. 
tay be found, the value of which will not 
amount to forty fhillings. 
Oats are the principal grain fown in 
this parifh; but there is fome barley 
grown on the dry and fandy lard near the 
river Lune. . Wheat makes no part of the 
crops here; for it has been found not to 
fucceed, except in particular years, on ac= 
count of the alternate rains and frofts in 
the f{pring. The whole of the grain 
grown in the parifh of Orton, even in the 
prefent improved ftate of the land, is not 
fufficient to fupply the inhabitants with 
bread during the year. ss, 
It is fcldom that the farmer fows his 
Jand «vith artificial graffes, except the 
moor-ground near the village of Orton; 
and from the opinion entertained of them 
in general, it does not feem probable that 
this kind of hufbandry will ever become 
very prevalent. If the farmer would lay 
dewn his land full of manure, he need 
not be at the expence of artificial grafies, 
as it would prove fufficiently procuétive. 
The bef land for feeding cattle fat in 
this diftri& is the limeftone foil. In fome 
place, an extent of ground of one acre and 
a half is deemed fufficient for fattening a 
cow or ox; but this greatly depends on 
the nature and quality of theland. As 
the meadow-ground is generally the bef, 
if the hay be well got in, it will feed 
cattle without the affiftance of corn.— 
Sheep, for the moft part, are fold towards 
the end of fummer, and carried into lower 
and warmer fituations, where the wethers 
are immediately ted with turnips, and the 
ewes, with their lambs, are fattened and 
killed in the {pring and fummer following. 
‘The fheep are a mixture of Scotch and 
Englifh breed; the tups being Englith, 
and the ewes Scotch. The reafon for this 
intermixture is; that Scotch tups are found 
to render the flock weak and tender, and 
the wool too light and fine for the climate. 
The cows are in general of the long- 
horned kind; but there are ‘ome of the 
Scotch breed kept on farms near the 
mountains. _ 
_ The yearly value of an acre varies fo 
much in different parts of the parifh, that 
it is almoft impoffible to make any jutt 
eftimation; fome land being worth 31. 
whilit others will not give 3s. an acre. 
But eftimating the {mall farms. colle&ive- 
ly, the ground is, rented at about rl. ss. 
per acre. In comparing the rent of the 
efiates with their eftimated produce, the 
latter will appear nearly to double the 
former. The total value of the produce 
of the diftri&t may be reckoned at 10,0001. 
and the valued rent at 5970]. per ann. 
of 16 ounces. 
ili 
Since the confumption of the parith is 
greater than its produce, the price of 
grain and other provilions is regulated by 
the neighbouring markets of Appleby» 
Kendal, and Kirkbyftephen; the frit of 
which is the principal place for buying 
and felling corn in the county, and from 
whence a conftant fupply of that article is 
brought to Orton every.week. If we 
were to form a ftatement of the annual 
confumption of grain and other provifions 
in this diftriét, we might fay 16,700 
ftones * of oatmeal, 1000 of fine flour, 
and 4000 of butcher’s meat, befides a valt 
quantity of potatoes, which are principally 
grown in the parifh. 
A male fervant employed in the buf- 
nels of farming has about ten or twelve 
guineas a year; a female fervant, four or 
five pounds. During the fummer, a day- 
labourer has rs. 3d. and his victuals ; 
excepting in hay-time, when the wages 
are nearly doubled. A girl hired by the 
day has generally fixpence and her vic 
tuals. A tailor, rod.—a carpenter, 18. 6d. 
—and a maron is. 6d. a day and his vice 
tuals. In winter, a labourer in huvap- 
dry has only-zs. a day and victuals, and 
can fearcely obtain employment. The 
price of labour, though confiderably 
higher than it was formerly, is certainly 
far beneath the prefent price of the necefla- 
ries of life. ; 
Induftry and the arts have made only a 
flow progrefs in this diftri€t; and the in- 
habitants will not venture in any {pecula- 
tions of trade. They do not feel that 
{trong defire ef improving their ciscum- 
{tances which would excite and impel 
them to exertion and enterprize. ‘The 
only fpecies of manufaéture carried on 
here, is the knitting of worited ftockings 
for Kendal; and the hofiers come once in 
three weeks to Orton, where they receive 
them, and deliver a quantity of worfted 
in return. There are knit every week in 
this parifh about 560 pairs of ftockings, 
for which the people receive 12]. or 13]. 
fterling. . 
The parifh of Orton maintains its 
poor collectively, aod bas no feparate or 
independent townfhips. About 30 years 
ago the poor-rates amounted to 3ol. per 
anoum, fince which peried they have con- 
tinued to increafe, and at préfent are near 
2ool.a year. ‘The number of poor at this 
time amounts ta about 4o_perfons, who, 
at an average, receive 8s. 4d. a month 
* The ftone of oatmeal and flour is 16 
pounds; that of butchers’ meat is 14 pounds, 
P2 each, 
