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' THE
RURAL ECONOMY
Q P Henry C. Taylor.
GLOCESTERSHIRE,
VOL I,
i
r
THE
RURAL ECONOMY
O F
GLOCESTERSHIRE;
INCLUDING ITS
DAIRY:
TOGETHER WITH THE
DAIRY MANAGEMENT
0 F
NORTH WILTSHIREj
AND THE
MANAGEMENT
O F
ORCHARDS and FRUIT LIOUOR,
1 N
HEREFORDSHIRE,
By Mr. MARSHALL.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
GLOCESTER:
Printed by R. Raikes,
For G. Nicol, Pall-Mall, London,
m. dcc. lxxxix. , ^ ,-,
/7?f
ADVERTISEMENT.
jD Y MY PRACTICE in Surrey, I
became acquainted with the Agri-
culture of they3«///^r;z counties. By
my refidence in Norfolk, that of the
eajlern quarter of the kingdom was ren-
dered familiar. By paffing in York-
shire the early part of life, by vifiting
it repeatedly, and finally reviewing it
analytically, that of the northern quar-
ter became firongly imprelled on my
mind. But, when I left Yorklhire, in
1783*, I was as much unacquainted
with the practice of the ivejiern coun-
ties, as if I had been a ftranger to the
general fubjed:.
Having, however, remarked, in the
widely differing practices of the three
diftant
♦ See advertiferaent to Rural Ecox. of Yorkshire,
a 3
vi ADVERTISEMENT.
diftant countries I had feen, the vari-
ous means of obtaining the fame objedl,
and the varying methods of conduvfling
the fame operation", I was delirous to
become acquainted with the practice
of the fourth quarter.
I had other motives to it than curio-
fity. For though I had yet no hope of
executing mv plan on the broad balis I
have lince entered upon, I neverthelefs
had my reafons for wifliing to be pof-
fefTed of a general knowledge of the
Rural Economy of the kingdom at
large. Befide, in Norfolk, I had made
an effay in the art of manufa6luring
Cheese, and was defirous to become
mailer of it. The management of
FRUIT LiQ^JOR, too, was a fubjecft,
which, being no where elfe to be ftu-
died, was of courfe a farther induce-
ment to my vifiting the weftern quarter.
Glocestershire I found to be the
onlv individual county, which could
furniHi me with the requifite informa-
tion. Therefore, in the wane of the
fummcr
ADVERTISEMENT. vil
fummer of 1783, I came into this
county ; and, agreeably to the plan ori-
ginally propofed *, took up my refi-
dence in a farm houfe ; — near the cen-
ter of the vale of Glocefter : where,
and in the vale of Berkeley I remained,
until I had exceeded my expectation,
with refpedl to the manufacturing of
cheefe ; and had obtained a general idea
of the rural affairs of the diftrid:, ade-
quate to the purpofe I then had in
view.
But my regifter, in this cafe, as in
that of Yorkfhire, was not fufficiently
finiflied, for public infpedlion. Nor
was it, indeed, fufficiently full to bear
the title I wifhed to give it. My ob-
fervations had been confined to one fea-
fon of the year : whereas to gain a com-
plete knowledge of the rural economy
of an extent of country, it is proper
that its feveral departments fhould pafs
under the eye in every feafon.
a 4 Therefore,
* See Rural Econ. of Norfolk. Addref*, Sec.
viii ADVERTISEMENT.
Therefore, in the beginning of April
laft, immediately on the publication of
the Rural Economy of Yorkshire,
I returned, without lof^ of time, into
Glocestershire : where and in its
neighbouring diAricls, I have remained
a further time of ibmewhat more than
twelve months : a period which has
been appropriated, folely, to the work
which I am now offering to the public.
IN A PREFATORY ADDRESS,
aftixed to the Rural Economy of
Norfolk, I endeavoured to explain
the Plan of the Work I was then
entering upon ; and hoped that I had
left no ground for mifapprehenfion.
Indeed, it appeared, to my own mind,
fo fimple and lelfevident, as not to be
eafily mifunderftood.
Neverthelefs, from a general Objec-
TioN which, I underftand has been
made againll it, there is fome reafon to
fufpedl that I have fallen fhort in my
explanation.
ADVERTISEMENT. ijc
explanation. The objedllon held out is
— " that the fame fubjeds are treated
of in Yorkshire as in Norfolk."
To anfwer this as an objeSiion is im-
pofiible : for had it been put — " that
nearly the fame fubjedls are treated of
in Yorkfhirc as in Norfolk," — the po-
rtion would have been fully granted :
as being perfectly confonant with the
principle on which the plan is raifed.
It is indeed, one of the beft evidences
that can be offered in its favor : inas-
much as it fhows the Plan of the
Register to be fuch, as, in its full
extent, to admit under the feveral
heads, every idea relative to the fubjecSt :
for, limilar as the heads really are, in
the two fpecimens already given, I
found not, in either difl:ri(fl, a fa6t be-
longing to the whole circle of rural af-
fairs which would not have fallen aptly
under them.
The OBJECTS and operations of
pusBANDRY, are, in number ^ndfpecies,
th^
X ADVERTISEMENT.
xh^ fame, or nearly the fame, in every
quarter of the kingdom. But the me-
thods of obtaining the objeds, and of
performing the operations, are infinitely
various. To catch the variations,
"ivhenever they are fufficienlly marked,
whether with excellency or defect, is one
of the main objedts of the part of the
plan I am now executing. Another, ta
give pra(5lical defcriptions of fuch par-
ticular OBJECTS and operations, as
are confined to particular diftricts. And
a third, to regirter the excellencies
and defects, in the practice of each
diftrict, relative to every other depart-
ment of Rural Economy.
By thus adducing in each llation
(were it poiTible) every valuable idea it
is pofTefTed of on thefe fubie<5ts ; and by
arranging thofe of different flations in
regifters formed on the fame, or nearly
the fame plan ; the different modes of
conducting any particular branch of
management may be referred to, and
th^
ADVERTISEMENT. xi
the feveral pradices be compared. Con-
fequently, in the completion cf the
plan, may be feen the various practices
of the kingdom, relating to any indi-
vidual fubjedl.
An art fo extenlive, and in many
things fo abftrufe, as that of ^^gri-
CULTURE, muft remain in a llate of
great imperfedion, until the leading
fads belonging to it, which are already
known, be reduced to a ftate of refe-
rence. To raife fchemes of improve-
ment, public or private, before this be
effedled, muft be an a6t of improvi-
dence fimilar to that of fettin^ about
the ftudy of chemiftry, or any other
branch of philofophy, by experiment,
\vithout having previoully become ac-
quainted with the fuels that are already
afcertained. A man, thus employed,
might fpend a lifetime of ingenuity,
without brin2:inQ: to VvAit a fingle fad:,
which was not intimately known be-
fore he began.
Such
3di APVERTISEMENT.
Such is the leading principle, the
MAIN OBJECT, the SUBSTANCE of the
plan. But this, as other superstruc-
tures, requires a groundwork.
Riiraleconomics are founded in na-
ture: much of the art depends upon
climature, fituation, foil, and a variety
of natural circumftances. Hence, not
only a geographical description,
of the diftriul under furyey, becomes re-
quilitej but the three kingdoms of
nature, fo far as they are intimately
conne^ed with the fubiedt, require to
be examined and defcribed, with scien-
tific accuracy.
Nor are thefe the only requilites.
The work, before it be fit to meet the
public eye, requires a degree of finilh.
It is neceflary that every part (hould be
confpicuous. The exxellencies, not
being furhciently evident, perhaps, to
common obfervation, may require to be
relirced; and the defers to be brought
out, and fliown in their naked defor-
mity ^
ADVERTISEMENT. xiii
mity; that their impreffions on the
mind may be the flronger and more
lafling.
Nor does the labour end here. In
carrying on a work of this nature, the
reflection will be voluntarily employed,
in drawing practical inferences;
and in filling up deficiencies; not
altogether, perhaps, with felfevident or
theoretic ideas, arifing out of the fub-
jedl in hand ; but with practical
KNOWLEDGE, colledcd incidentally, not
in any particular diflridl, but in every
quarter of the kingdom, and which,
being nowhere on record, might be loft
to the general defign, if not laid up in
this manner.*
If
* It may be proper to remark here, that, (through
various motives) the rural economy of Yorkfhire contains
a greater number ofthefe fugitive ideas, than either
the Norfolk or the prefent volumes ; which, neverthelefs,
have their refpedive (hares. They are frequently throwa
into the didacik form ; as being the moft concife, and the
XIV
ADVERTISEMENT.
If the ideas thus offered by the re-
fle(flion, do not appear to the judgement
fufficiently afcertained, to become evi-
dently ufeful in promoting the general
intention of the work, they are, with
other unafcertained ideas, arifing to the
obfervation in the diftridt immediately
under furvey, either thrown out as
HINTS, and inferted with fuch marks
of diffidence J as cannot eafily be mifun-
derftood, for the ufe of thofe who are
in pra(ftice, and have leifure to afcertain
them; or, are entirely rejected.
The rural economy of Yorklhire, if
duly examined, will be found to be ex-
ecuted on thefe principles. Thus,
to fpeak in reply to the objeBioTiy which
has given rife to thefe explanations,
under fuch heads, whether they include
general operations, or ordinary objecfls
of culture, as were amply treated of in
Norfolk, deviations only, whether
they arife from cuftom fituation or
foil, are brought forward. But, where
a crop
ADVERTISEMENT. x\?
a crop, or an operation, not cultivated
or performed in Norfolk, arifes, it be-,
comes 2.freJJi fubjedl ; and an additional
divifion or fubdivifion is, of courfe,
opened for its reception ; and every
thing deemed ufeful, refpedling it, re-
giflered. Again, where a crop or an
operation common to Norfolk, is not
found in Yorklhire, the head or com-
partment of the regifter, which received
it in the former, is, of courfe, dropped
in the later.
If, in the rural economy of Yorkiliire,
I had defcribed the dibbling of wheat,
for inftance, or the cultivation of buck-
weet; or, in the rural economy of Nor-
folk, the Operation of planting potatoes
with the plow, or the cultivation of the
rape crop ; or had even inflituted heads
for thefe fubjeds; I fhould, indeed, have
rendered my work liable to objedlion.
But, becaufe I had defcribed the ge-
neral management of foils and manures;
and the general operations of fowing,
weeding,
x%i ADVERTISEMENT*
weeding, and harvefting ; the cultiva-'
tion of wheat and barley -, and the ma-
nagement of cattle and fhecp; as
pradlifed in Norfolk -, were thefe
fubjecfts to be pafled without notice, in
defcribing the pra(5tice of Yorkfliire !
Or, becaufe a writer, on geography, has
defcribed the mountains and rivers of
France, for inftance, is he, in giving a
defcription of Spain, to pafs over the
mountains and rivers unnoticed !
But ill founded as that objedlion (if
it will bear the name) evidently is, the
making of it implies a degree of difla-
tisfadlioi, or, if the word be applica-
ble, a degree of difaffedion toward the
work ; and I am delirous to render it,
were it pofTible, free from difappro-
bation.
Perhaps the objecflion arofe in mif-
apprehenfion. It may be conjecflured,
that my flations are unlimited, and my
volumes, of courfe, unnumbered; ef-
pecially as fome infmuation of this na-
ture
ADVERTISEMENT.
xvn
ture was, I underftand, tacked to the
objedlion.
Left, therefore, fome of my readers,
whofe approbation I am delirous of pre-
ferving entire, fhould have conceived
the fame idea, it becomes requifite to
aprize them, that, unlefs I make a re-
furvey of the southern counties
(thereby completing the five princi-
pal STATIONS I have been led to fix
in) the rural economy of the midland
counties (now preparing for the prefs)
will clofe my survey of provincial
PRACTICE.
The completion of my plan extends
no farther than to seven stations :
adding, to the five more central, one
in the more western counties, of So-
merfet, Dorfet, and Devon, and another
in the more northern provinces; in-
cluding; Northumberland, and the low-
o
lands of SCOTLAND.
At prefent, however, there is little
probability of the furvey being extended
b to
xvm
ADVERTISEMENT.
to the two latter ftations : and no de-
gree of certainty of its being continued
to the fouthern counties.
This in reply to verbal objedlions.
Under a delire a pardonable one
I trufl of freeing the work, as faras
in the extenfivencfs of its nature it is ca-
pable of being freed, from obje<5tions of
every kind ; I think it prudent to take
notice, here, of fome lefs general obfer-
vations: made in a more liberal manner,
by a different order of men, and through
a different channel of communication,
the LITERARY JOURNALS.
But, in doing this, I muft neceflarily
place myfelf in a fomewhat delicate (itu-
ation. The flattering accounts, wliich
have been there given of the work (in
/;rf inftance flattering indeed !) may fcem
to preclude every fpecies of reply ; as I
mufl, in making it, place an oppofition
of fentiment where gratitude, only, may
fecm to have a right. But feeing the
very handfome manner, in which the
remarks
ADVERTISEMENT. xxili
the banks being placed at fome diflance
from the river, their requifite height for
the purpofe intended, is rendered incon-
fiderable J: and farther, that, between
the Severn and its banics, ozier beds are
frequent ; and fhoot, in general, with
uncommon luxuriance*. PolTeffed cf
thefe, and numerous other fads be-
longing to the fubjedt, I had no need
of books to affift me in drauang the
Jkttchy which is the fabjedt of this re-
ply ; and which I drew in Yorkfliire,
becaufe I knew no inftance in the other
diftridls I had vifited, in which the
pradtice was fo applicable, or where the
art of draining in difficult cafes is lefs
underftood.
Groundlefs, however, as the remark
replied to mofl afluredly is, I repeat
my acknowledgements to the writer
who brought it forward. Other readers,
equally
X See this volume p. 12. note.
* See PLANTIKG and orn : card : (publifhed in i^Sj)
r- 547-
xxiv AD\'ERTISEMENT.
equally unacquainted of courfe with
the fources of my information, may
have ften the pafTage alluded to in the
fame point of view. Befide, it affords
me an ooportunity, which otherwife I
might not have had, of faying ftill far-
ther, that, from the commencement of
the minutes of agriculture, in 1774, to
the prefent time, I have read nothing"
on the fubjedt of rural affairs ; exrcpt-
in*^ feme few modern publications,
which have fallen cafually under my
eye*; and excepting that, in the year
1780, I fpsnt fome weeks, or months,
in the reading room of the Britilh jMu-
feum, looking over and forming a cata-
logue of books, formerly written on
the fubjed.
This
• And, among ihc reft, a book written by Mr. Ander-
fon ; but whether it contained obfervations on river em-
bankments, I have not the fmalleft recolletflion. At the
time I read it, river embankment was a fubjeft totally un-
interefting to me ; and, fuppofmg that I attended to the
article, it is not probable, that any trace of it fliould remaia
er. the mind ten or twelve vears.
ADVERTISEMENT. xxv
This difregard of modern books has
not, of late years at leaft, rifen altoge-
ther through negledi. I have defignedly
refrained from them ; left I might catch
ideas, imperceptibly, — and, by inter-
weaving thofe of BOOKS with thofe of
PROVINCIAL PRACTICE, blend the two
parts of the general work, which I wifh
to keep perfe6lly diftindt. And I have
refrained more particularly from modern
books, which have gained a degree of
popularity -, left I fliould be led, imper-
ceptibly, into controverfies, public or
private, which might fwerve me from
my main delign.
The part of the plan which I have,
hitherto, been executing has, in itfelf,
been fufficient to engage every hour of
my attention. I have purpofely fhut my
eyes to every object not immediately
conned:ed with it ; under a conviction,
that the magnitude of the fubjedt is more
than fufficient for any man's attention;
and, of courfe, that whatever part of it
c (liould
xxri ADVERTISEMENT.
Ihould be applied to other objecfts would
be loft to the main piirfuit.
My fources of information are ample;
almoll without limitation. The two
wide fields of NATURE and science, fo
far as they are connected with the fub-
je(ft under invefligation ; the estab-
lished PRACTICE of the KINGDOM at
large, with refpe6t to the three grand
branches of rural economics ; the in-
dividual practice, and fonietimes the
individual opinion, of the superior
CLASS of professional MEN 5 together
with intcrefting incidents arifing in my
OWN practice, have, hitherto, been the
obje(fls of my attention.
CON.
ADVERTISEMENT.
XIJC-
remarks are conveyed, I may with fafety
conclude, they rife from a liberal fource;
and that vindication will not be miftaken
for controverfy. There are, indeed, only
two which require the form of reply.
One of them relating to a part of the
plan of the work, the other to my own
chara(5ter as a public writer.*
The firft relates to the botannical ca-
talogues of plants given in the rural
economy of Yorkfliire. But the remark,
in this cafe, arifes evidently through an
omiffion, or rather a misjudgement of
my own. The objedlion made is, that
no proportion of the number or quantity
which
* Some ftrictures on the inftance of the efFetSl of w hiten-
ing grounds arife, evidently, in mifconception : owing,
probably, to a want of perfpicuity in the paflage : no con-
(lufion whatever was intended to be drawn.
And the loofe hints on curled topped potatoes, thrown
together in a note, with (as I conceived) every mark of
diffidence, which words and printing could give them, are
not furely fair objects of criticifm, IVhat motinje could in-
duce io very able a pen to condefcend to treat them as fuch
jstome altogether inexplicable.
b 2
XX ADVERTISEMENT.
which each fpecies bears to the other
being given, the information becomes,
of courle, vague and unfatisfa^ory-
The two firft lifts were cautioufly guard-
ed in this refped:, by faying that the
plants ftood in them agreeably to their
degrees of prevalency : an explanation,
which I judged unneceflary to be affixed
to the other catalogues ; from which
the obfervations alluded to have evidently
rifen. In the prefent volumes, I have
been careful to guard each catalogue.
The other remark relates to river em-
bankments. In fpeaking of the marlhes
or fens, which now lie in an unproduc-
tive ftate, by the fide of the river Der-
went, 1 have, it feems, propofed a me-
thod of draining, fimilar to " direcftions
given for the fame purpofe, in Ander-
fon*s effays relating to agriculture and
rural affiirs, publiihed about twelve
years ago."
I am happy to find that 1 have fallen
into the fame train of thinking, upon
any
ADVERTISEMENT. xxi
any occafion, with Dr. Anderson ;
and am fingularly obliged to the inge-
nious writer who makes the obfervation :
not only on account of the very hand-
fome manner in which it is made ; but
becaufe it gives me a fair opportunity of
explaining, ftill farther, the execution
of my plan.
The part, which I have hitherto been
executing, is drawn from provincial
PRACTICE, and my own experience:
Or, in other words, is an accumulation
of fadts ariling in nature, and prac-
tice, or of reflexions aptly refulting
from thefe facts.
Excepting one inftance, that of in-
CLOsuRES, I cannot call to my mind
one deviation from this principle.* But
that appeared to me a fubjedl of fo much
importance, yet fo little underftood,
that, feeing the fairnefs of the oppor-
tunity, and the materials I. was in pof-
feff] on
* Unlefs the article orchards in thefe volumes may be
deemed Aich.
xxii ADVERTISEMENT.
felTion of, it would have been wrong to
have let flip, unneceflarily, one SefTion
of Parliament, before I hid the mate-
rials I was poffeffed of, in the beft man-
ner I was able, before the public.
In the inftance under reply, there is
ample proof of the principle, on which
the work is condudted. I refer, from
the pafTage itfelf, to an inftance, in
which the mofl material part of the
pra(ftice I recommend is executed, on a
large fcale, by raifing the water with
draining engines, or marfh mills*.
In the fame volume, only a few pages
from the pafTage, I give another inftance,
on a fmaller fcale, in which the water is
got rid of, by finking a counter ditch,
only, without the help either of mill or
floodgate-f-. And I knew, at the fame
time, that the Severn is embanked, and
its meadows kept dry, by floodgates, on-
]v: and moreover knew that, in this cafe,
the
• Sec N our : ECOV : min: ii8.
•f Sec York • ft ov • \(j1. >. p. jit.
CONTENTS
TO THE
FIRST VOLUME.
Page
THE SEVERN and Its vale defcrlbed - x
Glocestershire divided into diftri<Sls - 6
The vales of Glocester and Evesham dif-
tinguilhed - - - 8
THE VALE OF GLOCESTER defcribed with re-
fpect to its
Outline - 10 Subftrata
Extent - 10 Roads
'3
14
Climature • lO Townfhips • 15
Surface - ii Inclofures - 16
River, kc, - 12 Produce - 18
Soil - 13
The RURAL ECONOMY of the VALE OF GlOCESTER
regiftered, under
1. Eftates and Tenures - - I9
2. Management of Eftates • - 20
3. Farm iJuildings - - 30
4. Field Fences - - 40
5. HedgTow Timber - .42
6. Woodlands -* - - 44
7. Planting - - • 46
8. Farms - - - 48
g. Farmers *» - 50
10. Workmen
XXV 111
CONTEXTS.
Page
10. Workmen - - 51
1 1 . Beads of Labour - - 54
12. Implements - - 57
13. Sealbns - - 59
14. General Management of Farms - 62
15. Courfe of Hufbandry - - 64
16. Soils and Tillage - - 6b
17. Manures - - 86
18. Seed Procefs - - 90
ig. Com Weeds - - 91
20. Har\efting - - loi
21. Farm Yard Management - - 103
22. Markets - - 105
23. "Wheat - - - 112
24. Barley - - - - 132
35. Oats - - - - 136
26. Pvilfe - - - 140
27. Cultivated Graffes - - 154
28. Natural GrafTes - - 170
29. Horfes - - - 207
30. Sheep _ _ - 208
31. Cattle - - - 211
Cows - - - 215
Rearing cattle - - - 234
Fatting cattle - - - 239
32. Dairy management - - 262
33. Swine - - - 316
Lift of Rates - - - 319
PjDvincialifms _ - _
THE
<•
I ktlrrr Ptat / "
THE
RURAL ECONOMY
O F
GLOCESTERSHIRE, &c.
/COUNTRIES are charaaerlzed by ri-
vers. Mountains are cleft to give vent
to their various fources. Or we may fay,
and perhaps more philofophically,— -rivers re-
ceive their general character from countries.
In whatever light we view them, it is fuffi-
ciently evident that, in moft inftances, they
are ftrongly characteriftic of each other. The
fiflures uniting form a valley j the united
rills the branch of a river. The mountains
Vol. I. B bow
D. H. HIU LIBRARY
North Carolina Stat« College
2 DISTRICT.
bow as the fiflures widen j and as the hills
fink the vallies expand : at length uniting in
one open vale; in whofe lap the concurring
branches form an accompanying river : which
as it approaches the fea, widens into an eihi-
ar)-i whole immediate banks are marlhes.
But rivers, as all nature's produdtions, are
infinitely various. Each has its differential
character.
The HuMBER (the firft of Bririfh rivers)
opens from the lea with an eftuaiy dilpropor-
rionately fmall. But its banks fpread wide ;
in due proportion' to the vaftneis of the vale,
in which its numerous branches are collec-
ted,— and to the magnificence of the moun-
tains and vallies, which give birth to them.
The characteriftic of die Humber and its ac-
companiments (its efbiary apart) is greai-
vejs.
The Severn is marked by widely differing
charafters. Its eftuar)- is fingularly magni-
ficent J forming a channel; not unfrequent-
ly, nor improperly, ftyled the Severn-sea ;
whofe banks, on either fide, rife from the
richeft marches to lotty and moft pichirefquc
mountains. Europe, I believe, does not fur-
nifli
GLOCESTERSHIRE, kc. 3
nifh another River-entrance of equal gran-
deur.
Thefe mountain banks approach j and the
channel contradts with the clifts of Chepftow
and Auftj but the efiuary continues; and
the country, above, opens into an extended
vale, which widens as its length increafes ;
until it receive the county of Worcefter, al-
moft entirely, within its outline : then con-
trafts, and clofes with the hills of Shropfliire
and StafFordfhire. A vale, which in richnejs
and beauty, has no where, perhaps, its equal.
Its banks, to the Weft, are formed by the
foreft of Dean, Mayhill, the Malvern hills, and
the hills of Herefordfhire, and Shropfliire: to
the Eaft, by the Stroud water and the Cotf-
wold hills, and by rifing grounds on the bor-
der of Warwickfhire j clofing with the Lickey
and the Clent hills.
By hillocks fcattered on the area of this ex-
panfe, its entirenefs is not evident: Bredon
hill, with fome fmaller hillocks ftrewed at the
point of the Cleeve hill (a promontory of the
Cotfwolds) crofs the view, and partially di-
vide the vale into three diftricts: Worcefter-
Ihire j the vales of Glocefterfhire \ and the
B 2 vale
4 DISTRICTS.
vale of Evefham, which is fnared in a fingular
manner bcr.veen the nvo counties. But re-
move thefe hills, and the hillocks near Glo-
cefl:cr,~-the whole forms one continued un-
broken vale, which accompanies the Severn
from the union of its principal branches to its
conflux \vith the Sea.
Probably, however, not having been feen in
this light, it has had no general name afllgn-
ed it. The vale of Evefham lays claim to
fome part of it ; but to hov/ much, has not,
I believe, ever been fettled. Were it necef-
fary to afTign it a general name,~TEWKSBURv,
which is fituated every way in its center,
might well claim the honor of giving it.
The upper part of this vale, (its uppermoft
extremity excepted) though abundant in riches
is not picfurefque. The idea of flatnefs is too
predominant: its banks are comparatively
tame ; and its furface, though fufficiently
broken, for the ufes of rural economy; is
too uniform to give full effeft to rural or-
NAMEN'T.
Pafilng downward, its more finillied {cq-
nery commences with the Malvern hills: from
whence to the rocks of Cliepf^ow, its area and
its
GLOCESTERSHIRE, &c. 5
ks banks form one continuous fcene of piftura-
ble beauty. A garden forty miles in extent.
,A grand fuite of ornamental grounds, in na-
ture's beft ftyle. Every part is pleafing. The
banks bold j and happily varied; and partially
hung with wood. The area ftrewed with hil-
locks, fertile to thejummits, affording endlefs
points of view ; while the hillocks themfelves
are, in their turns, the caufe of infinite beauty.
The foil every where rich j and moftly in a ftate
of grafs. The Severn winding with unufual
freedom. With the Welchmountains rifins
in happy diftance. Thefe features well affoci-
ated give this pafTage of country a preference,
in beauty^ to every other this ifland is poflefled
of J and, in much probability, to every other
this planet is adorned with. There may be na-
tural fituations equal to it : but where fhall we
find feafons fo favourable to rural ornament
as in this ifland ; and, in fuch a climatnire,
cultivation fo highly raifed .''
Glocefterfliire might well be ftyled the feat
of pidurefque beauty. It is equally a fubjed
of ftudy for the painter and the rural ornamen-
talift j not in the outline only, but in the de-
B 3 tail:
6 DISTRICT.
tail: the Stroudwater hills, and the banks of
the Wye, are full of fecliided bear.t\'.
It is this lower extremity of the Severn-vale
which falls within the diftrict I have chofen for
my prefent station. Not on account of its
pioJurefque he may ; but by realbn of \is, fituaticn
with refped: to the other ftations 1 have fixed
in ; — its richnejs ; and the various produ^ions
it affords. Had it not hztn fingularly charac-
terized by natural ornament, I (hould not ha's'e
detained the reader a moment on fo unprofita-
ble a fubjecfl. But the eye muft be dim, and
the heart benumbed, which can be infenfible
to the rural beauty of Gloceflerfhire.
The popular divifions of the couvtv arc
the Vakj — the Cotf^'cld bills — the Stroudzva-
ter bills— die country about Bn(\:o\—Berklty
Hiojdred—lfye-fidc—x.ht Fcrejl of De^n—2Lnd
Over-Severii: the laft a diflrict, which, though
it be divided only by the river from what is
properly underflood by the VaUy difftrs from
it v*ery much in foil and management ; both of
which partake of thofe of Herefordihire. The
Foreft of Dean a mere walle, which calls loudly
for improvcm.ent, and the \A' ye fide little more
than the banks of the river.
Amonf>
GLOCESTERSHIRE, kc. 7
Among the eaftern divifions we mull there-
fore look for proper fubjefts of ftudy for rural
ixFORMATiON : and we find three of them en-
titled to notice. The vales of Glocester
and Evesham, as a rich vale diftrift, equally
abundant in grafs and corn. The Cotswold
HILLS, as an upland arable dilbid:. And the
vale of Berkley as a grafsland dairy country.
The Stroudwater hills partake of the Cotl-
wolds and the vale jointly.— A lovely plot of
country : but not a proper fubject of rural ftudy ;
as being a feat of manufadlure. The Southern
extremity is various in foil and furface. The
Brijiol garter is a fine tradt of country j but
lies too near a populous town to be ftudied for
general information. The Scuth-jjoldsy a ridge
of hill which joins the Stroudwater to the
Lanfdown hills, — is in foil, fituation, and ma-
nagement, fimilar to the Cotfwolds : the Stroud-
^^•ater hills lying in a dip between them.
The vales of Glocefter and Evefham
The Cotfwold hills, and
The vale of Berkley ; as well as
North-Wiltlliire, and
He re ford 111 ire ; will be feparately defcribed.
B 4 THE
i DISTRICT.
T H E
VALES
O F
GLOCESTER and EVESHAM.
THE VALE which accompanies the
Severn, through Glocestershire, has a na-
tural infeftion, which divides it into two di-
ftri(5ts, very different in produce and rural ma-
nagement. Thefe diftricls, in diftinction, I
fhall call the upper and the loiver vale ; or the
the Vale of Glocester, and the Vale of
Berkley.
The upper vale, in whole, or in part, is
fometimes Ipoken of as belonging to the Vale
OF Evesham;— at prefent an maginary di-
ftrift, of which no two men have the fame idea.
Some include, not only the vale of Glocefter,
but a principal part of Worcefterfhire within
its limits ! Its natural limits, however, are
evident -,
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 9
evident ; and appear, from old maps, to have
been formerly the received boundaries.
The Vale of Evesham belongs to the
Avon ; as the vales of Glocefter and Berkley
do to the Severn : being included between the
river and the Cotfwold hills: expanding fouth-
ward to Campden and Morton ; and following
the Avon eaflward to Stratford: Evefham
being fituated near the midway between its ex-
tremities: that is, near the center of the Vale
OF Avon ; at the fartheft outfkirts of the Vale
OF Severn.
The town of Evefiiam flands in Worcefter-
fhire -, but much of the vale lies within the
boundaries of Glocefterfhire j and, in point
of fituation, climature, furface, foil, produce,
and niafugcment, may be confidered as a con-
tinuation of the vali^ of Glocefter. Thefouth-
ern part of Worceilerfhire, likewife enjoys a
fimilar fituation and foil, and is fubjedted to a
fimilar management. Therefore, in the rural
Economy of the Vale of Glocester we fhall
gain a general idea of that of a moft fertile and
extenfive diftrift : one of the richeft rural gar-
dens the ifland has to boaft of.
The
Id DISTRICT.
THE V.\LE OF GLOCESTER
Is, in OUTLINE, fomewhat remicircular: the
Severn the chord the environing hills the
arch: the towns of Glocefter, Tewkibury,
and Cheltenham forming a triangle withinits
area. Its extent, from the foot of Matfon
hill to that of Bredon hill (its outnwfi limit
to die north) is about fifteen miles: from the
Severn to the foot of Dowdefwell hill, feveo
or eight miles. The entire diftrid, there-
fore, does not contain a hundred fquare miles.
It may be eftimated at fifty to fixt}- thouland
acres.
The CLIMATURE of this diftridt, like that
of the vale of Pickering, is ahcme its natural
latitude, (51.^ SS'^ The feafons on this fide
of the Severn areav.eek or ten days later than
on the opf>ofite banks: owing, probably, to
the lame caufe, as that which has been afligned
for a fiinilar effe<fi: in the vale abovementioned.
The Cotfwold hills rifing high above its level,
give a continual fupply of coolnefs andmoil-
ture ; while the over-fevern diftrift has no
fuch mafs of mountain rifing immediately be-
hind it. The popular idea ieems to be diat
the difference is owing to afped. The rwx),
jointh-.
VALE OF GLOCESTER. n
jointly, may account for it. Diilricls, even,--
wherc, vary as to climature: not altogether
through latitude, alpeCl:, or elevation ; but to
fome other caufe or caufes j— which are cer-
tainly interefting fubjecls of inveftigation.
Much depends upon climature. A forwardnefs
of feafon is alv/ays defirable. The value of
land is materially influenced by the climature
it lies in.
The suRFACF, an extended plane j fwelling
with gentle protuberances ; and fet with fome
hillocks of remarkable beaut)\ Church-
Down (provincially " Chofen Hill") is, in
beauty, next to Matfon's lovely hillock. But
Wainlode hill, on the immediate bank of the
Severn, commands the broadeft, beft view of
the vale ;— backed bv its environins: hills.
The common receptacle of the furface water
of the diftricfl is the Severn: The collefting
SHORES*, rivulets which crofs the vale.
The
• Shore. This word has been cenfuredby a critic whofe
remarks are entitled to attention : it is therefore proper to
fay that I do not life the word ^ojr, as a corruption oiijfue!
(Johnfon's idea) but as a word, (probably of fome centuries
ftanding) analogous v;\xhfezv£r\ which, pronounced as it is
written, is become a.provin<:ialtfm: while to write fcTvery
and pronounce y2'or£' is an evident impropriety. The eflab-
lifhcd language has no inftance analogous v.ith fucli aufage.
12
D I S T R I C T.
The Severn being embanked to confine
its waters within due limits, during fnincr
floods, — the rivulets are let into it by flood-
gates, which give vent to them at dead water ;
and exclude the water of the river in times of
floods *.
Near the banks of the Severn, an overflow
of thefe rivulets may fometimes be irremedia-
ble ; but the area of the diftricl, in general, is
placed, by natural fituation, entirely out of the
reach of furface water. Neverthelefs, much
of it is eflentially injured by water lodging up-
on it, during -winter and wet feafons. The
ri\'Tjlets are fhamefully neglecled j and the
water ditches choaked for want of timely
fcouring. A commission of shores is evi-
dently wanted in this diftrift, to free it from
the evils of fuperfluous water ; one of the mofl:
ruinous
• Severn Embankment. This is not a pul^lick v. ork;
nor is it general ; the meadows being in many places ftill
left open. The intention of it is merely to fecure the grafs
from being filted, and the hay from being fw ept away, by
fummer floods. The banks being low ; not mor« perhaps
than two to three feet high ; the winter's floods fur-
mount them ; or, if raifed higl>er, the water at that
feafon is, I undcrftand, fometimes let into the meadows by
flutccs op<'ned for that purpofe ; fo that the meadows ftill
rr t ivf a I cncfit from the ficods.
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 13
ruinous enemies of huibandry: yet, by proper
management, it is, in general, the moft eafy
to be overcome.
The SOIL of this diftridl is moftly a rich
deep loam: fitted, by intrinfic quality, for the
production of every vegetable fuited to its fpe-
cific nature and the latitude it lies in. But by
a redundancy of moifture it is chilled, weak-
ened, and rendered much lefs productive
than foils, which enjoy equal richnefs and
equal depth, generally are. This is in part
owing to a want of fufficient fliores, and furface-
drains y and in part to the nature of the —
Subsoil, which accords with the theory
above offered with relpe«fl to climature : being
in general fingularly cold and full of water ; ef-
pecially towards the center of the vale ; where
it appears, in many places, to be compofed of
ftone and clay, alternately, in thin ftrata.
And here, every ftone pit is a well of limpid
water. There are parts of the diftridt, how-
ever, which enjoy a more genial foundation ;
elpecially round the towns of Glocefter, Tewkf-
buiy and Evefliam : fituations admirably well
chofen. But no wonder ^ they were fixed upon,
or raifed into eminence, by the. clergy -, who, it
is
14 DISTRICT.
is abundantly evident, were judges of foil and
climature. The whole diftrift under notice
has been ftrewed with monafteries and other
religious places.
The ROADS of the vale are fhamefuUy kept.
The Pariih roads molUy lie in their natural
flat ftate, with the ditches on either fide of
theni full of water to the brim. The toll-roads
are railed (generally much too high) but even
on the fides of theie I have feen full ditches. It
would, in principle, be equally wile to fet a
fugar loaf in water by way of preferv'ing it, as
to fufier water to (land on the fkies of roads
whofe foundations are of an earthy nature. For
{6 long as they remain in immediate contact
with water, they never can acquire the requi-
fite degree of firmneis. The foundation is
ever a quagmire ; and the fujjerftrucbure, if
not made unneceflarily ftrong, is always liable
to be prefled into it. Hence the deep, ditch-
lilie ruts which are commonly feen in roads of
this defcriprion. The road between Glocefler,
and Cheltenham (now become one of the mofl
public roads in the illand) is fcarccly fit for the
meanefl of their Majefbes* Ibbjetts to travel
on, — AND PAY FOR J much lefs fuitable for
their
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 15
their Majefties themfelves, and their amiable
family, to truft their own perfons upon.
Materials are plentiful, and upon the fpot.
The flone of the fubfoil is a blue-and- white
limeflone.— Lying, however, in thin ftrata,
feparated by thicker feams of clay, the raif-
ing of it is fomewhat expenfive, and its du-
ration is fhort. But the fhortnefs of the car-
riage {lands againft thefe difadvantages. Be-
low Glocefter, the roads are made with " flag"
copper drofs — and with the ftone of St. Vin-
cent's Rock near Briflol. To forty or fifty
miles of water-carriage, two or three of land
carriage are not unfrequently added !
Townships. The only circumftance no-
ticeable, in this place, is the unfrequency of .
alehoujes in the townfhips of the vale : a cir-
cumftance which reflects much honour on the
magiftracy of this count)\ Alehoufes are an
intolerable nuifance to hufbandry. They are
the nurferies of idlenefs, and every other vice.
A virtuous nation could not, perhaps, be de-
bauched fooner, or with more certainty, than
by planting alehoufes in it : yet we fee them
every where planted, as if for the purpofe of J
rendering this nation more vicious tlian it al-/
ready
i6 DISTRICT.
ready is. If a reform of the lower clafs of
people be really wifhed for^ the firft flep to-
wards it would be, to fhut up die principal
part of the petty alehoufes which are, at pre-
jent, authorifed by Government to debauch
them. Unfortunately, however, for fo defire-
able a reform, alehoufes, like lotteries, are
opened " for the good of the nation" ! The
nation muft be in a tottering ftate, indeed,
if it require gambhng and drunkennefs, the
two main pillars of vice, to fupport it *.
Inclosures. Many of the townfhips of
this vale ftill lie in open common field—" com-
mon meadow " — and common paftures—pro-
vincially " Hams " which are ftinted for cows
and other cattle. Perhaps half the vale is un-
divided propert)'.
In the common arable fields, property is
intermixed in a fingular manner. Not with a
view
* From what will followr it may be faid ihat a want of
Silehoufcs cannot prevent drunkennefs. In this country it
certainly cannot. Ncverthclefs this dirtrifl is a ftriking evi-
dence iliat a fcarcity of alehoufes lelFens the vices which fcl-
dom fail of aObciating thenifelves with puhtic drunkeaocfii.
There is a kind o{ Ptllt-inian deportment obfervable among
the lower clafs of people, in this diftrici, which 1 have not
been able to difcover, in any other.
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 17
view to general conveniency or an equitable
diltribution of the lands to the feveral mefliia-
ges of the townfliips they lie in, as in other
places they appear to have been j but here the
property of two men, perhaps neighbours in
the fame hamlet, will be mixed hnd-for-land
alternately ; though the foil and the diftance
from the melTuages be nearly the fame.
A tradition which prevails in the diftri6t re-
lates that this intermixture was made inten-
tionally ; to prevent the inclofure of the fields ;
and the crime is laid to the charge of the " Ba-
rons ."
The circumflances of intentional intermix-
ture is probable ; but the Barons were lefs like-
ly to effect fuch an expedient than the Bijhops ;
whole monafteries were to be fed from the pro-
duce of the countries they feverally flood in.
Roads in thofe days were, in all probability,
much worfe than they are now j and the bufi-
nefs of diftant carriage much more difficult
than it is at prefent. *
C The
* Every monaftery had its barn. Some of thefe barns,
which appear to have been generally of immenfe fize, are
ftiil remaining. One of them, which I had the opportunity
of obferving, is in high prefervation ; and ftill in ufe as a
bam. Over one of its porches is a room furnifhed with a
fire
i8 DISTRICT.
The monaftcries being thus fituated, dieir
exillencc depended on keeping a due portion of
the lands in a ftate of aration. But the lands
of this diftrict being better adapted, by the
coolnefs of their fituation, to grajs than to corny
they were no fooner inclofcd than converted to
grafs-lands ; and there appears to have been
no other probable means of preventing their in-
clofure, than by cutting them into fhreds too
fmall for that purpofe, and intermixing them
in the manner in which they too evidently ap-
pear.
Producz — principally com. Befides the
open fields, a confiderable Ihare of the inclofures
are arable. However, if we include the com-
mon meadows and Hinted paftures, nearly half
the diftrict may be in grafs. The ivoodland is
inconfiderable : not a hundred acres in the di-
ftricb. I fpeak of the area of the vale. The
Cotfwold cliffs, which overlook it, are parti-
ally hungw ith wood. Above Witcomb, on
the fouthern limb of the circle, there is a
charming; tradl of woodland. If more of this
irregular cliff were planted ; efpecially the
fteeper
iire place and chlmscy \ and opening into a gallery on the
infide of the barn ; probally for the conveniency of the
iMmHard, in overlooking the workmen.
1. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 19
deeper bolder proje<5lions, which are now in a
(late of wafte, the profit eventually might be
confiderable to the owner ; while beechen man-
tles thrown over the prefent baldnefs of thefe
projedtions could not fail of being grateful to
the obfervers of rural beauty.
1.
ESTATES.
THIS DISTRICT includes no large
eftate. — Several Noblemen have off eftates
within it i but none of them is extenfive. The
remainder belongs principally to refident gen-
tlemen J and to a pretty numerous yeomanry.
The TENURE is moftly fee-ftmple i with
fome copyhold -, and a confiderable proportion
of Church leafehold. In the vale of Evesham,
one third of the landed property is faid to be
held by the laft mentioned tenure : — moftly by
leaf es for lives ; — two in poffeflion, and two in
reverfion : fome by leaf es for a term j as twenty
one years, renewable every feven.
C 2 THE
28 MANAGEMENT OF ESl'ATES. a.
2.
THE
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
O F
ESTATES.
THE DISTRICT more immediatdy
under obfervation furnilhes little interefting in-
formation on this head. There is no large
eftate in it to take the lead, and eftablidi a uni-
form fyftem of management.
' The TENANCY is various: much of the
vale remains at zvilL But leaj'es are now be-
jcome common, upon fome of the off eilates.
The term — feven, fourteen or twenty one
years.*
Rent.
• III the I'fl/^ «f Ei'cjham, in open-field townfhips, in
which three crops and a tallow arc the ellablifhed courfeof
hufbandry — leafes for four, eight, or twelve years ; tJiat is
lor one two or three courfcs; arc granted. This is a fim-
ple,
^, VALE OF GLOCESTER. 21
Rent. The old rent for grafsland 20s. for
arable common-field los. an acre: landlord
paying land tax ; which, in moft cafes, runs
very high in this diftridt. But eftates in gene-
ral have been moderately raifed of late years.
Grafsland now lets from 20s. to 30s. Common
field land los. to 15s. Arable inclofures, and
" every years' land " los. to 20s. an acre.
Covenants. Landlord builds and repairs.
Tenant has the care oi t\it fences : and is, in
the cuftom of the country, allowed to lop and
top hedgerow timber. Gateftuff is, I under-
ftand, pretty generally allowed \ and fometimes
plowboot, i^c. In the center of the vale, te-
nants are reftrifted from felling firaw -, but,
near the towns, they are not under this re-
ftridlion.
Receiving. The prevaiUng times of re-
ceiving are Michaelmas and Ladyday ; land-
lords allowing their tenants fix months' credit.
C 3 Removal
pie, judicious principle of management, which might well
be adopted in other arable diftrifts, in which a regular
courfe of husbandry is eftablifhed: thus, in Norfolk, fix,
twelve, or eighteen years would be a more eligible term of
a leafe thetn leven, fourteep or twenty one ; — the prcfent
term.
22 MANAGEMENT OF ESTATES. 2.
Removals. Ladyday is the ufual time of
changing tenants. Outgoing tenant Ibmetimes
holding part of the grafs grounds to old May-
day; and not uncommonly, I underftand,
keeping pofleflion of the barns, &c. until the
midfummer twelve-month following ! : — Har-
vefting and thralhing out all the corn fown
upon the farm previous to his leaving it*.
Forms of Leases. The following arc
the heads of a leafe in ufe on one of the firft off
eftates in the diftrifl.
Landlord agrees to lett ; — certain ipc-
cified premifes ; from Ladyday ; — for a rent,
and during a term, previoufly agreed upon.
Also to put the buildings into tenantablc
repair j and to keep them in repair during the
term of the demife : (except as hereafter)
Landlord reserves all mines, quarries,
coals, minerals, and metals ; all timber, fruit
and other trees, (lores, germins, andfaplings;
with
• How irntch preferable, in this refpecl, is the Norfolk
practice; in which the bufinefs of the farm goci on nearly
in the fame manner, in the firft and the laft years of the
leafe, as in any intermediate year; and in wliicii the in-
coming tenant obtains full pojfijjion, on the day of removal,
(fee NoRF: EcoN.) • For the pra(^tice of Cleveland \ a
diilridt very fmiilar to this; fee YoRJt: EcOn: vol I.
P- 37-
2. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 23
with the lops, tops, and Ihredings thereofj
together with all woods and underwoods, cop-
pices, hedges, and hedgerows : (except as
hereafter) with full liberty to fearch for, cut
down, &c. &c.
Also the right of hunting, fifhing, and
fowling; " and all other royalties whatfoever.'*
Also free liberty of viewing the premifes,
and doing repairs.
Also a liberty of planting timber or fruit
trees, in hedgerows, or on " mounds j" that
is, ditch banks.
Also to inclofc, or to exchange lands,
without controul of the tenant; the difference
in rental value to be eftimated and fixed by
arbitration.
Tenant agrees to take ; — and to pay the
ftipulated rent, half yearly; within fourteen
days after it be due ; — under forfeiture of the
leafe.
Also to difcharge all tithes, dues, levies,
duties, rates, affeffments, taxes, and pay-
ments, (the land tax only excepted) whether
parliamentary or parochial, impofed, or to be
impofed, on the premifes.
C 4. Also
24 MAKAGEMINT OF ESTATES. a.
Also to do fuit and fervice at the Lord's
Court, holden for the manor in which the
premiies lie.
Also to do all neceflkry carriage for repairs.
Also to provide uheaten flra\r, with rods,
&c. for thatching.
Also to repair, and keep in good order and
repair, and to deliver up in fuch condition at
the end of the term, the pump, and the win-r
dows, belonging to the premifes.
Also the " court yards"^-( including the
ftraw and dung yards) — ^with the cauleways
thereunto belonging.
Also to repair, keep and deliver up in good
order and repair, the hedges, gates, pales,
rails, ftiles, mounds and fences j and to find
iron work, Ipikes, and nails ; (landlord pro-
i-iding and aUowing rough timber;) for thefe
purpofes.
Also to fcour and cleanfe the brook,
ditches, watercouiies, drains, and f>ools ; and
the fame to Weld up at the end of the term in
good and fufficient order and repair.
Also to occupy,, in himli4f»'Or in his heirs,
&c. all and every part of the premifes : and
not to aflign, fet-over, or lett, the whole, or
any
2. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 25
any parcel of them, (without the licence and
confent of the landlord) under forfeiture of
the leafe.
Also not to plow, dig, or break up any of /
the meadow or pafture ground, belonging to '
the premifes ;— under the penalty often pounds
an acre, yearly, from the time of breaking up
to the termination of the demife.
Also to grip, trench, hillock, and drain
the grafs lands.
Also to fallow the arable land, every third *
or fourth year 3 according to the eflablilhed
courfe of hufbandry ofthe townfhip it lies in.
Also to fold and pen on the premifes, and
not elfewhere, all fuch fheep as Ihall be kept
thereon.
Also not to fow hemp, flax, or rape feed
on any part ofthe premifes. Nor, otherwife,
to crofs-crop : but to fow the fame corn and
grain, from year to year, according to the befl
and moll ufual courfe of hufbandry ufed in the
felpective townfhips *.
Also to rick and houfe upon the premifes,
all the corn, grain, and hay grown thereon.
And
• The aralK^ lands lie chiefly; or wholly in common
fields.
26 MANAGEMENT OF ESTATES. i.
And to fpend and employ, on the fame, all
the ftraw and fodder arifing therefrom, in a
hu/bandlike manner. And to ufe on the pre-
miles, where moft need fhall require, and not
elfewhere, all the muck, dung, foil, and com-
port rifing thereon. And not, in thefe or
any other aft or a6ls, negligently, wilfulfiilly,
or willingly, impoverifh or make barren, the
lands under demife. Nor do or commit, or
lliffer to be done or committed, any wafte,
Ipoil, or deftruAion whatfoever.
Also to plant willows, (fix for in-
ftance) yearly ; on convenient parts of the pre-
mifes; and to defend, and replace them, if
neceflary ; under the penalty of 20?. a tree,
yearly: landlord allo^^ng rough timber for
fencing*.
Also to prefei-ve and keep all fuch trees as
the landlord (hall plant in the hedge-rows,
fromjpcil or damage by cattle (after they have
been once well fenced with timber by the land-
lord)
♦ Thb is a well concch-ed claufe. In a vale diftrift,
deftitutc, in a manner, of woodknds, the m'illow be-
comes a moft ufcful tree: fupplying the place of coppice
flood, for rails, itake-s Iiandles of tools, edders, witlis, and,
particularly in this diftrict, for making a fpecics of cattle
crib, whidi will be hereafter defcribed.
it. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 27
lord) And in cafe any fuch trees fliall die,
by being hurt or Jailed by cattle^ to plant in
their ftead the like number, and the fame forts
and kinds j and thefe to preferve and keep ;
under the penalty of 20s. a tree, yearly*.
Also,
• This likewlfe, under due limitation, is an admirable
claufe. Tempered with the Norfolk regulation in this cafe,
it might be extended, 'with propriety , to Plantations,
and be rendered highly beneficial to an eftate, without
being alarming to the tenants ; though, in every cafe, it
muft in its nature be hazardous.
A claufe of this kind, — feeing the difficulty of raifing
trees on old hedge-banks, — the uncertainty of feafons,
and the unflcilfulnefs of. planters in general, — ought to be
ftrongly guarded, on the part of the tenant, in the fpecifica-
ticn of the damage, for which the penalty fliall be due;
confining it folely to damage by cattle or other ftock, or to
other negleft, or wilful damage of the tenant.
The penalty, in this inftance, appears to me imprudently
high. An annual forfeiture of one fliilling a tree would,
during the ufual term of a leafe, nuich more than repay the
planting, and any increafe of value, wliich could be ex-
pefted in that time ; and would be a fufficient cheeky with-
out being an obfiachy to a good tenant.
My remarks on this claule are the fuller, as I liave not
met with it in the leafes of any other diftrifl ; and I am
fully perfuaded, that, duly qualified, it would, if gene-
rally adopted, be highly advantageous to the landed in-
tered. It avails little to plant ; efpecially in the hedgerows
ot off eftates ; unlefs the occupier be fomeway intcrefled in
the fucccfs of the plantation.
aS MANAGEMENT OF ESTATES. 2,
Also, in the iafi year of the term, to fow
• acres with clover feed (at the rate of
I8lb. an acre) And fuffer landlord, or in-
coming tenant, to fow the remainder of the
barley land of that year, ^^th that or other
grafs feeds. And not, after the barley crop
be cut, to plow in, or break up, or cut, mow,
graze, or eat off the young clover, or any
part thereof.
Also, in the hft year, to weed, hoe, and
cleanfe, and to fuffer landlord, or incoming
tenant, to weed, hoe, and cleanfe, the laft,
or " going- off crop.
Also to rick and houfe, and fpend on the
premifes, and not ellewhere, all and every
part of the ^^ going-off crop \' and to leave
in the courts and yards, all the manure made
therefrom, for the ufe and benefit of the land-,
lord.
Also, /// the laft year, to deliver up, on
the twent)' firft day of December, to the land-
lord or incoming tenant, acres of the
arable land ; ^as a fallow for the enfuing
year.
Texaxt to be allowed (over and above
the rough timber for gates and fences) fuf-
ficient
3i. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 29
ficient plow-boot, and fire-boot, neceffary to
be uled in the management of the premifes.
Also the laft or " going-off crop" of corn
and grain, fown on the premifes, in the laft
year of the term ; — on fuch land, and in fuch
kind and fort, as come, in due courfe of huf-
bandr)', to be Ibwn in that year*.
Also the ufe of the barns, and part of the
out buildings and yards, for thrafhing out the
grain, and fpending the fodder of the laft crop,
during twelve mondis, after the expiration of
the term.
FARM
* There is no condition made, in this diftrict, nor, I
believe, in this quarter of the kingdom, for the outgoiiig
tenant to pay the rent and taxes (what in Yorklhire is
termed the onftand) for his going-ofFcrop: fo that here
(by long cuftom) the outgoing tenant occupies, and receives
the profits of, perhaps, three fourtlis of the arable land,
after the term of general occupation ceafes ; while tlie in-
coming tenant is paying rent ajid taxes for it, without re-
ceiving any immediate advantage whatfoever from it. In
/i!>/i diftrict, where wheat is (own very late, Autumn, ap-
pears to me, evidently, the moft eligible time of removal:
And I have leen the copy of a leale, tenninating at Mi-
CHABLMAS, in which the tenant agrees to plow the fallow
field lands twice, and manure them in a hufbandlike man-
ner, in the laft year of the tenn ; and to give up the reft of
the arable lands, and a part of the buildings, as foon as the
laft crops (hall be off: — a mode of conducling the difagrce-
able bufinefs undernotice, greatly preferable, in my opi-
nion, tx> that which is in more general practice.
33 F A R M B U I L D I N G S. 3.
FARM BUILDINGS.
IMPROVEMENTS m rural architec-
ture are nor to be exp>e(5led in the diflrift under
furvey. Neverthelefs, the leading fadls re-
fpefling its FARM buildings require to be
regillered ; and fome peculiarities, as well as
ibme few modern improvements, are entitled
to notice.
Materials. Timber appears to have
been, formerlvj the prevailing building- ma-
terial of the diftrift. Farm buildings, in ge-
neral, even to this day, arc of frame-work ;
filled up with ftrong laths, interwoven in a
peculiar manner, and covered with pUftering;
or the ftudwork is covered with weather-boar-
der}' alone , efpecially outbuildings.
The prefent walling material is hrUk.
Some few '■^ clay fiones" dug out of the fub-
foil, are ufed ; and, under the hills, "free-
ftone" a foft calcarious granate, which is
common to the Cotfwold hills, is in ufe.
Lime
3. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 31
Lime is here a heavy article of building, —
From 6d. to 8d. a bufhel, often gallons level,
at the kiln.
The ftones, from which it is burnt, are
brought by water -carriage to the towns upon
the Severn -, either from Briftol, or from
Weftbury &:c at the foot of the Foreft of
Dean j where the " clayftone " of the fublbil
is railed for this purpofe. The kilns are built
on the banks of the Severn ; fo that no land
carriage of the ftone is requifite. But the
lime, notwithftanding the exorbitant price at
the kiln is to be conveyed by land into the
area of the dillricft. The margin is fupplied
with the calcarious granate (which has been
mentioned), from the Cotfwold cliffs ; and
from Bredon hill i evidently a fragment of the
Cotfwolds.
Thefe ftones vary much in general appeai-
ance and contexture ; and the limes produced
from them arenotlefs various in their quahties.
The " Briftol ftone " has a fomewhat flint-
like appearance -, is of a clofe, hard, and uni-
form contexture ; and of a dark redifti colour^
fparkling with fparry particles j and flying
under the hammer like glafs : ?io marine ffjell.
One
3t FARM Buildings. 3.
One hundred grains of it afford forty five
grains of air, and ninety feven grains of calca-
rious matter ; leaving three grains of refi-
duuiTij — a dark-coloured impalpable matter.*
The lime produced from this ftone burfts
readily in water ; and (like that produced
from fpars) is, when fallen, of a light floury
nature: white as fnow: co vetted by the plaif-
terer j but is confidered by the mafon and
bricklayer, as being of a weak qualin.'.
The Weftbury-ftone — which is a fufficicnt
fpecimen of the " clayftones " found in the
fubfoil of mod parts of the diftridl — is in co-
lour, contexture, and general appearance,
very different from the rock of St. Vincent.
It refembles, in every refpcv5l, the marble-
like limeflone of the hills of Yorkihire: gene-
rally blue at the core with a grey dirty- white
cruft: the bafe being of a fmooth, even texture ;
interjperjed "ivith marine jhells. When it is
frefh raifed out of its watery bed in the area of
the vale, it is a foft fubllance, of a fomewhat
foaplike appearance j but hardens (or falls to
pieces)
• In Iglutiou it riles to the furface as a black fpume : on
fhc filter it has the appearance of moiftencd loot ; but ad-
heres to the paper in drying.
2. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 33
pieces) on being expofed to the atmofphere.
One hundred grains of this ftone throw off
forty grains of air j and afford ninety one grains
of calcarious earth ; leaving a refiduum of
nine grains i — an afli-coloured filt. The lime
burnt from it is charafterized by ftrength ; and
is high in efteem for cement j being found
flrong enough, in itfelf, to be ufed in water-
work. It falls flowly ; is of a fomewhat brim-
ftone colour ; and is diftinguifhed by the name
of " brown lime. " *
The
* Having obferved the reluflance with which th? lime of
tliis fpecinien (frefli from the kiln) imbibes water ; while that
of the Briftol (lone drinks it with fingular avidity,— I was led
to try, by a comparative experiment, whether their powers
of imbibing air (that is of regaining their fixed air) were in
like proportion. The refult is interefting.
One hundred grains of the firft (in one knob) fufpended
inapair of fcales, got full five grains in twenty four hours.
In a drawer (which was fometimcs open, fometimesfliut)
they got, in twenty four hours more, the fame additional
weight. In feven days more (wrapped in paper and lying in
a drawer) they got twenty three grains: in all thirty three;
or about three and a half grains a day : moftly air, with,
in all probability, fome portion of water.
One hundred grains from the Wcftbury ftone, placed in
the drawer increafcd in twenty four hours not quite one
grain ! In twenty four hours more, in the fcale, they barely
made up a grain and a half! In feven days more they gained
Vol. I. D (ia
34 f A R M B U I L D I N G S. 3.
The fpccimen of caJcarious granate which I
have before me was taken from the middle of
a" freeilonequar ", within the " camp ",
on Painfwick. hill. It is common to the Cotf-
wold and the Lanfdown hills ; and correfponds
exactly with the foft limellone granate of Mal-
ton in YorkJhire. It varies in fpecific qualit)'.
The Bathftone is fofter and lighter tlian the
fpecimen under analyfis. One hundred grains
of which difcharge fort)' four grains of air ;
yielding ninety eight grains of foluble matter ;
and two grains of refiduum j a fhuff coloured
impalpable matter, f
The method oi burning lime in this country
has notliing which entitles it to notice j except
the
(:n the drawer) exaftly nine grains: in all ten and a half
grains: not a grain and a quarter a day. Hence we may
conceiTc how widely different may be the qualities of lime.
Confequenily, how dangerous to draw general conclufions
from an experiment, or even experiments, made with one
partiailar fpecies.
t It i> proper to (ay that thefc experiments were made,
and repeated, with great attention, and with cxaclly the
Ciine correfpocdent rcTults : nevcrthelcfs the fnfomon e/
air to d-JHitbU matur varies in each fpecimen. lu the Bril-
tol itone the proportion is more than forty fix, in the Cotf-
wold lefs than forty five, — in the Wcfibury lei's tlian fort)
lour, to one hundred.
3. VALE OF GLOCESTFR. 35
the pradlice of riddling and hand-picking the
lime as it is drawn -, to take out the afhes, cin-
ders, and rubbifli which may have been thrown
into the kiln with the ftones or coals. The
labour is nor great ; and the work is valuable.
Lime as a building material ; efpecially for
the plaflerer's ufe ; cannot be too pure. The
refi-ife pays the labourer, and the quantity of
ftone lime lofes nothing by its abfence.*
Timber. The old buildings of this diftrift
are full of fine oak j in which the lower lands
of Glocefterfhire have heretofore, in all probabi-
lity, been fingularly abundant. But at pre-
fent the vale is entirely {tripped, and even
the foreft of Dean (fome few parts of it ex-
cepted) is almoft naked of good cak timber.
The vale, however, abounds at this time
with elm of uncommon fize and quality. This
and foreign timber arr'the ordinary materials in
D 1 ufe
* The LIMEKILN of this diftrift is noticeable, as being
frequently furnifhed with a top, fet upon the walls of the
kiln, and contrafted in a funnel-like form ; the materials
being carried in at a door in the fide. In oneinftance, the
kiln is built within a cone ; in the manner of the brick
kilns about London. The principal, if not the fole ufe of
thefe tops, is to carry up the fmoke and prevent its becom-
ing a nuifance to the neighbourhood of the kilns.
36 FARM BUILDINGS. 3.
ufc for farm buildings: oak being ufcd only
where durability is more particularly requifite.
Covering MATERIALS. An ordinar}' kind
o^Jlatdy got out of the fides o( the hills, has
formerly been the prevailing covering of the
diflrict. At prefent knobbed plain tiles are
principally in ufe. The knob is an obvious
improvement of the hole and pin j which arc
flill ufed about the metropolis.
Tbatcb is ftill in ufe for cottages and farm-
buildings. A fpecies of thatch ne^d? to the
reft of the kingdom is here not unfrequently
made ufe of j efpecially near the towns, where
wheat ftraw is permitted to be fold. In thefe
fituations, not only ricks ; but rcofs ; are
thatched with stubble: a material which is
found to laft much longer than ftraw ; unlefs
this be " helmed " j that is, have the heads
cut off before thrafhing, in the Somerferihire
manner: a practice which is not common in
this countr)'. That ftubble fhould be found
to endure is reafonably imagined. It has the
advantage of helm (in not being bruifed by
the flail) and confift^ of the ftouteft part of the
ftems. In many diftricts it would be difficult
to be ufed on account of its ftiortneli j but in
this
VALE OF GLOCESTER.
37
this country, where it is cut eighteen inches or
perhaps two feet high, and (in the fituations
where it is more frequently ufed) has generally
a fufficient quantity of long wirey grafs among it
to hold it together ; there is no great difficulty
in thatching with it : except in the raking ;
which requires a tender hand. It is firft driven
up a little with the teeth of the rake i beaten j
and then raked gently downward.
Flooring materials. Upper floors
have heretofore been laid with oak j which is
Hill common in the floors and fl:air-cafes of all
old houles. Elm has, perhaps, been more
recently ufed, and is itill in ufe, for the fame
purpofes. Ground floors are not unfrequently
of common bricks (a vile material for floors)
or of " forefl; flione " — an excellent freeftone
grit, railed in the forefl: of Dean.
Farmeries. The farm-buildings and
yards, of the difliridl under furvey, have not
much to recommend them to particular notice.
The arrangement has feldom any obvious de-
fign. There are however fome few exceptions.
The BARNS of the vale are, in fize below par:
except the monaftery barns already mentioned.
There are few modern barns: the befl:, which
D 3 has
38 F A R M B U I L D 1 N G S. 3.
has fallen under my obfervation, rneafures
thim' fix by eighteen feet on the infide ; — and
the plate twelve feet high. The foundation
brick. The fhell elm weather-boarding. The
covering knobbed plain-tiles, twelve inches by
feven ; laid in coarfe mortar ; with four and a
half inch gage. The roof, behind, continued
down to a plate fix feet high, fupported by
polls of elm fet on ftone ; forming an open fhed
for cattle to reft under.
The BARN' FLOOR of the diftrict is moftly of
plank J or oiforeji-jione ; which makes an admi-
rable floor for beans j and nor a bad one for
barley: even wheat, with due care in keep-
ing the ea-s bedded among ftraw, to prevent
the flail from breaking the grain, may be
thralhed on a ftone floor with propriet}'. Clay
floors are here in low efteem. The price of a
ftone floor, compleat, is about 5d. a foot.
I fee nothing elfe in the farm-buildings of
this v^le which is entitled to defcription j ex-
cept BULLOCK STALLS, which are here built in
what will no doubt be deemed a fuperb ftyle,
by thofe who have been accuftomed to lefs
coftly buildings for the fame purpofe: and
CALF STAGES i an admirable conveniencyi
which
VALE OF GLOCESTER.
39
which is peculiar, I beheve, to the diflricl j but
which ought to be univerlally known -, as it
may, in any breeding country, be adopted
mth fingular proprict)*.
But defcriptions of thefe conveniences will
fall better under the articles to which they re-
ipedlively belong j namely rearing cattle
and FATTING cattle: fubjects which will be
duly noticed in their places.
The ciDERMiLL HOUSE, an ercttion almofl
as necelTary as a barn, upon a Glocefterfhire
farm, will likewiie be defcribed under its pro-
per head.
Stack stages are here very common.
Moflly upon ftone pillars and caps. The
price i8d. to 2s. a pair. A fmall, but fnug
frame, is here inade with five pillars. Four
fet quadrangularly, and one in the center.
By making the outfide of the frame fomewhat
compafTing, round ftacks are conveniently
enough let on diefe fquareftages.
Yard fences are almofl invariably i/road
rails ; the Norfolk battons. Under thefe
fences a line of straw-mangers are ufually
formed: and, in the area of the yards, cribs
of various conflructions are in ufe.
D 4 FIELD-
4d FENCES.
FIELD-FENCES.
OLD LIVEHEDGES are the ordinary
fences of the diftrid. The prefent inclofures,
if we may judge from the age of their hedges,
are probably fome centuries old.
In the MANAGEMENT of livc fences, whe-
ther young or old, I have met with nothing,
here, that is entitled to particular notice.
It is, however, obfervable, in this place,
that one of the fineft hedges I have feen in the
diftrift, grows on a cold unproductive fwell :
the land not worth, though inclofcd, los. an
an acre : yet, on land worth twice that rent,
I have feldom (etn a hedge grow fo lux-
uriantly. A fufficient evidence, that, in the
-jaliiing of land, hedges cannot be depended
upon, as criterions to judge from. The hedge
may feed in a fertilizing fubfoil, which corn,
or the better grafles, may not be able to reach.
The DITCHES, in every part of the vale,
are fhamcfully neglefted! A vale diftrid,
without deep clean ditches, refledls difgrace
on
4. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 41
on the owners, as well as on the occupiers, of
its lands. In a diftrid, that, by natural fitu-
ation, is too cold and moid, every poflible
means ought to be ufed to free it from furface
water : which, if it ftand only an hour upon
the foil J or in immediate contadt with it;
adds, more or lefs, to its natural coldnefs.
The ordinary temporary fence is bar
hurdles.
. Gates are here made low: with a flrons:
top-bar, in the Kentilh manner; but want
the long upper eye or thimble of the Surrey-
Gate*.
Stiles are fingularly abundant. They
appear frequently to be placed merely as pre-
fcrvatives of the hedges; and this may, in
many cafes, be good policy. They are fre-
quently made to open : the top rail having an
iron bolt driven through it, at one end ; the
other end falling into a notch in the oppofite
poft, making an opening wide enough to pals
a carriage through occafionally.
HEDGEROW
* Hanging Gates. In this diftrifl, it is the invariable
pra6lice to drive the hooks into the corner of the ports, and
the thimbles into the corner of the hartrec ; which, in this
cafe, flr.its within the poft.
AZ HEDGEROW TIMBER.
HEDGEROW TIMBER.
THE HEDGE TREES of the vale arc
moflly ELM and v/illow. Few of oak or ash.
The MAPLE, which grows unufually large,
here, is confidei ed as a timber tree, and is put to
many ules for which, in other diftridls, it is not
deemed fuitable. But the nature of the foil, or
Ae variety which is here cultivated, may ren-
der its texture lefs brittle than it generally is,
in other diftricls. Hurdles, gates, and even
dderprels (krews are made of it.
The ELM (chiefly the fine-leaved elm)
grows with uncommon luxuriance, and to an
unufual fize, in the vale foil. Its progrefs is
quickeft on the lighter warmer lands; but
here the tfe^s foonefl: decay, and the timber is
of the leaft value. In differ, more clayey
fituarion, its growth is lefs rapid ; but its tim-
ber is of a much better quality : the colour of
iron ; and, in fome inftances, almoft as hard.
—The
5- VALE OF GLOC£ST£R. 43
— The Briftol fhip-builders have a fupply of
keel-pieces from this quarter ; and I know no
country, which is fo likely to furnilh good
ones.
The vales of Glocefterlhire may boaft of
three of the mofl remarkable trees in the ifland.
Piffe's elm, the Boddington oak, and the
ToRTWORTH CHESNUT; — but having def-
cribed them fully in another work, I forbear
to particularize them here *.
Hedgerow timber is univerfally lopped;
few, however, are headed low in the poUard
manner; except willows; which, as has
been faid, are here, confidered in a degree
.neceflary to every farm.
* See Planting and Ornamental Gardening
articles Fag us: Quercus: Ulmus,
\s O O D-
44 WOODLANDS. «.
6.
WOODLANDS.
COPPICES are the only natural wood-
lands of the area of the vale. Of thefe there
are two or three : one of them, in the center
of the vale, is of confiderable extent.
Part of this coppice is a common wood ; —
appropriated to the meflliages of the townfhip
it belongs to, but not divided: foinewhat
analogous with common fields and common
meadows. A fpecies of property I have not
met with elfewhere.
It is obfervable that, in a part of this cop-
pice, fome flandard oaks are left as timber
trees ; which, contrary to common practice,
are lopped to the top (as hedgerow trees) every
time the coppice wood is cut. This certainly
lefTens their hurtfulnefs to the underwood ;
but the timber becomes, no doubt, of a very
inferior quality. Their crop of fuel, how-
ever, every fifteen or t^v•enty years, mufl: be
Confiderable.
6. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
45
confiderable. The queftion is whether, on
the whole, they are, or are not, more pro-
fitable than coppice wood alone: and it ap-
pears to me, on reflexion, to be a difputable
queftion. It probably hinges on whether the
trees feed below or among the roots of the
coppice-wood.
This patch of woodland is further entitled
to notice. — The/oil is an unproduftive clay,
mixt with and bottomed by a thin feam of
calcarious gravel ; lying on a cold clayey fub-
foil; not worth, as arable land, more than
8s. an acre: not eftimated in this country at
more than 5s. an acre.
The /pedes of wood is principally oak, ajh,
and mapky with Come /allow, white-thorny and
hazle. The j/es to which it is applyed are
principally rails, hurdle-ftuff, — hedging ma-
terials, and fuel. The age 0/ felling twenty
years. And its eftimated value at that age,
twelve to C\keei\ pounds an acre ! Its growth
is uncommonly luxuriant : the ftools are thick
upon the ground j and, being cut high, afford
numerous ftioots. In the latter ftages of its
growth, it is the moft impenetrable thicket I
hayefeenj while the crops of corn and grafs,
which
46 WOODLANDS. 7.
which border upon ir, are remarkably weak
and unprodudtive.
This fhows, in a ftriking manner, the judg-
ment requifite in laying out eftates: giving
fuch lands to hufbandr}-, as are adapted to its
productions ; and converting to woodland,
fuch as are naturally prone to wood.
/•
PLANTING,
THE PLANTATIONS of the vale con-
fift wholly of fruit-trees. Foreft-trces may
be laid to be here in total negleft ; excepting
fome few alhen coppices for cider-cafk hoops j
a fpecies of plantation common on the He-
refordfhire fide of the county.
If, however, we may judge from the cop-
pice which has been fpoken of above ; and the
hedge noticed aforegoing j it is highly pro-
bable.
7. VALE OF GLOCESTER. '47
bable, that many of the cold fwells, which oc-
cur in different parts of the vale, might be
planted with great profit.
The timber-oak is, at prefent, almoll en-
tirely banifhed from this fide of the Severn ;
and although the oppofite banks are, yet,
fufficiently wooded ; the prefent woods will, in
all probability, be fallen, long before fuch as
may be now raifed from the acorn, will be
ready for the axe.
FARMS.
FARMS.
8.
FARMS.
THE PREVAILING characteristic
of farms, in this diftrift, is a mixture of grafs
and arable land; in various proportions. Near.
the towns of Gloceftcr and Tewkefbun.-, there
are fome few large farms, " all green :"-—
that is, confifting entirely of grals-land. But
this, alone, makes an inconvenient farm ; ef-
pecially in a dairy countr}^, where litter and
vinter fodder, for dry cow^s and rearing cat-
tle, are requifite.
The exadl proportion of arable to grafs,
however, does not feem to be fixed. Too much
sjafs gives afcarcitv offtraw: too much ara-
ble interferes with the dairy, or, perhaps,
more accurately fpeaking, the dairy interferes
with much arable land. Even in harveft, let
the weather be what it may, the bufinels of
milking and the dairj'' muft be attended to.
Hence,
8. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
49
Hence, perhaps, we may conclude, that
corn and the dairy ought not to rival each
other : one of them ought to be Jubordinate ;
ought to be rendered fubfervient to the main
OBJECT of management. *
In regard to size, the vale farms are of the
middle caft. From one to three hiindred acres
is, I believe, the mofl prevalent fize. There
arefome made-up farms of much higher mag-
nitude J but no entire farm, in the area of the
vale, lets, I underftand, for more than four
hundred pounds a year : not many, I believe,
higher than two hundred a year, f
Plan. Some of thefe larger farms \ mofl
of them " manor" or " court" farms ; or
fimply " the farm" with the name of the
townfhip affixed to it j (undoubtedly the an-
cient
* Neverthelefs, a profefTional man, whofe knowledge of
the praflice of the diftrict entitles him to be heard with de-
ference, gives the following as the beft proportion of a
farm, in the vale of Evesham : fifty two acres of ara-
ble, (fubjefted to three crops and a fallow) with fixty acres
cf pafture ground, and thirty acres of meadow.
f The fame fuperior manager is of opinion, that a double
farm of the defcription given in the laft note is the beft
fize ; and that larger farms are, in the vale, dangerous
both to landlord and tenant.
Vol. I. E
50 FARMS. 8.
cient demefne lands of the townfliips they re-
fpeftively lie in) ; are very entire ; and lie
well round the homefteads. But farm houfes,
in general, ftand in villages ; the lands belong-
ing to them being ftill fcattered about in the
extraordinary manner which has been defcribed.
How wrong in their owners now to continue
; them in that unprofitable (late. The lols falls
J wholly on themfelves. They let at a rent
' proportioned to their prelent difadvantages.
9.
FARMER S.
HUSBANDMEN are much the fame in
all diftrids: plain, frugal, pains-taking, clofe,
and unintelligible. The lower and middle
clafs of farmers, of the dillrift under obferva-
tion, moftly anfwer, in a remarkable manner,
to this defcription: — while fome few of the
fuperior clafs are as ftrongly marked by libe-
rality and communicativenefs : — characters
which begin to adorn fuperior farmers in every
diftrid: ;
9- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 51
diftri<fl ; and which muft, eventually, do more
toward the perfeflion of the art, than all the
applauded fchemes which theory can boall.
Theoriils may draw plans, and fuggeft hints i
and in fo doing may do good fervice. But pro-
feflional men, only, can execute, correfb, ma-
ture, and introduce them into general practice.
Should profeflional men become fcientific as
well as liberal, what may not be expected ? And
who, viewing the rifing generation, many of
them opulent, well educated, and duly initiated
in the profeflion they are defigned for, can ap-
prehend that none of them will become ftu-
dious of the art which alone can render them
ufeful and refpedable in fociety ?
10.
WORKMEN.
FARM LABOURERS are fufficiently
numerous.— they are noticeable as being fimple,
inoffenfive, unintelligent, and apparently flow.
How different from the farm labourers of
Norfolk!
E 2 Their
52
W O R K M E N. lo.
Their wages are very low, ;« ;»o;/^ ; being only
Ts. a-day. But, in drinky fhamefuUy exor-
bitant. Six quarts a day the common allow-
ance: frequently two gallons: fometimes nine
or ten quarts ; or an unlimited quantity.
In a cider year the extravagance of this ab-
furd cuftom (which prevails throughout the
cider country) is not perceived. But now
(1788) after a fuccelTion of bad fruit years, it
is no wonder the farmers complain of being-
beggared by malt and hops ! They are not,
however, entitled to pity. The fault — the
crime — is their own. If a few leading men,
in each townfhip, would agree to reduce the
quantity of labourers' drink within due bounds,
it would at once be eftedled.
But the origin of the evil, I fear, refts
with themfelves. In a fruit year, cider is of
little \alue. It is no uncommon circumftance
to fend out a general invitation, into the high-
ways and hedges ; in order to empty the calks,
which were filled lall year, that they may be
refilled tliis. A habit of drinking is not eafily
corredled. Nor is an art learnt in youth readily
forgot. Men and mailers are equally adepts
in the art of drinking. The tales which arc
told
10. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 53
told of them are incredible. Some nvo or
three I recoUedl. But, although I have no
reafon to doubt the authorities I had them
from, I wifh not to beheve them : I hope they
are not true.
Drinking a gallon-bottle-full at a draught is
faid to be no uncommon feat. A mere bovifh
trick, which will not bear to be bragged of.
But to drain a two-gallon bottle without taking
it from the lips, as a labourer of the vale is
faid to have done, by v/ay of being even with
mafler, who had paid him fliort in money — is
Ipoken of as an exploit, which carried the art
of draining a wooden bottle to its flill pitch.
Two gallons of cider, however, are not a fto-
mach-flill. Another man of the vale under-
took, for a trifling wager, to drink twenty
pints, one immediately after another. He got
down nineteen (as the ftor}^ is gravely told)
but thefe filling tlie cafk to the bung, the twen-
tieth could not of courfe get admittance: fo
that a Severn-man's ftomach holds exaftly
two gallons three pints.
But the quantit}' drank, in this extempore
way, by the men, is trifling, compared with
that which their mafl:ers will fwallow at a fit-
'^ E 3 ting.
5+ WORK M E N. lo.
ting. Four well feafoned yeomen, (fome of
them well kno'w-'n in this vale) having raifed
their courage with the juice of the apple, re-
folved to have a frefh hogfhead tapped -, and,
ferting foot to foot, emptied it at one fitting.
1 1.
BEASTS OF LABOUR.
HORSES are at prefent, the only beafts
of draught, in the vale.
Formerly fome oxex were worked in it,
double, in yoke ; but they were found to poach
the land, and were on that account, given up.
But now, when oxen are worked, on almoft
even.- fide of it, fingle, as horfes, it is fome-
what extraordinar)' they fhould not be admitted
into the vale: where their keep would be fo
eafy : where grafs and hay may be had at will.
The objection ftill held out againft them is,
that, even fingle, they tread the vale lands
too much. But in this I fufpect there is a
fpice of obftinacy in the old way : a \s*ant of a
due
II. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 55
due portion of the Ipirit of improvement: a
kind of indolence : It might not, perhaps, be
too fevere to fay of the vale farmers, that they
would rather be eaten up by their horfes, than
ftep out of the beaten traft to avoid them.
In harrowing wide ridges, in a wet feafon,
oxen may be lefs eligible than horfes. But
ihoeing them with whole fhoes, as horfes, might
remedy the comparative evil. If not — let tbofe
who are advocates for oxen calculate the com-
pai'ktive difference in wear and keep ; and thofe
who are their enemies, eftimate the compara-
tive mifchiefs of treading ^ and thus decide
upon their value as beafts of labour in the
vale. *
If after a fair trial oxen be ineligible ; — let
the prefent wajle of horfes be leffened. Ufing
five horfes to a plow, in ftirring a loofe loamy
fallow, not more perhaps than four or five in-
ches deep, is a crime againft the community,
that ought to be punilhable. In the firft plow-
ing of a fallow ; as well as in plowing for beans
or wheat; fix, and not unfrequently feven horfes,
at-length, are ufed to one plow ! Yet thefe five
E 4 fix
* I am told, that in the vale of Evesham, they are
gradually coming into ufe.
56 BEASTS OF LABOUR. ii.
fix or feven horfes ; with one or tv/o men, and
one or two boys ; feldom plow three quarters
of an acre a day; two thirds of an acre is the
day's work of the country! But the plow, in
ufe, is a difgrace to prefent hufbandry : thir-
teen to fourteen feet long, and heavy in pro-
portion.
I am well aware that ftrong land, plowed
deep, as it is in this diflridt, requires a llrong
team -, and that a long plow is convenient to the
"plowman ; efpecially in laying up high deep
ridges. But fimilar ridges are laid up, in the
midland counties, with a fhort plow and three
horfes. And I know, from experience or ade-
quate obfervation, in various parts of the
ifland, that, allowing for the nature of the
foil, and the aukwardnefs of the ridges, there is
an evident and great wafte of plow horfes in the
diftridl under notice. Six horfes, worth per-
haps from twenty to thirty pounds each, are
not expefted to work more than fifty or fixty
acres of arable land (with a greater or lefs pro-
portion of grafs land annexed to it.) If thefe
fifty or fixty acres be common field land, the
intercft of the firft coll, the annual -tcv^r, and
the
II. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 57
the hazard — incident to kich fix horfes, amount
nearly to the rental value of the land: and their
keep, if they be properly kept up, is worth
twice or three times its rental value.
12.
IMPLEMENTS.
THE GLOCESTERSHIRE WAG-
GON is, beyond all argument, the befb farm-
waggon I have feen in the kingdom. — I know
not a diftrict which might not profit by its in-
troduction. Its mofl ftriking peculiar it)' is
that of having a crooked fide-rail, bending
archwife over the hind wheel. This lowers
the general bed of the waggon, without lefTen-
ing the diameter of the wheels. The body
is wide, in proportion to its fhallownefs ; and
the wheels run fix inches wider than thofe of
the Yorkihire waggon, whofe fide-rail is fix
inches higher. Its advantages, therefore, in
carr)'ing a top-load are obvious, (fee Yorks:
EcoN ; on this fubjed:, vol I. p. 269) And,
for
58 IMPLEMENT S. 12.
for a body-load, it is much the ftifFeft bell
waggon I have ieen. The price 20 to 25I.
according to the fize, and the ftrength of the
tire. The weight, 15 Cwt. to a ton.
This waggon is common to Glocefterfhire
and to North-Wiltihire. How much farther
it extends weftv.'ard, I know not. It is a
ftranger in the fouthern, the eaftern, the nor-
thern and die niidland coundes.
Where, and by whom it was nrft invented,
I have not learned. It is fometimes called the
Cotlwold waggon. It is, by way of preemi-
nence, well entided to the name of the Farmers*
wagcron : for I have not feen another, which,
compared with this, is fit for a farmer's ufe.
SEASONS.
13- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 59
SEASONS.
THE PROGRESS OF SPRING, in
1788, in the vale of Glocefter.
Sallow in full blow — 4. April.
Sloe-thorn in blow — 1 1 April,
Hawthorn foliated — 16 April.
Cuckoo firft heard — 20 April.
Elm foliated — 2 1 April.
Pear tree in full blow — 27 April.
Swifts — 28 April!*
Houfe-marten — 2^ April.
Swallows — I May.
Thermometer — 76.° in the Ihade
I May !
Apple tree in full blow — 3 May.
Oak foliated — 4 May.
Alh foliated — 5 May.
Thunder — 6 May.
Hawthorn began to break loth^ in
full blow — 17 May.
The
♦ This is a remarkable circumftance. On tlie 29th of
April SWIFTS were in number, flying high in the atmof-
phere, before a fingle swallow had made its appearance.
The
6o SEASONS. 13.
The only circumftance noticeable, with
refpeft to the weather of this year, is that
o{'\Vi> extreme drynejs. From die beginning of
July to tlie clofe of the year, there has been a
continuation of dry weather; excepting two
or three days' rain in September.
Springs have feldom been known fo low,
as they are at prefent (Jan, 1789.) Nature's
ftore rooms appear to be exhaufted. Even
in this watery vale, furface fprings, in gene-
ral, and mod wells, have been dry fome
months ; water having been fetched, and cat-
tle driven, a confiderable diftance. The re-
fervoirs on the fkirts of Matfon hill, for fup-
plying the city ofGlocefter with water, have
been empty many weeks: a circumllance un-
known before.
This want of rain, here, is the more remar-
kable, as throughout a great part of Wales,
not fifty miles diftant, fummer and autumn
were rainy, almolt without interruption !
In the middle of October, while the lands
of this country were fo dry, diat they could
not
The weather uiuifually warm. A nrong evidence, that
the Avift docs not migrate. It feldom miftakes the fcafon,
like the fwallow. \Vc rarely fee a I'wift, before the fpring
be confirmed.
13. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 61
not, with any propriety, be worked for wheat;
and while, even in Herefordfliire, farmers were
breaking the clots with beetles j the farmers
in Wales, not twenty miles diftant, had not
been able to put a plow into the ground for
near a month, owing to the excefllve wetnefs
of the feafon ! While in Yorkfhire, having
been miffed by the rain of September, which
gave a loole to the grafs in this diftrift, the
ftinted paftures had been fo bare, the cattle
had been foddered in thenn !
Thefe circumftances, lb remarkable, and
fo nearly connected with our fubjeft, I could
not pals over unnoticed. Showers, or a few
days' raiuy not unfrequently fall in a partial
manner: — but I never before knew a long-
continued rainy Jeajon^ which was not common
to the kingdom.
GENERAL
62 MANAGEMENT OF FARMS. 14.
14.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
O F
FARMS.
VIEWING the vale as one farm, its ob-
jefts of management are the four grand objefts
of hufbandry :
Corn ;
Breeding j
The Dairy;
Fatting.
There are fome few individual farms, ap-
plied, principally, to grazing: others chiefly
to the dairy : and there may be fome few fmall
araifle farms. But upon the larger farms, in
general, the four objedls are held in view.
The ARABLE CROPS are principally wheat,
BARLEY, BEANS ; with fome peaSy and a few
cats! Alfo, of late years, fome clover j z'etcbes,
and fome few turneps have been cultivated*.
It
• TuRNEPS. In the center of the vale, there are few or
none grown. The rcafon <^ivcn is, they cannot be got oft
the land : and, while the country remains witliout roads
and
14. VALE OF GLOCESTER, 63
It may, however, be laid, with little latitude,
that NATURAL HERBAGE is, in this diflrict,
the only subordinate crop.
From what has gone before, it may, per-
haps, be conceived, that the arable manage-
ment of this diilrifb, cannot be entitled to par-
ticular notice. This, however, would be de-
ciding too rafhly. The rural qnanagement of
a country refembles the moral charadler, I
have not found one that is perfedt : nor one
which does not comprize fome portion of good.
The arable management, of the country under
furvey, appears to the obfervcr in light and
fhadci and exhibits fome traits, which the
reader, I think, will not be difplcafed with.
Befides, in it, we have a fpecimen of the prac-
tice of a clafs of country, which includes a
confiderable fhare of the beft lands of this quar-
ter
and furface drains, this muft necelTarily be the cafe; ef-
pecially where the foil is ftrong, tenacious, and cold ; a foil
altogether unfit for tumeps. There are, however, lands
in the vale, well adapted to this crop ; and its abfence im-
plies, either a want of the fpirit of improvement, or no
n^tdi oi culti-vatcd hfrbage. In a vale country, abounding
with grafs-lands, turneps are of lefs value, than they are ia
a hilly countr)-, deftitute oi natural herbage. U arable kcr-
i.3^f were wanted in the vale, cabbages would probably
be found more eligible than turneps.
64 MANAGEMENT OF FARMS. 14.
ter of the ifland: namely arable vale. A
Iketch of it appears, to me, cflentially necef-
fary, in a register of the present state
OF English agriculture. The reader may
reft aflured, that, for my own eafe and grati-
fication, as well as his, I will not dwell longer
on the fubjed:, than the general defign of the
work I am executing requires.
15-
COURSE OF HUSBANDRY.
THE ANCIENT COURSE of the com-
mon fields was the fame, here, as in moft
other diftridts : namely.
Fallow,
Wheat, dec.
Beans, &c. — And to this an-
cient courfe, feveral of the towniliips of the
vale ftill adliere.
But fome townfhips in ibis vale, and many,
I believe, in the vrJe of Eve/bam^ have, of
late years, changed the ancient fyftem of ma-
nagement J for one, which, fingular as it may
appear
IS. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 65
appear to thofe, who have been acciiftomed to
fallow for wheat, is founded on good princi-
ples -y and might well be copied by other ftif-
foiled, open-field townlhips: namely.
Fallow;
Barley ;
Beans, or clover;
Wheat.
The reafons given for this change (this
ftriking and fingular effort, this promifing
dawn of improvement) arc, — the bean crop>
in the old courfe, came round too quick; the
wheat did not do fo well, after fallow, as after
beans ; — nor the beans fo w^ll, after wheat, as
after barley.
Some farmers throw in clover, inftead of
beans, between the barley and the wheat crops.
In the neighbourhood of Gloccfter, are
fome extenfive common fields, under an ex-
traordinary courfe of management. They
have been cropped, year after year, during a
centuiy, or perhaps centuries; without one
intervening whole year's fallow. Hence they
are called " every year's land*."
On
* Cheltenliam, Decrhuru, and fome few other town-
fhips, have hkewife their •' every year's lands."
Vol, 1. F
66 COURSE OF HUSBANDRY. 15.
On thefe lands no regular succession of
crops is oblerved -, except that a " brown and
a white crop" — pulfe and corn — are cultivated
in alternacy.
The inclofed arable lands are under a fimi-
lar COURSE of management.
16.
SOILS
AND
TILLAGE.
THE SPECIES OF SOILS have been
mentioned as various. Near the towns of
Glocefterand Tewkefbun.^, a deep rich loam
prevails. Round Cheltenham, a deep sand.
The rifing grounds ofDeerhurfl are covered
with a RED loam ; a remarkable fpecies of
foil J common to the hillocks of the over-
Severn diflridl:, and to tlic inferior hills of He-
refordfhire. It is here called red land/*
and refcmbles much the " red hills" of
Nottinghamfliire
The
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 67
The area of the vale is a deep loam ; of
Various degrees of richnefs and contexture. In
the center of it, a remarkable fpecimen of vale
land appears: a patch of calcarious gravel:
partaking of the nature of the Cotfwold foil !
The particulars noticeable in the soil pro-
cess ofthisdiftrift, relate folely to tillage:
nanaely,
1. Breaking up grafs land.
2. Fallowing.
3. Laying up ridges.
I. Breaking up grass land. This is
not a comnion operation ^ yet it fometimes
takes place: At prefent, there are many in-
ftances, in which it is much wanted. Old
pafture lands, over-run with ant-hills, and the
coarfer grafles, are not eafily reclaimed, with-
out the powerful afliftance of the plow.
The method of performing the operation,
in this diftrid, is by no means intended to be
held out as a pattern. It has, however, fuf-
ficient pretenfions to a place in this regifter.
It varies 'in the firft ftages: fometimes the
ant-hills are cut ofF, carried into heaps, and
mixt with ftraw, &c. as manure for corn land.
Sometimes they are dried and burnt. But,
F 2 in
6S TILLAGE. i6.
in the prevailing pradice of the countn', the
fward and ant-hills are plowed up together,
in the fpring. In fummer, the laiid has one
crois plowing. In autumn the furface is re-
duced and levelled; vAxh. the harrow-, fuwn
with wheat ; and the feed buried with die plow,
among the grafs-roots and ant-hills.
The enfuing autumn, — the crop being
reaped, and the ftubble mown and raked off, —
the foil is turned over, and fown again, (and
perhaps a third time), with wheat on one plow-
ing ! There has, I am told, been inftances, —
there has (I think I am well infonned) been
at lead one inftance, of wheat being thus re-
peatedly fown (upon a piece of extraordinarily
good land) fix years, fuccelTively; the lafl crop
being faid to be nearly as good as the firft ! ! !
This, while it difcovers the indifcretion of the
farmer, evinces the natural ftrength of the
vale lands, and (hows, in a ftriking light, the
value of old-paftured turf as a matrice for
wheat.
II. Quantity of tillage. In the com-
mon fields which are under the improved plan
of cultivation, — the number of plowings, in
the four years round, is fbx. Three in tlie fal-
low
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 69
low year: one for barley : one for beans: and,
generally, one for wheat.
The fallow is broken up after barley feed
time ; flitting the ridges dowfij by a deep plow-
ing. In the firft (lirring, they are gathered up.
On this fecond plowing, the manure is fpread ;
and plowed under with a fliallow furrow;
which is, likewiife, turned upward ; to lay the
ridges dry during winter. In the fpring, they
are flit down^ for barley -, and, next autumn,
gathered up^ for beans ; and the enfuing au-
tumn, again plowed npujard, for wheat. Six
plov/ings in four yearts, for three crops and a
fallow 3 four of them being upward, two down-
ward, of the ridges. Sometimes the bean
ftubble is pared down very thin, previous to
the feed-plowing for wheat. But fometime^
the fallow has only two plowings.
With this fm.all quantity of tillage, it is no
wonder that even the barley ftubbles fliould be
foul i or that the bean crop, notwithfl:anding
the extraordinary care which is taken of it,
Ihould, in fome feafons, be half fmothered
in weeds ; or that the wheat ftubbles, notwith-
ftanding the Angular attention which is paid
to the crop while growing, fliould, not
F 3 unfrequently
70 TILLAGE. 16.
unfrequently, be knee-deep in couch and
thiftles.
Two or three plowings of fuch flubbles are
not entitled to the name o( 2i fallow, they are
juft fufficient to break the roots of couch grafs
and thillles into fets, as it were to propagate
and increafe, rather than to lelTen, their num-
ber. While feed-weeds, of every genus, are
fuffered to mature, and fhed their feeds, be-
tween the plowings. A more ingenious way
of propagating weeds would be difficult to con-
ceive.
Fortunately, however, for the character of
the vale, as an arable country, this difgraceful
management, though prevalent, is not univer-
fal. I have feen land, in various parts of it,
in a high, (late of tillage, and beautifully
clean. But, even for this, I cannot allow an
occupier any great fhare o^ merit -y it is little
more than his duty as a hufbandman. In keep-
ing land clean and in tilth, and taking a crop
every year, fkill, as well as induftr)-, is re-
quired, and merit is of courfe due. But to
keep it in a hufbandly flate, with a whole fum-
mer's fallow, every third or fourth year, wants
common induftry only : and a man, who with
this
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 71
this opportunity, fufFers his crops to be im-
paired, through a want of fufficient tillage,
ought not to be entrufted with the occupation
of arable land.
If, however, we fee caufe of cenl'ure, in a
redundancy of weeds, and want of tillage, in
the fields, which are fallowed every third or
fourth year, — what fhall we expect to find in
the fields, which are never fallowed ? Where
barley is looked up to as the cleanfing crop ! I
wiih not to exaggerate ; and to defcribe their
ftate of foulnels, with accuracy, would be dif-
ficult, or impofTible. I will, therefore, only
fay, that I have found beans hid among muf-
tard feed, growing wild as a weed, but occupy-
ing the ground as a crop s — peas, languifh-
ing under a canopy of the cornmarigold and
the poppies ; — barley, with fcarcely a ftem
free from the fetters of the convohoilus ; — and
wheat, pining away, plant after plant, in
thickets of couch and thiftles.
In the language of cenlure I have no grati-
fication. But, could I pals over, unnoticed, —
or, having feen, could be filent on — manage-
ment fo highly blameable, — I fhould be alto-
gether unfit for th^ tafk I have undertaken.
F 4 It
72 TILLAGE. 16.
It is more than probable that one third of the
crops, colledlively, of fome of the beft-foiled
fields in the diftridb, is every year lojly through
a WANT OF SUFFICIENT TILLAGE.
Thefe circumftances are mentioned with
more readinefs, and with greater freedom ; as
every diftri6t of the kingdom lies more or iefs
open, to fimilar cenfure i and I make ufe of
this opportuity of mentioning them j becaule
no other diftrift, I have examined, affords
evidences fo ftriking, as thefe which are here
produceable.
It might not be far wide of the truth to fay,
that one fourth of the produce of the arable
lands of the kingdom is loft through a want of
tillage: yet I find men in every country
afraid to make a whole year's fallow, left they
Ihould leflen their p]-oduce! But let thofe
who are adverfe to fallowing, come here and be
convinced of the magnitude of their error.
If land be in a ftate of foulnefs, with root-
weeds, — as half of the old arable lands of the
kingdopn may be faid to be, — a year's fallow is
the ftjortefty — the moft cffcftual, — and the
chcapeft v/ay of cleanfing it. Tampering with
fallow
,6. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
/^
fallow crops, in fuch a cafe, is mere quackery.
When land is once thoroughly cleanfed, it may,
by fallow crops and due attention, be kept
clean for a length of years.
But unfortunately for the occupiers of the
fields which are the more immediate fubject of
thefe obfervations, they cannot be fummer fal-
lowed; hecauje every occupier cannot be
brought into the fame mind in any one year i
conlequently, the afTiftance q{ Jheep cannot be
conveniently had.
A Norfolk man, who has always been ufcd
to make his fallows vvith horfes only, without
hav^ing perhaps a iingle fheep upon his farm,
might well inquire if the farmers of Glocefter-
fhire ufe fheep in their plow-teamis. No. But
a Glocefterfhire farmer, who has never feen a
fallow made, which has not been at the fame
time a pafture (and fometimes not a bad one)
for fheep, is led to believe, that a fallow can-
not be made witiiout them.. — I have heard it
lam.ented, by v/ell meaning men, that fuch
famous land, as undoubtedly lies in thefe fields,
ihould be liable to fuch an inconveniency. But
can afTure them, from my own praclice, that, in
Siirrey,
74 TILLAGE, i6.
Surrey, where fimilar fields are not unfrequent,
it is common to make pieces of fallow among
corn J and without experiencing any material
inconveniency from the abfence oflheep, du-
ring the fummer-feafon.
If land be lb foul as to require a whole year's
fallow, it ought to have no refpite from til-
lage ; no time to form a Iheep pafture ! Nor
if through want of leilure, or through negleft,
it fliould form one, — is it neceflary that it
fhould be fed off with fheep. One man we fee
plowing in a crop of turneps, buck, or vetches,
worth perhaps fome pounds an acre j while
another fuffers his land to remain in a ftate of
uriproduftivenels, left he fhould plow in a
few farthing's worth of fheep feed !
ThegGc^efe^ of fallowing the " every year's
land" does not feem to be doubted: — there is,
indeed, at this time, evidence, amounting to
demonftration, in the center of one of the
fields under notice. A plot, which was fum-
mer fallowed (by a fuperior manager) four
years ago for wheat, was this year (1788) wheat
after beans. In the fpring, and during fummer,
it diftinguiflied itfelf, evidently by the colour
and grolihefs of the blade j and its fuperiority
at
?6. VALE OF GLOCESTER, 75
at harveft is not Icfs manifefl. An acre of
it is worth four of fome acres in the fame
field. (Windmill field near Glocefter.) By
obfervation fufEciently minute, I am of opinion
that, taking the reft of the field on a par, one
acre is worth two: and it is highly probable,
that, with the unprecedented care, which, in
this countiy, is taken of crops, while grow-
ing,— the effecls of the fallow will be feen for
rnany years henceforward.
I am of opinion that, with the pra«5lices of
this country, in the feed and vegetating pro-
celTes, which will fall prefently under confide-
ration, a whole year's fallow jiidicioiijly made
every ten, fifteen, or perhaps twenty years,
would be found fufhcient to keep the land in
a ftate of cleancfs and tilth. How extremely
abfurd, then, to fufFer them to remain in
their prefent unprodudlive ftate !
III. Laying up ridges. The high lands
of the vale of Evefham, have long been pro-
verbial. Thofe of the vale of Glocefter are
equally entitled to notorieity. It has been faid
of them, hyperbolically, that men on horfc-
back, riding in the furrows, could not fee each
other over the ridges. This, we may venture
to
76 TILLAGE. 16.
to fay, was never the cafe ; though heretofore,
perhaps, they have been higher than they are
at prefent. Not many years ago, there was
an inftance of ridges, toward the center of this
vale, which were fo high, that two men above
the middle fize, (landing in the furrows, could
not fee each other's heads : I have, myfelf,
flood in the furrow of a wheat flubble ; the tips
of which, upon the ridges, rofe to the eye : a
man, fomewhat below the middle fize, acci-
dentally crofiing them, funk below the fight in
every furrow he defcended into. But the ftub-
ble, in this inftance, was not lels than eighteen
inches high. The height of foil from four ft^^t
to four feet three inches : — the width of thefe
lands about fifteen yards. — I afterwards mea-
fijred a furrow near four feet deep.
But an anecdote, relative to the firft-men-
tioned ridges, will Ihew thefe extraordinary mo-
ments of human induftry in a more ftriking
light, than any dimenfions which can be given.
The occupier of them had, at a pinch, occa-
fion to borrow fome plow-teams of his friends;
one of whom called upon liim, in the courfe of
the day, to fee them at work, and was diredled
to the fidd, where fix or kvcn teams were
plowing.
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
//
plowing. He went to the field (a flat inclofure
of twelve or fifteen acres) but feeing nothing of
the teams, he concluded he had miflaken the
direftion, and went back for a frelh one. The
faft was, the feveral teams were making up
their furrows, and were wholly hid, by the
ridges, from his fight.
The width of thofe lands was twenty to
twenty five yards : but lands in general are
narrower, and of courfe lower j the height be-
ing, in mod cafes, nearly proportioned to the
width. About eight yards wide, and two feet
to two feet and a half high, feems to be, at
prefent, the flivourite ridge. Thefe dimen-
fions, though they may appear moderate upon
paper, form, in the field, a fteep-fided ridge.
The ORIGIN of high ridges has long been\
confidered, I believe, as one of thofe fecrets,/
which antiquity may call its own. They are \
certainly monuments of human induflry ; but
are too lowly to have engaged the attention of I
the antiquary ; and tradition, at leaft in this
diftrifl, is filent on the fubje6t.
They are not peculiar to this, but are com-J
mon to moll common field diftridls, in whiclil
two crops and a fallow is the eftablifhed courfe)
of
;§ TILLAGE. i6.
of hufbandn'. Even upon the wolds of York-
ftiire, I have obferved the thin light chalky
loam, with which they are covered, fcraped
\]p together into high ridges.
In the vale under confideration, whofe fub-
foil is of a nature fo fingularly cold and watery,
there is fome reafon to fuppofe, that the foil
has been thus heaped up, to render it dry
and 'xarm. But this could not be the motive
in elevated fituations, where the fubfoil is ab-
forbent. Neverthelefs, we may reft afiured,
that they have been raifed on principle (true or
falfe) as they muft have been raifed with labour
and expence.
The popular notion, here and in other
places, is, that the foil was tlius thrown into
heaps, in order to increafe the quantity of
furface.
I cannot, however, think fo meanly of the
penetration of our anceftors, as to give in to
this improbable notion. For even fuppofing
every part of the fuperficies to be productive,
the advantage accruing to ccrn, through fuch
an expedient, is inconfiderable. It has no
more room to grcju in than it would have if the
furface lay flat. Its roots, and its ears when
formed,
36. VALE OF GLOCESTER. -9
formed, may gain fome addition of freedom,/
but the ftems rife precifely at the fame dif-/
tance from each other, whether the land lie
flat, or is raifed into the higheft ridges.
But in this diftridt, where, in winter and
wet feafons, each furrow, in many places, is
a canal of ftagnant water ; and where, even in
places in which the furrows lie above the com-
mon fliore, fome yards width of each is a
thicket of weeds, without a blade of corn
am.ong them j the quantity of produ^ive fur-
face is very evidently, and very confiderably,
leffened.
In every diflrift, and in every fituation, the
fkirts of high ridges are weak, and compa-
ratively unproductive. For, in proportion as
the ridges are raifed, and the depth of foil is
there increafed, in the fame proportion the
furrows are funk, and the depth of foil there
diminifhed j the bottoms of the furrows ge-
nerally dipping into a dead infertile lubfoil.
Befides, the fkirts of high lands lie under
another heavy difadvantage ; efpecially where
the foil is of a retentive nature, and the fub-
foil cold and watery : in a wet feafon, afiier
the upper parts of the lands are faturated, the
redundant
83 TILLAGE. 16.
redundant water falls down, of courlc, to their
bafcs, where, meeting with a repellent fubfoil,
it is held in fufpencej keeping the fkirts of
the lands, fo long as the wet fealbn continues,
in a ftate much too moift and cold for the pur-
|X)fes of vegetation.
The prefentyear (1788) affords numberleis
inHances of this evil effecl. Laft autumn was
exceffively wet. At wheat feed time, reten-
tive foils were in a ftate of mortar ; and re-
mained in that ftate, until late in die fpring.
It is probable that, on the lower parts of the
lands, much of the feed never vegetated i and
the plants, which reached the furface, dwindled
awav, as the fpring advanced. In the colder
parts of the vale, the fkirts of the lands, in the
latter end of May, had the appearance of fal-
low-ground: in fome particular fituations, a
ftripe upon each ridge, only, was Idft: not
half, perhaps not one third of the fui-face fully
occupied. Whereas, had the fame foil been
judicioufly laid up in narrow lands, widi crofs
furrows to take otf the furface water, every
foot of furface might have been filled, and
ever)' part been rendered equally productive.
Bu;
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 8i
But extremely difadvantageous as high
ridges undoubtedly are, while they remain in
a date of aration -, they are no longer fo, when
laid down to grafs. In this cafe, the furface
is indifputably enlarged. Herbage, efpecially
when it is paftured, Ipreads every way upon
the ground, and does not rife perpendicularly,
as corn. Befides, in this cafe, there is a va-
riety of herbage, and a variety of foil, fuited
to every feafon. If the feafon be moift, the
ridges afford a plenty of fweet pafturage, and
dry ground for the pafturing flock to reft
upon : and I had an opportunity of obferving,
in the year 1783, a dry year, that while the
ridges, and fiat lands in general, were burnt
up with drought, the furrows of high lands
continued in full herbage. It is obfervable,
however, that in cafes, where the fubfoil is
retentive, every furrow fhould have its under-
drain ; othervvife the herbage, efpecially in a
wet feafon, will be of a very inferior quality.
The propriety of reducing high ridges'
is a matter in difpute, among men who ftand
high in their profefTion. To me there appears
no room for argument. If they be intended to
remain under a ftate of arable management.
Vol. I. G they
Si TILLAGE. 16.
thc^ ought to be lowered. On tlie contran'',
if they be intended for a llate of herbage, they
ought to remain in or near their prefcnt form;
provided the furrows be fufficiently found, or
lie high enough for draining. If not, the
ridses oug-ht to be lowered, until the furrows
l3e raifcd high enough to lie dry, or to admit
of underdraining.
In the common fields, no attempts, I be-
lieve, have been made to lower them, in any
confiderable degree. The pradlice of plowing
twice tip'-jjard to once down-'juardy as has been
explained above, keeps them at, or nearly at,
the ancient llandard.
There is indeed a difadvantage attending the
reducftion of high ridges, which thofe, who
have had no experience in them, may not be
aware of. The cores of the ridges ; though
they have been formed out of the original top-
foil J which, in all human probabihty, was,
when buried, of a Angularly fertile nature, are
now become inactive, unprodudlive mafles of
dead earth. I have oblerved, where one of
thefe ridges has been cut acrofs in finking a
Hone pit, that the prefent foil forms an arch
of dark -coloured rich-looking mould, a foot
to
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. Sj
to eighteen inches deep i — under which lies a
regularly turned cylinder of ill coloured y«^-
foil ; refembling the natural lubfoil of the
countr)' lb much, thar, unlefs we had indifpu-
table evidence of thefe ridges being the work
of art, we fhould be led to conclude that na-
ture had moulded them to their prefent form.
This appears to me an interefting circumftance,
eipecialiy entided to the agricultor's attention.
Notwithftanding, however, this difadvan-
tage in reducing high ridges, I have had die
opportunity of feeing an inflance of practice,
in which fome of the higheft in the diftrict
have been brought down to the defired pitch ;
and, in the only way perhaps, in which the
height of arable ridges can be decreafed with
propriety: namely that of increafing their
number.
The fubjefls, in this inftance, were the in-
clofure particularly noticed in page 76; and a
neighbouring inclofure ^ which, in 1783, was
nearly reduced to the defired (late. The other
had, in 1783, been recently begun uponj and
is now, 1788, in great forwardnefs.
The width of the lands in this cafe as has been
faid was twenty to twenty five yards j die height
G 2 five
84 TILLAGE. i6.
tive to fix feet ; the furrows lying much below
the furrounding ditches ; fometimes holding
water enough " to float a barge" !
The method of reducing them was that of
gathering up a new land in each interfurrow of
the old ones ; which, by this means, were
lowered as the intervening lands were raifed.
To guard againft the difad vantage explained
above, the whole of the manure which would
liave been fpread over the entire furface, was
laid upon the crowns of the old or large lands ;
it being found that the new lands, being formed
entirely of made-earth, were fufficiently fertile,
after they got their heads above water, without
the addition of manure j and the fides of the
large lands were fed from the crowns, by every
plowing, and every Ihower. Altogether a
great work, executed in a mafterly manner. *
In the open fields, wliere the lands lie inter-
mixt, this method of lowering them could not
be pradtiled. But one equally practicable is
obvious : namely that of forming each large
land into three ; by raifing a fmall one on either
fide of it. Applying the manure as in the
above
' By Mr. George PiffeoF Do\vnHatlierly.
i6. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 85
above inflance. If a general inclofure be not
near at hand, fome of the open-field townfhips
might, I Ihould imagine, reap great benefit by
fuch a reform.
On the contrary, — where an inclofure is
likely to take place, and the land is naturally
adapted to a ftate oigrajs^ it might be wrong
to leffenthe width of the prefent ridges. All
in that cafe requifite would be to alter their
form ; by reducing them from triangular roofs
to "juavesj or fegments of cylinders : a fpecies
of furface, for grafsland whofe fubfoil is any way
inclined to retentivenefs, which has many
ECONOMICAL advantages over a flat bowling-
sreen furface.
V
G 3 MANURE.
86 M A N U R E.
^7-
M A N U R E.
VALE DISTRICTS, whole foils are ge-
nerally deep and naturally fertile^ require lefs
manure than thin-foiled upland diftnfts ; which,
being -naturaUy infertile (if we may be allowed
to fpeak of their original nature) require greater
exertions of art, to preferve them in a llate of
produiflivenefs.
Hence, in diftridts of the latter defcription,
we fee hufbandmen anxious about manure ;
making the moil of that which the farm itfelf
affords \ fetching others from a diftance ; and
fearching beneath the foil for more ; — while in
countries covered ^vith more generous foil,
manures are in lower eflimation : the degree
of eflimation var}'ing, however, in different
diflricts of this defcription. *
In
* The rRiCE OF TOWS MAXuKz may bc con fide rcd as
CO mean ftandard of the ftatc of hulbandn-, or at Icaft the fpi-
rit of hufhandmen, in the neighbourhood of the given town,
A man
i;. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 8;
In the vale under llirvey, there is a confide-
rable proportion of grals land. That which
is paftured requires little addition of manure.
And the grounds which are occafionally mown,
have feldom any return made them. While
the meadows, being either intrinfically fertile,
or liable to be overflowed, pay an annual tri-
bute to the dung yard, without expecting any
return. The arable lands, therefore, form
the only object of melioration -, and dung
may be faid to be the only manure made ufe of
in meliorating them.
Mould is not in ufe, either in the farm
yard, or at the dung heap. I have feen it mixed
with litter, or very long dung, layer-for-layer;
but this is not the common praftice of the di-
ilrid.
Marl
A man whofe intelligence is good, and whofe veracity may
be relied on, — has favored me witli the priees of manure in
the towns of this dillrict. Glocefter is. 6d. Tewkelbur)' 2S.
Upton andWorcefter 2S. 6d. to 3s. Eve(ham4S. to^s. a load,
of about a ton.
The comparative highnefs of the price at Evesham is
chiefly owing to the quantity of garden grounds in the
neighbourhoodof that town ; which fupplies Birmingham,
and formerly fupplied many other diftant markets, in agreat
meafure, witli garden fluff. There are now, it is faid, tw©
or three hundred acres under the garden culture.
G 4
88 MANURE. 17.
Marl is not common to the vale. Weakly
calcarious clays are frequent. The inter\'ening
ftrataof the (lone of the fublbil are calcarious
in a flight degree. The only earth I have
found, which can with propriet)' be termed
marl, breaks out at the fkirts, and in the roads
of the red hills of Deerhurfl j and is, I believe,
common to the red lands weft of the Se\'em ;
where it is faid to be ufed as a manure ; and it
ought to be tried, (if it has not been tried al-
ready) in the vale ; though its qualit)' appears
by analyiis to be of an inferior degree ; not
more than one fifth of it being a pure calcari-
ous earth.
The fpecimen I tried was taken near Apper-
iey. Part of it in the hollow way between the
common and the village ; pan from the foot
of the hill facing the Severn. The colour a
light red, refembling that offalmon-coloured
bricks: the contexture inclined to fhaleyj but
breaks freely in water. One hundred grains
left a refiduum of eighty grains i a cinnamon-
coloured flit.
Lime has been tried -, and,, in one inflance
at leaft, has been found very beneficial to the
vale land. But I do not find that the ufc of it
has
i7. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 89
has in any inftance rifen mto pra^lice. The ar-
gument againfl it is, that ftone is expenfive to
raife and coals dear. Stones at 2s. a load are
certainly dear ; but coals at los. to 12s. a ton
are very cheap, compared v.ith their price in
many dillrifts where hme is burnt for manure.
It may be laid upon the land, here, at a
much eafier expence than it is in Cleveland (a
fimilar diibicl) to which it is fetched, in the or-
dinary practice of hufbandmen, rvvencv or tliir-
ty miles by land carriage. But in Cleveland
the fpirit of improvement has long been upon
the wing: here it might be fiid to be ftill a
nefUing.
In the MANAGEMENT OF DUNG nothins:
claims particular notice; it is ufually piled in
the " courts" in fpring ; and, in the common
field hufbandry, carried onto the fallows the
firft dr)- feafon of fummer. One part in the
ordering of dung in this dillricl is, however,
reprehenfible : if a dung hill be formed in the
field, the carriages are drawn upon it 3 by which
means its maturation is veiy much retarded.
SeeNoRF. ECON. vol. I. p. 158.
SEED
90 SEED PROCESS. , J.
18.
SEED PROCESS.
IN THE SEED PROCESS, the vale
farmers are above equality. Beans and peas,
are almoft univerfally set by hand. Barley
lands are clodded ; and v/heat " laxd-
MEN'DED :" practices -which lower, very con-
fiderably, the requifite quantity of seed.
\z appears to me probable, that one fourth of
the quantity of feed, ufually fo\Mi in mod other
diflrifls, is faved in this. The feed of barley
excepted.
There is a prevailing opinion, backed by
common praftice, in the more central parts of
tlie vale at leaft, that it is dangerous to/ozv the
frejh furro'-j: of ft iff land: which, in this ftate,
is tliought to lie ** too hollow T A ftate,
which the hufbandmen of the vale feem cau-
tioufly to avoid. Hence the wheat ftubble is
mown off", for beans, and the bean ftubble
drawn, for wheat ; and the land fuffered to lie
fome
i8. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 91
Ibme time between the plowing and the fow-
ino;. Yet the lio;hter foils are fown on the
frefh furrow. In Norfolk, a lightland dif-
tri<5tj the farmers dread nothing more than
their lands being cold and hea\y at the time
of lowing.
Are thefe pradtices founded in right reafon,
or in cuftom ? If in tnjth, — how difficult is
the theory of this part of the arable procefs t
CORN WEEDS.
THE SPECIES of cornweeds, pre-
valent in this diftritt, are arranged in the fol-
lowing lift agi-eeably to their refpeftive de-
grees of prevalency in the " every years' lands,"
in the neighbourhood of Gloccfter ; or as
nearly fo as the intention of the arrangement
requires.
The firft ten are tlie moft deftruclive. — In
fome cafes, any one of the fpecies would be
enougli to deftroy a crop, were they not
chcckedj,
9ft CORN V/ E E D S. 19.
checked, in the manner which will be ex-
plained. The laft nine are naturally the inha-
bitants of road-fides and hedges ; but, en-
couraged by the plow's negledl, have ventured
abroad into the fields : even the comnnon reed
I have feen waving its panicles, in number,
over wheat, growing feveral lands-widths (ron\
its native ditch.
LINNEAN NAMES. ENGLISH NAMES*:
Triticum repens^ — couch grafs.
Serratula arvenfis^ — common thifi:le.
Sinapis nigra, — common muftardf.
Convolvulus arvenfis, — corn covolvulus.
Chenopodium viride, — redjointed goofefoot;}:.
Chryjanthemumjegetum, — corn marigold .
Fapaver
* Provincial names are, in this cafe, neceflarily omit-
ted. The namrs ot plants ; even their provincial names;
are known to a few intelligent individuals, only ; no one ot
whom I Iiave been fortunate enough to meet witli in this
diftria.
f Common mustard. This is the fpecies which is
cultivated in the north of England for its flour. — It is here
the mofl common weed : being, in tiiis diflridt, what the
wild muftard, or charlock, is in others ^ a circumftance,
which is Icfs extraordinary than that of the dirtridl under
notice being free from the latter plant. I have not been
able to gather a fingle fpecimen in it !
t Redjointed coosefoot. This I have heard called,
provinciaJly, — " drought-weed" : an apt name for it.
19. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 93
Papaver Rh^eaSj round fmoothheaded
poppy.
Papaz'er dubium j'~—\on^ fmoothheaded
poppy.
Avena fatuay — wild oat*.
Equifetum
* The \vi LD OA T, a plant unknown in many parts of the
ifland, is here, as well as in Yorkfhlre, a moft troublefome
weed of corn. In general appearance, this plant refembles
exadlythe cultivated oat: in ftem, blade, panicle,
chafF, and lume!, they are ihtjarm plant : and, in colour,
their feeds arc fubjeft to the fame varieties : namely black,
red, white. But, examined botanically, the wild oat
differs, in three notable particulars, from Avena fatrva ;
which is defcribed by Linneus, as having " calyxes fusc-
feeded; {etds poli/bed ; one aivned''' ; whereas the cahces of
the wild oat are nvo or three feeded; the feeds covered ivith
long fofi bair\ and all of them awned. Nevertlielefs,
in one inftance, I found the lower feeds of the panicle
nearly fmootb ; this, added to the circumrtance of the Poland
oat ^a highly cultivated variety) growing in calices onefeeded,
and ii;ubcut any aucKy renders it much more than pro-
bable, that the various forts of cultivated oats are no more
than CULTIVATED varieties of the wild oat.
Be that as it may- --the wild oat appears to be as con
firmed a nat'rve of this iiland, as any other arable weed,
w hich grows in it ; and is, perhaps of all, the molt ditScult
to be extirpated. It will lie a century in the foil, without
lofmg its vegetative quality. Ground, which has lain in
a ftate of grafs, time immemcrial, both in this county and
in Yorkfliire, has, on being broken up, produced it in
abundance. It is alio endowed with the fa:n-' inftinfUve
choice
94 C O R N W E E D S. 19.
Equifetum ai-'enji^ — curn horfctail.
Agrcjlis albiiy — creeping bentgrafs.
Jlopnurus agrejiis, — field foxtailgrafs.
'feftuca liuriujculay — hard fefciie*.
Soiicbus oleraceusy — common rowthillle
Artemifia vulgaris, — mugwort.
Sinapis alba, — ^white muftard f .
Riimex crifpusy — curled dock.
Carduus lanceolatuSy — fpear thiltle^
Galium Aparine^ — cleavers.
Urtica
choice of feafons, and flate of Uie foil, as other feeds of weeds
appear to have. This renders it, what it is confidered,
a difficult weed to be overcome : for ripening before any
€rof, it (heds its feed on the foil ; wliere it probably finds
lafety from the birds in the roughnefs of its coat. Fallow-
ing ; HoiSG ; — and, where it is prafticahlc, giving a final
HAXDW'EEDiNC, aitcr it (hoot its panicle, arc the only
means of extirpation.
• Hard Fescue. This plant, wliich is one of the
greateft pefts in tlie arable lands of feme diftrifts, (under
the nanic of black couch) is fcldom met witJi in the
plowed lands of this ; notwiihftanding tlicir want of tillage :
and notwithftanding it is found, (though not abundantly)
in the lurrounding grals lands !
+ White mutard. Its feeds in this diftri«5l arc rcd\
fomc of them inclining to a dark mottle ; relembling, m
colour, the leeds of the cultivated vetch : none of them
lighter than thofe of the common mulbrd ; fmapis nigra ;
•fthofe feeds, when in perfection, nc of a bright forrel
nd.
i<). VALE OF GLOCESTER. 95
Urtica dioica, — common nettle.
Shiapis orientalis *.
Rumex obtufifoliuSj — broadleaved dock.
Anihemis Cottday — maithe-weed.
Matricaria fuaveolens, fweetfcented ca-
momile.
Chryjanthemum z«^?^or/^;//,— weakicented ca-
momile. ^
Mentha arvenfis, — corn mint.
Centaurea Cyanusy — bluebonnet.
Polygonum Perficariaj — common mild per-
ficaria.
Sonchus arvenjis, — corn fovvthiftle,
iMpfana communis^ — nipplewort.
Atriplex patula^ — fpreading orach.
Tujftlago Farfara^ — coltsfoot.
Ranunculus repens^ — creeping crowfoot.
Pot^ntilla
* SiNAFis ORIENTALIS. A plant which grows here as
a troublefome weed of corn, anlwering witli great exaft-
nefs, Linneus's defcription of Sinapis orientalis, I have ven-
tured to call it by tliat name ; thougli I have not been able
to find it, in any lid of Englijh plants. Its ftature is fimilar
to that of the white muflard ; to which its general appear-
ance has fome affinity ; but, on clofer examination, the af-
finity vaniihes. The points, with which its pods and
ftem arc thickly let, incline doi.vni-jard ; the body of the
pod is long\ and the beak/Jorr; the feeds numerous, fmall,
and of a niinin<{ bla:k.
qb C O R N" \V E E D S. 19.
PcieMtilla a»/erivi7, — filvenveed.
Trifolium Melilctus cff,cina'i:Sy — melilot.
Achillea MilUfoliufrij — milfoil.
Stacbys palnftrisy — clo^s7lsallheal.
Vfronica bederifolia^ — i\-)leaved fpeedwell.
ScYiecio z'ulgarjjj — groundfeL
Jljint tnediai — chickwecd.
Tblajpi Burfa-pafioris, — fhepherdspuri'c.
yEtbufa Cynapiumy — foolsparfle)^ f.
Ceraftium vulgatumj^-comw.on moufear.
Fumaria cfficimdis, — common fbmiton'.
Pohgonum aviadarfy — hog^veed.
Plant age major, — broad plantain.
Avena elatior, — rail oatgrals J.
Agrcjlis capillaris, — fine bentgrals.
Heracleum Sfbondyliunty — cowparlhep.
Cent our ea Scahiojay — upland knob weed.
Scahioja arvenfiSy — ^upland fcabious.
Daucus
t FooLSPARSi ET. Thii IS hf rc a Ter)' common field
weed (a character I have not feen it in before) but coining
late, and not rifing, in this Ctuation, to a great height, its
injur)- i> little perceived.
\ Tall oatg kais. This is another fallow-T.ced which
is partial to particular foils or fituaticns. NotwithfJunding
tlic want of tillage in this diiUic^, I h-ve not once feer. it
roct< turned up tv the plow .
19. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 97
DaucHS Carotdy — wild carrot.
Lychnis d'loica, — common campion.
Carduiis crifpuSy — curled thiftle.
Lycopfis drvmftSy — corn buglos.
• Lamium purpureum^ — dwarf deadnettlc.
Galeopfts Tetrabitj-^—wild hemp*.
Ranunculus arvenfts, — corn crowfoot.
Polygonum pcnfyhanicum, — pale perficaiia.
Polygonum Convolvulus^ climbing buck-
weed.
Antirrhinum Linaria, — common Snapdra-
gon-
HypGchcfris radicata^ long-rooted hawk-i
weed.
Euphrafia Odontites'^ — red eyebright.
Euphorbia Heliojcopia, — ^fun fpurge.
Vioht
* Wild hemp. This is another evidence of the fame
tai5l. In Yorkfhire it ranks with the more prevailing weeds.
In the midland counties it is Hill more prevalent : while
here it t.ikes place in the lower part of the catalogue.
Thefe obfcrvations wil}, I am aware, be uninterefting to
the reader, who is either unacquainted with the individuals
Ipoken ot> or is no way interelied in the nature and preva-
lency of corn weeds. Neverthelefs, they will, lamper-
luaded, be viewed in a dijferent light by the practical far-
mer, who is, at the fame tinve, a practical botanift ; and I
believe I may add, that every good farmer is a botanift, as
far as he is able ; and ought to bt, as far as botany relates to
agriculture.
Vol. I. H
gS C O R N W E E D S. i^
Fiola /r/Vo/<?r,— common panfie.
Prunella vulgarisy — felfheal.
Leont cdcn'Taraxacumt--<omTnon dandelion,
Galium verumy — yellow bedftraw.
Malva rotundifoliay — round-leaved mallow,
Vicia Cracca, — ^bluetufted vetch.
Convolvulus Jepiiwiy — hedge convolvulus.
Galium MollugOy — baftard madder.
Conium tnaculatuniy — hemlock.
Ballota nigra, — {linking horehound.
Erifimujn Aliaria, — garlic crefs.
Lamium album, — white deadnettle.
Arundo phragmiiisy — common reed.
After what has been faid, under the head
TILLAGE, it will be doing juftice, only, to the
vale farmers, to apprize the reader, in this
place, that, inattentive as they undoubtedly
are to the prevention of corn weeds, they
mufl not be confidered as the avowed friends
and allies of weeds : for, in the destruction
of them, they indifputably ftand preeminent
in their profeflTion.
The hoing of crops in general hai
long been held out as a thing moft defirable,
in the arable procefs. Here we find it nearly
in full practice. Not only the ligumenous
crops.
19- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 99
crops, which are planted in rows ; but wheaTj
which is fown at random, are hoed : not by a
few individuals, only ; but by hufbandmen in
general : the wheat crop being hoed, here, as
cuftomarily as the the turnep crop is in Nor-
folk. Barley may be faid to be the only crop,
which is not hoed. But this crop is invariably
fallowed for ; either by a whole year, or bv a
winter-and-fpring fallow : fo that every crop
which is taken is, in reallit}^, a fallow crop.
Hence we fee fields which have borne crops
of GRAIN, year after year without remifTion,
during time immemorial, ftill affording an-
nually portions of produce, which, in die
management of fome individuals, in fome fea-
fons, may be entitled to the name of crops. A
fadt, which nothing lefs than adlual obfervation,
could have induced me to give full credit to.
A fact which proves, in a moll intereftino-
manner, the value of a due attention to
CROPS WHILE vegetating : a fpecies of atten-
tion, which, in the management of the kino--
dom at large, is entirely omitted ; excepting,
perhaps, what is bellowed on an imperfeft
handweeding : In general terms, it may be
faid, that, in moil other diflrids, crops re-
H 2 main
lOo CORN WEEDS.
19.
main in a ftate of neglect, from feed time to
hai-veft. While, here, the bufinels of the
arab!e procefs does not appear to be fet about
in earneft, until the crops be above ground !
The origin of this unparalleled attention to
crops, WHILE VEGETATING, would now, per-
haps, be difficult to trace. In all probabilit)*,
it originated in a kind of neceflit}-, on the
every years lands; which, without it, muft
long ago have been wholly poffelled by one
continued thicket of weeds. Its good effed:
being tliere feen, it would be received, by
degrees, into the fallow fields : firil as an ex-
pedient to fave a foul crop -, and, at length,
:is a pratlice.
The excellency of this cuilom, and the ex-
tent of its utilit)', are not confined to the field :
the HoixG OF CORN is done, chiefly, by wo-
men AND CHILDREN ; induftr)' is, of courfe,
encouraged j and the pai ifli levies probably
leflened ; or, what is equally beneficial to the
farmer, the wages for men's labour are low-
ered : while, in the faving of feed, by this
practice, the farm.er and the communit)' are
dill more immediately benefited.
HARVESTING.
19- VALE OF GLOCESTER. ici
20.
HARVESTING.
THE WORK OF HARVEST was, for-
merly, done chiefly by harvest men; but
now, in part, by the acre.
The WAGES of harveft men are thirty fhil-
lings for the harvell; or a Ihilling a-day; —
with full board.
The method of victualing harveftmen, in
this diftrift, is Angularly judicious- They have
no regular dinner. Their breakfaft is cold meat.
Their refrefhmentin the field bread and cheefe,
with fix or eight quarts of beverage. At night,
when they return home, a hot /upper ; — and,
after it, eacli man a quart of ftrong liquor ; in
order to alleviate the fatigues of the day which
is pafl: ; and, by fending him to bed in fpirits
and good humour, to prepare him for the mor-
row's toil.
There is more than one advantage arifes
from this cuftom. All work within-doors, in
H 3 the
102
HARVESTING. 20.
the middle of the day, is got rid of: and the
advantage of continuing the work of the field,
without a break, through the prime part of the
day, is obvious ; and is highly eftimated by
thole who know the value of it, from experi-
ence. Converfing with an aftive good huf-
bandman on the fubje6b, he exclaimed "Lord,
Sir, what fhould we do now (about noon) if we
were to give our men a regular dinner! They
mull either go home to it ; or we muft bring
it to them here in the field ; and while they
were eating, and playing under the hedge, we
iliould lofe the hauling of two or three load of
beans."
The hours of work are long ; — from dawn
to dufk i — efpecially when difpatch is more
particularly requifite. The quantity of work
done is above par: namely, twenty to thirty
loads of corn ; with one fet of men.
FARMYARD
21. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 103
21.
FARMYx\RD MANAGEMENT.
THE WINTER MANAGEMENT of
the vale, as an article diftridb, affords nothing
of excellence ; nor includes any noticeable de-
feat J excepting the prevailing one of paying
too little regard to the accumulation of ma-
nure : neverthelefs a few peculiarities require
to be regiftered.
Barn management. The method of
thrajhing, in ufe here, is that of the fouthern
counties: the ears of wheat are occafionally
lifted, and loofe corn from time to time light-
ened, with the fwipple -, in order to raife up
the parts unthrafhed, and thereby expofe
them to a more effedtive ftroke : a pradlice
which is more eafy, lefs hurtful to the grain,
and perhaps not lefs expeditious, than the
north-country method j in which the thralKer
keeps on, with one even ftroke, from the
•time the corn is fpread upon the floor, until it
be turned, or the ftraw fhook off.
H 4 IFmiozving
104 FARMYARD MANAGEMENT. 21.
fVirmowing is here done with the fail-fan in
the fouth-of-England manner.
Chaff is expended on cart horfes. Barley
chaft is in good efteem: — fome farmers, at
leall, prefer i: to that of the " cone wheat" i —
a long-awned grain.
Yard management. It has been already
faid that bottoming farm yards with iw^jtii/ is
not a practice of this diftricl. They are, how-
ever, fometimes littered vfiihjiubble.
Stra'x is given to cattle, loofe, in mangers
and cribs of various conftructions. (See farm-
buildings.)
It is not Tjnufual in the pra<5tice of this di-
ftrid: to let ftraw-yard cattle have a yard, fod-
dering ground, or orchard, adjoining to the
ftraw yard, to ftray into at pleafure. This in-
dulgence may be ferviceable, perhaps, to the
health of the cattle i but is certainly wafleful of
m.anure.
MARKETS.
22. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 105
22.
M A Pv K E T S.
THE PRINCIPAL MARKETS of this
diftridt, for corn, are Glocefter zxATewkeJbiiry.
Cheltenham^ in the fummer feafon, takes off its
proportion of butter and poultry. Cheese
is bought up chiefly hyfa^fors 3 and the fur-
plus of FAT cattle and sheep, after the coun-
try markets are fupplied, goes chiefly to Smith-
field.
Market places never ftruck me as a fub-
jeft entitled to particular attention, until I faw
the good effedl which has taken place, by a re-
form in the market places of this diftricl.
In 1783, the markets of Glocelter, Tewkef-
bury and Cheltenham were kept on old-faflii-
oned crojjesy and under' open market-houfes,
Handing in the middles of the main ftreets i to
the annoyance of travellers J the disfigurement
of the towns j and the inconveniency of the
market-people, whether fellers or buyers.
New
io6 MARKETS. 22.
Now (1788) thefe nuifances are cleared
away, and the markets removed into well fitu-
ated recefles, conveniently fitted up for their
reception. — A fpecies of reform which moft
market towns in the kingdom (land greatly in
need of
The old crofles and market houfes are gene-
rally fmall, inconvenient, and now no longer
adequate to the purpofes for which they were
originally erected- In winter, they are chil-
ling and dangerous to the health of thofe who
have to wait in them; efpecially women ;
whofe habits of hardinefs may not, now, be
equal to what they were in the day in which
thefe ere(fHons were made. Befides, the corn-
market, the (hambles, and the women's mar-
ket are frequently fcattered in different parts of
a town : v. hile, in a fquare inclofed with fhops,
Ihades, and penthoufes ; v,i.xh fhambles in the
center j and a corn market at the entrance i —
the whole are brought together i rendering
the bufmefs of market commodious and com-
fortable ; epithets which, at prefent, can fel-
dom be well applied to it.
In the inftances under notice, the alterations
were made by the refpective towns j at, no
doubtj
22. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 107
doubt, a confiderable expence ; the intereft oi"
which is raifed by tolls, payable by the fellers :
an inconveniency, which leflens, very confide-
rably, the magnitude of the improvement.
This is an interefting fubjeft, and clofely
connefted with the prefent defign. It would
lictle avail the farmer to raife crops, without a
market to vend them at. It is the grand cen-
ter to which all his labours tend.
We may, I think, venture fafely to ftart
as a pofition, that markets are, or ought to be
made, the concerns of counties at large i
not of the particular towns they happen to be
kept in. They promote, indifputably, the
general benefit of towns, and the portions of
country which lie immediately round them j
but that of the latter more elpecially: and it
would be equally reafonable to expeft that a
market town fhould build abridge for the coun-
try people to come over to market, as to find
them Ihops to fell their wares in.
Indeed weekly markets are effentially necelTa-
ry, in the prefent ftate of things, to the coun-
try ; but not fo to towns ; which have mar-
kets, dailjy in the Ihops of their own inhabi-
tants : and that they require no weekly markets,
London
io8 MARKETS. 22.
Lxwidon is an inllance. In wholefale matters,
as corn, chcefc &c, towns have no intereft
whatever: unlefe the inrns, as they oftentimes
abflirdly are, be confidercd as the (own: the
mere inbahitanfs have none.
But although the inhabitants offerurru have
no neceffity for a weekly market j tho(e of
'::iilages would find themfelves aukwardly fitu-
ated without one. They cannot, like the
town's-people, go every morning to the (hop.
One day in a week is fiiU as much time as they
can fpare.
Nor would it be convenient to the /arm^ to
depend upon the fhopkeepers' or the huckfters'
caUing upon him for his produce, and giving
him their own price. It is as convenient, — as
neceflary, — for farmers to go to market, as it
is for merchants to go to 'change ; — to learn
the current f>rice, and take their choice of
buyers ; as well zs to meet each other, and
make the requilite bargains between themfelves.
Fairs are, in this point of xiew, flill more
convenient to the farmer. How fhould a gra-
zier or a jobber know that he has flock to dif-
pofe of, unlefs he had ibmc means oi publijb-
fffg ihem : At the fame time, how conveni-
ent
22. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 109
ent are fairs to the grazier, who can there take
his choice of ftock j as well as to the breeder,
who may there make his eleftion of price.
Towns were no doubt aware of thefe things
when TOLLS were eftablifhed. But tolls are
fetters which all fairs and markets fhould be
freed from. They interrupt the bufinefs of the
day ; are the caufe of endlefs diipute ; and
may, in thefe days, well be confidered as the
impofitions of lefs liberal times, which ought
to be cleared away.
Markets, more efpeciaily, are a univerfal
good. Tliey bring the producer and the con-
fumer hand to hand. Shopkeepers and huck-
fters are middle men, who mufl be paid for
their labour ; and whatever profit they receive
is fo much loft, either to the farmer or the
confumer.
Tolls have thefelfsame tendency. Either
the feller or the buyer muft pay them ; and
each has his plea of complaint. The tolls of
Glocefter market are very high — almoft ex-
cefTive — 3d. butter — 2d. poultry or eggs. —
The market women, of courfe, complain of
the hardfhip ; while the town's people are ftilj
louder in their complaints -, alleging that the
fellers.
no MARKETS.
M.
fellers, taking the advantage of the toll, charge
them doubly for it. All taxes, cvenruaDv, fall
oft the confumer.
This is a fubjecl which has never, I i>elievc,
been agitated , but which is certainly entitled
to the bigbeji attention.
From the obfervations which are here Joofelv
thrown together, we may venture to draw, as
a conclufion, that all fairs and markets
SHOULD BE FREE :
And that a reform in the market places
and fair-steads ■*" of this kingdom is wan!?ed:
not
* F^iiR-sTFADS in gmoral, are ftiU iris coiixmodious
than market places. They are moftly confined to the
firccis (barbarous ulage) and fometimcs every ftreet in the
town is a feparate iair-ftead : fo that it is impoffible for
a buyer tc know what ftock tiie fair coolifts of. Whea a
market is briflc, much of it may be Ibid before he can pof-
Cbly have an opportunity of feeing it. 'WTiIle, in other
cafes the flreets are fo narrow, and the fair-ftead lo cc«-
fined, that the value of iiock cannot be cftimated with fuf-
ficient accuracy. A fquare paddock, paled or walled
round ; wjih one gate to admit, and another to let out
flock; the cattle being placed on the border, ptxipqty
formed to receive them ; and the fbeep-pens m. dhe cmitr,
(in the m:tnncr of Smithfieldmarket) would periapt be feondl,
iu preference to all others the beft form for a fair-ftead.
How eafily might rvery market town be fumifted with fodh
a paddock.
22. VALE OF GLOCESTER. m
not fo much for the conveniency of towns, as
for that of the country.
We have no ground of reafoning, however,
to expedl that corporations, and lords of ma-
nors, will even give up their prefent tolls,-
much lefs make the requifite reform, without
fome adequate recomipence.
The COUNTIES, reipectively, have the care
of their gaols, and bridges ; and it flrikes me,
that the county-rate would be the propereft
fund for defraying the expence of a reform in
their markets ; and for afterward keeping in
due order, fair-fteads and market-places.
A reform in weights and measures has
long been fpoken of as a thing defirable. It
would be well if fome general reform, in
the fairs and markets of thefe kingdoms, could
be brought about. While they remain in
their prefent barbarous ftate, we cannot have-
full claim to the chara6ter of a civilizep
NATIOM.
WHEAT.
112 W H E A T. 23.
W H E A T.
THE SPECIES of wheat, in cultivatiof*
here, are
I. "Cone wheat" or "blue cone": —
a variety of triticum ttirgidmn. * The ftraw
tall and reedy: the ear long, and of a dufky-
purple colour: the chaff downy, with a very
long awn, which falls off when fully ripe. The
grain brown, tolerably well fkinned, and of a
hard flinty contexture ; affording a thirjly
flour ; in good elleenm with the miller and ba-
ker. This is the prevailing wheat of the di-
ftrift i — whofe produce is probably three-
fourths of it of this fpecies.
2. " Lammas.
* Not, liowever; the variety which is entitled to the dif-
tinftion cone ; its ears being remarkably cjl'iudrical. In
Northwiltfhire, I met with the true cone — or triticum
quadrntum — of Miller : — the bafe of the ear large and fquare
(hence it is there called "fquare cared wheat') but the upper
part is fomVfl/, tapering to a point. This variety is remark-
ably turgid ;— the grains, in the bafe of the car, burfting
open the ch.itf, Dcforc harvelt, thowing themfelvcs plainly
%i the tfve.
23- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 113
2. "Lammas wheats": — varieties of
TRiTicuM hybernum. Every thing that does
not bear awns is " lammas" ; — which is di-
vided into " red-ilraw" and " white -ilraw" — -
or rather into red-chaff zxm^ white-cbaffhmm?LS,
Of the latter there are two entirely diftindt
forts ; the chaff of one fmooth^ the other
^villous. They frequently grow together in the
fame piece, and the diilindtion probably pafles
unnoticed.
3. Triticum ceJlivunii-—ov spring wheat:
a ipecies which has been pretty freely tried in
this diftridl: s but which is not, at prefent,
likely to gain an eftablifhment.
The CULTIVATION of wheat in this diftricft,
cannot, altogether, be offered as a model:
neverthelefs it mufl not be paffed over in 11-
lence^ It has one excellency, at leaft, which
entitles it to the higheft attention.
The succESiON has been mentioned. Beans,
planted and hoed, may be confidered (except
in the old fallow fields) as its common prede-
ceffor. Peas cultivated in the fame manner,
likewife precede it, on light land : — v^heat be-
ing here grown on every fpecies of soil.
Vol. L I The
1,4 WHEAT. 23.
The SOIL PROCESS, after piilfe, is Ibmetimes
fingiilar ; and is entitled to notice. T\itjlub-
hle of beans is pretty generally drawn * ; and I
have feen, in more than one inftance, the fur-
face breaji-plowedy after peas as well as beans,
previous to the feed plowing for wheat.
This is to me a novel pradice. I have nor,
out of this county, feen the breafl plow ufed
in any other intention, than tliat of paring off
the furface of grafsland, in whole fods. But
the operation, in the pradlice under notice,
is done with a very different defign. The pa-
ring is not attempted to be turned in the na-
ture of a fod } the intention is merely that of
fevering the roots of weeds beneath the fur-
face y in order that they may be harrowed out
and deflroyed, before the wheat be fown.
This, for the clafs o^ creeping perennial zveedsy f
is a ready and effectual mode of exterpation:
alfo
• For fuel ; citlier by the farmer ; or, more generally I
believe, by his labourers' wives and children ; who have
the fuel for their labour ; a waggon being generally placed
in the field to receive it, as it is drawn. Bean flubblc plowed
into the foil is thought to afford refuge for snails; which
fometimes do the wheat crop great injury. It is alio thougfit
ro keep the/oil too holloiv !
t Sec vork: econ: vol. i. p. 375.
23- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 115
alio xkvt Jlrong-rcoted, and even the 'n-orm-rcoted
tribes arc, probably, efientially f/vt^^c-^by this
pra<5tice j elpecially as the plow, prefently af-
terward, makes another leparation at a greater
depth ; fo that their feeding fibres, as ^vell as
their foliage, are to be produced afrefh.
The only objection to this practice is the
expence: namely fix or feven fhillings an acre.
In a country, however, where a fingle plowing
cofts more money, the expence cannot be
deemed excefllve.
But, on a foil free from ftones, as the foils
of the vale almoft invariably are, the fame or
a fimilar effect may be produced, in a much
eafier way. For although I had not feen a
breaft plow ufed in the operation j the utility
and effects of the operation itfelf are familiar to
me. In my own practice, in Sui-rey, I pur-
fued the operation of sub-plowikg to, perhaps,
its fartheft limits: gaining a full \4ew of its
merits and defects. The greateft difficulty-
lies in getting an implement to work, in all
foils, and in ail feafons. A light wheel-plow, —
with a broad fharp ihare, and without a mould
board, — drawn by one or two horfes, is, I be-
lieve, the bell implement which can be ufed in
I 2 this
ii6 W H E A r. 23.
this operation : which, in fome cafes, is very
valuable. See min. of agri. dates
16 Auguft, 10 and 20 October 1775, and
16 Auguft 1776.
The TIME OF SOWING, November and De-
cember ! If a farmer get his feed wheat into the
ground before Chriftmas, he is thought to fi-
nifli in due feafon. How widely different arc
the cuftoms of countries, with refpeft to this
important operation. Cuftoms which are, no
doubt, founded, in fome degree at leaft, on
the experience of ages. This country is nearly
a month behind the reft of the kingdom. It is
argued, by men of experience, in fupport of
this extraordinary practice, that, " late-fown
wheats are apt to be better headed" — are more
productive of grain — than crops which arc
fown more early : and the argument, duly li-
mited, may have fome foundation. But it is
very probable, that the peculiar latenefs of
wheat feed time, in this diftridl, is not effen-
tially neceffary to the natural fituation of the
vale, or to the nature of its foil, but arifes, in
fome degree, out of its prefent peculiarity of
management. The unprodu6livenefs of the
early fown crops may be, in part, owing to
the
23- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 117
the hoft of weeds with which they have to en-
counter i while thofe which are fown late, ef-
caping the autumnal vegetation, have fewer
' eneniies to contend with, the enfuing fummer.
There are two difadvantages evidently at-
tend late fowing. The feafon is uncertain, and
the requifite quantity of feed is increafcd.
Much of it never vegetates, and much of that,
which, if fown in due feafon, might have ve-
getated, falls unavoidably a prey to vermin of
different kinds.
Neverthelefs, fuch is the ftrength of the
vale lands, and fuch the advantages of hoing,
that the quantity of seed fown in this di-
ftricl is confiderahly lefs, than that fown, I be-
lieve, in any other fart of the kingdom. Even at
Chrifimas, the quantity feldom exceeds two
buJJoels an acre ! Six pecksj in September—
Oftober, would afford as full a fufHciency of
plants ; and, in the more early part of the
feafon, /d-iwz -pecks ^ fown hroadcajl, is the ufual-
quantity of feed ! *
I 3 The
♦ SETTING WHEAT. This pra6lice is not licrc In ufe J
except onalmall fcale. In the little encroachments round
Corfe Lawn (a well foiled and very extenfive common -
fheep-walk wcftward of the Severn) I haveobferved feveral
patches of wheat, planted in rows, with " fetting pins", in
the xnanner beans and peas are plauted in this diftriit.
ii8 WHEAT. 23.
The meafure, it is true, is large: full nine
gallons and a half: fo that the feven pecks
contain near feventeen gallons. But, in Nor-
folk, three bufhels containing near twenty
five gallons, is ufually fown, fome weeks, per-
haps, before the feed time commences in this
countr}-: two bufhels and a half j about twent)'
two gallons, may be taken as the middle quan-
tity of feed wheat, throughout the kingdom.
But, in the vale of Glocefter, — wheat is
UNIVERSALLY HOED: a fa<5t which does ho-
nor to English agriculture; and which I
enter in this regifter with more than ordinary
fatisfaftion.
The hoing of wheat is one of thofe valuable
operations in hufbandry, which are lefs diffi-
cult, and more effectual, in practice than in
theory. I have examined it with extraordi-
nary attention i and fhall beftow upon it a
minute analytical defcription.
1. The number of hoings.
2. The times of hoino:.
3. The width of the hoe."
4. The method of hoing.
5. The price.
6. The advantages.
\. The
23. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 119
I. The number of hoings. Two ho-
ings are generally fpoken of i but are executed
only in the practice of fuperior hufbandmen.
One hoing and a handweeding, however, are
eflential to good management. Two hoings,
the laft likewifc a handweeding, might be
deemed perfection. The firft hoing, if given
in due time, wiD unavoidably mifs many weeds,
which will afterwards run up to feed, and foul
fucceeding crops.
Sometimes the crop is harrowed early
(about the time of the firft hoing) and hoed
fome time after\vard. It is likewife not unfre-
quendy harrowed prefenting after the firft
hoing : a good finifh, which not only loofens
the foil, and lets down a fupply of air to the
roots of the corn -, but effectually difengages
the weeds from the foil ; in which they are
liable to be refixed by the feet of the hoers.
1. The times of hoing. The firft hoing
is begun in April, or as foon as the fealbn will
permit. It ought to be finillied before die
plants begin to " branch" ftock — dller— or
make their vernal ramifications. The fooner
the fecond hoing fucceeds the firft, the lefs
difficulty there is in doing it i but the later
I 4 it
120 W H E A T. 23.
it is given, die more ferviceable it proves ;
provided the crop be not immediately injured
in the operation.
3. The width of the hoe. It is gene-
rally underftood, that the fize of the hoe
ought to be proportioned to the fullnefs of the
crop : a thin crop requiring a wide hoe — one
which is thick upon the ground, a narrow
one. The narrowed I have meafured has
been three inches ; the wideft five inches.
The form is that of the turnep-hoe: except
that the corners are, or ought to be, rounded
off.
4. The method of hoing. If the plants
(land fufficiently wide to admit the hoe be-
tween them, the entire furface is ftirred.
Where they ftand clofely, and weeds do not
appear, they are pafled over. Thus, the tops
of high ridges are frequently too rank to admit
the hoe, while the fides of the lands are entirely
worked over with it.
The art of hoing wheat is much lefs difficult
than that of hoing turneps ; v.hich require a
quick eye and a fteady hand, to fingle them
gut at proper diftances: whereas, in hoing
wheats the plants, and of courfe the fpaces
between
23- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 121
between them, are given j all the hoer has to
do, is to cut over the vacant patches, and
draw the hoe between the plants j — length
way, if the plants will admit of it; if not, and
weeds intervene, to force through the end, or
the corner : in doing which the plants are not
much endangered j unlefs the hoe be very
fharp : for the fame hoe, which will ftir the
ground, and cut up feedling weeds, will flip
over wheat without injuring it. Wheat, root-
ing deep, is not eafily eradicated ; and Ihould
part, or even the whole of the blades be cut
off, they will, provided the crown be left,
re-fpring,
Hence women and children may, with
fufficient fafety, be trufted with hoes among
wheat; and, where the foil is tolerably free
from root-weeds, foon become fufficiently
expert.
But if couch grafs abound among wheat,
which it too frequently does, not only more
labour, but greater fkill is requifite, Couch
grafs bears the fame affinity to wheat, as the
wild rnuftard does to turneps ; an adept will
generally diftinguifh the plants with fufEcient
readinefsi but in fome cafes_, they refemble
each
122 W H E A T. 23.
each other (o nearly, as to be eafily miftaken
for one another, by the inexperienced. Be-
fkks, in this cafe the hoe is obliged to be
kept with a fharp edge -, otherwile it \vill not
take the couch : this, of courfe, renders it a
more dangerous implement in the hands of the
inadept. Therefore, under thefe difgraceful
circumflances, men ought to be, and fre-
quently are, on the every years lands, em-
ployed in the hoing of wheat.
This, however, does not operate againft
the general principle of hoin-g wheat by
WOMEN' AND CHILDREN. No man, who has
any regard for his intereft, or to his character
as a hufbandman, attempts to cultivate wheat
in a bed of couchgrafs.
The requifite diftance between the plants,
depends on the fpecies of wheat, and the (late
of the foil. Cone wheat is found to branch
nnore than lammas. j and either of them will
fpread wider on a rich, than on an impove-
rifhed foil. If the plants be ftrong, ten or
twelve inches is not deemed too great a
diftance.
It might, however, be WTong to fct-out
clofe-growing plants at that diflance : plants
mav
23- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 123
may acquire, during the auaimn and winter^
habits agreeable to their refpe6live fituations:
the fingle plants to fpread, — thofe in groups
to run upward ; and it might be injurious, in
the Ipring, to place them in new fituations.
Neverthelefs, it is probable that, in many
cafes, the crop would be improved, if the
underling plants, which rank wheat generally
abounds with, were in due time removed.
Crouded plants produce feeble ftraw, and
puny imperfeft grain : and, from die atten-
tion I have paid this fubjed, I am of opi-
nion, that a five- inch hoe might be ufed^
freely, in the fulleft crop. I do not mean
in fetting the plants out, fingly, like thole
of turneps ; but merely in lefTening their
number ; thereby giving thole which were left
a fufficiency of air and headroom.. A turnep
requires room at the root -, wheat at tlie ear :
and it is a thing of no great confequence, per-
haps, whether a given fquare foot of atmof-
phere be filled with ears from one, two, or a
greater number of roots.
5. Price. The ordinary price is half a
crown an acre, for the firft hoing. But the
requifite
124- WHEAT. 23.
requifite labour varies with the (late of the
cropj and the nature of the foil. A full clean
crop, on a free foil, wants little labour. Nor
on fuch a foil, though foul with feed-weeds, is
the labour difficult; provided the crop has
not been fufFered to run up and hide the fur-
face. On the contrary, a thin tall crop, foul
with couchgrafs, on a flubborn foil, in a dry
feafon, requires more labour than is ever paid
for. I have feen a man hoing wheat under
the laft mentioned circumflanccs, at 2^. an
acre. But he bai-ely earned day-wages ; yet
did not half do his work. If the foil be tole-
rably free, the fealbn kind, and the crop taken
in a proper ftate as to growth, notwithftand-
ing it may be foul with feed weeds, there are
women who will hoe half an acre a day. Sucli
a crop is not unfrequently done at 2S. an
acre.
The fecond hoing is frequently more te-
dious than the firft ; by reafon of the crops,
hiding the ground, and being in the way of
the hoe.
6. The ADVAN'TACEs of hoing are many.
The feed weeds are cut off; tiie root weeds
checked j and the crufl of the foil broken.
By
23. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 125
By thus giving the roots a full fupply* of air^
and the plants themfelves the full poffefTion of
the furfacc, — they acquire a vigorous habit,
and are induced to branch out, Ipread over
the furface, and fill up every vacancy j by that
means increafing their own llrength, and
keeping their enenaies under. If a fimile
might be ufed on this occaficn, we might fay^,
that the foil is a country contended for ; the
corn and the weeds contending armies : — By
deftroying, or checking the advancement of
one, we give the other an opportunity of gain-
ing full polTefTion.
Befides the advantages to the growing crop,
thofe of future crops ought to be confidered.
The hoe deftroys, in the firft hoing, a clafs
of weeds, which handweeding feldom, if ever
Iloops to. Indeed, before that operation ufu-
ally takes place, they are fhrunk beneath no-
tice : they flourifh, however, at a critical
time i — the time of branching y — and are pro-
bably the caufe of greater mifchief, than rifes
to common obfervation. The fpecies which
come moft particularly within this clafs are the
ivykaved Jpeedwell or winter-iveedy — chickweedy
and groundfil: while hairoughy one of the worii
weed
,26 WHEAT.
■6'
weed of wheat, falls an eafy victim to the hoe.
The fhepberdspurfey— common ^ndjcorpion moitje-
sarsy fumitory, hogiveedy and other low-grow-
ing weeds, are cut off imperceptibly in hoing ;
but are feldom the objedts of handweedikg :
confequently, fhed their feeds upon the foil,
and remain, from year to year, a nuifance to
the growing crop.
In the HARVESTING of wheat, we find no-
thing particularly noticeable; except the
practices of letting it ftand until it be unrea-
fonably ripe, — of cutting it very high, — and
of binding it in remarkably fmall (heaves.
The lafl: requires fome attention.
The fizeof the flieaf is here proportioned.
In a great meafure, to the height of the crop.
The (heaves being invariably bound with one
length of ftraw. The prad:ice of making
double bands — a practice common to the fou-
thern, eaftern, northern, and midland coun-
ties, appears to be unknown in this diftricl.
This year, the ftraw being fomewhat (hort,
the (heaves (if fuch they may be deemed) are
mere handfuls — many of them may be grafped
with the fingers. — PVw of them are equal to
half a common Iheaf; three or four of fome
of
23. VALE OF GLOCESTER. nj
of them (elpecially in the ever}- years fields,
where, perhaps, there are more weeds than
com to bind up) would not make a iheai" of
fome diflrids.
The advantages and inconveniences of this
cxtraordinar)^ practice require examination.
The inconveniences arile chiefly from the
number of (heaves. The crop takes more
binding. — The trouble of band-making, ho\v-
ever is evaded. But it is certainly more tedi-
ous to ftook, pitch, load, unload, flack ^c.
6cc. than it would be if bound in larger Iheaves ;
and, in thefe operations, without any obvious
counter advantage.
The practice, neverthelels, has its advan-
tages. Small iheaves require lefs field room,
as it is termed ; that is lefs time between the
cutting and the carr^-ing ; than large Iheaves
do. And, what is equally valuable, if they
be caught in wet weather, they are much
fooner dried again: confequendy, the danger
ot gro\sing is not fo great as when the crop is
bound in large Iheaves ; which frequendy re-
quire opening, when a fmall one may be got
dry \vithout that tedious and dangerous expe-
dient.
The
128 \y H E ^ r.
n-
The practices of cutting high and binding
with fingle bands, have probably arifcn, like
that of hoing wheat, out of a kind ofnecefllty
on the tvtry year's lands ; on which if the
weeds as well as the wheat were to be reaped,
by cutting the latter low ; and the whole bound
up together in large fh eaves ; — fcarcely any
length of time would cure tliem to the center.
The great length of cone wheat may have af-
fifted in eftablifhing the practice.
The fize of Iheaves, uninterefting as it may
appear to tliofe who are unpradbiced in the mi-
nutix of hufbandn.', is a fubjecb of fome impor-
tance.— That the Iheaves of wheat are made
much too large in many diftridls, and perhaps
in general, is as evident as that, in this diftricl,
many of them are made fmaller than any good
purpofe can require. The difficulty lies in af-
certaining the happy medium. AVe may ven-
ture to fay, N\ithout rifque, that the fize ought
to bear fome proportion to the (late of the crop.
At prelent, it may be faid to vary from a hand-
ful to an armful. How far it ought to var)^,
and what the proper fizes of the two extremes
are, I dare not, here, take upon me to deter-
mine.
The
23. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 129
The STUBBLE and weeds are generally mown
ofFinfwaths, foon after harveft, for litter. It
is not unulual to fell the flubble on the ground.
The price fometimes fo high as 5s. an acre ;
off which perhaps the buyer will carry a full
waggon load ! A quantity, perhaps, equal to
that carried off in fheaves at harveft.
The PRODUCE of wheat, in this diftri(rr, is
below par : notwithftanding the fuperior qua-
lity of the foil. The par produceof the diftrift
is laid at eighteen buihels an acre (the meafure
large). I have heard men talk gravely of
t'uuehe bufhels j even in the fallow fields. I
have myfelf feen, in one of the every year's
fields, not lefs perhaps than tw-enty, perhaps
not lefs than forty acres, which could not be
laid at miore than eight bufhels an acre !
I do not mention thefe things to expofe the
hufbandmen of the vale of Glocefter — I have
no motive whatever to lead me to fuch a con-
duct— nor do I, on any occafion, I truft, fuf-
fer any motive whatever to lead me to cen-
fure, other dian the facts which appearbefore me.
I have no partiality to this or that diflridl.
To enable me to profecute with greater dili-
gence the defign I have entered upon, I en-
Voi.. I. K 4^avour
I30 W H E A 1 . 23
deavour to view each diftrici as my ou:» : and
wifh to fee the feveral parcels of my wide do-
main i or, — in language more fuitable to the
fubjeft, — the feveral cultivated diftricts of
this ifland, on a par as to cultivation ; and as
near perfe(ftion as the prefent ftate of the art is
capable of raifing them. On the prefent occa-
fion, I wiih to prove, by the mod fubftantial
evidence, the neceflity of a change of ma-
nagement.
The diftricb contains, without difpute,
fome plots of cold unprodudlive foil. Ever}-
acre of it, which lies out of the water's w^ay,
may neverthelefs be faid to be wheat land.
Three fourths of it is land of fuch a quality
that it ought never to be fown with wheat,
without a fair probability of three to four
QUARTERS AN ACRE. The prcfent unproduc-
tivenefs is a lofs to the communit)" ; and re-
fle<5ls equal difgrace on its owner and its occu-
piers.
There mufl: be fome caufe or caufes of this
ftriking deficiency of produce ; and it behoves
the landowners to afcertain and remove them :
their interefl: is the mod materially concerned.
If
23- VALE OP' GLOCESTLR. 131
If the deficiency be owing to the open fields
being worn down by arable crops, (which I be-
lieve is one ver)'' great caufe of it) — why let
them remain in their prefent unprofitable (late ?
Why not indole them, and let the lands be
laid to grals ?
If the deficiency be caufed by the land's be-
ing chilled with furface water (as much of the
central parts of the vale undoubtedly is) why
not obtain an acl of Ihores : and under it keep
them, as they may undoubtedly be kept, fuf-
ficiently free from it.
If the coldnels of the fubfoil be the caufe, (as
it may be in feme places) encourage under-
draining.
If, on examination, the caufe of a deficiency
of produce fhould appear to be principally
owing to a deficiiency of tillage (as in the every
year's lands it alTuredly is) — giVe due encou-
ragement to fallowing j and check, by ever\'
other pofTible mean?, the prefent difgracefui
pra»ftice of growing eight bulhcls of wheat an
acre, on land which is by nature enabled to
bear four times that quantity.
The reform which is here offered is wanted
in rarious other diilridts of the kingdom ; in
K 2 which
132 WHEAT. 23.
which the wheat crop, by injudicious manage-
ment, is too frequently difgraceful to Englifh
hufbandry. The wheat crop, above all others,
fhould not be rijqued. No man ought to fow
wheat where he has not, with a common fea-
Ibn, a moral certainty of a crop.
BARLEY.
THE QUANTITY of barley grown in
this vale is very coniiderable. For, notwith-
ftanding the uncommon coldnefs of much of the
vale lands, this is the only fpring com which is
cultivated on them.
The only species that I have feen cultivated
in the dilbict is the common long -eared
barley: h o r d e u m zeocritcn.
In the CULTIVATION of bailey, onecircum-
fiance, only, is noticeable: namely that ofite
being made ufe of, on the e\ ery year's lands,
as the cUanfijig crop.
It
24. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 133
It appears to be n leading article of faith,
among the occupiers of thefe lands, that if a
week or ten days fine weather, in the ipring,
can be had for the operation of harrowing out
couch i and if, after this, a full crop of barley
fucceed ; efpecially if it fhould be fortunate
enough to take a reclining pofture i the bufi-
nth o{ fallowing is effeftually done : — the foil
being thus raifed to a degree of cleannefs and
tilth fufficient to laft it through a fcries of fuc-
ceeding crops.
Hence, to catch a few fine days to fallow in,
barley is fown, on thefe lands, very late : —
the middle of May — fometimes the latter end
of May — fometimes the beginning of June —
this year (an aukward feafon) barley was
fown towards the middle of June. — And, to
obtain a full crop, three to four bufhels an
acre is invariably fown j under the idea that a
full crop of barley, efpecially if it lodge,
fmoothcrs all forts of weeds ; even coucli
grafs itfelf. And true it is, that under lodged
barley the foil grows mellow, and weeds get
weak.
Neverthelefs, I mean not to recommend a
practice which is already too prevalent j not in
K 3 this
134 BARLEY. 24.
this diftrift, only, but in others : where we fee
naen catching at a barley fallow, as a twig
which will keep their com above the weeds a
few crops longer. The confequence is, the
barley crop, by being fown out of feafon, is
ot an inferior value, and fucceeding crops, by
having a hoft of weeds to ftruggle with, are
rendered equally unproductive.
If the land be tolerably clean, and the fea-
fon favourable, a barley fallow may no doubt
be of efiential ferxnce. But there is not one
year in five, in which, even land which is to-
lerably clean, can be fown in leafon and at the
fame time be much benefitted by it for future
crops.
I am well aware that even land which is.
foul with couchgrafs, may, by harrowing,
raking and handpicking, at an unlimited ex-
pence, and fowing the barley' fome weeks be-
hind its time, be made to appear, to the
eye, perfectly clean at barley feed time j but
whoe\^er vnW examine it after har\-eft, or the
enfuing fpring, and compare its ftate then,
with that of land which has had a turnep
or a whole year's fallow, will fcarcely be-
ftow the labour of harrowing, and raking,
and
24. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 135
and picking ; and rifque the lofs of his bar-
ley cropj a fecond time. *
I have faid the more on this fubjeft, becaufe
it is an important one. I know no pradlice fo
popular, and at the fame time Co deftrudive
of good hufbandry, as that of tantalizing foul
land with a barley fallow. And I offer my
fentiments upon it, in this place, becaufe I
hope I fhall never have a more fuitable oppor-
tunit)%
Barley is harvested loofe: mown with
the naked fithe ; lies in fwath till the day of
carrying J and is cocked with common hay
forks.
The MARKETS for barley are Glocefter and
Tewkefbury. The buyers, malfters of the di-
ftrid:, and fadlors who buy for the Briftol brew-
ers.
The PRODUCE, on a par, three quarters an
acre : the meafure very large.
K 4 The
• I fpeak, here, of land which is kept under a courfe of
arable crops ; rather than of that which is occafionally bro-
ken up from grafs, and laid down again, when two or three
crops of corn have been taken: a pradice which I may
haveoccafion to (peak of fully, in another place.
136 BARLEY. 24,
The QUALITY of the vale barley is fuch as
recommends it to the maUler, in preference to
hill barley that affords a more fighdy fample.
But there feems to be a quality in the foils of
thefe vales whJch gives ftrength and richrtefs
to every article of theu- produce.
25.
O A T S.
OATS, it has been faid, are not a produce
of this diftxicti at leaft none of the cultivated
varieties are: the wild oat grows every where
with unufual ftrength and productivenefs. —
Many lafts of it are, every year, no doubt pro-
duced.
I have never however yet feen 2 low-firu-
ated, ftrong-foiled, cold-bottomed country,
which has not been found, on experience, to be
better adapted to oats than to barley. And I
have not, in this diftrift, met with any experi-
ence, or indeed mxh any reaioning, which at-
tempts
25. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 137
tempts to prove the contrar\'. Cuilom alone
is pleaded. *
This exclufion of the oat crop from the
lands of the vale, — extraordinary as it appears
at firft fight, — may perhaps be accounted for in
this way. The monks preferred ale to oaten
cake: barley of courfe became the favorite crop:
the monafteries were numerous: the lighter
lands were not adequate to the demand: — the
barley crop, therefore, was neceffarily extended
to the ftrong lands. The monafteries, it is true,
have long been diflblved ; but the fpirit of im-
provement
* Since writing this article, I have received, (from very
refpciftable authority) in anfwerto a query on this fubjedl,
that •* the vale land is natural to oats ; which, if once Town
and fhed their feed, will remain in the land for ever ;"
that is, will become a weed to future crops : and further,
tliat under this idea, " few oats are given, in the vale of Eve-
Iham to farm hodes (ufing beans in their ftead) as they arc
fuppofedto pafs through them in a vegetative ftate." Thefe
fears, however, appear, to me, to be groundlefs. I have
not, in any diftritft, found the culti'vated oat lie \ongcTthaa
one winter in the land : nor have I, in this diftrict, found
a culii'-jated oat in the cbaraiSter of a weed : for although I
have difcovered fome few individuals whh the grains of the
lower part of the panicle, nearly fmooth ; yet the upper
parts of the panicle have always evinced them, plainly
epough, to be the genuine 'i»Ud oat : the ::^^\:R^l.
SPECIES.
133 OAT S. 25.
provement (excepting a partial reform which
has lately taken place in fome of the fallow
fidds) has flept ever fince. The prefentf\i-
tem of management (of the arable land at
kaft) was probably formed under the influence
of the monafteries ; and has fallen thro' fuc-
ceeding generations, without receiving any
material change.
This, however, by the way. I do not
mean to cenfure the vale hufbandmen for not
lowing oats, in preference to barley. I have
had no opporrunity of comparing their pro-
duce. Neverthelefs, I would wilh to recom-
mend a trial of oats, on the flronger colder
lands, in the area of the vale. Thele lands
ain feldom be got fufficiently fjie for barley.
Much feed muft even- year be buried in them.
I have feen barley fown over a furface on which
ibme men would have been afraid to truft oats.
The clotting beetle, it is true, fines the im-
mediate furface, and gives relief to many
grains which lie near it : neverthelefs thofe
which fall down the deeper fifTures mufl, in
the tender nature of feedling barley, be irre-
trievably loft.
On
25. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 139
On the contrary, oats might, almoft in any
year, be ibwn without hazard or difficulty ;
and, in the fallow fields, might be got in foon
enough to break up the fallows, without fix or
feven horfes to one plow. Befides, in a dairy
country, the fodder from oats, if che fort were
well chofen, would be found of much more
value — more of it — and of a better quality —
than that of barley. While the produce of
grain, — if theory and comparifon may in any
cafe be trufled, — would more than over-bal-
lance, in quantit)^, the comparative difference,
in price: more efpecially as oats would be a
crop new to the vale land. See york: econ:
vol: II. p. 21.
PULSE.
14^ PULSE. 16.
26.
P U L S E.
A T length we have pafTed the ground
of cenfure ; and are now entering on a fubjecl
of praife, to whiish it will be difRcult to do
juflice : fo mixed is the management of this in^
terefting diftricl. Irs cultivators might be
calied, \^ithout incurring a paradox, the best
AND THE WORST FARMERS IN THE KINGDOM.
Were they as attentive to the soil, in freeing
it from Juperfluoifs ivater, and from the roots
and Jctdj of weeds, as they are in freeing the
CROPS from the herbage of weeds — they might
well be ft)-led the firft hufbandmen in Europe.
Pllse, whether beans or PEAS, feparate or
mixed, are, in ihe. ordinary practice of the di-
ilrict, PLANTED BY WOMEN, and HOED BY WO-
ifZN AND CHILDREN, once, twicc, and fome-
rimes thrice i giving the crop, when the foil
is fufticiently free from root weeds, a gardenly
appearance, which is beautiful to look on, in
the
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 141
the former part of the fummer i and which,
at harveft, if the feafon prove favorable, fel-
dom fails of affording the cultivator more fub-
ftantial gratification: while the foil, under
this pradice duly performed, is left in a flate
extremely well adapted to future crops ; parti-
cularly the wheat crop.
The SPECIES of pulfe in cultivation, here,
are
1. BEANS — ^the large hog-bean: a variety
ofviciA/^^^.
2. GREY PEAS ; and
J. WHITE PEAS : varieties of vicia pja.
4. PEABEANS ; namely a mixture of
beans and grey peas j in various proportions.
Generally, a few peas among a large proportion
of beans: I have however feen, on the lighter
lands, a few beans among peas 3 by way, I fup-
pofe, of natural rods to the crop.
The CULTIVATION of pulfe in this diftricl
requires to be regiftered in detail.
I. Succession. Pulfe fucceeds invaria-
bly a corn crop : namely, wheat in the old fal-
low field courfe i barley in the new y — either
wheat or barley on the every year's lands.
Soil.
142
PULSE. 26.
II. Soil. Every fpecies. The ftronger foils
beans, or beans and peas mixed ; — the mid-
dle foils generally the fame ; the lighter foils
in the neighbourhoods ofGlocefter and Chel-
tenham, peas, of various forts. Bur, in the
area of the vale, few peas are grown ; except
among beans -, which are, throughout, the
prevailing crop j and which, alone, are en-
titled to particular attention.
III. Tillage. Begin plowing as foon af-
ter Chriftmas as the feafon will permit ; fetch-
ing up the foil as deep as the plow will turn
it: — nine, tenor more inches deep; and let
it lie in whole furrow " to take the froft."
IV. Manure. The bean crop, in the
common practice of the diftrid:, is fcldom
manured for.
V. Seed process. This will require to be
particularized.
I. The time OF SETTING. Begin about
Candlemas ; or as foon after that time as the
land can be got upon with the harrows, to
break the plits and level the furface for the fet-
ters. The foils of this vale are moftly of fuch
a nature that, after being frozen, they fall
like lime ; once going over with the harrows
being
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 143
being on the colder foils fufficient to reduce the
furface to powder as fine as afhes ; leaving not
the trace of a whole furrow.
2. The METHOD OF SETTING varies indif-
ferent parts of the diftria:. In the central and
fouthern quarters, the prevailing pradice is
to fet acrofs the ridges, by the eye, without a
line ! About Cheltenham and along the nor-
thern border, it is a pra6lice, equally preva-
lent, to fet lengthway of the ridges, by a line.
While about Tewkefbury, and towards Deer-
hurft, it is common to fet by a line, acrofs
the ridges.
In theory, a line appears to be neceflary.
In pradice, however, it is otherwife. Wo-
men, who have been long in the habit
of fetting without one, are able to go on,
pretty regularly, by the eye alone; and the
young ones are trained up, by putting one of
them between tw'o who are experienced.
Upon the whole, however, a line appears to
have its ufes. The foil becomes, in all pro-
bability, more evenly occupied by the roots ;
and the plants are fomewhat more conve-
niently hoed J — when the feed is planted in
ftraight lines, with equidiftant intervals.
Each
144 PULSE. 26.
Each fetter is fumifhed with a ** fetting
pin," and a " tuckin;" namely, a fatchd
(hung before, by a firing round the waift) to
carry the beans in. The Jetting fin refeni-
bles the gardener's dibble : with, in general,
however, a valuable improvement : a crofs
pin, or half crutch, near the top, to reft the
palm upon j with a groove on each fide
of the main pin to receive the forefinger and
the thumb. The length of the dibble (which
is about two inches fquare in the middle ta-
pering conically, to a Iharp point) is about
eight inches j of the handle, about four.
\xi Jetting, the women walk fideway, to the
right J viith their faces toward the ground
which is fet: the laft row, therefore, is im-
mediately under the eye, and the difficulty of
fetting another row, nearly parallel with it, is
readily overcome by practice. An expert
hand will fet with almofl inconceivable ra-
pidity.
The dijiance between the rows varies from
ten to fourteen "inches. Twelve inches may
be confidered as the prevailing width through-
out the diftricl. The diflance, in the rows,
about two inches ; making the holes as clofc
as
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 145
as can well be done, without their interfering
with each other , — and about two inches deepj
dropping one bean in each hole *.
3. The QUAXTiTY OF SEJED — from two and
a half to three bufhels an acre.
4. The PRICE OF SETTING fixtccn to
eighteen pence a bulliel : colling from 3s. 6d.
to 4s. 6d. an acre.
The prafbice of fetting by the bujhely ap-
pears to be, in one particular at leaft, very inju-
dicious. Inflead of a fingle bean being afligned
to each hole, two and fometimes more, are
put in ; — that the bulhel may be Iboner emp-
tied : for the fame purpofe, and with the fame
difhoneft intention, a handful will not unfre-
quently be thruft into a hole, and covered up .
with mould. The only danger, in fetting by
the acre J would be that of the feed's being put
in
♦ In the Cheltenham quarter of the diflricl, I have ob-
ferved a fingular method of fetting peas ;— not in continued
lines ; but in clumps ; making the holes eight or ten inches
from each other ; putting a number of peas in each hole.
This is called " bunfting" them. The hoe has, un-
doubtedly, in this cafe, greater freedom : all the danger
arifing from the pra^ice is, that the foil is not fo evenly
and fully occupied by the roots in this cafe, as they are
when the plants are diflributed in continued lines.
Vol. I. L
146 PULSE. 26.
in too tliln. But it being a notorious facfl, that
beans, which Hand thin, are (under the fame
circumftances) invariably Better podded, than
thofe, which (land in a clofe crouded ftate; —
it is highly probable that, of the two evils,
fetting by the acre would be found the leaft.
5. The COVERING is generally done with
tined harrows, drawn once in a place. If,
however, the foil be in fo light, fo floury a
ftate, that the tines pull up the beans, a thorn
harrow is generally made ufe of for the pur-
pofe of covering the feed.
VI. Vegetating process. Prefently af-
ter the beans are above ground, the furface is
fometimes loofened with the harrow ; pre-
vious to the HOING.
Time of hoing. The firft hoing is given
as foon as the plants are free from the danger
of being buried by the hoe. They ought, if
die weather permit, to be begun upon, be-
fore they be a hand high.
The method of hoing is the common
one, which is pradifcd by gardeners, in hoing
drilled crops. The intervaJs are cut-over, as
clofe to the plants as can be done with fafety :
and, if a gap or vacancy occur in the row,
the
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 147
the hoe is drawnthrou2;h it : the hoer takino-
two, and rometimes three intervals at once.
The WIDTH OF THE HOE for beans, I be-
lieve, is invariably five inches. In this cafe,
the corners may be kept on, and the edge
kept fharp, with little fear of injury.
The SECOND HoiNG is, or ought to be,
deferred as long as it can be with fafety. It
is, however, or ought to be, always finifhed
before the beans bemn to blow : it beins con-
fidered very injurious to the crop, to hoe it
when the " blows are on."
The fecond hoing is ftill flat, — as the firft.
I have hot feen an inftance in this diflridl, of
beans being earthed up.
In the fecond hoing, the rows are, or ought
to be, carefully hand-weeded. Not a weed
fhould be left ftanding. Beans cannot blow
among weeds : and every one now left, fur-
nifhes the foil with a frefh fupply of feeds for
the annoyance of future crops.
General observations on hoing. The
fecond hoing is effentially neceflary to com-
mon good management. Without it, the
firft is of little avail : it may loofen the foil,
and give a temporary relief to the young
L 2 plants i
,4$ PULSE. 26.
plants j but the number of weeds, at barveft,
will be nearly the fame, as if it were not to
take place ; for though, no doubt, it deftroys
numbers, it unlocks the feeds of others, which
rife up in their Head, — high enough to injure
the growing crop ; and to give a fupply of
feeds to the foil.
Weeds injure beans, and all pulfe, in a
way, in which they have it not in their power
to hurt corn. Corn bears its feed on the fum-
mit of its flem. The weeds muft be afpiring,
indeed, if it cannot blow in defiance of them.
Nor, during the maturation, is the grain (in
ordinary cafes) liable to be over-lhaddowed
and crouded by weeds. On the contrary,
beans throw out their feed from the fides of
the ftems ; down to within a few inches of the
ground j provided they have room, air, and
fun enough to encourage them to throw out
bloflToms, and to enable them to bring the
pods to due perfection. And it is obfervable,
that a crop of beans feldom turns out produc-
tive, unlefs the pods form low on the ftems.
Hence the utility of the firft hoing; — to pre-
vent the weeds from crouding the beans i and
thereby give them a tendency to run upward i
as
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 149
as well as prevent them effectually from
forming the neceffar\' rudiments below : and
of the fecond j — to give the beans an oppor-
tunity of blowing ; as well as of maturing
their pods without the interference of weeds.
Hence, likewife, the unproduftivenefs of
a thick -Handing rank crop ; which, by draw-
ing up the individuals, tall and (lender, forms
a fhade below, and prevents a due circulation
of air ; the plants, in this cafe, operating as
weeds to each other. And hence the ufe of
THixNiN-G a rank crop of beans, whenever
they fhow a tendency to draw each other up
tall and "rammelly;" — a fpecies of crop,
which, it is well underftood in this diftrict,
fills the rick-yard, but not the granar)--*.
The PRICE OF HoiNG, is generally fix {hil-
lings an acre, for the two hoings and the
" handpulling ;" — more or lefs, according to
the nature of the foil, the height of the crop,
and its degree offoulnefsf.
L 3 6. Har-
* Topping, if done in due feafon, aflifis in the fame
intention.
t The HORSE HOiKG of beans is not in any degree of
practice ; the only inftance of deviation from the common
practice of handhoing, was one, in which an ass was made
ufe
15© PULSE. 26.
VII. Harvestivg. The method of har-
vefting varies uith the length of the crop.
A fhort low-podded crop is neceflarily
mown; — ufually with a naked fithe; — letting
the plants drop upon their roots. Having
lain lome time to wither, in this fcattered
ftate, they are gathered, with common forks,
into fwath-like rows, on the fides of the lands :
where, having lain a fiirther time, propor-
tioned to their ripenefs, their weedinefs, and
the ftate of the weather, they are made up
into wads or bundles, with the fame imple-
ment, and let upon the ridges of the lands j
and there remain, in that ftate, until they be
fit for hauling. If the crop be ftouter, it is
fometimes bound after the fithe, and dried in
fhuck. •
But tall beans are ufually cut with a reap-
ing hook, and a hooked ftick ; with which,
inftead of the hand, they are gathered.
Reaping beans. The larger end, or han-
dle, of the gathering hook is eighteen inches
long
lifeqf in this operation! Seeing the fmallnefs of the feer,
and the narrownefs of the tread of this animal, it appears
to be fmcularly adapted, on fre- lighrf foils, to th; ope-
ration.
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 151
long, the fliorter end, or hook, twelve inches j
its point Handing out about twelve inches
from the handle. The reaping hook in this
operation, is ufed in a fingular way j Jiriking
with it beneath the gathering hook j making
a fweep as with a fithe -, driving the cut beans
forward, until about half a mioderate fheaf be
collected.
In this cafe, they are left awhile to wither
in open reaps, and are afterward either bound
in fheaves and fet up in Hooks ; or, much
more ufually, are fet up in what are termed
" HACKLES :" — finglets of unufual fize ; and of
a conftrudion fufficiently fingular to merit
defcription.
The reaps are generally gathered up by
two boys j who, taking them in their arms,
fingly, adjuft their butts 3 by letting them
fall upon them i thereby giving a level even
bafe. Three or four of thefe reaps (about
half a fheaf each) are fet up in a hollow cone-
like form ; as flax is fometimes fet up after
being rated ; or as hop poles are fometimes
piled. A man follows, and ties a band, made
of three or four bean flems — a length of peaf-
halm, or a twilled rope of long grafs, — near
L 4 the
152 PULSE, 20.
the top of the hackle, as it (lands : and, to
fecure it ftill more from the wind, as well as
to prevent its yet leafy broom- like top from
catching driving fhowers, and conveying the
rain water down into the body of the hackle,
— he draws a fmgle ftem from the middle of
it, until only a few inches of its butt remain ;
or enters one which he finds loofe, a fimilar
depth : then, taking the whole top in his
hand, with the long ftem in the center of it^
twifts it round in a fpiral manner j thus making
the hackle a perfe<3: cone; its apex refembling
the point of a fnail-lhell ; and fixes it in this
form, by winding the fingle ftem round the
top ; burying its end within the hackle.
The crop remains in this ftate, until it be
taken up by the carriages i — the Glccejlcrjhire
hackle not being rebound, like the 2'orkjhire
gait, previous to the carn^ing; the band
and the twift at the top hold them together,
until they be got onto the waggon, at leaft.
In " baulutg," it is cuftomary for boys or
others (employed by the farmer) to pick up
the fcattered beans, by hand, after the
waggon.
7. In
26. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 153
VIII. In the center of the vale, bean HAL.\f
is thrown into the horfe rack, and the offal
ftrewed about the yard as litter. About Glo-
cefter, great quantities of it (as well as fome
ftraw) are bought up at a potafh manufac-
tory-, and burnt for the afhes !
IX. The MARKETS for beans are the market
towns of the diftricli at which they are bought
for horfes and for hogs, (of which they are
here a principal article of fatcing:) and Brif-
tol } whofe factors buy up great quantities for
the inns ; (beans being throughout this divi-
fion of the kingdom flill ufed as a provender
of horfes) and for the Guinea Ihips; as food
for the negroes, in their paflage from Africa
to the Weft Indies.
X. The PRODUCE of beans, on a par of
years and crops, is about three quarters an
acre. Four quarters — that is, about thirty
eight Winchefter bufhels, are not a very ex^
traordinary crop ; though much ot the land
which produces them has borne beans every 3d
year, and fome of it, perhaps, every fecond
year, during a fucceflion of ages. Something
may be due to management, and much to
the nature of this plants which appears to
flourifh.
15+ PULSE. 26.
fiourifli, unabatingly, on ftrong, deep land.
The reft may be owing to the natural rich-
nefs and peculiar depth of the vale foils. —
Beans ftrike deep, and probably feed, in fome
meafure at leaft, beneath the ordinary paf-
ture of plants.
2 "
CULTIVATED GRASSES.
IX A COUVTRY, whofe lands lie chiefly
in common arable field, or in old grafs inclo-
fures, — the cuLTrvATiov of grasses, either
as temfcrary or as fernmalXfyy is, ofcourfe,
confined within narrow limits : neverthelels,
the two fpecies of cultivation require to be
noticed in this place.
I. Temporary ley. Pafture lands are
too abundant, and hay too cheap, to require
much temporary ley to be made. In the
improved courfe of the fallow-field land, fmall
pieces are, however, not unfi-equently fown
wiiji CLOVER (common red clover) inftead of
beans J
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 155
beans ; by way of green herbage for farm-
hoi ics J and fometimes larger pieces s for feed
clover.
The quantity of clover herbage, which
fome of the vale lands throw out, is extraor-
dinar}'. The lighter lands are thought to be
" too free for clover !" Running it too much
to halm J which trails upon the ground like
that of peas! It will not, it is faid, anfwer
on this foil, either for foiling or for feed; for
if mown, even twice, the third crop will be
rotten before the feed be ripe !
But the ftrongcr lands produce a more up-
i-ight clover-like crop; — generally, however,
of uncommon luxuriance. It is ufually mown,
as green herbage^ three times in the courfe of
the fummer. If made into hay, the quality
is found to be extremely good. If cut in
due feafon, and properly m.ade, it is thought
to be equal to meadow hay, as an article of
fatting for oxen.
Such is the value of the clover crop on
frejb lands ^ — on lands which are new to it :
and fuch, we may fairly add, is the natural
Jirength of the lands of this diftricl. How
truly abfurd, then, to fuffer the common
fields
156 CULTIVATED GRASSES. 27.
fields to remain in their prefcnt unproduflive
Hate. Not clover, only, but every other fpe-
cies of CULTIVATED HERBAGE, adapted to
die feveral foik, would, no doubt, be pro-
du(flive.
In the fame unprofitable Hate lay the lands
of the vale of Pickering*. They had borne
grain until they would barely pay for the la-
bour of cultivation. The yeomanry ftarved
on their own lands. They were not worth,
as arable lands, los. an acre. But, having
been inclofed and kept in a ftate of herb age y
they now, many of them let from 30 to 40s.
an acre.
It muft: be allowed, that fome confiderable
cxpence attends the inclofure of open lands j
and that it is fome years before the herbage
arrives at its moll profitable ftate. In the
cafe here inftanced, the land lay feveral years
nearly in a ftate of wafte f. But it does not
follow, that, in thefe more enlightened days,
the fame method of leying ftiould be prac-
ticed. They might, now, on a certaint)'^, be
rendered
• Sec York. Econ. I. 291.
7 S^cYoRi. ECON. II. ?i.
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 157
rendered produ<5live from the day of inclofure.
But of this in the next fe6lion.
In the managennentof SEED clover, I have
met with nothing worthy of notice j except
the practice of thrafhing it in frofty weather :
or rather the idea of giving the preference to
fuch weather for thrafhing it in. The ad-
vantage is evident, when the idea is known ;
but it does not feem to have flruck univer-
fally : I therefore give it a place in this re-
gifler.
II. Perennial leys. The recent at-
tennpts at laying down arable land to grafs, in
this diflricft, have been made principally on
the lands mentioned aforegoing, as being
broken up from a flate of rough pafhire, and
fown repeatedly with wheat (fee page 67.) —
But thefe attempts, I believe, have generally
been unfuccefsful. The foil reduced to a
ftate of foulneis, by repeatedly cropping it on
fingle plowings, had no other cleanfing, per-
haps, than a barley fallow ; and, in this foul
ftate, was probably rendered ftill fouler, by
fowing over it the feeds of weeds, under the
name of " hay feeds." — No wonder that land
laid down to grafs, in this manner, fhould,
in
158 CULTIVATED GRASSES. 27.
in a few years, require to be given up again
to corn.
Hay seeds, however, is an indefinite
term. Seeds collecfled from known hay, of a
well herbaged ground, cut young, (hook or
thrafhed upon a floor, and fifted through fine
fieves, to take out the large feeds of weeds,
with which all old grafslands abound, might
be eligible enough j provided flill purer feeds
could not be had. But what is generally
thrown upon land, under the denomination of
" hay feeds," is a collection of the feeds of
the ranker weeds, with few or none of thofe of
the finer grafles. ^
One of the fined grafs grounds, I have feen
in the vale, was laid down with hay feeds,
about five and twenty vears 82:0 : but it was
with feeds of the former defcription; and the
management in every other refpeft equally
judicious. The land had been in bad hands,
and was become extremely foul with couch j
it was, therefore, fummer fallowed. But the
feafon proving unfavourable, it was deemed,
the enfuing fpring, not yet fufficiently clean.
It had, therefore, a fecond year's fallow! —
By repeated plowings and harrowings, acrofs
the
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 159
the ridges, they were pulled down from
from roofs to waves. The next enluing Ipring,
it was fown with barley and hay feeds : the
mofl y^/r/7/?</ inflance of praftice, I have met
with in this moll: important branch of rural
economics. And the event proves its eligibi-
lity in a ftriking manner. Berbre this two
year's fallow, the land let for ics. an acre :
foul as it was, at the time it was broken up,
no crop could grow in it ; it was worth no-
thing to the occupier for one year. It is now
worth from 25 to 30s. an acre.
On the other hand, I have had opportu-
nities of obferving feveral inilances of lands,
which have been laid down w ith " hay feeds,"
and which, at prefent, lie a difgrace to En-
glilh agriculture. This fpring I Hfted the
plants of a piece laid down in this difgraceful
manner.
In Majty the only grafs was the brome-
grafs — (oat grafs — loggerheads — lob.) and of
this but a very fmall quantity. The iveeds
were as follow : com horfetaily — broad plan-
taifiy — common thijlky — groundjely — crowfoot Sy
— convchidusy — docks, (Sc. ^c. Half the
furface was a<5lually bare : no appearance of a
quarter
i6o CULTIVATED GRASSES. 27.
quarter of a crop j even of weeds. In Sep-
tembcTy — I found it over-run widi the ox-tongue
(picris ecbioid^s) whofe feeds were blo>\ing
about, to the annoyance of the neighbourhood.
And this, I am afraid, may be taken as a
fpecimen of the prefent method of laying land
down to grafsy in the vale of Glocefter.
The only realbn given for perfevering in
this unpardonable practice is, that no better
leedsare to be had ; raygrass being " ruin-
ous to the vale lands" I — " Smothering every
thing: and impoverilhing the foil, until it will
grow nothing"!
In the next article, it will appear, by the
catalogues there given, that the predominant
herbage of the old grals lands of the vale is
RAVGRASs. But Icll the general account
which will there be given of the grafles fhould
not be thought fufEciendy conclulive, I will
here copy a feries of memoranda, made on the
fubjecl, in the autumn of 1783: before I be-
came acquainted with the rooted antipathy,
which I have fince found to be formed, againil
raygrafs.
^^ Hatberleyy 10 Sept: lyi J. Obferving in
a fmall inclofure, which has been lately laid
down
27» VALE OF GLOCESTER. i6i
down (or more accurately fpeaking is laying
itfelt down) to grafs, fome green fwardy
patches beginning to make their appearance
through a carpet of couch and other foulnefs,
I examined the fpecies which were thus em-
ployed in rendering the land, in defpite of bad
management, ufeful to the occupier ; and
found them to confift wholly of raygrafs and
white clover. This led me to a more minute
examination of the adjoining ground, efteemed
the beft piece of grafsland in the neighbour-
hood, and, from the feed flem.s which are
now remaining in the ftale patches, I find the
bladegrafs to be chiefly raygrafs, with fome
dogstail, and a little foftgrafs."
*' Sept: II. In my ftroll this morning, in the
center of the vale, I met with an extenfive fuite
of cow-grounds (by the fide of the Chelt in
Boddington) the foil five or fix feet deep.
The herbage white clover and raygrafs: the
young fhoots of the raygrafs as fweet as fugarl
Much fweeter than any I have before exa-
mined, Thefe grounds (late Long's) are, it
feems, very good ones for grazing -, but are
difficult to make cheefe from."
Vol. I. M " I have
i62 CULTIVATED GRASSES. <2;.
" I have no longer a doubt about the .her-
bage of church ground confifling at prefent (the
middle of Sept.) in a manner wholly of ray
grafs and white clover > for in my walk this
evening, I carefully examined feveral plants of
raygrafs, which had both feedllems and blades
belonging to them j and, on examining the
blades with a glafs, and comparing them with
the turf of this field, I find they are identi-
cally the fame. In tajle^ however, the diffe-
rent fpecimens vary confiderably ; znd perhaps
the talle of raygrafs might be taken as a cri-
teiion of foils ; and perbapSy with the afllllance
of a glafs, not only this but any other grafs may
be known, with certainty, by the blade alone."
" Sepi: 15. Tewkelbury lodge, a charming
grafsland farm : a bold fwell covered with a rich
warm foil , occupied by a luxuriant herbage ;
chiefly raygrafs! Some white clover; and
fome other of the finer bladegraffes. " All
green": not afoot of plowed land!"
" Below Apperley, — an extenfive whole
year's common, ftocked with horfes, young
cattle, fhcep and geefe ; the fite a dead level,
fubjecl to be overflowed -, the foil a redilh
loam ; die herbage raygrafs — (faccharine in a
fuperior degree — literally as fweet as fugar !) —
with
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 163
with fome white clover, and from what I can
judge by its growth, fome marlh bent. It is
eaten down fo level and fo bare, that the geefe,
one would fuppofe, could fcarcelyget a mouth-
full ; yet the young cattle are as (leek as moles :
it is efteemed, I underftand, without excep-
tion, the beft piece of land in the country."
In proof, however, of raygrafs being
wholly unfit for the vale lands, I have been
fhown a piece which was laid down with " rye-
grafs:" and, certainly, a more fhameful piece
of ley was never jfhown. Perceiving, how-
ever, from the rubbilli upon it, that the feeds
of rubbifh, not thole of raygrafs, muft have
been fown, I made enquiry into the complec-
tion of the feed, and found that it was brome-
grafs~lob— loggerheads— fetched from the hills,
where that grafs abounds, which had " fmo-
thered every thing" (even the ray grafs which
might have been fown among it) except a few
of the ranker weeds . And fimilar evidences of
the ruinous naaire of " rye grafs" I have met
with in other diftri(5ts.
The bromegrafs and other weeds, which
have been fown hitherto under the name of
rye grafs, are certainly improper for the vale
M 2 foils i
26+ CULTIVATED GRASSES. 27.
foils ; and it is poflible that even the variety of
real ray^grafs which is cultivated may not be
eligible. In Yorkfhire, I found a variety (in
a garden) which had evidently a conchy habit.
But how eafy to coUefb the native species,
which abounds on the old grafslands ; and
thus raifc a new variety, adapted, on a certainty,
to the vale land. The difficulty of doing it
would vanifh the moment it were fet about : it
only wants a little exertion: a fmall fhare of
indolence to be fhook off.
If real raygrafs has ever been tried alone
and without luccefs, it has probably arilen from
too great a quantity having been fown. Be it
raygrafs or rubbilh, I underftand, feldom lefs
than a fackfull an acre is thrown on : whereas
ONE GALLON an acrc, of clean-winnowed
REAL R A YCR ASS-SEED, is abundandy fufficient,
on fuch foil as the vale in general is covered
with.
Or perhaps the mifcarriages have arilen in
the flrcngth of the vale lands; in their being
naturally affected by raygrafs, and in the want
of thefe valuable qualities being duly tempered
by proper management. (See vork: econ:
vol. ii. p. 89.)
The
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 165
Hh-t forcing quality of the firft Tpiing of grafs
feems to be, here, well underftood. " No
matter how fhort the grafs at this time of the
year, fo the cattle can get hold of it ; — they
arefure to thrive amain."
The reafon is obvious : there is not, at that
feafon, a blade of any other grafs than ray
grafs: no alloy to lower its value: it has then
full fcope i and, in this cafe, the Glocefter-
vale graziers experience its ufe, as fenfibly as
the Norfolk farmers: thefe, however, are
grateful y becaufe they know the cffefl pro-
ceeds from raygrafs: but thofe, unaware of
the gratitude they owe, Hand foremoft to re-
vile its chara6ler.
In Norfolk, and on the Cotfwold hills, the
lands are comparatively weak, and have per-
haps long been ufed to ray grafs : the graziers,
there, find no difficulty in keeping it down in
the fpring. Here, on the contrary, the land
is rich, is peculiarly affected by raygrafs, has
much of it lain, for ages, in a (late of aration,
and is of courfe peculiarly prone to the grafles.
The graziers, it is highly probable, are not
aware of the flock it will carry, for a few weeks
M 3 ia
i66 CULTIVATED GRASSES. 27.
in the fpring ; twice, perhaps three times, as
much as their old grafs grounds.
Some men lenfible of the mifchievoufnefs pf
foul " hayfeeds", — and believing in the diabo-
lical influence of raygrajsy have laid down
lands with white clover alone ; or with a
mixnireof white clover and TREFOIL ; without
any bladegrafs v/hatcver.
This is certainly preferable to fouling the
turf with weeds ; but it is returning one ftep
back to the obfolete cuftom of letting land lay
down in its own way. There is a certain lofs of
nutritious herbage in the outlet \ — and the
weeds, already in the foil, willofcourfe occu-
py, in fome degree, the vacancies which would
be better filled by blade grailes.
That land may be leyed without blade
grafles is certainiy true: I have long ago prac-
tifed this method of leying. (See min-utes of
AGRICULTURE, date 20. May 1775) But it
was before I had feen the extraordinary effects
ofraygrafs, when properly managed, in tJie
eftablifhed pradice of Norfolk, See vorf:
ECON. vol. i. p. 303.)
It is equally true, that moft excellent grafs
land may be obtained, without fowing any
feed
27- VALE OF GLOCESTER. 167
feed whatever. (See york: ecox: vol. ii.
p. 84.) The impropriety of the pradice is,
however, evident. And fowing one clafs only
appears to be, no more than a middle way
between that and good management.
Who would not wifh to fee the herbage of
his leys, the firft year, refemble the better
herbage of his old grafslands, without their
weeds ?
It is evident, that the prevailing herbage of
the beft grafs grounds of this diftrift is com-
pofedof raygrafs and white clover. In Spring
and Autumn, the furface is in a manner wholly
occupied by them. All that the art of leying
wants, to make itperfe(5l, is a summer blade
GRASS, to fupply the place of the natural fum-
mer graifes of thq old fward.
But if we are unable to reach perfeftion,
there is no reafon why we fhould not approach
it as nearly as we can. A nutritious bite, in
fpring and autumn, is certainly better than a
want of it at thefe times. By fowing 2ijmall
quantity of raygrafs, and keeping this clojely
faftured in the fpringy — the fummer grafles,
natural to the given foil, have little more impe-
M 4 pediment
i68 CULTIVATED GRASSES. j;.
diment to their rifing, than they would have,
if no raygra&were Town.
If, inftead of a gallon of clean raygrajsy a
Jackful of rubbijh be fown, or if even a gallon
of clean raygrafs be fown and the herbage be
fufFered to run away wild in the fpring, and
get poflefiion of the furface, its evil effects can-
not be faid to be owing to the nature of the
plant, but to a want of judgment in the
growers of it. Under proper management,
it can do no harm: it can fmcfber nothing
but the bones of the cattle that eat it; — nor
exbauji any thing, but the pockets of their
purchafers.
I have been induced to fay more on this
fubjedt, and to exprefs my ideas in (Ironger
language, as fome of the leading men of this di-
ilri(5b are afraid to cultivate raygrals j and one,
more panicularly, whofe management is de-
fervedly looked up to, is an open enemy to it.
All I have to fay farther on the fubjeft is,
that, I verily hdirvf, I have no undue affedtior^
for any particular fpecies of grals. My lead-
ing principle of conduct, throughout the irk-
fome undertaking I have engaged in, is to ftand
with all my ftrength againft false-grounded
PARTIALITIES \
27. VALE OF GLOCE5TER. 169
Partialities : whether I perceive them in
myltlf, or obferve them in others.
The fubieit before us is of the firft impor-
tance, in rural economics : converting worn-
out arable lands to a ftate of profitable fward
is one of the moft important operations in huf-
bandry ; and is, perhaps, of all the other ope-
rations in it, the leafl underftood. The di-
ftricl under furvey contains twent}' thoufand
acres of land, which ought to undergo this
change, with all convenient Ipeed. And,
whenever it take place, ten to fifteen thoufand
pounds a year, for fome years aften;v-ard, will
depend on whether it be iudicioudy, or injudi-
cioufly -conducted.
NATURAL
170 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
28.
NATURAL GRASSES.
THE OLD GRASSLANDS ofthisdi^
ftricb fall moitly within the fpecies lowland
GRASS and middleland grass. The up-
land it contains is too inconfiderable to claim
particular notice ; confifting merely of the
marginal flopes ; and the fides and contrafted
fummits of the hillocks which are fcattered on
its area.
L Lowland grass. This confills moftly
of COMMON MOWING GROUNDS, — ^provincially
"meadows" *: in part, of common pasture
GROUNDS; — provincially " hams'* f. Some
inclofed
• ^t isobfervablelhattheGLOCE5TER«HiiiE meadows
do not lieinlong/rn^/^j, astliofe cf the Yorkshire incs,
"but in iTjuare />/£-/!, marked by boundary ftoncs. The hat
:s private property, but the aftfrgrass is generally
common to the townfhip ; either without ftint ; or is ftinted
\)y the " yard lands" of the common fields.
t Hams arc moftly ftlnted paftures : one, near Glocefter,
li hov/evcrcn excertion.
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 171
inclofed property likewile comes within this
divifion of grafslands: which, it is obfarva-
ble, are uniformly found and fully fwarded;
their levelled furface rifing in fome places
twelve or fifteen (tct above the level of dead
water. No feiiSy or ivatery marjhesy mix in
the lowlands of the vale of Glocefler.
By NATURAL SITUATION, howcvcr, thefc
lands are fubje(5l to be overflowed ; either by
the Severn, or by the rivulets which crofs the
vale i and owe no doubt the prefent elevation
and levelnefs of furface to the fediment of
floods.
In the immediate neighbourhood of Glocef-
ter, there are not lefs than a thoufand acres of
this defcription of grafsland ; moflly of a ricli
produflive qualit)\ The Isle of Alney (a
holm, or river-ifland, formed by a divarica-
tion of the Severn) confifls whoUy of it. It is
not, however, peculiar to the Severn ; but
accompanies, on a more contracted fcale, the
Chelt and other brooks and rivulets, into the
area of the vale.
The SOIL of thefe lowlands is invariably
deep : and of the fam.e quality and contexture
at different depths. That of the ifle of Alney^^
and
172 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
and the other meadows near Gloceftcr, is about
fix feet deep j an uniform mafs of fomewhat
redifh loam.
It is obfervable, however, that the quality
of this loam varies in difi'erent fituations. At
the upper point of the ifland it inclines to a
coarfe fand ; while toward the lower extremit}-,
it is fine almofl as filt. It is alfo obfervable
that the furface lies higher in that than in this
fituation. But thefe circumftances are ftriflly
agreeable to the general effeds of floods: that
is, of foul water in a current ftate.
Another obfervable circumftance relative to
the foil of thefe meadows is, that it is uniformly
CALCARious, in the degree of about five grains
to a hundred j except near the furface i in the
immediate Jphere of vegetation ; in which it dif-
covers no figns of calcariofity ! A circum-
ftance that appears to me extremely interefting.
Near Glocefter, this bed of loam is ufed as
BRrcKEARTH : and, without any admixture,
affords bricks of an excellent quality. A new
county jail, on the Howardian principle of fe-
parate cells, and on a very extenfive fcale, is
now building with bricks made from this
earth J one hundred grains of which, in the fi-
tuation.
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 173
tuation, from which the earth of thefe bricks
is taken, affords, by analyfis, five grains of
calcarious earth, twelve grains of fand, and
eighty three grains of filt.
Another obfervable circumftance relative
to this foil is, that it refembles, in colour,
the waters of the Severn in the time of floods.
The waters of rivers, in general, are, in the
time of flood (during frefhes or land-floods as
they are ufually called) of a light brown, or
ftone colour. But thofe of the Severn, in
their paflTage through this part of Glocefter-
fhire, are moflJy a light red, or what is ge-
neraUy underftood by a cinnamon colour ;
owing, moft probably, to particles of the red
foils, weft of the Severn, being fufpended
among thofe wafhed from the vales of Glo-
cefter and Evefham : the colour varying as
the rain, which caufed the fwell, fell more or
lefs, on the redland country.
The banks of the Avon and the Chelt are
free from this rednefs; as are the rifing orounds
' DO
on either fide of the Severn meadows in this
neighbourhood : fadls which, to my mind,
demonftrate, that thefe meadows are a crea-
tion of the floods of the Severn, fince the
rifing
174 NATCRAL GRASSES. 28.
fifing grounds received their prelVnt form: con-
fequendy, that the extenfive flat, tchich they
now occupy, was heretofore (and, perhaps,
not many centuries ago) a wash ; over which
the tide flowed j in the manner in which it
ftill flows, over a yet more extenfive tract of
furface in the neighbourhood of Newnham..
A tradt of liirface, which (Hll remains in ai>
unprofitable (latej but which, may we not
venture to fuggeft, might polTibly be re-
claimed.
The nature of the subsoil, likewife favors
the above pofition. Beneath the mais of loam,
which I have termed the foil, lies a ftratum of
earth, of a fomewhat lighter colour, but evi-
dently partaking of the nature of the foil,
which refls upon itj beneath this, a yet lighter
coloured filt, exacUy refembling the mud,
which is ftill brought up from the iea, or from
banks formed in the lower parts of the Severn,
and left in quantity by every tide, wherever
it can find a lodgement : and beneath this bed
of mud (nruxed in fome places with a coarler
fandy earth) lies, in red and white ftrata, the
Ttatural fithfoil of the csuntrr. — the oricfnal
SURFACE y — as lefr by nature, or the convul-
Cons
a8. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
'/:>
fions ofnature, which appear evidently to have
thrown the earth's iurface into its prefent form.
This original furface would be covered by
the tides with filt from the fea, long before
the lands, lying above it, were brought into
an ARABLE STATE i to fumifh the river- floods
with materials to give much addition to the
covering; and yet a longer time before art
aflifted (as in all human probability it has)
in raifing the furface to its prefent height*.
The
• By obfervations during a flood, while the general le-
vel was co%'ered, a part near its center (the town ham, Sec)
appeared fome two feet above the water. This part, in
much probability, was the original isle of Alney : an
ancient name, which the pre(ent holm bearing that appel-
lation, was the lefs likely to obtain, as tradition relates that
the minor divifion of the Severn, which now winds by the
kays of Glocefter, was originally a cut, made for the con -
veniency of navigation : a circumftance that is corroborated
by the plan of an ancient fortification, which appears to
have extended confiderably beyond the prefent river ; and
whofe foundation, probably, is now buried, among tlie
accumulation of foil, fome feet- below the prefent furface.
Thefe obfervations, I acknowledge, are not eflential tp a
regifter of the prefent ftate of rural affairs : never^elefs it
is interclting to obferve the changes which the face of na-
ture, and with it rural afFairs, have undergone : not in this
inftance only ; but in various others of a Gmiiar nature, in
every quarter of the ifland.
i;6 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
The HERBAGE, witli which the floods,
time, and other circumftances have fumiihed
thefe lowlands, varies with the manner in
which they have been occupied.
The herbage of the " hams" — or commons
is, (as has already been intimated) in the
fpring, and in autumn more particularly, one
continuous mat of raygrass and white clo-
ver, with a portion of the crested dogs-
tail : the bladegrafles being of a fuperior
qualit)' ; faccharine in the fijft degree : par-
ticularly thofe of the commons that are fed
with fheep i which keeping down the weeds,
the finer grafles are in full poflfeflion. But
the fuperior quality and produclivenefs of rhefe
paflu re grounds are not matters of furprize: —
for, befides the annual tribute of the floods,
they have had the whole of their own produce
regularly returned to them : while the mowing
grounds have been annually robbed of a prin-
cipal part of their produce ; without having,
perhaps, in general, had any return whatever
made.
The herbage of the " meadows" appears
in the following lift ; the individuals of which
were collected in the I He of Alney, and other
divifions
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 177
divifions of the extenfive flat, which has
been more particularly noticed. Thev are
arranged agreeably to their degrees of fre-
quency in thofe meadows ; or as nearly fo
as the intention of the arrangement requires.
UK^'EA^■. ENGLISH.
Lolium perennCi — raygrafs,
Trifolium repens, — creeping trefoil (a).
Trifolium procumbens^ ^procumbent tre-
foil (b).
Hordeiim murinum^ — common barleygrafs.
Pbleum nodojum, — bulbous catstailgrafs.
Cynofurus criJiatiiSy — crefted dogstailgrafs.
Car ices i — fedges .
Anthoxanthum odoratuin^ — vernal.
Alopecurus pratenfis, — meadow foxtailgrafs.
Fejiuca fluitans, — floating fefcue.
Fejiuca elatior^ — tall fefcue.
Agroftis albay — creeping bentgrafs.
Agrojiis capillarisy — fine bentgrafs.
Alopecurus getiiculatus^ — marfli foxtailgrafs.
Holcus lanatusy — meadow foftgrafs.
Bromus
(a) Creeping trefoil; or ivbite clo'ver. ••
(ij Procumbent trefoil; or trefoil.
Vol. I. N
178 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
Bromus mollis, — Ibft bromegrafs.
Bromus — fmooth bromegrafs
Avena flavejcens, — yellow oatgrafs.
Poa trhialisj — common poe.
Poa pratenfiSy — meadow poe.
Foa annua, — dwarf poe.
Sanguijorba officinalis, — meadow burnet.
Lathyrus -pratenfis, — meadow vetchling.
Trifoiium pratenje, — meadow trefoil (c)
Lotus corniculatus, — birdsfoot trefoil.
Ranunculus repens, — creeping crowfoot*.
Cbryjanthemum Leucanthemuni, ox-eye
daifey.
Ceniaurea nigra, — common knob weed.
Achillea Millefolium, — common milfoil.
Ruinex Acetcifa,- — forrel.
Rumex crijpus, — curled dock.
Rumex
fcj Meapow trefoil,- or red clover.
• Creeping crowfoot; provincially "creeping
crazcy" is here erteemed as a valuable fpeci^s ol her-
bage , while the common and tlie bulbous fpecies, of this
genus of plants, are confidered as extremely pernicious ;
efpccially among hay. This is a diftinclion, Vhich docs
the attention of the vale farmers great credit. The fadt
appears to be, on examination, that the two latter arc ex-
tremely acrid, and probably have a caullic effect on the
mouths of the cattle, which eat it: while the firft is per-
feftly mild and agreeable to tlic j^alate. A «.irciimftancc,
that is not generally undcrHood.
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 179
Rumex ohtufifolhis^ — broadleaved dock.
Leontodon Taraxacum j— common dandelion-j-
Hypocb^ris radicata^ longrooted hawk-
weed
Galium -jerum, — yellow bedftraw.
Ranunculus Ficariay — pilewort.
Bellis perennis, — common daifey.
DaSfylis glomerata^ — orchardgrafs.
Briza media, — tremblingrafs.
Aira ccejpitoja, — haflbck airgrafs.
Avena elatior, — tall oatgrafs.
Feftuca duriujcida, — hard fefcue.
Juncus articulatus, — -jointed rulh.
Scirpus co^jpitojus? — fluted clubrufh ?
Peucedanum Silaus, — meadow faxifrase.
Oenanthe pimpinelloides ? — meadow drop-
wort ?
Heracleum Sphondylium, — cowparfnep.
Carduus palujiris, — marfli thiflle.
Serratula arvenfis, — common thiltle.
Urtica dioica, — common nettle.
Vicia cracca, — bluetufted vetch.
Phalaris arundinacea, — reed canarygrafs.
N 2 Cardamine
t The Glocefterfliire dairymen have alfo obferved, that
cows have an averfion to the " bitter grafles"— (the dan-
delion and Hawkweed tribes) but that fhecp are parti-
cularly partial to them ; eating even their " blows."
i8o NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
Cardamine fatenfiSy — common hd}'smock.
Senecio aquaticuSy — marfh rag^vort.
Spir^a Uimaria, — meadowfweet.
Lychnis Fios-cuculiy — meadow campion.
Ranunculus acrisy — common crowfoot.
Ranunculus bulhojusy — bulbous crowfoot.
Paft'macajativay — wild parfnep.
Achillea Ptarmicay — goofetongue.
Potent ill a Anjerina^ — fil ve rsveed,
Potentilla reptans^ — creeping cinquefoil.
Cerajlium vulgatuniy — common moufear.
Galium palujire, — marfh bedftraw.
Prunella vulgaris, — felfheal.
Ajuga reptansy — meadow bugle.
Myojotis JcorpioideSy — fcorpion moufear.
Plantago mediay — middle plantain.
Plant ago lanceolatay — narrow plantain.
Rhinanthus Crifta-galliy — yellow rattle.
Colchicum autumnaky — autumnal crocus.
Allium vineaky — crow garlic.
TragcpDgon pratenjcy — goatsbeard.
Thali5lrum Jlazumy — meadow rue.
*Tanacetum vulgarcy — common tanfcy*.
Cerajlium
• Tassey. a very common plant, in this diftriifl ; par-
ticularly on tlie banks of the Severn.
2S. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 181
Cerajiiiim aquaticumy — marfh moufear.
Galium MollugOy — baflard madder.
Antirrhinum Linariaj— common fnapdragon.
Geranium pratenfey— crowfoot cranefbill.
Valeriana dioicci, — marfh velerian.
Orchis maculatay — fported orchis.
Polygonum Perficariay — common pcrficaria.
Lytbrum Salicariay — ipiked willowherb.
Symphytum officinaky — common comfrey.
Ranunculus Flammulay — common fpearwort.
Caltha palujlrisy — marfh marigold.
Alentha hirjutay — ^velvet mint.
Sijymbriumfyhejlrey — water rocket.
Sijymhrium amphibiumy — ^water radifh.
Sparganium ereSfumy — common burfiag.
Poa aquaticay — water poe.
The PRODUCE of thefe meadows varies:
near Gloceller they are occafionally manured,
with afhes and fweepings of different kinds.
The par produce, in a midling year, is, I
underftand, about a ton and a half an acre ;
not unfrequeiitly two tons. The hay of 3
fine quahty.
II. MiDDLELAND GRASS. The principal
part of the grafslands of the diflrid: belongs to
this clafs. The meadows and hams, tho'
N 3 extenfive,
iSi NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
extenfive, are not equal, in quantity of fur-
face, to the " grounds:" of ^'hich fome of
the inclofed townfhips principally confift i and
which ought, indifputably, to form the prin-
cipal part of every townlhip within the dif-
trid : the area of the lower vale is in a man-
ner wholly occupied by this fpecies of grafs-
land.
The SOIL is the fame as that of the arable
lands. Almoft every acre of it having, here-
tofore, been under the plow: lying in ridge
and furrow, like the lands of the common
fields. In the parifli of Churchdown, there
are grafslands which lie in high fharp ridges,
with fides nearly as fteep as thofe of a modern
pitch-roof In general, however, they ap-
pear to have been fomewhat lowered, pre-
vious to their being laid down, or fuffered to
lie down, to grafs. Toward Glocefter the
lands in general are narrower, and fome oi
them nearly flat.
On examining the foil of a ground, which
is defervedly efteemed the beft piece of land
in the neighbourhood it lies in (Down Ha-
therley) ; and which, though a rifing ground,
bears no veftige of the plow ; — I found it as
follows :
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 183
follows : — The firft fix inches, a ftrong loam
(a mixture of clay and fand) free from calca-
rious matter: — from fix to nine inches, a dark
brown clay, very weakly calcarious : at
twelve inches, a fimilar foil, but fomewhat
more ftrongly calcarious : — from fifteen to
eighteen, a fi:ronger bluifii clay fl:ill more
fi:rongly calcarious : a foil, or rather a fubfoil,
which probably runs a confiderable d tpth
The firfl: fix inches I found thickly inter-
woven with fibres ; which lefi^ened in number
as the depth increafed j but, even at eighteen
inches, the fubfoil appeared to be full of them.
Hence appears the value of a rich fubfoil to
grafsland. This piece has never been plowed j
becaufe, perhaps, it never required plowing j
its fward never failed itj continuing in full
vigour through fucceffive generations. It is
obfervable, however, that the ground under
notice does not Ihoot early in the fpring ; but
its fap once in motion its growth is uncom-
monly rapid.
The HERBAGE of the grounds varies much
with the nature of the foil ; or, perhaps,
more accurately fpeaking, with the qualicy of
the SUBSOIL. The colder clayey fwells (fome
N 4 of
i84 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
of which are fhamefully neglected) naturally
run to an almofl worthlefs herbage : the wood
fe/cue, the coltsfoot^ the ftlver'xcedy xhefleabane,
the common fcabiouSj and the Jedgesy are too
frequently fuffered to occupy their furfaces :
while the boggy tumours, which rife at the
feet of the hills, and bulge out by the fides of
rivulets ; and the fwampy bottoms which the
rivulets too frequently are obliged to ooze
through i — are nurferies of the whole paluf-
trean tribe.
The herbage of the grounds, in general,
is however, of a fuperior quality. The pas-
tures, in fpring and autumn, are (as has
been mentioned) covered with carpets thickly
woven with a few of the fineft grafles. In
fummer, however, the mowing grounds dif-
play a moft ample variety. The individuals,
which form it, are arranged in the following
lift, agreeably to their degrees of prevalency ;
or as nearly fo as the intention of the arrange-
ment requires.
tlNNEAN. ENGLISH.
Lolium peremjCy — raygrafs.
Trifolium repensy — creeping trefoil.
Cynojurus cri/iarus,-'-CTc{icd dogstailgrafs.
Tn/olium
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 185
'Trifolium prateiife^ — meadow trefoil.
Poa IrivialiSy — common poe.
Trifolium p-ocumbens^ — procumbent trefoil.
Lathyrus pratenfis^ — meadow vetchling.
Lotus comiculatusj — birdsfoot trefoil.
Bromus mollis , — foft bromegrafs.
Bromus , — fmooth bromegrafs.
Hordeum murinuniy — common barleygrafs.
Pbleum nodofumy — bulbous catstailgrals.
Avena elatioTy — tall oatgrafs.
Anthoxanthum odoratuniy — vernal.
Agrofiis alba, — creeping bentgrafs.
Agrojiis capillarisy — fine bentgrafs.
Fca ayinudy — dwarf poe.
Fejiuca fylvaticay — wood fefcue *.
Ranunculus repensj — creeping crowfoot.
Ranunculus hulbojus^ — bulbous cro'vv-foot f
Ranunculus acrisy — common crowfoot.
Achillea Millefoliuniy — coaimon milfoil.
Centaurea
* Wood FESCUE. Very common on the cohifivells ;
and ever\' whce on ant-hills : an interefting circumftance.
t The BULBOUS CROwyooT is fingularly prevalent in
this diftri(fl. In the middle of May, fome of the grounds
near Glocefter, were hid under its flowers. The leaves
of this (pecies are more acrid even than thofe of the com-
mon fort.
i86 NATURAL GRASSES. -28.
Centaurea n'lgray — common knobwced.
Heracleum Sphodylium, — cowparfncp.
Paftinacajativa, — wild parfnep.
Serratula arvenfiSy — common thifUe.
Rhina7itbus Crijia-galliy — yellow rattle J.
Euphrafia OdontiteSy — red eyebright.
LeoKtodon hispidum, — rough dandelion.
LeoKtodon Taraxacum^ — common dandelion.
Hypoch<£ris radicafa, — longrooted hawk-
weed.
Galium verum, — ^yellow bedllraw.
PotentiUa rep(a?2s j— creeping cinquefoil.
Plant ago media^ — middle plantain.
Plant ago lanceolata, — narrow plantain.
Ranunculus Picaria^ — pilewort.
Bellis perenyiis-t — common daifey.
Dactylis glomc^atay — orchardgrafs.
Holciis lanatusj — meadow foftgrafs.
Briza media J — common tremblingrafs.
Alopecurus prat.-^nfiSy — meadow foxtailgrafs.
Avenaflavefcensy — yellow oatgrafs.
Poapratenjisy — nieadow poe.
Fejiuca elatiory — tall fefcue.
yfira ccefpetojay — halTock airgrafs.
Ahpecurus
X Yellow rattle. For ctfervations on this plaat
fee forward.
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 187
Alcpecurus geniculatus, — marfh foxtailgrafs.
Juncus articulatusj — -jointed rulh.
Chryjantbemun Leucantb :'—oxtyt daifey.
Peucedanum SilaiiSj — meadow faxifrage.
Runiex crifpusy— curled dock.
Rumex Acetoja^ — forrel.
Rumex obtuftfolius^ — broadleaved dock,
Carduus lanceolatus^ — fpear thifUe.
Urtica dioica,— common nettle.
Cerafiium fulgatum j—~common moufear.
Stellaria graminea^ — meadow ftarflower
Plantago major, — broad plantain.
Prunella -vulgaris y — felf heal.
Primula i'<?r;V,^-cowilip.
Vicla birtay — hairy violet.
CcTTJohulus arvenftSy — corn convolvulus.
Veronica Cbarn^drySy — germander Ipeed-
wel.
Veronica Jerpyllifoliay — thymeleaved Ipeed-
wel.
Juncus campejirisy — grafs rufh.
Fejtuca duriujculay — hard fefcue.
AvenapubefcenSi — rough oatgrais.
Trifolium fragiferum, — llrawberry trefoil.
Vicia Cracca, — bluetufted vetch.
Orcbis Morio, — fool's orchis.
^ragopogon
i88 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
Tragopsgcn praiertje. — goatsbeard.
Daucus CarotOy — wild carrot.
Agrimoma Eupatorioy — agrimony.
Ariemifia vulgaris^ — mugworr.
Ch^crophyllumjyhejhey — orchardv.-eed.
Galium MoIlugOy — baftard madder.
Geranium pratenjey — crowfoot craneibill.
Geranium dijjfe^umy — -jagged cranefbill.
Viciajativa, — meadow vetch.
Vicia/epiumy — bufh vetch.
Latbyrus Nijfdiay — gralsleaved vetchling.
Primula vulgaris^ — ^primrofe.
The above conftitute the herbage of the
founder, better foils: the following are fuf-
fered to inhabit ; and, in fome inftanccs, to
occupy exclufively ; the colder lefs fertile
fwells ; or the bogs and fwamps that are fuf-
fered to remain in more genial fituaiions.
Fefiuca Jyhaticay — wood fefcue.
Ononis arvenfis fpincjay — reflharrow.
TuJJilago FarfarOy — coltsfoot.
PotentiUa Anjeriruiy — ^filverweed.
Hieracium Pilofellay — moufear hawk weed.
CariceSy — fcdges .
Melica aeruleay — ^purple melic grafs.
Cineraria palujhisy — marlh fleabane.
Scahiofa
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 189
Scahioja Succijay — meadow fcabious.
Carduuspah'.JiriSy — marfh thiflle.
Spiraea Ulmaria, — meado%vf\veet.
St achy 5 ^tf/w/^r/V,— clownfallheal.
J uncus injlexusy — wire ruih.
Juncus effujusy — common rufh.
Achillea Pfarmica, — goofetongue
Ajuga reptansy — meadow bugle.
Orchis maculattty — fpotted orchis.
Orchis latifoliay — marfli orchis.
Myqfotis fccrpioidesy — Icorpion moufear.
Mentha hirjutay — velvet mint.
Polygonum Perficariay — common perficaria.
Polygonum amphihiumy — amphibious perfi-
caria.
Calthapalujirisy — marfh marigold.
Veronica Beccabungay — brooklime.
Sijymbrium Najiurtiuniy — water crefs.
The PRODUCE ofthefe up grounds varies
with the quality of their refpeccive foils. An
acre and a half to two acres, of the better
grounds, are allowed as pajiurage for a cow:
there are grounds which will nearly carry a
cow an acre. The produce oibay from one
to two tons an acre.
The
190 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
The MA\AGE».fEN'T of GRASSLAND, as prac-
tifed in this diflricl:, requires an outline of de-
fcription, fimilar to that which was found re-
quifite, in defcribing the fame important branch
of hufbandry, as pradifed in the vale of Piclc-
ering. SeevoRK: ecok: ii. 123.
The GENERAL MAN'AGZMENT COmpHzeS
1. Draining 3. Dreffing 5. Manuring
2. Clearing 4, Weeding 6. Watering
I. Draining. Many of the grounds are
fhamefully liable to furface- water. The fub-
jecb of fhores, ditches, and furface-drains, has
been repeatedly touched on, in the courfe of
this volume : it might here be reiterated. A
vale without fhores, ditches, and surface-
drains, is adifgrace to its owners and occupi-
ers.
Befides a deficiencj- of furface drains much
UNDERDRAiNiNG is wanted*, eipecially in the
boggy tumours which have been noticed.
T\\t flats of cold blue clay, fome few of which
there are, would be found more difficult to be
improved by underdraining: the caufe of their
infertility is probably owing more to the re-
tentive nature of the foil and immediate fub-
foil, thtmfelves, than to internal waters rifing
toward
-28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. j^i
toward the furface. That gives a general cold-
nefs, which is difficult to remove: but the ef-
fed: oitheje is partial ^ being caufed by collec-
ted or communicating waters, too fmall in
quantity, or lying too low, to force themfelves
out at the furface, as natural Jpings ; but are
ready to efcape from their confinement as foon
as an artificial vent is made for them. *
The colder/xv//^ might probably be affifled
very much by throwing the lands acroi^ the
Hopes. Se^voRK: ecox: vol. i. p. 324.
2. Clearing. The grafslands of this
diftri(fl, confidering their age, mav in o-eneral
be laid to be well kept: owing perhaps to their
having, in general, been occafionally m.own for
hay, or fwept in a ftate of paflurage. Bufhes
and anthills are lefs common here than in ma-
ny other grafsland dillricls. Some grounds
are in high prefervation : not a bufh or an ant
hill left to disfigure their polifhed furfaces.
There are others, however, in the oppofite
extreme of neglccl. Their furfaces hid, and
in a manner occupied, by rellharrow and the
ant
In the VALE OF Evesham, I am informed, miichun-
derdraining ba> been done, and with sood iutcel.^.
192 NATURAL GRASSES. 28-
anthill fcfcue : a ftage of diftemper which no-
thing but the plow can cure.
Some of thefe lands, it has been faid, have
been given up to tillage. The reft have a
right to undergo the fame fahitar}' operation.
It is voluntary wafte, in their owners, — to let
them lie in their prefent ftate ; and that, too,
without being repaid in any counter gratifica-
tion. An oak-wood may be an objed: o/i pride
to its owner i and grows venerable as it grows
old : but a rough grafs-ground is an eye-fore ;
a fcab which disfigures the face of a country;
and grows offenfive with age.
Their motive, however, for fuffering thefe
grounds to remain under circumftances lb dif-
graceful, may be more pardonable than may
appear at firft fight. It may proceed fix)m the
evident ill ufage of thole which have been per-
mitted to be broken up. But this only leffens,
and does not wholly wipe away the crime of
keeping them in an unproductive ftate. If they
have not been properly laid down again to
grafs, the negk^ is their own. See york:
ECON : vol. ii. p. 94.
3. Dressing. Molehills and dung are
here fpread with common hay-forks j ufed -with
the
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 193
the back downward j fwinging them riglit and
left : tolerable implements for the purpofe.
Sometimes a bufli-harrow is drawn over the
lurface of the mowing grounds ; which are
fometimes rolled ; elpecially thofe which have
been foddered on, and trodden up by the cat-
tle. No moulding hedge, nor any thing ade-
quate to it, is here in ufe j though it would be
obvioufly ufeful. The fledge which is now in
common ufe for carrying hedging thorns &c.
might, with a little alteration, be made to an-
fwerboth purpofes. (See vork: econ: vol.
i. p. 279.)
One particular in the practice ofdrefling
meadows, here, is noticeable. If a mowing
ground be fed late in the fpring, lb as to ren-
der it doubtful whether, if the dungbe Ipread, it
would be wafhed down below the cut of the
fithe before mowing time, it is picked off the
ground and carried to the dunghill.
4. Weeding GRASSLANDS. With refpedt
to the eradication of weeds, I have met with
nothing praife-worthy in this diftricl. Some
of the meadows are fliamefully o\'errun with
decks -y while the hams, being unappropri-
ated, are too frequently occupied by thijiles
Vol, I, O which
1^ NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
which I have feen growing in beds of an acre
each.
Bur N^nth refpect to the tcffing of weeds, in
the inclofed pafhire-grounds, the vale merits
fmgular praife. It is the only diftrict, in which
I have obferved this piece of good hufbandr)-,
in any thing like common practice. Here,
not only weeds ofpafture-grounds are topped,
generally once (about midfummer) and fome-
times twice j but the grafs of the furrows is
mown, and the broken grafs of the ridges
fweptofffor hay. Several loads of good fod-
der will fometimes be got from a ground by
this pracdce. A practice which ought to be
adopted in every diftricl. Befides the loads
of fodder which are obtained, — feveral acres of
autumnal pafturage are probably gained:— or
in other words a frelh ground is added to the
farm — by the operation. See xorf: econ:
min. 7. and york: econ*: vol. ii. p. 150.
5. Mavuring. The manuring of grafs-
lands will, I belie^'e, fcarcely admit of being
called a practice offbis vale. The lowlands in
general are configned to the benevolence of the
floods: cowgrounds, which are e\'ery year
pafhired, require no manure -, and mowing
grounds
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 195
grounds are feldom, I believe, afforded any.
The arable lands, alone, require more than
the diftrift produces. However, by bottom-
ing the courts with mould, to abforb and re-
tain that v.'hich now runs walle out of them, a
confiderable quantity of grafsland manure
might annually be obtained, without robbing
the arable lands of a fingle load of their prefent
quantity of dung. See york: econ: i. 405.
This deprivation of manure may account in
fome meafure for the unprodu6i;ivenefs, com-
pared with the intrinfic quality, of fome of the
vale lands ; which may not, perhaps, have re-
ceived any other melioration than the teathe of
pafturing cattle, and perhaps fome good effed:
from being foddered on in the winter, fince the
time they were converted into grafslands.
6. Watering. The watering of grafs-
lands, on the modern principle of float-and-
drain, is not the pra6lice of either of the vales
of Glocefterlhire. I have not feen even a fin-
gle inftance in either of them ; though there
are many fituations which would admit of its
introduftion. This circumftance is the more
remarkable, as in Northwiltlhire, a neigh-
bouring diftridt, it is in common pradlice. In
O 2 the
196 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
tlie more weftern counties it is, I underftand,
ilill more prevalent.
This is another inftance of the flagnant (late
of the hufbandr\' of thefe vales. It is highly
probable, that, at the time of the diflblution of
the monafteries, they ftood pre-eminent in
EngUfli Hufbandiy. But, through an evi-
dent neglecl of modern improvements,
they are now left, in many relpedts, beneath
the reft of the kingdom. This appears to
me a circumftance well entitled to the atten-
tion of the landed intercft of thefe vales.
The OBJECTS of the gral'sland management
are bay and pajlurage.
It feems to be well underftood here, that
grounds ought to be mown and paftured al-
ternately J and in fome inftances the principle
may be attended to in practice. But it is
generally convenient to have the " cow-
grounds" near the milking yard. The diftant
grounds are of courfe more convenient as
*' mowing grounds :** they are, however,
" grazed" occafionally by fatting cattle.
It is obferved here, and is obfervable almoft
every where, that if grafs land be mown every
year it is liable to be overrun with the yel-
low
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 197
LOW RATTLE (Rhinanthus) which, being a
biennial plant that fheds its feed early in the
fpring, is increafed by mowing. But paftur-
ing the ground, even one year, is found to
check it. The reafon is obvious : the major
part of the plants, being eaten off with the
other Jierbage, are prevented from feeding.
Pafturing two years, fucceflively, and care-
fully fweeping off the ftale herbage, when
this plant appears in full blow, would go
near to extirpation.
The MANAGEMENT of
1. Mowing grounds,
2. Failure grounds.
I. Mowing grounds.
I. Spring management
1. Hay.
3. Aftergrafs.
I. Spring management of mowing
GROUNDS. In this diftria, where grafslands
var)' much as to their times of vegetating in
the fpring, the time of Ihutting up the in-
clcjed grounds for hay, provincially " hain-
" ing" them, is regulated by the nature of
the land. Cold backward lands are feidom
eaten in the fpring: while the free-growing-
O 3 more
198 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
more early grounds are paftured till the be-
ginning of May. This diftinclion is a maf-
terftroke of management, which I have not
obferved in the ordinar}' practice of any other
dillricl.
The time of fhutting up meadozvs is guided
by cuftom. Some Candlemas, others Lady-
day, others May-day. A very extenfive mea-
dow, immediately below the town of Glo-
cefler, is, by ancient privilege, paftured,
even with ftieep, until the middle of May.
The confequence of this cuftom is, that in
cafe the fpring fet in droughty, the crop of
hay is in a manner loft. This year (1788)
the worm-cafts were not hid, until the latter
end of June !
But injudicious as that relick of ancient
LORDLINESS may now be, viewed in a gene-
ral light, another, in its tendency abundant-
ly more mifchevous, is preferved in a meadow
of fome hundred acres, in the fame neigh-
bourhood. Over this valuable tra(5t of mow-
ing ground, two horfes range at large, ijsbik
the crcp is groni/ig ! ! ! with, of courfe, the
privilege of doing all the mifchief to which
tlie wantonnefs of horfts turned loofe in \o
lar2[e
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 199
large a paflure can ftifnulate. The reader,
I am afraid, will fcarcely give me credit for
what I am relating. No other authority than
my own fight could, I confefs, have induced
me to believe, that an evil fo great — an ab-
furdity fo glaring — could, in thefe enlightened
and liberalized times, have exifled in the rural
economy of this country. Tradition fays,
that ftallions, alone, were formerly entitled to
this diabolical priviledge ; but, at prefent,
any two horfes are admitted to it. What-
ever may have been its origin, it would be
doing injuftice to the prefent laws of England
to fuppofe them capable of giving counte-
nance to any adt whofe main tendency is the
wanton deftru<ftion of the produce of the
foil. No man has now a privilege of doing
the community wanton mifchief. The full
value of the pafturage is, no doubt, the right-
ful property of the clamant.
2. Hay. The ftate of ripenefs — the age —
at which a crop of grafs ought to be ' cut — is a
fubjeft of no fmall importance. In the ordi-
nary practice of this diftrift, as in that of every
other diftrift I have obferved in, grafs is dif-
fered to ftand much too long, before it be
O 4 mown
200 NATURAL GRASSES. a8.
mown for hay. This evil practice may have
originated in common meadows, whofe after-
grafs is unftinted, (or frequently belongs to a
leparate ov.ner): a fp>ecies of mo>\'ing ground,
which, formerly, was common to this and
mod other countries.
There are, however, in this diftri<5b, men
who are well aware of the advantages of early
cutting ; — who know, from exf>erience in
grazing, the value of the aftergrafs of early
mown grounds ; as well as the fatting quality
of hav, which has been mown in the fullnefs of
fap. Hence we find in this country, more ad-
vocates for early cutting, than in moll others,
where the fatting of cattle on hay is not a prac-
tice. There is, in an ordinary feafon, much
grafs cut, in different parts of the diftrict, at
fix crjrjen "iVeeh old.
In mcwingy it is obferv^able, the Glocefter-
ftiire labourers cut remarkably leveL In fome
cafes not a (Iroke, or fcarcely a fwath-balk, is
difcoverable. This is chiefly owing to the
narro^^Tiefs of the fwath-width, and the fhort-
nefs of the fithe, in ufe in this country. The
mowers of Glocederfhire and thofe of York-
(hire work in opp>ofite extremes of the art.
The
28.. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 201
The Yorkfhireman drives a width of nine or
ten feet before him, the Glocefterfliireman of
fix or feven feet only. I have meafured acrofs
a feries of fwaths which, one v/ith another,
have not meafured fix feet wide. The one
makes the operation unnecefllirily laborious,
and caufes, almoft unavoidably, a wafle of
herbage, — the other renders it unnecefTarily te-
dious. A good workman m.ay take half a rod
(eight feet and a quarter) with fufficienteafe to
himfelf, and at the famx time leave his work
fufticiently level. It is prudent, however, on
tlie part of his employer to fee that he keeps
within due bounds j and, generally, that he
does not exceed the medium width.
The making of hay is an inexhauftible fub-
je6t. Every diftrid:, if we defcend to minu-
tiae, has its fhades of difference. The practice
of this diftrift refembles very much the prac-
tices of Yorkfhire ; not only in the firft ftages,
but in the remarkable expedient of forming
the hay into ftacklets (here called " v/ind-
cocks") previous to its being put into Itack.
But the practice is here carried a ftage farther ;
the hay being fometim.es made into fmall
ftacks, of feveral loads each, in the flack:
yard i
2:2 NATURAL GRASSES. iS.
yard ; and, while yet perhaps in a degree of
heat almofl fufFocating to work among, is
made over again into one large (lack.
The fame reafons are given for this practice,
here, as in Yorkfhire : namely that of being
able to make it fuller of fap in this way than
it can be by the ordinary method- There
ieems, however, to be an additional motive to
it in this country : namely that of being en-
abled, by this means, to make it into very
large jlacks — of fifty or perhaps a hundred
loads each. Such ftacks are fafliionable. They
are fpoken of with pride: and it feems proba-
ble that the pride of great ricks has fome fhare,
at leaft, in the practice of giving hay a double
heat.
Be this as it may, however, it is a fact,
well afcertained, that the hay of thefc vales
is of a fuperior quality. It is. found to bring
on fatting cattle nearly as faft as the green
herbage from which it is made, pafling thro'
them with the fame appearances. And the
produce of butter from hay in this diflricl:, is
extraordinary. But whetiier thjs fuperior qua-
lity be owing, in part, to the method of
miking it, or whoBy to die foil and the her-
bace
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 203
bage from which it is made, is by no means
well afcertained. That there is zfoineihing in
the foils of thefe vales, which gives a pecuhar
richnefs to whatever they produce, is to me
evident j and to endeavour to prefer ve in hay,
as much as poiTible of this richnefs, is indil-
putably, good management.
The degree of heat, which hay ought to be
fubjefled to, is an interefting fubjed, which
is feldom agitated, and little underftoodj even
in this country, where fome little attention is
paid to it. Something may depend on the
fpecies of flock it is intended for. The pre-
vailing opinion, here, feems to be that, for
fatting cattle, it ought to be moderately or
fomewhat confiderably heated. For cows,
however, there are dairymen, who fay it
fhould have little or no heat j giving for a
reafon, — that " heated hay dries up their
milk." — Thefe, however, I m>ention merely
as opinions. They may be well grounded.
If not, they may excite a ipirit of enquiry into
a fubjeft of fome importance in a grafsland
country.
The expenditure of bay in this diftrift is
chicfiy on cows and fatting cattle ; to which
it
204 NATURAL GRASSES. 28.
it is given either in fheds — yards — foddering
grounds — or the ground it grev,- on ; — in the
mznner, which will be mentioned in the arti-
cles cows, and fattimg cattle.
3. Aftergrass. I find no regular ma-
nagement of it here. The unftinted mea-
dows are frequently turned into, the inftant
the hay is off the ground; and fometimes
while no inconfiderable fhare of it remains in
the meadow ! Horfes, cows, fheep, fatting-
cattle, and haycocks beins: mixed in a man-
ner fufficiently grotefque for the purpofe of the
painter J but in a way rather difgufting to
thofe, who are aware of the wafte they are
committing : not of the hay, but of the after-
grafs. In eight and forty hours after the
whole of the hay is out, the meadow, thus
mifufcd, has the appearance of a fheep com-
mon in winter: not a bite of green herbage to
be feen; the whole being nibbled out by the
fheep and horfes, or trodden into the ground
by cattle : nothing but the fbjbble, or dead
flumps of feed flems, being left to cover the
foil. Thefe meadows, however, being irtt
of gro^vth, fheep, and even horfes, may con-
tinue to get a living on them -, and cattle may
bcf
28. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 205
be kept from ftarving ; — but cannot bring
home any advantage to their owners*.
Nor is this illjudged praftice confined within
tlie unftinted meadows ; but is frequently ex-
tended to inclofed grounds. A full bite of
aftergrafs is (this year at leaft) a rare fight in
the country : I have feen very little fit for the
reception either of cows or fatting cattle.
The line of right management is frequently
difficult to draw. Different direftions have
their advantao;es and their inconveniences.
By turning into mowing grounds as foon as
the hay is out of them, the Glocellerfhire
farmer gives a loofe to his paflure grounds : it
is a }nov^ for his cattle : and if he would for-
bear a few weeks, to let his aftergrafs rife to a
fufficient bite, his management v/ould, in my
judgment, be much preferable to the York-
Ihire practice i in which the cattle are kept
in the paflure grounds, without moving, un-
til the aftergrafs be overgrown. See York :
EcoN. article aftergp.ass.
II. Pasture
• This, however, is not general. Some of them, by
ancient cuftom, are kept till the middle of September, be-
lore they be broken.
2o6 NATURAL GRASSES. iS.
IL Pasture grounds.
1. Spring management.
2. Stocking.
3. Summer management.
r. Spring MANAGEMENT. The hams and
inclofed pafture grounds are fhut up at dif-
ferent times, and opened about Old May-
day. Some of the hams much too late :
thereby encumbering the furface, unneccf-
farily, with weeds and ftale grafs ; and lefTen-
ing, of courfe, the quantity of paflurable
land*.
2. Stocking. It feems to be a prevail-
ing cuftom to mix a few ^eep, in the pafture
grounds, whether with cowsy or fatting
cattle,
3. Summer management. This appears
in what has gone before. They are fwept,
and fometimes mown ; and have a refpite
from ftock, while the ftubbles of the mowing
grounds are picked over.
See York: Eco:< : ii. 149.
HORSES,
^9- VALE OF GLQCESTER. 207
29.
H O Pv S E S.
THE BREEDING OF HORSES for
fale is not, here, a pradice. Mod farmers
rear their own plow-horfes ; and a few faddle-
horfes are alfo bred: but I have met with
nothing in the pra<5lice of breeding horfes,
in this diftricl, which requires to be regiflered.
The farm horfes are of the fen breed : —
but very ufeful ones of that fort : fhort and
thick in the barrel i and low on their legs.
— Colour moftly black, inclinable to a tan-
colour.
The price of a fix-year old cart hoi-fe, of
this breed, is twenty five to thirty five pounds f
SHEEP,
tog S H E E ?. 30.
SHEEP.
THE SHEEP is a mountain- animal.
Even in its prefent cultivated ftate, hills
are its \atural element. Uplands (or
ver)" found dry middlelands) are the loweft
(lage on which fheep can be kepty with any
degree of fafety to them; or with any
degree of certainty to their owner. Vale
lands, in general, are, without great caution,
certain ruin to both.
Formerly, fome confiderable flocks were
kept, or attempted to be kept, in this vale :
even breeding flocks were not uncommon in
it. But the wet fummer of 1782, fwept the
country of them. One farmer, who had, for
three or four years back, been recruiting his
fiock, and got it up to eight or nine fcore,
had not, I was informed, in the autumn of
1783, more than three individuals left!
The low fituation of this vale, — the Angular
retentivenefs of its fubP.rata, — and the wa-
terincfs
a8. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 209
terinefs of its foils, through a want of fur-
face-draining, — confpire to render it, — what,
from experience, it is too well known to be,
fingularly fatal to fheep.
How unaccountable, then, is the condu6l
of thofe, who attempt to keep ftore flocks in
it ? Nothing but the common error, which
pervades almoll every diftrid, — that fheep
are eflential to farming, — can account for it.
At prefent, however, the vale, fully con-
vinced of the folly of attempting to keep ftore
flocks, changes its ftock of flieep every year.
This fpecies of ftock, now, confifts chiefly
of ewes, bought in autumn, and, having fatted
their lambs in the fpring, are themfelves fi-
nifhed in the courfe of the enfuing fummer.
I. The SPECIES of ftiecp ufed in this prac-
tice are moftly the Ryland^ and the Cotjwold i
bodi of which will be defcribed in the courfe
of thefe volumes.
II. Some little folding was formerly
done in the fallow fields: " but all die folding
flocks are dead of the rot"! What folly!
What cruelty-^x.0 drive this animal from its
native heights j and force it into a fituation,
where it muft inevitably become a prey to dif-
VOL. I. p ,^^|^.
210 SHEEP. 3c.
eafe ; and at length, (if not relealed by the
hunnanity of a butcher), fall a victim to folly,
by a loathfome, tedious, lingering death.
III. In a diftri<5l fo notorious as this for
the ROTTING OF SHEEP, foiTie accuratc ideas of
this fatal diforder were of courfe enquired af-
ter. An experienced hufbandman, on open-
ing a fheep which he had killed for his own fa-
mily, and finding a collection of water within
it, pronounced the reft of his flock to be
tainted. Water he has always found to be
the firft ftage of the dilbrder: a " white fcum"
upon the liver the next: the laft flukes.
From thefe circumftances, and from all the
obfervations I have myfelf been hitherto able
to make on this fubjedl, it appears to me pro ^
habkj — that an unnatural redundancy of lA^-aier
'—unavoidably taken in with the food — is the
caufe of the diforder.
CATTLE.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 211
31-
CATTLE.
CATTLE are the natural inhabitants of a
vale country ; and in this vale we find every
defcription of them abound: — cows j — rear-
ing STOCK, i FATTING CATTLE ^-^and Cach
of thefe of various fpecies, or breeds.
Formerly, and perhaps not long ago, ens
breed of cattle might be faid to polTefs the vale j
a breed which ftill predominates in fome parts
of it. It is known by the name of the glo-
CESTERSHiRE BREED ; and has, I undetftand,
been common to the diftridl time immemo-
rial. Welch cattle, no doubt, may have
long been brought into the diftridl, zs fatting
cattle ; and of late years fome confiderable
number of Herefordshire oxen have been
fatted in it. But ftill the cows and rearing cattle
were of the Glocefterfhire breed.
Of ftill later date, however, an alien breed
of cows has been introduced : the long-horned
P 2 breed
212 CATTLE. 31.
breed of StafFordfhire and the other midland
counties ;~by the name ofthe " north-coun-
try SORT." A breed, that, in a few years,
has made rapid advances ; and is likely to
difpofTcfs, in no great length of time, the na-
turalized fpecies. In 1783, dairies were moft-
ly of the Glocefterfhire breed: in fome, a
mixture of the longhorned fort was obferva-
ble J — and, in the lower vale, a few dairies
were moftly of that breed. Now (1788) few-
dairies are left without admixture ; and, even
in the upper vale, are fome entire dairies of
the longhorned breed. In general, however,
they are an unfightly mixture of the two fpe-
cies i with, not unfrequently, a third fort, a
mongrel kind, reared from an aukward crols
between them. In the fairs and markets of
the vale, fcarcely any other than the north-
country fort and this mule breed are to be
feen.
Ofthe LONGHORNED CATTLE of the mid-
land counties I mean to fpeak fully at a Riture
time, Welch cattle are extremely vari-
ous: every province of the principality feems
to fend out a feparate breed. They are invari-
ably of the middlehorned fpecies 3 but in re-
gard
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 213
gard to fize they vary, in regular gradation,
from the largeft ox to the loweft Welch runt.
The Herefordshire breed will be fpo-
ken of under the head FATTING cattle; and
in the article Herefordshire, toward the
dole of thefe volumes. The Glocefterfliire,
therefore, is the only breed which requires to
be delcribed in this place.
The glocestershire breed of cattle
is a variety of the middle horned species.
(See York: econ: article cattle.) In fize,
it forms a mean between the Norfolk and the
Herefordjhire hrttds. (See NORF:EcoN:art:
cattle.) The head moftly fmall ^ neck long ;
fhoulder fine -, and all of them generally
clean. The carcafe moftly long, with the ribs
full and the barrel large in proportion to the
cheft and hind-quarters. The huckle of due
width j but the nache frequently narrow. The
bone, in general fine ; the hide thin and the
hair fliort. The charafteriftic colour, dark
red, — provincially " brown" i — with the face
and neck inclining to black ; and with an ir-
regular line of white along the back. The
horns fine and rather long ; but, in fome indi-
viduals, placed aukwardly high on tJie fore-
P 3 headj
214 CATTLE. 31.
head, and near at the roots : in others, how-
ever, they ftand low and wide ; winding with
a double bend, in the middle-horn manner.
The principal objections to tJie Glocefter-
fhire breed of cattle are, a deficiency in the
chine, and too great length of leg ; giving
the individuals of this defcription, an auk-
ward, uncouth appearance.
But no wonder. The breed has not had a
fair chance of excelling. I have heard of only
one man, within memory, who ever paid any
efpecial attention to it ; and this one man, * by
fome election ftrife (a curfe in every count)')
was driven out of the vale about feven
years ago : fo that, at prcfent, it may be faid
to lie in a ilate of negled. Neverthelefs, it
ftill contains individuals which are unobjedion-
able i — particularly the remains of the Bod-
DiNGTON BREED; and. With a little attention,
might, in my opinion, be rendered a very
valuable breed of cattle.
For dairy cows, I have not, in my own
judgement, ktn a better form. It is argued,
however.
* -Ml . Long ot Boddington.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 215
liowever, that the northcountry cows, being
hardier J ftand the winter better in the ftraw-
vard ; and/j/ more kindly when they are dried
off. It fhould be recollefled, however, that
Glocefterfhire is a dairy country : and remem-
bered that it was the Glocefterfhire breed
which raifed the Glocefterfhire dairy to its
greateft height. Befide, the breed has long
been naturalized to the foil and fituation ; —
and certainly ought not to be fupplanted,
without fome evident advantage ; fome clear
gain, in the outfet ; nor even then, without
mature deliberation ; leaft fome unfeen difad-
vantage Ihould bring caufe of repentance in
future.
The three clafies, enumerated at the head
of this article, now require to be feparately
confidered.
I. Cows. This being a dairy country,
the procuring of cows, and t\itfize of dairies i
as well as the treatment^ the application^ and
the dijpojal of cows, will require to be fhewn
feparately.
I. Procuring. Dairymen in general
rear their own cows : fome, however, purchaje
the whole, and others part, of their dairies.
P 4 The
ai6 C O W S. 3r.
The point of a milch cow which is here
principaUy attended to, — and which, no doubt,
is the main objed: of attention, — is a large
THiN-SKixxED bag: I have, however, heard
a large tail fpoken of, in the true tone of fu-
perftition.
The following are the dimenfions of a cow
of the Boddington breed. A genuine, and a
fair fpecimen, as to form ; but not as to fize :
the cows of that celebrated breed were, in ge-
neral, confiderably larger. As a milker Ihe
has had few equals j and, in my eyes, fhe is,
or rather was, one of the handfomeft and raoft
defireable dairy cows I have yet feen. Thefe
dimenfions were taken when flie was five
years old, off ; flie being then feveral montlis
gone with her fourth calf.
Height at the withers four feet three inches,
of the fore dug twenty one inches.
Smaliefl: girt fix feet and half an inch.
Created girt feven feet eleven inches.
Length from fhoulder-knob to huckle four
feet one inch.
from the huckle to the out of the
nache twenty inches.
Width at the huckle tv,enty dvo inches.
Width
SI-
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 217
Width at the nache fourteen inches.
Length of the horn twelve inches.
The eye full and bright.
The ears remarkably large.
The head fine and chap clean.
The bofom deep ; and the brifket broad,
and projecting forward. .
The fhoulders thin with the points fnug.
The thigh likewife thin, notwithftanding
the great width at the nache.
The bag large and hanging backv/ard ;
being leathery and loofe to the bearing.
The teats of the middle fize 3 gives much
milk, and holds it long.
The tail large, the hide thin, and the bone
remarkably fine.
The colour a " dark brown" ; marked with
white along the back and about the ud-
der i with the legs, chap, and head, of a
full, glofl'y, dark, chocolate colour.
The horns a polillied white ; tipped with
black.
The reafons given, by the daiiymen of this
diftridl, for rearing their own cows are, " that
they Ihould foon be beggared if they had their
cows to buy"i and " that they know what they
breedj
ii8 COWS. 3,.
breed, but do not know what they buy." The
latter has much the mod reafon in it ; for, as
they obferv'e,. it a heifer is not likely to turn
out well, they fell her: on the contrarv", if
they went to market for their cows they mufi:
buy the outcafts of other breeders. Befkles,
they endeavour to breed from known good
milkers ; fuch as milk well, not only prefently
after calving ; but will hold their milky through
the fummer, and the lattermath months:
whereas in the market they are fubjeft to
chance, and the deceptions of drovers: the
mofl they have to judge from is t\\^fize of the
bag at the timiC of the purchace. In fuitable
fituarions, there can be little doubt of the pro-
priety of every dain-'man's rearing his own
cows.
The place of pirchnjcy in this diilricl, is
chiefly the market of Glocefter, held every
Saturday ; to which, in the fpring, from fifty
to a hundred cows, of different breeds, iDitb
calves by their fides, are brought j by dair)'-
men and drovers ; -but principally longhorned
cows, brought from a diftance by the latter.
In the Ladyday fair at Glocefter, there were
not Icfs tlian four hundred cows.
Some
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 219
Some of the larger dairymen go themfelvc^
into the midland counties, to purchafe cov/s.
But feldom, perhaps, with much advantage ;
the expence of the journey ; the time loft i
and the danger of a long drift, by unfkilflil
hands, probably, more than over-balance the
dealer's profit. In cafes, in which ftock is
required to be transferred from one diftrici
to another, dealers become a ufeful clafs of
men.
The price of a cow and calf of the Glocel^
terftiire breed, has been for the laft ten years
eight to ten or eleven pounds j of the north
country fort ten to twelve or thirteen pounds.
2. The size of dairies. In tbis vale
dairies are not very large : twenty or thirty
cows are a full fized dairy. Forty, I believe,
the higheft*. But farms are fmall, and of
courfe numerous J and the number of cows
kept are collefti^'ely very confiderable.
3. Treatment of cows. Notwithftand-
ing, however, the number of cows which are
kept in this diftrict, and the length of time
which it has been celebrated as a dairy coun-
try,
* In the VALE OF Evesham dairies are larger; fifty,
fixty, feventy, and one or two of eighty cows each.
223 CATTLE. 31.
try, I have met with few particulars in its
management of cows, that are entitled to a
place in this regifter.
Thcjummer management confifts chiefly in
turning them out, in the beginning of May,
fooner or later, according to the feafon and
the nature of the foil, — into a ground, or fuite
of grounds lying open to each other, — and
there letting them remain until fome after-
grafs be ready to receive them. The Jkifting
of cows, from pafture to pafture, is fpoken of,
and may be fometimes practifed by a few in-
dividuals i but it is not the general practice
of the countr}'.
The winter management v^aries with the
charafleriftic of the farm, as to grafs and ara-
ble. On farms which have much plowland
belonging to them, the dry cows are kqDt
in the ftraw yard, until near calving j when
they are put to hay in a feparate yard, or a
foddering ground. On farms which are prin-
cipally " green," they are kept all winter at
hay ; in the open air, or under loofe fheds ;
the practice of houfing catde in winter, in the
north-of-England manner, being, it may be
fdid, unknown, in this quiirter of die kingtlom.
4. Tlic
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 221
4. The APPLICATION of milk in this
diftricft, is to calves, butter -^ cheeje\ princi-
pally to the latter ; which forms no inconfi-
derable part of the produce of a vale farmi
and the dairy management becomes, in
this cafe, too important a fubjecft to be con-
fined, as heretofore, within a fubdivifion of
the article cattle ; requiring, in the prefent
volumes, a feparate leclion. (fee the next
general head).
5. Disposal of cows. Dairy coivs arc
fold, 'Li-ith cahes at their fides , in the manner
which has been mentioned. Heifers which
mifs the bull, or do not anlwer for the pail ;
v^(o young cozls that pals their bulling j and
aged ccdus, which are ufually thrown up at
eight or nine years old, are, in the ordinary
pradlice of the countr)% fatted on the farmy
(in the way which will prefently be defcribed)
and fold to the country butchers.
Thus, we find the dairymen of the vale of
Glocefter, not only rearing their cows from
their own Hock, but continuing them in their
own grounds, after they have done their work
as dairy cows, until they be fit for the flaugh-
ter: — a fyftem of management, which is
pleafing
211 REARING CATTLE. 31.
pleafing to the obfervation ; and which, by
realbn of its fimplicity and perfection as a
whole, affords the rcfle<5lion equal pleafure
and fatisfaclion. There may be fituations,
which will not admit of this practice, in its
full extent ; but, in moil cafes, there can be
no doubt of its eligibility.
II. Rearing cattle. Breeding is here
confined, in a manner wholly, to heifers for
the dain.'.
The number reared from a certain number
of cows varies with circumftances ; fometimes
it may depend on the number oi# cow calves
dropped within the fealbn of rearing; the
demand for young cattle ; the circumftances
of the farm ; and the individual opinion of the
dainiTnan, — likcwife influence the prof)ortional
num.ber. The firft breeder in the vale, fei-
dom reared more than ten or twelve calves
from forty cows ; — while another judicious
dain.'man reared nine or ten from twenty cows.
In giving a fketch of the management of
young cattle, in this diftri(ft, it will be proper
to feparate the three diilindions : namely.
Calves.
Yearlings.
Two-year-olds.
I. The
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 223
I. Calves. Tht/eafcn cf-u^eanhig lafts from
Chriftmas toLadyday: feidom longer: late-
weaned calves interfere with the dair}%
The method of rearing is pretty uniform : at
kaft in the outline. The calf is ufually taken
from the cow at two or three days old, and
put to heated milk. The degree of heat, how-
ever, varies. In the practice of the firft
breeder in the vale, the milk was given to
the cz\yts Jcalding hot ! as hot as the dairy-
girl could bear her hand in it. Thehps of the
calves were not unfrequently injured by it*
His reafons for this pradtice were, that the
heat of the milk prevented the calves from
fcouring; made them thrive ^ and enabled
him to put his rearing calves to fkim milk,
immediately from their being taken from the
cow, at two or three days old. They never
tailed " beft milk" after they were taken
from the teat at that aore !
o
This is an interelling inftance of praftice ;
and merits a few moments' reflection. Na-
ture has evidently prepared milk of a pecu-
liar quality for the infant calf ^ and this milk
is ufelefs in the dairy : it is therefore doubly
good management to fuffer the calf to remain
at
224 REARING CATTLE. 31,
at the teat, until the milk becomes ufefiil in
the dairy} which it ufually does in two or
three days. But although it becomes, to ge-
neral appearance, fimilar to that of a cow
whicli has been longer in milk, it is highly
probable, that it isjiill fingularly adapted to
the yet infant (late of the calf. In iht/uckiiiig
houfes, round the metropolis, it is well under-
ftood, that putting a young calf to a cow,
which is old in milk, will throw it into a
fcouring. It, no doubt, requires a degree of
correcStion to render it fully acceptable to the
ftomach of the calf, at fo early an age : and,
if we may venture to judge from this inftance
of practice, Jiifficiently authenticated^ fcalding
the milk, very highly, gives it the due cor-
reftion.
Befides the fcalded milk, this judicious
manager allowed his calves fplit begins, oats,
and cut hay. When they took to eat thefe
freely, water was, by degrees, added to the
milk.
In the fpring they were turned into a large
well hcrbaged ground; allowing them fogood
a pafture, tliat it was . generally mown after
them : and, during the whole of the firft
fummer
3t. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 225
fummcr, they had the firft bite wherever they
went.
" Calf-stages." The calf-pen of this dif-
tri6l is of an admirable conftniftion: extremely
fimplc } yet fingiilarly well adapted to its in-
tention. Young calves, — fatting calves more
cfpecially — require to be kept narrowly con-
fined : quietnefs is, in a degree, effential to
their thriving. A loofe pen, or a long halter,
gives freedom to their natural fears, and a
loofe to their playfulnefs. Cleanlinefs, and a
due degree of warmth, are likewife requifite
in the right management of calves.
A ftage which holds feven, or occafionally
eight calves, is of the following defcription. — ■
The houfe or room-ftead, in which it is
placed, meafures twelve feet by eight. Four
feet of its width are occupied by the ftage j —
and one foot by a trough placed on its front ;
leaving three feet as a gangway ; into the
middle of which the door opens. The floor
of the ftage is formed of laths, about two
inches IquarCj lying lengthway of the ftage,
and one inch afunder. The front fence is of
ftaves, an inch and a half diameter, nine
inches from middle to middle, and three feec
Vol. I. Q^ high:
226 REARING CATTLE.
3'
high : entered at the bottom into the front
bearer of the floor ; (from which crofs joifts
pafs into the back wall) and fteadied at the
top by a rail ; which, as well as the bottom
piece, is entered at each end into the end
wall. The holes in the upper rail are wide
enough to permit the flaves to be lifted up
and taken out^ to give admifTion to tlie calves:
one of which is faftened to every fecond ftave^
by means of two rings of iron joined by a
fwivel ; one ring playing upon the ftave, the
other receiving a broad leathern collar, buckled
round the neck of the calf. The trough is
for barley-meal, chalk, 6cc. and to reft the
pails on. Two calves drink out of one pail;
putting their heads through between the ftaves.
The height of the floor of tlie ftage from the
floor of the room is about one foot. It is
thought to be wrong to hang it higher, left,
by the wind drawing under it, the calves
fhould be too cold in fcvere weather: this,
howevei, might be eafily prevented by litter,
or long ftrawy dung thruft beneath it.
It is obfervable, that thefe ftages are fit
only for calves, uhich are fed- with the pail i
not for calves which fuck the cow.
Fatting
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 227
Fatting calves are here kept on the ftages,
until they be fold : rearing calves until they
be three weeks or a month old 3 or until they
begin to pick a little hay ; when they are re-
moved to a rack, and allowed greater freedom.
2. Yearlings. The firft winter they are
ufually allowed the beft hay on the farm : and
the enfuing fummer, fuch a paflure as con-
veniency affigns them. A diftant rough
ground, if fuch a one belong to the farm, is
generally their fummer pafture.
3. Two-year-olds. The fecond winter,
heifers are generally kept at ftrawi except
they have had the bull the preceding fummer j
in which cafe they are wintered on hay. But
the moft prevalent praftice is to keep them
from the bull until the enfuing fummer j bring-
hig them into milkj at three years old.
III. Fatting cattle. The diftridl un-
der furvey, does not anfwer fully the defcrip-
tion of a grazing country : the dairy
forms its grand charafteriftic. Nevenhelefs,
there are numbers of cattle annually fatted
within it.
There are two diftind fpecies of grazing
carried on in this vale. The one natural to
0^2 a dairy
228 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
a dairy country : namely that of fatting barren
and aged cows : a fpecies of grazing, which
is purfued by dairymen ^nd fanners in general:
the other is tliat wliich more particularly cha-
racterizes a grazing country : namely, the
practice of purchafing cattle for die imme-
diate purpofe of fatting : a fpecies of grazing,
which is here carried on by a few opulent in-
dividuals only. Some of them, however,
purfue it on an extenfive fcale ; and in a
manner, which entitles it to particular at-
tention.
Thefe two fpecies of grazing require to be
examined feparately. They are not only
profecuted by two diftindt orders of men i but
the food — the cattle — the method of fatting —
and the market of each is different. In one,
the cattle are generally finifhed in yards or
foddering grounds, abroad, in the open air,
on hay alone. In the other they are moftly
finiflied mjlallsy on hay and oil cake.
I. Favting in the yard. Th^ feeds y or
fatting materials, in this cafe, are foiely grass
and HAY. Sometimes the cattle, in this
mode of fatting, are freihened with fummer
grafs, and tinilhcd with lattermath j but, more
frequcnthv
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 229
frequently, they are brought foi"ward with
grafs, and finifhed with hay -, which, of this
country, if well got, is found to force them
on nearly as faft as grafs.
Befides the cullings of the dairy, a
confidcrable number of Welch cattle, of
the fmaller kinds, and generally cows or hei-
fers; and fome few Herefordshire oxen;
are fatted in this way.
The principal place of pur chafe of the Welch
cattle is Glocefter market; to which, every
Saturday, in the fummer, the autumn, and
the winter months, confiderable numbers are
brought.
The fummer management of this clafs of fat-
ting ftock is no way extraordinary, nor par-
ticularly inflruftive. A diftant ground is
generally afTigned them, for the double pur-
pofe of keeping them from the bull, and of
giving the dairy cows the grounds which lie
more conveniently to the yard.
The winter management is entitled to more
attention. It commences in the field, wliile
the cattle are yet at grafs ; they being fod-
dered, there, with hay, as foon as the grafs
begins to fhrink; or fharp weather fets in,
CL3 The
230 FATTING CATTING. 31.
The grafs done, or the ^vcather becoming fe-
vere, — they are either brought into a Jmall
dry grafs inclofurcj (near the homeftall) — pro-
vincially a " foddering ground" — ^where they
have their fill of hay, given them three times
a day, in round rodden cribs*, which are
rolled
* Rodden cribs. Thefe are a kind of large bafket;
made of the topwood of willow pollards. A utcnfil com-
mon to this country and to Lincolnfliire ; though fituated on
oppofite fides of the ifland : but they are alike grafsland
countries, wherein cattle are fatted on hay. They are
about fix feet diameter. The height of the bafket-work is
two feet and a half ; of the flakes three feet and a half;
their heads rifing about a foot above the rim of the bafket.
The widtli between the flakes twelve to fourteen inches.
The fize, that of large hedge ftakes. The fizc of the rods
vary from that of a hedge (lake, down to a well-fized edder.
In making thefe hay bafkets, — the flakes are firfl driven,
in a ring of the required fize, firmly into the ground.
Some of the larger rods are then wound in at the bottom,
in the bafket work manner. Upon thefe the fmaller rods
are wound; the middle part of the work requiring the
leafl ftrengtii ; refcrving the largcft for the top. In the
winding and due binding of thofc, the principal part of the
art of ** withy cub making" refls. Some makers warm
thefe thick rods in burning flraw : others wind them cold ;
one man drawing them in with a rope ; while another beats
them at the flake with a wooden beetle, until they acquire
a degree of fupplenefs. They are moflly made by men,
who go about the country ; and who, by pradlicc, make
them
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 231
rolled upon the ridges of the lands, as the
ground gets foul or poachy ; — or in y^rds —
provincially " courts" — in which the hay is
given to them in mangers, formed by a rodded
hedge, running parallel with the outfide fence;
or in cribs — provincially " cubs" — of differ-
ent forts and defcriptions, placed in the area
of the yard.
Out of thefe cribs and mangers the cattle
not unfrequently feed ro their knees in dirt ;
having perhaps an open fhed to reft under ;
or perhaps only a fmall portion of the yard
littered for that purpofe : yet fuch is the fa-
gacity and cleanlinefs of this fpecies of ani-
mal, that when they are at liberty to make
choice of their bed, they will, if pofTible,
choofe it warm and clean. I have feen half
0^4 a dozen
them very completely ; winding in the top - rods fo firmly
and fo regularly, that it is difficult to know, which has
been the laft put in.
In ufe, the cattle lay their necks between the tops of the
ftakes.. Each being thus kept in its place, the raafter
cattle are, in a degree, prevented from running round,
and driving away the underlings. The clofeneis of thefc
cribs prevents a wafte ot hay, eith:;r by the wind, or by the
cattle.
On the whole, they are ufeful, fiinple, cheap ; and, if
veil made, will laft feveral years.
232 FATTING CATTING. 31.
a dozen fine oxen, worth, at the time I re-
peatedly obfervcd them, twenty to thirty
pounds a piece, fatting on hay, actually to
their knees in dung j with only a comer of the
fmall yard they were penned in, littered with
fhibble i and this corner lb fmail there ap-
peared to be fcarcely room for the fix to lie
down together : neverthelefs, their coats were
always clean; and, if one might judge from
the condition they were in, and the appear-
ance of health and good habit they wore, they
were perfectly fatisficd with their fituation.
A fad which appears to me extremely inte-
refting. The yard in this cafe was entirely
open, (excepting fome trees which overhung
it) but was well fheltered from the north arid
eaft.
The progress of this clafs of fatting cattle
depends much on the given fize. The Welch
fort, if purchafed early in fummer, will gene-
rally get fufficiently fat, with grafs alone j
and fome cows the fame : but in general thefe
are finifhed with hay. If cows, which are
put to lattermath, do not get fat on hay,
by Mayday, they are fomt tines fold, as
forward (lock, to graziers of this or odier dif-
tricfls.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 233
trifts. The oxen are not expeded to be
finifhed completely in lefs than ten or twelve
months.
The fur chafers of this clafs (the oxen ge-
nerally excepted) are the butchers of the dif-
trid.
In eftimating the value of fat cattle, here,
the butcher s allowance of profit, on a cow of
ten or twelve pounds price, is from one to
two guineas.
The ^rco/" expefted from this clafs of cat-
tle, at head keep, is — Welch cows is, 6d. to
IS. dairy cows 2s. to 3s. oxen 3s. to 3s. 6d.
a week, at grafs s and fomewhat confiderably
more at hay.
•■^i'.'*" Stall fatting. This may be confi-
deredas a modern pradice, in the rural eco-
nomy OF England.
Grass is the natural food of fatting cat-
tle. Hay was probably firft in ufe for win-
ter fatting. Corn has probably been ufed,
on a fmall fcale, time immemorial, for the
fame purpofe. TuRNEPsmay have been ap-
plied to this purpofe, in Norfolk, about a cen-
tury. But OILCAKES, the reiiduum or bran
of linfeed from which oil has been exprefied,
(the
234 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
(the grand material made uCe of in the pra6lice
under notice) has not perhaps been uled, in
this intention, more than half that period.
They have not in this dillridl been ufed, in
quantity, more than 20 to 30 years.
At prefent they are become a ftaple article
of food, for winter fatting, in various parts of
the ifland j but in no one of the five widely
diflant ftations, I have obferved in, are they
ufed on fo ample a fcale as in the diilri(5t now
under furvey. There are two individuals fi-
nifh, annually, from one hundred to one hun-
dred and fifty head of large bullocks each.
And a third, who fats aftill greater number:
not however on oilcakes, alone j but on the
foods, and in the manner, which will be men-
tioned.
In giving a detail of this pra6lice, it will be
proper to take a feparate view of
1. The fituation and foil of the diftrid:.
2. The foods or materials of fatting.
3. The breed, fex, and age, of the cattle
fatted.
4. The places of purchafe and the obfer-
vable points.
The fummer management.
6. The
31. VALE OF,GLOCESTER. 235
6. The winter management.
7. The market.
8. The produce.
I. Situation. This fpecies of " grazing"
is confined chiePiy to the vicinities of Glocefter,
Tewkefbiiry, and Upton. The/oily whether
of upland or m.eadow, is moftly rich, found,
and early. The upgrounds affording pafturage,
and the meadows hay, of the firft quality. If
we except the margins of fait marlhes, few fitu-
ations are better adapted to fummer grazing ;
and the navis-ation of the Severn is favourable
to winter fatting. — We may add to thefe ad-
vantages, the circumftances of one of the finefc
breeds of cattle, the ifland affords, being reared
on one hand ; while the market of the metro-
polis is within a moderate diftance on the other.^
2. The foods in ufe for flail fatting are
HAY, CORN, " cakes", LINSEED.
Hay is a flanding article of food in the flails ;
being ufedjointly with one or more of the other
articles -, mollly, I believe, in its natural flate ;
feldom, I underfland, cut with frraw into what
is termed chaff ; a praftice in fome other di-
flrifts.
The
236 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
The fpecies of com in ufe are barley and
beans, ground, and given dr)', alone. But
this is not a common material of fatting in the
dif1:ri(5t under notice, where
Oilcake^ as has been faid, is, next to hay,
the main article of itall fatting. But the price
of this article is at length become fo exorbitant,
that it no longer, I am afraid, leaves an ade-
quate profit to the confumer. Some years
back, I recolleft, it was the idea of m.en of
experience, that it could not be ufed profitably
as an article of fatting for cattle, at a higher
price than three pounds a ton. Now (1788)
it is, in fome places, more than twice that
price. The lowell price, at the more diftant
mills, is, I am well informed, five pounds ;
at Berkeley mills, fix pounds \ at Eveiham,
fix guineas j at Stratford, fix pounds ten fhil-
lings a ton. -f-
This extravagant price of the cakes has in-
duced fome fpirited individuals to try the lin-
Js^di itfelf^ boiled to a jelly, and mixed with
flour.
f. Thefe prices fluftuating, from lime to time, fo much
as jcs. a ton. Some few years ago the price was higher than
it is at prefent.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 237
flour, bran or chaff ; and, from the informa-
tion I have had, with favorable fuccefs. *
This novel pradlice requires a few minutes
refledtion. From the prefent fcarcity and dear-
nefs of cakes, it may be inferred that the de-
mand is greater than the quantity in the mar-
kets. If, therefore, the feed can be profita-
bly ufed ; though with only a fmall increafe of
profit, and with this even on a contrafted fcale ;
the ufe of it may operate very beneficially ; by
leflening the demand, and thereby lowering
the preient exorbitant price, of the cakes.
It is highly probable, however, that it m.ay
be ufed with much greater advantage than
cakes at their prefent price. I have by me a
fample of American feed, (nearly equal to the
bed Dutch feed I have feen), which may now
be imported for 38 to 40s. a quarter, of eight
winchefter bufhels. Suppofing the bufhel to
weigh 5olb, the price of this prime feed is not
twelve pounds a ton. Ordinary feed might be
had cheaper.
It is hnhtr pj'obabli that the fuperiorkind
of nutriment, which the cakes afford, proceeds
from
* InHerefordfhirc, llnfeed o'ltf I am tolJ, is ufed in a fi-
mJlar manner.
438 FATTING CATTING. 31.
from the unexprefled oil they contain, rather
than from the hufks of the feed of which they
appear to confift. This being admitted, and
feeing the excefllve power which is iifed in ex-
tracting the oil, we may without rifque con-
clude that a ton of feed contains more than
twice {perhaps five times) the nourifhment
which remains in a ton of cakes. *
Viewing the prefent fubject in a partial light,
it might be faid, that an unlimited and excef-
five
* LiNSEED-jELLV. The principal objection to this ma-
terial is tlie trouble of preparing it. In an inftance in which
it was ufed withfuccefs, the method of preparing was this.
The proportion of water to feed was about feven to one.
Having been fteeped, in part of the water, eight and forty
hours, previous to the boiling, the remainder was added,
cold ; — and the whole boiled, gently, about two hours ;
keeping it in motion during the operation, to prevent its
burning to the boiler J thus reducing the whole to a jelly-
like, or rather a gluey or ropy confidence. Cooled in tubs :
given, inthisinftance, with a mixture of barley meal, bran,
and cut chaff ; each bullock being allowed about two quarts
of the jelly a day ; or fomewhat more than one quart of
feed in four djys : that is, in Ihis cale, about one fixteenth
of the medium allowance of cake.
This however is thrown out as a general idea ; not drawn
as an inference : the comparative effcft of thefe two ma-
terials of fatting forms an important fubjeiTt for the dccifion
of experiment.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 239
five iile of a foreign article of fatting for cat-
tle, might lefien the demand, and thereby-
lower the value of our own productions, ap-
plicable to the fame purpofe j to the injury of
the landed interell. If, however, we confider
that, by the ufe of foreign linfeed, an influx of
the firft vegetable manure we are acquainted
with would be difilifed over the foils of this
country j and that wheat may be exported at
a price more than equivalent to the prefent
price of linfeed ; the landed intereft would feem
to have no caufe of alarm ; — while in a more
general point of view, the importation of lin-
leedfrom America might be a national good.
I underftand from intelligence of the firft autho-
rity, that fomeof the fineft provinces of that dif-
ftrefsful country, are in a manner deftitute of
marketable returns, for the produce and ma-
nufadlures of this kingdom j and further, that
linfeed, which can there be grown in unlimited
quantities, is at prefent a drug in the Ameri-
can markets.
But this by the way, flax seed cannot yet
be confidcred as an eftabliflied article of food
for cattle, in this diftrift j in which grass^
HAV, and OILCAKE are the prevailing foods
of
240 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
of the fpecies of fatting cattle now under con-
fideration ; and to thofe, only, I fhall confine
myfclfin the following remarks.
3. The cattle which are fubjefted to this
mode of fatting are chiefly Herefordshire
OXEN, which have been worked in the breed-
ing country, and thrown up after barley feed-
time, in working condition ; or have been kept
over the fummer, and fold " frefh" — that is
forward in flefh — to tlie graziers in autumn.
Befides thefe, feme of the larger breed of
oxen of South-Wales particularly of Glamor-
ganfhirej alfo of Wyefide of Gloceflerlhire, as
well as round the forell of Dean, and in the
over-Severn diftridl ; alfo fome Somerfetfhire,
and fome few Devonfliire oxen are fatted here ;
but thefe, collectively, are few in proportion
to thofe of the Herefordfliire breed j which,
alone, I lliall confider as the objeds of ftall*
fatting, in this diftrifb.
The AGE at which thefe oxen are ufually
fatted \% fix years old !
I do not mean to ccnfurc the workers of
thefe oxen, for throwing them up in their
prime as beads of draught j much lefs to
blame the graziers for fatting them, or the
butchers
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 241
butchers for flaughteririg tliem in that ufeful
Itage of life ; but I cannot help exprelTing my
regret, on feeing animals lb fingularly well
adapted to the cultivation of the lands of thefe
kingdoms, as are the principal part of the fix-
year-old oxenof Herefordfhire, profcribed and
cut off in the fulnefs of their llrength and ufe-
fulnefs.
The graziers, indeed, confidered merely as
fuch, do not, in this cafe, come within the
reach of cenfure. They know from experi-
ence that the cattle under obfervation gene-
nerally leave them the moil profit at that age.
Some few individuals, however, will, it is faid,
grow fthat is, fpread out in carcafe) as 'well as
fat (the two things defireable to the grazier)
at feven years old. But after thole ages,
having ceafed to grow^ they pay iox fatting
only *.
It is, however, allowed that a full-aged ox
tallows better than a young growing ox.
But,
•
* I have met with an idea, in tliis diltritil, that a gummy,
thick-thighcd, hard-flc(hed ox fhould not only be kept to
a greater age than one of the oppofite dei'cription ; but fhouJd
be worked down low in fielh, previous to Ills being finally
thrown up tor tlitting.
Vol. I. R
242 FATTING CATTLE. 31,
But, on the other hand, it is argued that oxen
which are hardly worked and hardly kept, be-
come flat-fided, lofe the laxity of their fibres,
and do not, on being fatted, fill up fo well in
their points, as younger oxen, which have
been lefs hardly uled.
This, however, is not good argument
againft the general pofition: oxen, whether
young or old, fhould never be worked down
into a ftate of poverty of carcal'c: but ought,
at all times, to be kept as full of flefli as their
adiivity will permit. If horles pay for being
kept up in carcafe, while they are worked,
how much more amply would oxen pay for a
fimilar treatment.
But argument becomes fuperfluous where
facts are produceable. There is one inllance
mentioned in this diflridt, in which an ox was
worked until he was fifteen years old, and
then fatted " tolerably well". — And a ftill
more valuable incident than this occurred in
the practice of the firft grazier within the di-
Itrict immediately under obfervation * ; in
which inftance three oxen "wtTtfiniJIoed in the
ufual time allowed for fix-year-old oxen;
which
' Mr. Darks of Brcdon.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 243
which three oxen were eighteen- years old ;
a fact that I have fingular fatisfa'flion in regil-
tering. f
4. Purchaje a.nd points. The places cfpu'r-
chafe are the fairs of Herefordfhire : held at the
different towns of the county, in almoft every
month of the year ; and thofe who purfue this
fpecies of grazing, on a large fcale, may be fiid
to purchafe the year round. But fpring and
autumn, as has been intimated, are the prin-
cipal times of purchafe. Lean in the fpring,
for fummer grazing ; and fonvard, in autumn,
for more immediate ftall fattino-.
o
The favorite points^ by which graziers
make choice of the indiv^iduals of this breed of
cattle, 2iTQ fimilar to i\io(t which are obferved
in other diftricts ; yet they are not altogether
tYicfame. In different diftridts I find graziers,
in their choice of cattle, not only particularly
obfervant of different points ; but have, in
fome meafure, diftind: criterions to judge by:
and I am of opinion that diff'erent breeds or
varieties of cattle require fuch a difference of
judgement.
R 2 Every
t Thefe oxen were bred and kept to that age, by Mr.
Cook of the Moor, near Hereford^
244 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
Every variety of cattle has a tendency to
degenerate j and each appears to have its pe-
culiar propenfity in degenerating. Thus the
Glocefterfhire breed become^ under neglecl,
narrow in the cheft, light in the hind quarters,
and long upon the legs. The Herefordlhire
breed, — get a kimpiihnefs of carcafe and a
heavinels of the limbs. The long-horned
breed, on the contrary become gaunt in the
carcafe, coarfe in the forehand, and thick in the
hide. While the Holdernefs breed tend to a
gumminefs of the hind-quarters and a hard-
nefsof flelh.
Thefe obfervations, however, are, at pre-
fent, offered incidentally j to endeavour to
reconcile the jarring opinions of profeflional
men on this fubjedt. I perceive a captiouf-
nefs, in every diltrift, among men who ftand
high in their profefTion ; arifing from a parti-
ality toward the particular breed they are moft
converfant with j and from a want of a more
general knowledge of the feveral breeds of the
ifland at large.
The profits of grazing reft, in a great mca-
fure, on the proper choice of the individuals
to be fitted -, be the fpecies or the variety
what
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 245
what it may. And although a quick and ac-
curate judgement, in this cafe, as in almoft
every other, can be matured by pra6tice, only ;
yet the groundwork is certainly reduceable to
Ibience. If from men of experience, and fu-
perior judgement, we can afcer tain the criteri-
ons of good and bad qualities of the feveral
breeds of the animals to be fatted, the ftudent
will be enabled to acquire the requifite judge-
m.ent muchfoo?ier than he could without fuch
afllftance.
From my own obfervations, corre6led and
made more full and perfect by thofe whofe ex-
perience has rendered them adequate judges of
the fubjed, I am fully authorized, I trull, to
fet down the following as defireable qualities in
the Herefordfhire breed of oxen.
Qualities defireable in a Herefordihire ox,
intended for grazing.
T\\t general appearance full of health and
vigour i and wearing the marks of fufficient
maturity ; — provincially "oxey" — not " fteer-
ifli" — or flill in too groijjmg a ftate to fat:
The countenance pleafant ; chearful i open ;
the forehead broad :
The eye full and hvely :
R 3 The
246 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
The horns hnghx, taper, and fprcading:
The beadfm3\]y and the chap clean:
The neck long and tapering:
The cbej} deep ; the bofom broad *, and
proiecling forv^-ard. f
The JhcuUer-bone thin, flat ; no way pro-
tuberant, in bone -, but full and mellow, in
flefh.
The chine full.
The loin broad.
The hips {landing wide ; and level with the
fpine.
The quarters long ; and wide at the nache.
The rump even with the general level of the
back : not drooping i nor (landing high and
fharp above the quarters. The tail (lender,
and neatly haired.
The ^^rr<r/ round, and roomy: the carcafc
throughout being deep and well fpread.
The ribs broad ; (landing clofe j and flat
on the outer furfacc i forming a fmooth even
barrel: the hindmod large, andof full length.
The round-bone fmall ; fnug ; not promi-
nent.
The
* In a WORKING ox thiiisa moft defireable point,
t This is, here, a ver)' popular point, whether in a cow
or an ox.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 247
The thigh clean, and regularly tapering.
The legs upright and fhort. *
The bone, below the knee and hough,
linall. t
Thtfeet of a middle fize.
The cod and twift round and full.
Th.^ flunk large.
The_/?f/Z? every where mellow ; loft ; yield-
ing pleafantly to the touch; efpecially on the
chine, the Ihoulder, and the ribs.
The bide mellow ; fupple ; of a middle
thicknefs ; and loofe on the naclie and huckle.
The coat neatly haired, bright, and filky ;
it-s colour a middle red — with a ^' bald face" :
the laft being efteemed characteriHic of the true
Herefordlhire breed.
Qualities
• It may bedifputable whether the legs of a working
ox ought to be fliort or of a middle length. Cattle are na-
turally heavier, lefs active, than horfes ; whofe legs are
feldom found too fliort in harnefs. Neverthelefs, oxen
may require ibme length of leg, to affift them in travelling.
It is obfervable, however, that the beft working ox, I
have known, had remarkably y3or/ legs.
t In a WORKING ox, thcjineio Ihould, neverthelefs,
be larire.
R
248 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
Qualities excepticnabU in a Herefordlhire
ox, for grazing.
T]\t general r.ppeayance fluggifh; fpiritlefs ;
lumpi(h i — or aukward, through a deformity
in make, or a want of fufficient maturit}'.
The countenance heavy, fullen, — " cloudy."
The eye hollow and dull.
The horns coarle and thick j provincially
" goar)-."
The bead large, thick ; the chap coarfe
and leather)-.
The neck Ihort, thick, coarfe i loaded with
leather and dewlap ; " throaty."
The Jhciilder-pcints — ^provincially the "el-
bows"— (landing wide ; — or projecting for-
ward *.
The chine — " keen" ; — that is, riling fliarp
above the v^irhersi — and hoDow behind the
fhoulders.
The loin contracted -, narrowing to a point
at the chine.
The hips ftanding narrow ; or placed below
the general level.
The
* This is, here, fpoken of as the tnoft hateful point an
•X can poflefs : while, in other diitricts, it pafles, compa>
ratively, unnoticed. In a working cx, it i?, efpecially
id harnefs, a very great fault.
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 249
The rump drooping y — " gooierumped ;" —
or the tail fet on too high ^ (landing above
the level of the fpine.
The quarters fhort, falling, and narrow at
the nache.
The bcrrel contradled upward ; the ribs
dropping flat from the chine — " flatfided ;" —
forcing the intrails downward — " cowbellied."
The ribs narrow, and placed at a diftance
from each other j leaving vacancies between
them i throwing the furface of the barrel into
ridge and furrow.
The round-hoyies large i bulging out wide
in proportion to the hips.
The haunches flelhy; — " brawny."
The limbs in general large and unwieldy.
The hind-legs crooked inward at the gam-
brels i or the fore legs at the knees *.
T\it jhank long and thick.
T\itfeet large i with the claws fpreading.
The cod flaccid ; with the point hard and
knobby.
T\it flank thin, fingle.
The
• This is a defeft, amounting, in fome cafes, to an in-
firmity. I have obferved it, in an inferior degree, in other
breeds; efpccially in the forelegs. In a working ox,
it is an infurmountable obieftion.
250 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
Thtflejlj, on the chine and ribs, hard.
The hide harl"h, thick, and flicking to the
carcafe.
The coat ftaring, — " fctt," — not lying
clofe ; appearing dead ; faded ; not alive and
glov/ing : — fynnptoms, thefe, of a difeafed
habit.
5. Summer management. The management
of grazing, in this diftrift, has been repre-
fented, aforegoing, as not being fufficicntly
interefting to require to be detailed: nor do
I, in this department of it, find any particu-
lars entitled to efpecial notice. In faying
this, however, I do not mean to intimate,
that it is more reprehenfible, than that of
other grazing diftriifls. Indeed it is not, in
this cafe, the main object of pra(5lice i being
only ufed as a preparation to stall fatting.
6. Winter management. This, for reafons
already given above, will require to be ana-
lyzed ; and each part to be defcribed in detail.
And previous to this detail, it will be requi-
fite to defcribe the building in ufe, here, for
winter- fattincr.
"Ox-stalls." What characterizes the bul-
lock fheds of this diftridt, and diftinguifhes
them
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 251
them from thofe of every other, I have ob-
ferved in, is the circumflance of each bullock
having a houfe and a j^r^to himfelf; in which
he goes loofe i occupying them by turns, as
appetite or amufement direfts him ; having a
manger and a drinking trough to go to at
pleafure. He, of courfe, eats when he is
hungry, and drinks when he is thirfty. He
is alfo at liberty to rub, or to lick himfelf ;
^ well as to keep his body in a degree of
temperature, as to heat and cold. Theory
could not readily fuggeft more rational prin-
ciples.
The conftru6lion of thefe flails varies in
the minutiae. The water trough, for inftance,
is fometimes placed by the manger, in the
hovel or fhed : — fometimes in the open pen.
Other lefs noticeable variations may be ictn
in different buildings.
The plan and dimenfions, which, at pre-
fent, feem to ftand higheft in efteemj and on
which feveral eredions of this nature have
been made within the laft fifteen or twenty
years; are the following.
The building fifteen to fifteen i(:tt and a
half wide within, and of a length proportioned
to
252 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
to the number of flails required. The height
of the plates fix feet to fix feet four inches;
fupported on the fide to the north or eaft by
clofe walling ; on that to the fouth or weft by
pofts, fet on ftone pedeftals. The gables
walling. The covering plain tiles, on a fingle
pitch-roof
Againft the back wall is a gangway, three
and a half to four feet wide, formed by a
length of mangers, three feet to three and .-y
half feet wide, from out to out, at the top „
narrowing to about fifteen inches within, at
the bottom. The perpendicular depth fourteen
or fifteen inches ; the height of the top rail
from the ground, about two feet nine inches.
The materials two-inch plank; ftayed and
fupported by pofts and crofs pieces ; and ftif-
fcned by ftrong top-rails.
The dimenfions of the area of the covered
ftalls, about eight feet three inches fquare ; of
the open pens, the fame.
The partitions between the ftalls are of
broad rails, pafling from the outer pillars to
fniiilar pofts, rifing on the inner or ftall fide
of rhe manger ; and ftcadied at the top by
(lender beams, reaching acrofs the building ;
each
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 253
each ftall, or each partition, having a beam
and a pair of principals.
The partitions of the pens are gates, reach-
ing from the pillars to the boundary wall ;
and likewiie from pillar to pillar. When they
are fixed in that Iituation, each bullock has
his ftall and his little yard. When in this
each is fliut up in his ftall ; the yards forming
a lane, or driftway, for taking in, oi» turning
out, any individual.
The boundary wall of the pens is about
four feet high ; coped with blocks of copper-
drofs. On the outer fide of it is a receptacle
for manure. On the inner a range of water
troughs ; with a channel of communication
for the conveniency of filling them. The
• materials of the troughs, ftone*i of the chan-
nel, gutter bricks, covered with flabs.
The
♦ Stone TROUGHS. Thefe tronglis, which are ahour
fourteen inches by two feet fix inches within, — have a con-
veniency in their conftrucflion, which is entitled to notice.
Inftead of the fides and the ends being all of them pecked
down to an angle, fquarc with the bottom, one of the ends
is left bevelling, Hoping, making a very obtiife angle wirii
the bottom. This fimple variation renders them eafy m
be cleaned ; eitlier with the fhovcl, or the broom.
254 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
The floor is paved with hard-burnt bricks,
laid edge-way in mortar ; being formed with
a fteep defcent from the wall to a channel,
fome three or four feet from it ; and with a
gentle fall from the manger to the fame chan-
nel ; which becomes the general drain for rain
water and urine.
At one end of the pens is a pump (where
a natural rill cannot be had) for fupplying the
troughs with water ; and, at tlie other, a
flack of ftubble for litter ; which is ufed in
the flail only ; the yard being left unlittered.
At one end of the building is a cake-houfe,
at the other, the rickyard ; with a door at each
end of the gangway to receive the hay and
the cake.
In one or more inflances, I have feen a
double range of Halls on this plan ; the area
between them being the common receptacle
for the dung. When a number of flails, as
twenty or thirty, are required, this arrange-
ment brings them within a convenient com-
pafs ; and the two ranges, with a proper af-
pe6l, become fhelter to each other.
Befide thefe loofe flails, there are others,
built nearly on the fame plan, but without
gates,
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 255
gates, and on a fomewhat fmaller fcale, in
which the cattle are fajlened to the mano-er,
or the partition polls, with a long chain,
which gives them liberty to rub and lick
themfelves, ajid move about in their flails.
In tliis cafe, a water trough is generally placed
at the end of every fecond partition, level
with the ♦manger, with a general pipe of
communication to fill themj each trough
fupplying two bullocks. This plan lelTens
the expence in fome degree, and prevents
the bullocks from fouling their mansers.
There are individuals in the diflrict, who
have fifty, or more, of one or the other of
thefe flails, on their refpeclive premifes.
The number of oxen to a given quantity
of hay.
The requifite attendance.
Thefeafon of flail fatting.
The Hated times of feeding.
The quantity of cake eaten in a day.
The manner of feeding with hay.
The progrcfs of oxen at cakes, and
Putting them from dry meat to grafs, —
are fubjedts, which now require to bq fepa-
rately handled,
A. TJ.c
256 FATTING CATTLE. ^t.
A. The NUMBER OF OXEN requifite to a
certain quantity of hay laid up, depends on
their fize, on their ftate as to forwardnefs, and
on the quantity of cake intended to be con-
fumed with it. In places, where hav is a
dear article, cake is the principal food ; a
fmall quantity of hay, cut with wheat ftraw,
being given them between the meais of cake ;
by wav of what i^ termed cleaning their
mouths, as well as to corredt the over-rich-
nefs of the cake. On the contrary, in this
diftrid, where hay is generally plentiful and
cheap, cake becomes, in moft cafes, fecon-
dary; hay being confidered as the principal
material of fatting. A man, whofe practice
is extenfive -, and whofe character, as a gra-
zier, is of the firft call j eilimates a fulifized
bullock to confume, in fix months, two tons
of hay J being allowed, in that time, fifteen
hundred weight of oilcake.
B. The requifite quantity of attendance
depends, in fome degree, on circumilances.
The general calculation is one man to about
twenty head of oxen :— <utting hay, breaking
cake, feeding, watering, littering, and keep-
ing clean, mcliifive.
C. The
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 157
C. The SEASON of flail fatting lafts, in this
diftrid, from Novennbcr to May; commen-
cing when the aftergrafs is gone, or fharp
weather fets in -, and clofing with the finifh-
ing of the bullocks; or when a full bite of
ipring grafs is formed.
D. The STATED MEALS Vary with the pro-
portion of hay and cake, and with other cir-
cumftances. In the ordinary pradtice, three
meals of hay ; one in the morning, — one at
noon, — one in the evening ; — and two of
cake, one in the forenoon,^ — the other in the
afternoon; are the prevailing number of meals,
and the ufual times of feeding.
E. The QUANTITY OF CAKE, which is
ufually given each bullock at a meal, is about
a quarter of a peck of broken cake ; — giving,
at the two meals, about half a peck a day.*
When it is found requifite to force them for-
ward for a market, the quantity is fometimes
encreafed
* The cakes are broken in a large mortar ; with a
wooden lever-like peflal, fliod with iron ; oir with a beetle,
or a fmall fledge hammer, in a wooden trough ; or arc
ground in a cider mill ; reducing them into fragments of
two or three fquare inches each, down to thofe of a much
fmaller fize.
Vol. L S
238 FATTING CATTLE. 31.
encreafed to near a peck of broken cake a-day.
But in this cafe, it is given them at three or
more meals j it being dangerous to cloy them
with this fpecies of food ; which is liable to
make them fick; — and, in confcquence, to
loathe it, perhaps, for feveral days ; and, in
fome cafes, to perfevere in refufing it. In
open yards, where cake is fometimes given
to loofe bullocks, this accident not unfre-
quently happens ; the mailer bullocks having
an opportunity of eating more than their fliarej
but in flails, where each ox has no more than
the quantity which is afTigned him, this in-
conveniency can happen through imprudent
management, only.
F. The METHOD of feeding with hay ap-
pears in what has pafled : it is given to them,
uncut, two or three times a-day, according
to the number of meals of cake, which they
have allowed them.
G. The PROGRESS of oxen, and the length
of time requifite to finish them, in ftalls, —
depend on the fpecific quality of the bullocks
themfelves ; on the (late, as to forward nefs,
in which they are taken up ; and to the quan-
tity of cake they have allowed. In the
fpccics
31. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 259
fpecies of grazing now under notice, a large
ox, which is bought in lean, is expedied to
take from ten to n^-elve months to finifh him
for Smithfield market. If bought in May-
June, for inllance, he has the fummer's grafs,
and lattermath, until, perhaps, the middle
of November ; when he is put to cake i and
fent off to market at Candlemas, Ladyday,
or Mayday, according to the progrefs he
has made ; or as the chance of a good mar-
ket may direct.
They are feldom, however, kept the whole
of the winter in STALLS J the head bullocks,
only, being flailed at the beginning of the
feafon -, the reft having a fmaller allowance of
cake given them, in open yards ; or, per-
haps, have an allowance of hay, only, in the
FIELD. As the Hailed bullocks go to market*
their places are fupplied by the forwardeft
of thofe, which are more at large.
H. Ifthe laft-ftalled bullocks are not fi-
nifhed fufficiently for market, before Ipring
grafs is fit to receive them, they are fome-
timeS TRANSFERRED FROM THE STALLS TO
THE FIELD; and there have been inftances, in
which this was done with confiderable advan-
S 2 tase
%6o FATTING CATTLE. 31.
tage ; though, in general, it does not feem
to be confidered as an eligible pra<ftice. It
is fufficiently afcertained, however, that there
is no danger in this expedient ; and that the
cattle, it diey do not improve by it, may,
at leall, be kept from finking.
If CAKE be continued to them at grass,
there can be no doubt of the practice being
frequendy advifeable. The markets for fat
cattle are generally low at the clofe of the
winterfatting fealbn. On the contrar)', from
that time, until grafs beef be ready, they are
moflly favorable to the feller.
7. The MARKET for this fpecies of fatting
catde is Smithfieldj to which they are driven
by occafional drovers, engaged for the pur-
pofe : there being no ftationed drovers here,
as in Norfolk (fee norf: econ:). The ufual
time upon the road is eight days: the dif-
tance about a hundred miles. They are
chiefly (or wholly from fb:s diftrict) con-
figned to falefmen. The expence of drift,
falefman, toll, &:c. is generally about ten
lliillings the head.
8. The PRODUCE of oxen fatted in this
manner, will, if valued according to the popu-
lar
31-
VALE OF GLOCESTER. 261
Jar mode of eftimation, appear to be very low.
They are not expected, during the ten or
twelve months fatting, to produce more than
two thirds of their firft coll -, whUe there are
many breeds of cattle in this idand, whofe in-
dividuals would more than double y fome of the
fmaller kinds trehky their firft coft, in the fame
time, with the fame keep.
Left this fact ftiould be laid hold of, as an
argument againft the Herefordihire breed of
cattle, or the Glocefterfhire mediod of fatting
them, it may be proper to intimate, that al-
though large cattle confume, on a par, more
food than thofe of a fmaller breed \ yet it is
more than probable, that the difparity does
not keep pace with the difference in their firft
cofts. Thus, it is not probable that an ox of
fifteen pounds coft ftiould confume as much
food as three cows of five pounds, or five
Welch heifers of three pounds, each.
The prefent price of this breed of oxen, in
working condition, immediately out of the
yoke, at fix year old, is ten to fixteen pounds
each. In the ordinary eftimation of the coun-
try it is expecbed that thefe oxen Ihould pro-
duce, at grafsj from three fliillings to three
S 3 ftiillings
262 FATTING CATTING. 31.
fhillin^ and fixpence a week; at bay and
cake, from fix to feven (hillings ; or, the
largeft fize, at high keep^ feven (hillings and
fixpence a week : leaving at the end ot ten to
twelve months, a grofs produce of feven to
nine or ten pounds. Twenty five pounds is not
an uncommon price for a bullock of this breed
in Smithfield market: there has been, I under-
(land, feveral inilances in which the Hereford-
fhire breed of oxen, fatted in this diftricl, liave
fetched thirty pounds the ox.
M A N A G E M E N T
O F T H E
DAIRY.
THE OBJECTS of the dair>% in this di-.
ftrid, are
Calves
Milk butter
Chcefe
Whey butter
Swine.
But
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 263
But previous to an account of the manage-
ment of each objeft, individually, it will be
proper to notice fome fubjefts, which have a
general relation to the whole. Thefe are
1. Dairy-women.
2. Dairy-room.
3. Utenfils.
4. Milking.
I. Dairywomen. The management or
immediate fuperintendance of a large dairy,
efpecially one of which cheefe is the principal
objed, is not a light concern. It requires
much thought, and much labour. The whole
of the former, and m.uch of the latter, necef-
farily falls on the immediate fuperintendant j
)vho, though fhe m.ay have her afliilants, fees
or ought to fee, herfelf, to every ftage of the
bufinefs ; and performs, or ought to perform,
the more difficult operations.
This arduous department is generally under-
taken by the mistress of the dairy ; efpeci-
ally on middlefized and fmall farms. In fome
cafes, an experienced dairy maid is die often-
fible manager.
S 4 There
264 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
There are three things principally requifite
in the management of a dairy:
Skill,
Indiiflry,
Cleanlinefs.
Without the firfl, the two latter may be ufcd
in vain: and a want of the laft implies a defici-
ency in the other two. Cleanlinefs may indeed
be confidered as the firjl qualification of a
dairywoman ; for, without it, fhe cannot
have a fair claim to cither fl<ill or induflry.
With refpect to CLEANLINESS, the Glocef-
terfhire dairywomen ftand unimpeachable.
Judging from, the dairies I have fecn, they arc
much above par, in reality ; — though not fo to
common appearance. A cheefe dairy is a ma-
nufactory— a workfliop — and is, in truth, a
place of hard work. That ftudied outzi'ard
neatnejs which is to be fcen in they^^ow dairies
of different difl:ri(5ts, and may be in charafter
where butter is the only objeCb, would be fuper-
fluous in a CHEESE DAiRV. If the room, the
utcnfils, the dairywoman, and her affillants be
fufficiently clean to give perfect sweetness to
the produce, no matter for tlie colota-y or the
arrangement, The/couritig ivijp gives an out-
Avaid
32. VALE OF GLOCF.STER. 265
ward fairnefs ; but is frequently an enemy to
real cleanlinefs. Thc/caldwg brujh^ only, can
give the requifite sweetness : and I have {^tu.
it no where more diligently ufed than in Gio-
cefterfhire.
Cleanlinefs implies industry. A Glocef-
terlhire dair)^woman is at hard work, from
four o'clock in the morning, until bed time.
Her degree of skill requires not to be fpo-
ken of here ; as it will better appear in the fol-
lowing detail, than in any general obfervations
which can be made upon it.
2. The DAiRYROOM, The chief peculiarity
obfervable in a Glocefterfhire dairyroom pro-
vincially " dairyhoufe" — is that of its gene-
rally having an outer door, opening into a
fmall yard or garden place ; while the dairy of
moft other diftridls is cooped up in a corner,
with only a fmall window for the admilTion of
air and light j every thing being dragged, in
and out, through a number of inner doors, or
perhaps rooms or paflages. But an outer door
gives a freer and more general air -, and a much
better and a more commodious light; befides
rendering the bufinefs of cleanlinefs more eafy.
In the dairy yard there is, or ought to be,
a well;
266 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
a well J with proper benches and other conve-
niences, for wafhing and drying utenfils.
The room, too, is large and commodious:
15 feet by 18 may be confidered as a middle-
fized dairy. The cheefe-making and churning
are done in the " dairyhoufe": fo that the en-
tire bufinefs is collected into as narrow a com-
pafs as may be: a circumftance offome impor-
tance, in a large dair}' ; and, in a fmall one,
the advantage is proportional. The floor is
generally laid with ftone. The Jhelves are
jnoftly of elm, or alh.
With refped to aspect, the outer door,
when well placed, opens near the northeaft or
the nonhwefl corner : the window on the north
fide : the inner door, on the fouth-fide, open-
ing into the kitchen.
A dair)Toom on this plan is, perhaps, as
commodious as art can render it.
3. Utensils. A detail of the furniture
of a dairy may appear uninterefting i and, by
fome readers, be thought unnecellar}-. It would
be difficult, however, to give a minute ac-
count ot the method of carrying on the manu-
faSfure, without dcfcribing the tools 'mu(c: a
defer iption of them is little more than a defini-
tion
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 267
tion of technical terms. Perlpicuit)'^ requbcs
it.
1. A'lilkrng pail. The fhape nearly tliat
of a bulliei , But formed of ftaves and hoops ;
with one " handle ftave" rifing three or four in-
ches above the rim. (The Yorkfhirey^r^/ v.ith
one handel.) The diameter about fifteen in-
ches ; the depth about ten inches. Staves
oak — hoops (broad and clofe) aih.
2. Milk cooler -y pro^'incialiy " cheefe cowl."
——This is a large ftrong wooden veflel, pro-
portioned in fize to the number of cows. From
eighteen inches, to two feet deep : — and from
two to three feet diameter. Two oppc-fite
ftaves rife above the reft : the head of each i la-
ying a hole in it, large enough to admit a pole i
for the purpofe of moving it, or carrying it on
men's ftioulders ; anfwering the purpofe, oc-
cafionally, of what in fome diftricVs is called a
bearing tub , in others a co'Ji-L
3. Strainer ; cr milk Jieve. Made fieve-
form: twelve or fourteen inches diameter:
five or fix inches deep: fome with hair bottoms:
others have cloth bottoms ; which are taken
out every day to wafti. A frond or leaf of fern
is
268 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
is frequently placed at the bottom of the fieve
ro prevent the milk from flying over.
4. Sieve holder ; provincially " cheefe
ladder." — This is laid acrofs the cooler to
place the milk fieve or ftrainer upon. It has
here a valuable Angularity of conftruftion : at
one end are rsvo crofs bars about three inches
apart. This vacancy admitting one " ear" or
handle of the cooler, the ladder is kept fecurely
in its place. The wood, alh.
5. Lading dijh. The ufual Ihape but large ;
near a foot diameter.
6. Tail hrujhes. Common hard bruflies ;
furnifhed with briftles at the end, to clean out
the angles of the veflTels more efFefbually.
TJtcnfils, or rather tools, which no dairy
ought to be without. Yet in many diflrids of
the kingdom their ufes are unknown,
7. Pail-Jlake. A fimple contrivance; or
rs'^her a thought j which one would imagine,
no perfon, having dairy utenfils to dry, could
mifs: yet it appears to have been hit upon in
this country only. In other dillricls I fee
milking pails, &c. placed upon benches, or
upon walls, to dry j where they are liable to be
blown down by the wind, or thrown down and
burft
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 269
burft by other means. Here, a bough, fur-
nifhed with many branchlets, is fixed with its
but-end in the ground, in the dairy yard.
The branchlets being lopped, of a due length,
each flump becomes a peg to hang a pail upon
or other utenfil.
8. " Skeehr Thefe are broad fhaUow
velTels ; principally for the purpofe of fetting
milk in, to ftand for cream : made in the tub
manner, with flaves and hoops, and two
ilave handles : of various fizes, from eighteen
inches to two feet and a half diameter; and
from five to feven inches deep. Staves oak ;
lioops (broad and clofe) afh.
9. Skimming dijhes. If of wood, very thin.
But chiefly oi tin. About eight inches dia-
meter; and five eights of an inch deep.
10. Cream jars. Cream is chiefly pre-
ferved in eardien jars of a middle fize.
II." Cream Jlicey A wooden knife ; fome
what in the fhape of a table knife. Length
12 or 14 inches.
1 2. Churns. Upright and barrel churns
are in ufe. The barrel churn with one fixt
and one loofe handle. Noway excellent in
their conftrudion. Butter is here zJecGndary
obje(5t
270 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
object. The Yorkfliire churn is preferable :
but this might be expected : there butter is
the primary object of the dairy.
13. Butter board, and trowel. A broad
board and a wooden fpatula, ufed in " print-
ing" the butter.
14. Butter prints. The halfpound print
four inches diameter.
15. Cheeje knife. A wooden handle, four
or five inches longs — furnifhed with two, or
three iron blades, twelve inches long, and
one inch broad, at the handle, down to about
three quarters of an inch at the point ; with
two blunt edges, rounded at the point, like
an ivory paper-knife. The diftance between
the blades, which are very thin, and ranged
with their fiat fides toward each other, about
an inch.
16. Cheefe vdts. From fifteen to fifteen
and a half inches diameter j and from one
and a half incli to two inches deep. The
wood invariably elm. Some with, but many
without holes.
17. Cheejc cloths. Made of thin gauze-
like linnen cloth. The fize varies in dif-
ferent dairies.
18. Cheefe-
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 271
18. Cheeje prefs. The conftruftion various.
Sometimes fingle ; but, in large dairies, ge-
nerally double. The prelTure is moftly given
by a dead weight, raifed by a roller, and
falling perpendicularly on the cheefe. In the
upper vale, they are chiefly of Itone. The
dimenfions of one of a fuperior weight are ,
twenty two inches fquare, by two feet two
inches long i containing 12,584 cubical inches
of freeilone j weighing (on the fuppofition,
that its fpecific gravity is an ounce and a half
to an inch) fomewhat more than half a ton.
But, by an accurate experiment, I found,
that a cubical inch of fimilar ftone (freeftone
of the Cotfwold cliiFs) weighs only 500 grains.
Therefore, calculating the pound averdupois
at 7,000 grains troy, the ftone under notice
weighs eight hundredweight.
The dimenfions of other three (all of the
fame fize and in the fame dairy) are 20 inches
wide, by 1 4 deep, and two feet four inches
long: containing 7,840 cubical inches of
Cotfwold freeftone: confequently, weigh no
more than five hundredweight each.
Thefe are of the old ccnJiruMion -, which is
very fimple. In the center is fixt a wooden
fl^rew.
272 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
fkrew, rifing three or four feet perpendicu-
larly above the (tone ; pafTing through a hole
in a crofs beam, refting on the cheeks of the
prefs. Above this crofs-piece is worked
a loofe nut, made out of a piece of wood,
eighteen inches to two feet long, and of a
diameter proportioned to the fize of the worm.
Each end is reduced to the fize of a handle ;
and with this two-handled nut the ftone is
raifed and lowered. I'he peipendicularity of
the flvrcw keeps the bafe of the ftone hori-
zontal; and to keep it more fteady in its place,
it IS notched at each end about an inch deep,
to admit the cheeks, or flips nailed on the in-
ner fides of them, for that purpofe.
4. Milking. The hours of milking are
here early : about five in the morning, and
four in the evening; in order to give due
time for finifliing the requifite bufinefs of the
dairy, before bed-time.
Where a large dairy of cows are kept, the
wliole family (excepting thofe who have the
care of the teams) muller to milking. An
indoor fcrvant, by the name of a " milking
man" is generally kept, in the larger dairies,
for the purpofe of milking, churning, and
othcrwife
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 273
otherwile aflifting in the bufinefs of the dairy:
he has the care of the cows and the cow-
grounds ^ and is confidered as a principal
ien-ant.
When the " cowground" lies near the
houfe, the cows are generally brought into
the yard, or other fmall inclofure : if the paf-
ture lie at a diftance, the pails are always
carried to the cows. Alfo if die ground be
very wet, and poach with the cows travelling
over it, judicious dairymen have the pails
carried to them. In more than one initance,
I have feen a horfe and barrel-cart employed,
to take the milk from a diftant meadow or
cowground to the dairyhoufe.
The pradice is to milk the cows unfet-
tered ; and to ufe fquare-topped, four-leo-o-ed
ftools i refting one edge of the bottom of the
large pail, here in ufe, againit two legs of the
ftool. Hence the conveniency of its form.
The management of the particular objects
of the dairy now require attention.
I. Calves. Thefe, being the firft pro-
duce, and as it were the origin of dairies, re-
quire to be firft noticed.
Vol. I. T The
274
DAIRY MANAGEMENT.
The REARING OF CALVES has be^n already
rpoken of, in p. 255. The method of failing
them remains to be mentioned in this place.
The FATTING OF CALVES being, here, a
fubordinate oh^^6i ofthedair)', no ven' accu-
rate ideas on the fubject mull be expected :
the late-dropt calves are an encumbrance on
cheefmaking, the primary object, and are of
courfe got rid of as foon as poflible. One
fingularit)' of management, however, requires
to be noticed.
Calves, whether for rearing or fatting, are
feldom fuffered to fuck more than two or three
daj-s ; Ibmetimes they are put to the paiJ, as
foon as they are droptj the milk being, I
believe, pretty univerlally pafled through the
kettle ; and given to the calves 'xarmer than
it comes from the cow. On the increafed
heat of the milk, the advantage of this unv.a-
tural n"Kxie of fatting is here thought princi-
pally to hinge. See york: econ: ii, 295,
on this fubje<5t.
II. Milk butter. In the upper vale,
milk butter forms a confiderable object of the
dair)': not only in the fpring, while calves
are rearing, before cheefmaking commences;
but
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 275
but during fummer: owing to the species
or CHEESE, which is univcrially made here^
and which is, I beheve, peculiar to the vale
of Glocefter. It is called " two-meal cheefe.'*
The evening's meal is fet for cream ; and,
being fkimmed in the morning, is added to
the morning's meal, neat from the cow.
The method of making butter in this dif-
tr'i6ty therefore, merits a defcription in detail;
efpecially as Glocester butter, — which is
diftributed, by huckfters, to diftant parts of
the countr}"^, bears a fuperior character. The
ftages of the art are, —
1 . Setting the milk.
2. Preferving the cream.
3. Churning.
4. Maldng up the butter.
5. Markets.
I. Setting the milk. This I have (cea
done in different ways : every diftrict exhibits
good and bad management, — in almoft every
department of rural affairs. The bell me-
thod of fetting milk in this country, which I
have feen, and which may, I believe, be cal-
led the befl: practice of the diftrict, is this.
T 2 The
276 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
The milk having remained in the cooler, a
time, proportioned to the heat of the weather ;
lb as to lower it to about 80" of Farenheit's
thermometer ; it is parcelled out in " (keels :"
or, if theie are not fufficicntly numerous to re-
ceive it, in any other dairy vefTel ; — leaving,
perhaps, a part of it in the cooler*; dividing
it in fuch a manner, as to leave it about an
i}icb {^eepy in each veflel : the dairywoman
meafuring the depth, by the joint of her fin-
ger ; and carefully placing the vefTels level j
fo that one fide be not left deeper than the
other. The prevailing rule is to Jet it as Jhallow
as it can he conveniently Jkimmed \ under a con-
viction, that the fliallower it is fet, the more
cream will rife, from a given quantity of milk.
An inch and a half is the ordinary depth j but,
in the pra6tice I am more particularly regif-
tering, the dairywoman has dexterity of fin-
ger fufHcient to fkim it at an inch deep. This,
however, could not be done without the af-
fiftance of a //;/ Jkimming dijh ; which being
thinner,
• Mil. K- LEADS are not common in this diftricl. I have,
nc verthcldb, leen fume very old ones in u(e : acircum-
Jtautial evidence, that Uicir ufc has been long knoivn in tliis
djftria.
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 277
thinner, gathers up the cream cleaner, than
a wooden onej but requires a more fteady
hand to guide it.
1. Preserving the cream. Earthern
jars are the common receptacles of cream. —
In thefe it isjiirred fever al times a day, with
the " cream flicei" but feems to be Jhifted
lefs frequently, here, than in fome other dairy
countries. Cream, here, has a peculiar pro-
penfity to become " curdy;" lofing its liquid
ftate ; requiring fome ftrength of hand to ftir
iti arifmg probably, from its fuperiorrichnefs*.
3. Churning. In the practice, which I
more particularly attended to, the bufinefs of
churnins: is conduced in this manner: — If
the weather be hot, the churn is previouHy
cooled with cold water; and, if wanted, cold
water is lil:ewife put into the churn among
the cream. On the contrary, if the weather
be cold, the churn is warmed with fcalding
T 3 waters
* Colouring butter. In autumn, when butter ge-
nerally becomes pale and tallow-like, the cream is not un-
frequently coloured, before it be put into the churn. Tlie
material of colouring is tlie fame as that ufed in the colour-
ing of cheefe; which will be fpoken of in the next article.
The method of ufing it, however, is fomcwhat different.
278 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32,
water; and, if wanted, hot water is put into
the churn ; which, perhaps, in fevere wea-
ther, is placed near the tire, during the
operation.
The cream of the vale is very liable to rife
in the churn ; owing, probably, to its pecu-
liar richnefs. Under this circumftance, part
of it is taken out ; and, when that which is
left in the churn is gone down again, the part
taken out is re- added.
The mouth of the churn is fecured with
butter, prefied plafterwife into the joints. —
This is thought to be lefs troublcfome than a
cloth.
The breaking is here carefully attended to.
It is confidered as very injurious to heat the
butter in the churn.
4. Making up butter. In making up
butter, the firft bufinefs is to prepare the fe-
veral utenfils employed in the operation. —
Here they confift of the " butter fkeel" — the
" butter board" — the " print" and " trow-
ell." The preparation required is to prevent
the butter from hanging to the wood. It is
here done with fcalding water, and Jaltj
brulhed into the wood while moifl: and hot,
with
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 279
with a foft thick-fet brufh : either putting the
fait upon • the brufh, or dufting it over the
utenfil ; which, being faked, is immediately-
plunged into cold water. The dairywoman's
hands are prepared in a fimilar manner.
I will give the minutise of this operation, as
performed by a moll excellent dair)n^oman ;
whofe butter feldom fails of being of the firft
quahty. They differ from thofe, which I
have already given j* and are, probably, the
beft which I may have an opportunity of ob-
ferving -, and probably the laft, upon which I
may bellow the tedioufnefs of regiftering.
The butter being taken out of the churn,
and placed in the " fkeel," with a quantity of
cold clear water, — the dairywoman breaks off
a lump, (fomewhat more than a pound) and,
with one hand, kneads it in the water, zuitb
the fingers fpread widely abroad ^ doling them
at intervals j thereby breaking the butter mofl
effechiallyj confequently giving the contained
milk an opportunity of efcaping. Every time
the fingers are clofed, the lump is rolled on
the bottom of the fkeel 3 the hand fhifted,
taking
* SeexoRF: ecox: min : log,
T 4
2So DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
taking the lump the contrary wayj and worked
as before. This being feveral times repeated,
the firft roll is placed upon the butter board,
and a frefh lump broken off.
The whole being gone over in this man-
ner, the milky water is poured out (into the
tub of buttermilk*) the Ikeel walhed, and
fomewhat more than half the butter fpread
thinly and evenly, but roughly, oyer the bot-
tom of it. Salt is then dufted upon this rough
furface; the remaining lumps of butter fpread
over the fait ; and over the whole another
portion of fait is ftrewed.
The dairywoman now rolls the whole into
one lump -, which fhe immediately breaks
down with the palm of her hand ; the fingers
expanded as before j forcing the butter from
heri clofing the fingers pai-tialiy at every
ftroke;
* Butter milk is here acidulated for the hogs; being
mixed among the whey, which is alfo giren to the hogs
Itale and lour: not, I believe, as a matter of choice, which
i<» ftudicd ; but as a matter of conveniency.
In winter, when butter milk is fweet, it is fometimcs
run, among other milk, for " family checfe;" and affords
a confiderable quantity of curd ; but it makes what is cal-
led a " bitter mefs," and tlie running of it, is, I under-
derfland, confidercd as a mean fpccies of economy.
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 281
ftroke ; thereby leaving it at the bottom of
the Ikeel exceedingly rough.
Over this rugged furface frefh water is
poured j the butter rolled up again into one
large lump ; again broken down in the man-
ner laft-defcribed : and again formed into one
large roll. — This is at length broken into
pound lumps ; and kneaded in the water, as
in the firft inftance.
The butter is now a fecond time upon the
butter board (over which water is always
thrown before die lumps be placed upon it)
and the fkeel being emptied of the briney
water, the lumps are feparately kneaded (with
one hand) on. the bottom of it, dry ; and fet
in fhort rolls, againit the fide of the fkeel.
The butter fcales are then taken out of the
fait water, which was poured out of the fkeel,
and in which they have been immerfed during
the laft operation, and evenly balanced v/ith
butter ; the lumps divided i and vreighed in
half-pound pieces '. which are again re' Ji\:ed into
the fkeel i or, for want of room, i;re placed
upon the board.
This being effeded, the lumps are prepared
for printing ; by kneading them, dry, at the
bottom
2g2 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
bottom of the fkeel ; and moulding each into
a conical form ; with the palm of the hand ;
and with the fmgers joined, and fet at right
angle to the palm. The point of the cone-
like lump thus formed, being placed in the
center of the print, the bale is prefled down,
until the furface of the print be covered.
What preffes over, at the edges, is collected,
(by running the finger round the print,) and
put upon the intended bottom of the pat.
The fides are finally finoothed with the trowel ;
the pat with the print fet upon the butter
board j and the print taken off: leaving the
pat about J. inches diameter and about if inch
thick.*
If
♦ BuTTrRGArcE. A cubical inch of well wroi;jbt
butter weighed 230 grains ; or fomewhat more than half
xn ounce averdupois. Therefore a pound averdupois of
well wrought butter contjuns fomewhat more than thirty cu-
bic^ inches (3c. 4..) And t>>e ftandard pound of this dif-
trict (iSoz;) nieafures more than thirt>' four inches (34. 25.)
The half pound fomewhat more than feventeen inches.
Hence a ha' f pound print or pat of butter exactly four inches
m diameter ought (it well worked ar.d honcftly weighed) to
Hieafure exadly 1.362S inches in deptli.
A meafure, of fonic regular figure, as a cube, accurately
fcrnied, oatJKfe princ:nle5, would bt the bcflftandard for a
market
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 283
If the print does not " looie" freely, the
hand is placed," carefully and firmly, againfc
the fide of the pat ; thereby gaining a degree
of purchafe to pull againft. If the butter be
found to adhere in any degree to the wood,
the print is fcalded, faked and brufhed, unt'd
it loofen. freely ; without the indelicacy of
klozving in the nnanner praclifed in moft places.
The pats remain fome length of time, gene-
rally one night, upon the board to fliffenj
and, in the morning, are placed in cold water,
previous to their being put into the bafkets,
in which they are carried to market.
5. Markets. The butter markets of
the upper vale are chiefly Ghcefier^ Chelten-
bam J T^ewkejbury, and Evefia-m. That of
Glocefter is the lars-eft and the neatefi butter-
market I have an\'^vhere obferved. The but-
ter is all brought in half-pound pats or prints,
packed
market inqueft ; as it w'ould not only check the weight xh\x\
the purity of the butter alfo ; provided due care were obfer-
ved in pi effing itclofely uito the gauge ; thereby freeing it
from the redundant mciflore, which dairy-women, who are
fkiliull and lionefl, extraci: before they take it to market ;
but which the flovenly and the defigning fell at the price of
butter. See Norfolk, min : icg.
2^4 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
packed up in fquare bafkets, in a manner
^vhich merits defcrlption.
The bafkets are invariably of one form:
long-fquare j with a bow-handle acrofs the
middle ; and with two lids, hingeing upon a
crofs piece under the bow. The dimenfions
of an ordinary bafket are 18 by 14 inches
within J and about 10 inches deep. This
balket holds twelve prints (four by three) in
one layer or tire. When the butter is firm,
three layers or i81b. are put in each bafket;
when foft two tires or 1 2 lb. One of a larger fize
meafures 18 by 23 inches within; carrying
twenty half pounds in each tire; or 30 lb. in
the three tires. The bafket is put into a kind
of open wallet ; with generally a fmaller baf-
ket or other counterpois at the oppofite end of
the wallet ; which being ftrapt tightly to the
faddle (judicioufly made for this purpofe)
with the heavy end on the off fide of the horfe,
the dairymaid mounts, and, with her own
^•eight, preferves the balance. The bafket
being lafhed on in fuch a manner as to ride
perfedlly level, die prints are preferved fron-i
bruifing.
In
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 285
In fummer, the butter is invariably packed
in green leaves : generally in what the dairy-
"women call " butter leaves": namely the
leaves of the Atriplex hortenfis^ or garden
orach j which dairywomen in general few in
their gardens, annually, for this purpole.
They are fufficiently large ; of a fine texture ;
and a delicate pale-green colour. For want
of thefe, vine leaves, and thofe of kidney-
beans &c. are ufed.
In packing a butter bafket, the bottom is
bedded with a thick cloth, folded two or three
times. On this is fpread a fine thin gauze-like
cloth, which has been dipped in cold water ;
and on this is placed the prints j with a large
leaf beneath, and a fmaller upon the center of
each. The bottom tire adjufted, a fold of
the cloth is fpread over it, and another tire fet
in, in a fimilar manner. At market, the cloth
is removed ; and the prints, partially covered
with leaves, fhown in all their neatnefs. The
leaves are ufeful as well as pleafing to the eye.
They ferve as guards to the prints. The but-
ter is taken out of the bafl'^et, as well as put
in to it, without being touched, or the prints
disfigured.
III. Cheese.
286 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
III. Cheese. The art of making gloces-
TERSHiRE CHEESE wos Originally one of the
principal obje<5ls which induced me to make
choice of Glocefterfliire as a station'. My
praftice in Norfolk* had fhown me that, in the
quality of cheefe, although much may depend
upon SOIL and herbage, much is certainly
due to MANAGEMENT.
Glocestershire has long been celebrated
for its excellency in this art: and where fhall
we ftudy an art with fo much propriety as in
the place where it excels ? It may be proper to
add, that altho' my own experience had not
led me to perfe(5bion, it had fufficiently enabled
me to make accurate obfervations on the prac-
tices of others. An analytical arrange-
ment, of the feveral departments and flages
of the art, was a guard againft my fuffering
any material part to efcapc my notice ; and
the thermometer a certain guide in thofe
difficult palTages, in which an accuracy of
judgement, is more peculiarly requifite.
♦ Sec RURAL ECONOMY OF NORFOLK. MIN : icS.
Tlie
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 287
The objedls of my attention have beeji
Soils Management of the
Water curd
Herbage Management of the
Cows cheefe
^ality of milk Defeds and Excel-
Colouring lencies
Rennets Markets
Method of running Produce.
The management of the two vales under
furvey differ in one moil material aiticle ;
the quality of the milk. In the lower vale,
the milk is run neat from the cow (or nearly
lb). In the upper vale, it has been already
faid, the prevailing praftice is to fet the even-
ing's meal for cream j in the morning to fkim
it i and then to add it to the new milk of the
morning's meal. The cheefe made from this
mixture is termed " tv»'o-meal cheese":
that from the neat milk, " one-meal cheefe"
or " BEST MAKING."
Befides this difference in produce, or spe-
cies OF cheese, there are other differences in
the pradices of the two vales. It will there-
fore be proper to rcgifter them feparately;
left by mixing them, the perfpicuity, which is
requifite
288 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
requifite in delcribing the minutise of an art fo
complex and difficult as tliis under confidera-
tion, fhould be deftroyed.
Of the UPPER VALE the foil, the her If age,
and the co-w have been already mentioned : the
lubjedls which remain to be noticed in this
place are
1. The feafon of making
2. The quality of the milk
J. Colouring
4. Rennets
5. Running
6. Management of the curd
7. Management of the cheefe
8. Markets.
1. The season of making. From the
beginning of May to the latter end of Odober,
including feven months, may be coniidered as
the feafon of cheefmalcing, in this diftrid:.
2. The quality of the milk. The
mixture for twomeal cheefe has been men-
tioned, in general terms, to be one part fkim
milk (namely milk v/hich has flood one meal
for cream) and one part new milk, neat from
the cow. But this is feldom, I apprehend,
ftiiclly the cale. A Ikile frau^ is, 1 am afraid,
frenerallv
3a. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 289
generally pra6lifed. A greater or lefs propor-
tion of the nnorning's meal is fet for cream,
and returned the next morning to the cheefe
cowl, — robbed of its better part. This is a
trick played upon the cheefe factor: but he
being aware of the pradlice, little advantage,
probably, is got by it. However, where the
foil is fuperiorly rich, a fmall proportion may
'be " kept out", and the cheefe, neverthelefs,
be of a/<j/r quality.
3. Colouring. This is another decep-
tion which has long been pradlifed by the Glo-
cefterlhire dairy women j and which, here-
tofore, probably, they pra6bifcd exclufively.
The colouring of cheefe, however, is now be-
come a pradice in other diftrifts.
The pra6tice has no doubt arifen from the
Glocefterfliire dairywomen's having obferved,
that, on fome foils, and in fome feafons,
cheefe naturally acquires a yellow colour;
and fuch cheefe having been found to bear a
better price, (either from its intrinfic quahty,
or becaufe it pleafed the eye better) than cheefe
of a paler colour, they fet about counterfeiting
nature-, and in the outfet, no doubt, found
their end in it.
Vol. I. U There
29^ DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
There is fome difficulty, however, in this
as in other cafes, to copy nature exactly.
Much depends on the material -, and Ibme-
thing on the method of ufing it. If the colour-
ing material be improperly chofen, or injudi-
cioully ufed, the colour appears in ftreaks,
and inftead of pleafing the eye, offends it.
On the contrary, with a fuitable material,
properly ufed, the artifice may be rendered
undeteftable.
The material which has at length obtained
univerfal efteem j and which, I believe, is
now, almoil invariably ufed j is a preparation
of ANNOTTA J a drug, the produce of Spanilh
America. It is brought to England (for the
the ufe of the dyers principally I believe) un-
der the appearance of an earthy clay-like fub-
ftance ; but is well known to be a vegetable
produdlion. f
It
•}■ Annotta is the produce of Blxa Orcllana of Linncus.
Miller defcribes The plant and its propagation. It is atal-
lifh fhrub, fomewhat rcfembling the hlac. The colouring
material is the pulp of the fruit ; among which the feeds arc
bedded, in a manner fomewhat fimilar to thofe of the rofe,
in the pulp of the hep. It is a native of the Wefl Indies,
and tlie warmer parts of America; Annotta Bay in Jamaica
takes
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 291
It has been tried as a colouring of cheefe in
its genuine ftate ; but without fuccels. The
p REPARATION-, which is here ufed, is made
bv'druo^ills both in London and in the coun-
tr}' i and is fold at the fhops in Glocefter,
and other towns in the diftrift, in rolls or
knobs of three or four ounces each. In co-
lour and contexture it is not unlike well burnt
red brick. But it varies in appearance and
goodnefs : the hardeft and clofell is efteemed
the beft. *
The method of ufing it is this. A piece
of the preparation is rubbed againfl a hard
fmooth even-faced pebble, or other ftone ;
the pieces being previoufly vvetted with milk,
to forward the levigation, and to collect the
particles as they are loofened. For this pur-
pofe a difh of milk is generally placed upon
the
takes its name from this flirub. The pigment, it is faid,
vras formerly collected in Jamaica : but has of later years
been brought there (in feroons, or bags made of undreded
hides) from the Spanifh fettlements,
* With refpecl to the cr'tmc of colouring cheefe, I fay no-
thing in this place : as I Ihall have a better opportunity of
fpeaking of it, when the vale of Berkeley becomes the
fubjecl of notice.
U 2
292 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
the cheefc-laddcr ; and as the ftonc becomes
loaded with levigated matter the pieces are
dipped in the milk from time to time ; until
l\\Q milk in the difli appear (from daily prac-
tice) to be fufficiently coloured.
The ftone and the " colouring" being
wafhed clean in the milk, it is (lirred brifkly
about in the difli ; and, having (lood a few
minutes for the unfufpended particles of co-
louring to fettle, is returned into the cheefe-
cowl ; pouring it off gently, (o as to leave
any fediment which may have fallen down,
in the bottom of the difh. The grounds are
then rubbed with the fin2:er on die bottom of
the difh, and frelli milk added ; until all the
finer particles be fujpcnded: and in this the
fldll in colouring principally confifls. If any
fragments have broken off in the operation,
they remain at the bottom of the difh : hence
the fupcriority of a hard clofely textured ma-
terial, which vyill not break off or crumble in
rubbing.
The price of annotta is about ten pence an
ounce J which will colour about twenty thin
cheefes ( 10 or 12 pounds each). The colour-
ing dierefore cofls about a halfpenny a cheefe.
4. Rennets.
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER.
20
\f5
4. Ren'n-ets. Rennets are here learnedly
Ipoken of, — by thofe who are lupernciallv ac-
quainted with their ufe. Experienced dairy-
women, however, fpeak modeftly on the fub-
jecl : what they principally expect from rennet
. is the coagulation of their milk j ha\-ing little
faith in its being able to correci any evil qua-
lity which the milk may be pofTefled of.
The univerfal bafts is the ftoraach of a calf;
provincially a " veil" ; from which an extracl:
is drawn, in various ways ; according to the
judgement or hi: ff of the dain-woman.
I. The PREPARATION- OF THE VELL ;
namely the cleanfing and pickling i is gene-
rally done to their hands. Befides the inter-
nal fupply, London and Ireland furnifh this
countn.' with great numbers of veils j which
are brought in calks, in pickle, and fold by
the grocers and other fhopkeepers. The price
of Englifh veils about fixpence a piece, of
Irifh about fourpence ; thefe being compara-
tively fmall. *
2. Preparation- of the rennet. In
the dairy- which I more particularly attended
U 3 ' to
• Some of them, it feems, are pjj^.-^icd to be "lambs
veils."'
294- DAIRY MANAGEiMENT. 32.
to in the upper vale, the rennet under^^'ent
no efiablifbed mode of preparation. The fre-
vailing method is this : fome wbeyy being falted,
until it will bear an egg, is fufFered to fland
all night to purge itfelf: in the morning it is
fkimmed and racked off clear: to this is added
an equal quantity^ oi "jjater-brine, and into this
briney mixture is put fome fweet briar, thyme,
hyffop, or other " fweet herbs" ; alfo a lit-
tle black pepper, fait petre &:c. j tying the
herbs in bunches, and letting them remain in
the brine a few days. Into about fix quarts of
this liquor, four Englilh veils, or a propor-
tionate number of Irilh ones, are put j and
having lain in it three or four days, the rennet
is fit for ufe. No part of the preparation is
boiled, or even heated: and frequendy no
other preparation whatever is ufed, than that
of fteeping the veils in cold fait and water.
Indeed, in another dairy, which I had an op-
portunity of obferving in the upper vale, no
other mode of preparation was ufed j and few,
if any, dairies make better cheefc: I fpeak
from my own knowledge.
Therefore, from the evidence which I have
coUedled in the upper vale it appears that,
provided
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 295
provided the veils be duly prepared — be tho-
roughly cleanfed and cured — no lubfequent
preparation o(rr,inet is neceflary. Neverthe-
lels, were I to recommend a pra(5lice in this
cafe, it would be that of doing away the na-
tural/^/;// flavor of the veils, by fome aroma-
tic infufion. But I jfhould ^Tt(crjpices to herbs
for this purpofe.
5. RuNxiNG. In this, as in every other
ftage and department of cheeimaking there
are Jhades of differ encCi in the pracflices of dif-
ferent dairywomen. No two condufl the bufi-
nefs exadUy alike j nor is the prafbice of any
individual uniform. There are, at prefent,
no fixed principles to go by. Ever^^ thing is
left to the decifion of the fenfes j uncertain
guides. Neverthelefs, pra^ice^ carried on
with attention, and afTifted by good natural
abilities, will do much j though it cannot,
alone, attain that degree of perfection, which,
when joined with/aVw^f, it is capable of reach-
ing.
Themiftrefs of the dairy, whofe practice I
am more particularly regiflering, has both na-
tural and acquired advantages, which render
her dairy," though not of the firft magnitude,
U 4 a proper
296 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 3*
a proper fubjed: of ftudy. Her father was
poffefled of the beft breed of cows in the
vale, and was one of the largeft dairy famiers
in it. Her mother, the firft among its dairy-
women ; and herielf polTefled of that natural
ckvoTiffSy without which no woman, let he/
educaticn be what it may, can conducl, with
any degree of fuperiorit\", the bufinefs of a
cheefe dair\\
In giving a detail of my own pradice in
Norfolk, I mentioned fome kno\s-n principles
of coagulation ; as well as fom.e received opi-
nions of dai^y^vomen, refpecting the nature of
this procefs. The fame opinions are held in
this diftrict j in which fome other received
ideas prevail: namely, that the quantit}- of
curd is in proportion to the length of time of
coagulation : there being " the leaft curd when
longell in coming."
That fetting the milk hot, inclines the
cheefe to " heave" : (a defe<ft which will be
ljx)ken to hereafter.)
And that lowering the heat of the milk
with cold water (when made too hot) has a (i-
milar effect
To
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 297
To give fome idea of the pradicc of the
upper vale, in this moft delicate ftage of the
art, I will detail the obfervations made, durino-
five fucceflive mornings, in the dairy which
has been fpoken of.
TKcJdayy 2 September, 1783. The quality
of the milk, that which has been defcribcd.
Part of the fkim milk added cold ; — part
warmed in a kettle over tlie fire, to raife the
whole to a due degree of heat. Coloured in
the manner defcribed. An ellimatcd fiiffi-
ciency of runnet added. Tlie whole ftirred
and mixed evenly together. The exadl heat
of the mixture 85° of Farenheit's thermome-
ter. The morning clofe and Vvarm, with
fome thunder. The cheefe cowl covered ;
but placed near an open door. The curd,
neverthelefs, came in lefs than forty minutes :
much fooner than expedbed : owing probably
to the peculiar ftate of the air. The retained
heat of the curd and whey, when broken up
and mixed evenly together, 82°. The curd
deemed too tough and hard; though much
the tendered curd I have obferved.
Wednejday, 3 September. The morning
mgderately cool. The heat of the milk when
fet
298 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
fet 831°. The cowl partially covered, and
expofcd to the outward air as before. Came
in an hour and a quarter. The heat of the
curd and whey nnixed evenly together 80°. But
at the top, before mixing, only 77°* The
curd extremely delicate, and eileemed of a
good quality.
Thurjday, 4 September. The morning cool
— a flight froft. The milk heated this morn-
ing to 88°. The cowl more clofely covered;
and the door fhut part of the time. Set at
half pall fix : began tp come at half after fe-
ven : but not fufficiently hard, to be broken
up, until eight o'clock : — an hour and a half.
The whey, when mixt, exaftly 80?! The
curd exceedingly delicate.
Thus it fhould feem, that it is not the heat
of the milk when it is run j but the heat of
the whey, when the curd is fufficiently coa-
gulated, which gives the quality of the curd.
My own praftice led me to the fame idea.
And the Glocefterihire dairywomen, by their
pra(5tice, feem fully aware of the faft. As
autumn advances, the heat of the milk is in-
creafed. And accordingly as the given morn-
ing
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 299
Ing happens to be warm or cool, the degree
of warmth of the milk is varied.
Friday, 5 September. This morning, tlio'
mild, the curd came exactly at 80°! What
an accuracy of judgement here appears to be
diiplayed! Let die ftate of the air be ^vhat
it will, we find die heat of the whey, when
the curd is fufficiendy coagulated, exadly So'',
and diis, widiout the affillance of a thermo-
meter, or any odier artificial help. But what
will not daily prac'rice, natural good feme,
and minute attendon accompHlh.
Saturday, 6 September. This morning the
curd came too quick. The heat of the whey
(after the curd had been- broken and was fet-
tled) fijll 85^! The curd " much tougher
and harder than it fhould be." Here v.-e
have a proof of the inaccuracy of die icnfes;
and of the infufficiency of the natural judge-
ment in the art under confideration : it may
frequendy prcrve to he right; but never can
be certain. Some fcientific helps are evidendy
necefiar}' to uniform success.
6. The
300 DAIRY MANAGEiVIENT. 32.
6. The management of the curd. —
This ftage of the procefs has five diftind ope-
rations belonging to it.
Breaking.
Gathering.
Scalding.
Vatting.
5. Preferving fpare curd.
I. Breaking. Here new ideas pour in.-—
The curd, while fufpended in the whey, is
never touched with the hands*. The curd is
broken, or rather cut, with the triple " cheefe
knife," v.hich has been defcribed. This
mode of feparating the curd and whey, tho'
not univerfal, appears to be highly eligible :
the intention of it is that of " keeping the fat
in the cheele :" a matter which, in the ma-
nufa(5ture of two-meal cheefe, is of the firft
confideration. The operation is performed
in this manner.
The knife is firft drawn its full depth acrofs
cowl in two or three places ; and likewife
round
* In another dairy, however, whofe manager ranks high
among dairy women, the curd is broken will) tlie hands
alone; in the manner defcribed in norf: econ:
32.
VALE OF GLOCESTER. qci
round by the fides ; in order to give the whey
an opportunity of efcaping as clear as may be.
Having flood five or ten minutes, the knife
is more freely ufed : drawing it brifldy in every
direflion, until the upper part of the curd be
cut into fmall checquers. The bottom is
then ftirred up with the difh, in the left hand ;
and, while the lumps are fufpended in the
whey, they are cut with the knife, in the
right: thus continuing to ftir up the curd
with the difh, and feparate the lumps with
the knife, until not a lump larger than a bean
is feen to rife to the furface.
2. Gathering. The curd having been al-
lowed about half an hour to fettle in, the
whey is laded off, with the difh ; palTing it
through a hair fieve into fome otlier veffel.
The principal part of the whey being
laded off, the curd is drawn to one lide of
the cowl, and preffed hard with the bottom
of the dilli : the fkirts and edges cut off with
a common knife, and the cuttings laid upon
the principal mafs ; which is carried round
the tub, among the remaining whey, to ga-
tlier up the fcattered fragments that lie among
it. 1 he whole being colleded, the wh^y is
all
3-2 DAIRY MANAGKMENT. 32.
all laded or poured off, and the curd left in
one mafs, at the bottom of the cowl.
3. Scalding. It is, I believe, the inva-
riable pradlice of the dairywomen of Glocefter-
/hire, to fcald the aird*. This accounts for
their running the milk fo comparatively cool.
Were the delicate cool-run curd of this dif-
tri(5t to be made into cheefe, without pre-
vioufly fcalding, the cheefes made from it
would require an inconvenient length of time
to fit them for market.
The method of fcalding the curd, here, va-
ries from that m.entioned in the Economy of
Norfolk. There it was fcalded in the mafs j
pouring hot water over the furface, as it lay
at the bottom of the cheefe-tub : but, here,
the mafs is broken ; firft by cutting it into
fquare pieces with a common knife -, and then
reducing it, with the triple knife, into fmall
fragments ; moftly as fmall as peas ; none of
them is left larger than a walnut: and among
thefe fragments the "fcalding fluff" is thrown;
flirring them brifkly about; thereby effec-
tually mixing them together ; and, of courfe,
fcalding
• See NORF: EC on:
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 303
fcalding die whole as effe6hially, and as evenly,
as this method of fcalding will admit of.
The liquid made ufe of here, for Icalding
curd, varies in different dairies. Some dai-
ry%vomen fcald with whey -, violently objecting
to water j while others ufe water j objefting
with tqual obflinacy to whey : while dairy-
women in generaJ, I believe, mix the two
together*.
The quantity is in proportion to the quan-
tity of curd : enough to float the curd i and
make the mixture eafy to be ftirred about
with the dilh.
Part of it is heated to neiir boiling heat i
and this lowered with cold liquid to a heat
PROPORTIONED TO THE STATE OF THE CURD:
foft curd is fcalded with hot j hard curd with
cooler liquid.
In fcalding, therefore, the dairywoman
has a remedy for any misjudgement her fenfe
of feeling may have- led her into, in the llage
of coagulation : let the curd come too foft or
too hard, Ihe can bring it to the defired tex-
ture, by the heat of the fcalding liquid. And
here
* It feems to be underflood, that different grounds r"
quire different kinds of fcalding liquor.
304 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
here feems to hinge, principally, the fuperior
fkill of the Glocefterfhire dair)'woman : by
running the milk cool, fhe can, in fcalding,
correft any error, which has been committed
in running.
Saturday y 6 September. This morning, the
curd being too tough, the ivbey was' ufcd
cooler than it was yeflerday morning, when
the curd was fufHciently tender. (Seepage 299.)
Yefterday morning 1400. this morning 125°.
I'uejday, 9 September . This morning the
curd cam.e at its proper heat 80°. and the
heat of the fcalding whey was 142'^.
The curd being thoroughly mixed and
agitated among the whey, and having had a
few minutes to fubfide in, — ^the dairymaid be-
gan immediately to lade off the whey. This,
however, is not the univerfal practice : in fome
dairies the curd is fufFered to remain among
the fcalding ftuff half an hour: th-js (as has
been obferved) there zrt Jljades cf difference in
every ftage of the procefs.
IVedneJday^ 24 Seft. This morning, the
curdca me too tender; and the morning being
cool; the fcalding whey was heated to 161°.
and
'^i. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 305
and flood upon the curd near ten minutes :
this changed it from a ftate of jelly as to foft-
nefs, to the fame tough hard mafs it is always
left after fcalding.
4. FaUi/!g. The fcalding liquor being
moftly laded off, a vat is placed on the cheefe
ladder, laid acrofs the tub, and the curd
crumbled into it witli the hands, fcrupuloufly
breaking every lump ; fqueezing out the whey
^s the handfuls are taken up j and again pref-
fing it widi the hands in the vat ; which is
every now-and-then fet on-edge to let the
whey run off.
The "vat being filled as full and firmly as
die hand alone can fill it; and rounded up
high in the middle j a cheefe cloth is fpread
over it, and the curd turned out of the vat
into the cloth : the vat Walhed or rather dipped
in the whey j and the inverted mafs • of curd
with the cloth under it, returned into the vat.
The angles, formed by the bottom of the vat,
are pared off and crumbled upon the top, with
which they are incorporated by partially break-
ing the furface, and rounded up in the mid-
dle as before; the cloth folded over and tucked
Vol. I. X in;
3o6 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
in ; and the vat with its contents placed in
the prefs. *
5. Spare curd. Preferving the overflowings
of the lad vat of today's curd, to be mixed up
with that of tomorrow, is a common practice
in diis country ; where clieefes, if they be in-
tended for the fadtors, are obhged to be made
of fome certain fize : the vats are all nearly of
the fame bignefs ; and cannot be propor-
tioned to the curd, as they may when vats of
Various fizes are made ufe of.
In the neighbourhood of Glocefter, when
tiie quantity of fpare curd is confiderable, as
four or five pounds j it is frequently made
into a fmall <:heefe for the Glocefter market 5
in which it may be fold, in a recent ftate
(namely at three weeks to two months old,)
for 2d.i to jd.i a pound i according to itb
* It is obfervable, that only one CHEtSEBOARD is ufcd,
in the Glocellerfhire dairies, let the number of vats be
what they may. The bottoms of the vats being made
iniooth and even, they anfwer the purpofe of chceleboardi;
to each other the uppermoft only requiring a board. N()
'* finking boards" are ever made ufe of here, as they are in
other dirtriilts ; the vats being rounded up with curd in
(iich a manner, as, from experience it is known, will jull
fill them when fuflScienily prciFcd.
^2. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 307
age : tliree pence a pound is the ordinary price,
for fuch little two-meal cheefes.
When the quantity of fpare curd is fmall,
or where the making of little cheefes is
not praclifed, the whey is prefied out and
drained off as dry as may be, and the curd
preferved in different ways. In the upper vale
I have feen it put into an earthen velTel and
covered with cold water. The next m.orning
it is refcalded thoroughly once or twice ; bro-
ken as fine as pofllble -, and either mixt evenly
with the frefh curd j or, lefs eligibly, put
into the middle of a cheefe. TbiSy however,
is, with good reafon, objected to by the fac-
tors. A harfh, crumbly, ill tafled feam is
formed in the middle of the cheefe ; a dif-
agreeable circumftance, which, in cutting a
cheefe, is too frequently met with* Mixing
the ftale curd more evenly among the frefh has
an efFecl almofl equally difagreeable : the par-
ticles of flale curd ripen fafler than the reil: of
the cheeie ; which is thereby rendered unfightly
and ill flavored.
In a fmall dairy it is impofTible to make
cheefes fufliciently^z^ji^/^ for the Gloceller-
Ihire factors, and at the fame time avoid ha-
X 2 ving.
3o8 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
ving, frequently, fpare curd. But in a large
dairy, where three or four checfes are made
from one running, it might, by a proper num-
ber and aflbrtment of vats, be generally
avoided ; and the cheefes be at the fame time
made within fize.
7. The management of the cheeses.
This requires to be fubdivided agreeably to
the different ftages of management.
I. The management in the prefs.
1. The management while on the dair)
fhelves.
3. The operation of cleaning.
4. The management in the cheefe cham-
ber.
I. The management while in the prefs.
Having flood ibme two or three hours in the
prefs, the vat is taken out ; the cloth pulled
offaniwafhed ; the cheefling turned into the
fame cloth and die fame vat, (the cloth being
fpread under and folded over as before,) and
replaced in the preis.
In the evening, at five or fix o'clock, it is
taken out of the prefs again, :ind fa/ted in this
manner : the angles being pared off, if wanted,
the cheefling is placed on the inverted vat ;
and
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 309
i^nd a handful of fait rubbed hard round its
edge 3 leaving as much hanging to it as will
ftick. Another handful is ftrewed on the up-
per fide, and rubbed over it pretty hard ;
leaving as much upon the top as will hang on
in turning. It is now turned into the bare
vat, without a cloth i and, a fimilar quantity
of fait being rubbed on the other fide, is again
put into the preie.
Next morning it is turned in the bare vat ;
in the evening the fame ; and, the fucceeding
morning, taken finally out of the prefs, and
placed upon the dairy fhelf.
Each cheefe therefore Hands forty eight
hours in the prefs. At the fecond or third, it
is turned in the cloth : at the tenth, the cloth is
taken off and the cheefling faked. At the
the twenty fourth, it is turned in the bare vat.
At the thirty fourth, the fame. And at the
forty eighth finally taken out. *
2. Tbe
* Sage cheese. The method of making "green
cheefe", in this diftrict, is the following, Fora cheefe of
10 or 1 2 lb. weight, about two handfuls of fage and one of
^Tiarigold leaves and parfley, are bruifed and fteepcd one
niglit;
X 3
310 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
2. The management on the dairy /helves.
Here the " young cheefes" are turned every
day, or every two or three days, according to
the (late of the weather, or the fancy or judge-
ment of the dairywoman. If the air be harfh
and dry, the window and door are kept fhut,
as much as may be: if clo(e and moid, as
much frefh air as poffible is admitted.
3. Cleaning. Having remained about ten
days in the dairy (more or lefs according to the
fpace of time betvveen the "waihings") they
are cleaned ; that is wafhed and fcraped ;
in this manner: a large tub of cold wliey being
placed
night in milk. Next morning the greened milk is drained
off, and mixed with about one third of th« whole quantity
to be run. The green and the white milks are then run fe-
parately ; keeping the two curds apart until they be ready
for vatting. The method of mixing them depends on-the
fancy of the maker. Some crumble the two together,
mixing them evenly and intimately. Others break the
green curd into irregular fragments, or cut it out in regular
figures with tins for tliis purpofe. In vatting it the frag-
ments, or figures, are placed on the outfides. The bottom
of the vat is firft fct with them ; crumbling the white, or
yellowed, curd among them. As the vat fills, others are
placed at the edges; and the remainder buried flufli with
tlie top. The after-treatment is the fan^ a« Ui.u ot "plain
chccfes."
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 311
placed on the dairy floor, the cheefes are ta-
ken from the fhelves and immerged in it;
letting theni lie perhaps, an hour or longer,
until the rind become fufficiently fupple.
They are then taken out, one by one, and
fcraped, with a common cafe-knife, fome-
what blunt ; guiding it judicioufly with the
thumb placed hard againft its fide, t® prevent
its injuring the yet tender rind: continuing
to ufe it, on every fide, until the cloth marks
and every other roughnefs be done away ;
the edges, more particularly, being left with
a pohfhed neatnefs. Having been rinced in the
whey and wiped with a cloth, they are formed
into an open pile (in the manner raw bricks are
ufually piled) in the dairy window, or other
airy' place, to dry' : and from thence are re-
moved into the cheefe chamber.
4. The inanagement in the cheefe chamber. —
The FLOOR is generally prepared, by rub-
bing it with bean-tops, potatoe halm, or other
green fucculent herbage, until it appear of a
black wet colour. If any dirt or roughnefs
appear upon the boards, it is fcraped off witli
a knife \ and the floor fwept clean with a hair
broom. The cheefes are then placed upon it,
X 4 regularly
312 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32,
regularly in rows : and kept turned, twice a
week i their edges wiped hard with a cloth,
once a week j and the floor cleaned, and rub-
bed with frelh herbs, once a fortnight.
The preparation of the floor is done with
the intention of encouraging the blue coat to
rife*. To the fame intent, the cheefes are
not turned too frequently ; for the longer they
lie on one fide without turning, the fooner
the blue coat will rife. If, however, they be
fuft^ered to lie too long without turning, they
are liable to (lick to the floor, and thereby re-
ceive injury. If^ by accident or otherwife,
the coat come partially, it is fcraped off. —
This, however, feldom happens in a rich-
foiled country, and all the care and labour
requifite, in this fl:agc, is to turn them twice
a week J wipe their edges, once a weekj and
to prepare the floor, afrefh, once a fortnight.
If the checfe chamber be too fmall to admit
of the whole being placed fingly. The oldcil
are "doubled:" fomctimes put "three or
four double."
It is flriklng to fee how well cheefes of this
diftricl bear handling at an early age : even at
the
* Sec No»K : EcoN ;
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 313
the time of wafhing, the dairymaid will fre-
quently fet the cheefe fhe is fcraping, on-
edge upon another, lying flat on the table,
without injury. At a month old, they may
be thrown about as old cheefes. Their rinds
appear as tough as leather. This muft be
owing to the fcalding. It cannot be owing
to their poverty. They are evidently richer
" fatter" than the new milk cheefes of many
diftrids,
8. Markets for cheese in the upper vale.
In large dairies, cheefe is here fold and deli-
vered three times a year, namely in July; —
again at Michaelmas j and finally in the fpring.
In fmall dairies, only twice : about the latter
end of September, and again in the fpring.
It is bought principally by qheefe fa6tors,
who live in or near the diftridt. The fame
fa6tor generally has the fame dairy, year af-
ter year; frequently without feeing it, and,
perhaps, witliout any bargain having been
made, previous to its being fent in. There
is, indeed, a degree of confidence on the part
of the buyer and feller, v/hich we feldom
mxcet with among country dealers. Millers
and malfters buy by fample, and generally
take
314 DAIRY MANAGEMENT.
take care to make a clofe bargain, befcwe
the com be fent in.
In fummer and early autumn, the fa<^ors
will take them down to fix weeks old ; pro-
vided they be found firm marketable cheefes ;
that is neither broken nor " hove :" a defedV,
which even the befl dair)"vvomen cannot al-
w*ays prevent. During winter, provided their
coats be perforated to give the internal air an
opportunity of efcaping, the fwoln cheefes
will generally go down, and, in the fpring,
become marketable.
The coJi/uffipt ion of twome3\ cheefe is chiefly,
I believe, in the manufadturing diftricls of
this and other counties. Some of it goes
to die l>ondon market ; where it is probably
fold under the denomination of Warwickfhire
cheefe : and fome is faid to go to foreign
markets. The Jize moflly " tens" — that is, ten
to the hundred weight j or ii to I2lb. each.
The price of twomeal cheefe varies with
that of ne\%Tnilk cheefe. At Barton fair, in
i/Sj*, the "befl m.aking" fold from 34s.
(to
* Bartos fair, a fair held anRual!y on the 28th of
September, in Barton -ftreef, Glocefter. It has long bee-n
the
32. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 31^
(to the factors by the waggon load together)
to 36s. (to families who bought by die liun-
dred weight). " Two-meal," from 28s. to
29s. 6d. by the cwt. of ii2lb. In 1788,
" belt making" 30s. down to 27s. " Two-
meal" 25s. down to a guinea. Prices, which
have not been heard of for many years pad.
IV. Whey butter. It is the invariable
pradlice of this diftrift to fet whey for cream.
The lower clafs of People eat fcarcely any
other than whey butter. With due cleanli-
nefs and proper management, it may be made
perfeftly palatable; and, in every refpect,
preferable (while quite frelh) to the milk but-
ter of fome lean-foiled diftridls.
The whey is, here, generally fet in one
large tub : not parcelled out, thin, like milk.
The
the principal cheefe fair of the diftriifl. Formerly a princi-
pal part of the cheefe, made in the two vales, was brought
to this fair. At prefent, it is moflly bought up bv factors
previous to the fair. In 1783, tliere were about twenty
waggon loads (befides a number of horfe loads) expofed
for fale in the fair. Some bought by factors ; but jirinci-
pally, I believe, by the houfe-keepers, and the retail
dealers of the neighbourhood. In 1788, the quantity in
the market was much greater ; about forty loads ; cheefe
being then a dru^.
^i6 DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 32.
The management of whey butter is fimilar
to that of milk butter. The price about two
thirds of that of milk butter in the fame
market.
33-
S W^ I X E,
I. BREED. The tall, long, ^•Z'//<f breed,
which was formerly, perhaps, the prevailing
breed of the ifland, is here ftill confidered as
the " true Gloccllerlhire breed." They
grow to a great fize. At prefent, the Berk-
Jbire, and a crofs between thefe two breeds,
are the prevailing fpecies. The Berkihire
are thought to be " hardier j" but are ob-
jected tOj as being thicker-rinded, than the
old white fort. A mixture of crinital blood,
is likewife diftoverable in this diftridt; but
lefs, here, than in any other dilb-ift I have
obfcrvcd in.
II. Breeding^
33. VALE OF GLOCESTER. 317
II. Breeding, &c. Some are bred in the
diftridV: others purcha/ed zt Glocefter market;
probably the beft fwine-market in the king-
dom. Seldom lefs than three or four hun-
dred in an ordinary market. Moft of them
large grown hogs : many of them worth from
fifty fhillings to three pounds a head. Brought
by dealers from Herefordfhire, Shropfhire,
&:c. Some of the fmaller are bous-ht bv dai-
rymen j the larger by dealers for the diilil-
leries of Briftol and London.
III. The FOOD of STORE fwine is princi-
pally WHEY, mixt with buttermilk, and
given to them in a itale acidulated flate. —
This, however, is not invariably obferved :
it is not unfrequently carried to them imme-
diately from the dairy. While young, efpe-
cially when recently weaned, they have fre-
quently the " fweet whey" immediately from
the cheefe cowl; without having been pre-
vioufly fet for butter.
IV. The PROPORTION' OF swine to a given
number of cows varies in the upper vale,
where dairying and tillage are mixed in various
proportions. — The fubjecl is, indeed, in any
cafe a vague one : die number depending on
the
3i8 S Vr I N E. 33.
^cjize. The only general rule obferved is,
to endeavour to have always fuch a quantity
as the dair)' will keep well', it being efteemed
bad management to overftock a dairy farm
Nvith Ivvine.
V. The materials of fatting are whey,
with beans crufhed or whole j or with pea-
beans ; but feldom with peas alone.
VI. The MARKETS FOR BACON', are the
manufaftories of this and the neighbouring
counties: the chief, I believe, is the " cloath-
ing country," — the woollen manufacton.', in
the Stroudwater diftrict of this county.
LIST
LIST OF RATES.
VALE OF GLOCESTER.
BUILDING MATERIALS, ^c,
OAK TIMBER is, to 2od. a foot.
Elm yd. to lod. .
Clamp-burnt bricks 15 to i6s. a thoufand
Slag, (copper drofs*) 5 or 6s. a ton, on
the Kays,
Stone
* "Slag." This, I underftand, is the/for/a thrown off
by copper, in the procefs of fmelting. Until of late years,
it was caft away as wafte, or iifed as a material of roads,
only. Now, it is thrown, while hot, into moulds ofdif.
ferent figures and dimenfions, and thus becomes an ad-
mirable building material. It is proof againft all feafons,
in every fituation ; confequently becomes an excellent ma-
terial for foundations ; and ftill more valuable for copings
of fence walls : for which ufe it is fometimes caft of a fimi-
clliptical form. It is alfo ufed as quoins, in brick build-
ings ; in which cafe the blocks are run about nine inches
fquare
320 L 1 S T O F R A T E S.
Stone floors — (laid down) 4d. to cd. a
fquare foot.
Lime — 6d. to 8d. a bufhel.
Dimenfions of bricks 9 — 4I — 2I inches.
-^ of plain-tiles 1 2 by 7 f inches.
Journeymen carpenter's wages 2 2d. a-day.
bricklayer's 2 2d. a-day.
B L A C K S M I T H's WORK.
Common heavy work 46. a lb.
Shoing fd. — Remove id.
TEAM LABOUR.
Hire of a team (waggon, five horfes, man
and boy) ics.
Price of plowing 6 to 9s. an acre.
harrowing 2 to 35. an acre.
YEARLY WAGES.
Head man 7 to 9 or lol.
Second man 5 to 7I.
Boy 2 to 4I.
Dairymaid 3 to 5I.
Undermaid 5CS. to 3I.
DAY
fquare, and eighteen inches long. It Is of a dark copper
colour; and lias tlie appearance of a rich metal j but flies
under the hammer as flint.
L I S T O F R A TE S. 321
DAY WAGES.
In winter, is. a day and drink.
In hay har veil, i4d. to i8d. — mowers not
lefs than i8d. fometiines more, with drink.
In corn harveft, is. k day, or 30s. for the
harveft; with full board; or 2s. 6d. to 3s. a
liay, with drink, but no board.
Women, in autiimn and fpring, 6d. aday;
but are feldom employed by the day in thefe
feafons; dreffing grafslands being generally
done by the job.
, in hay harveft> 6d. to 8d. a day>
and drink;
, in corn harvell, is. a day, to
Chofe who will work : but women in this coun-
try, as in moft others, prefer " leafing" to
reaping. See York. Econ% i^ 387.
TAKEN WORK.
Bread plowing a pea flubble, 6s. an acre«
Setting beans i6d. to i8d. a bulhel.
Hoing about 6s. an acre.
Hoing wheat, 2s. to 4s. an acre.
Vol. I. Y Reaping
^22 L I 5 T O F R A T E S.
Reaping wheat about 5 s. an acre and
drink.
Mowing barley ; according to the crop.
Thrafhing wheat, 3d. to 4^ a buihel (9!.
gallons.)
, barley, 2d. to 3d.
Beans about ifd.
Mowing upgrounds i8d. and drink.
Mowing meadows i6d. to i8d.
Agiftment price, in the hanas, for one horfe,
er tw'o cows, cr fix flieep, 25 to 30s. From
Mayday to Michaelmas, or later. The ha-
zard of floods is certainly an additional price :
neverthelefs, confidering the fuperior quality
of die land, it is low in the extreme.
PRO-
GLOCESTERSHIRE. 323
PROVINCIALISMS
OF THE
VALE of GLOC ESTE R.
THE VERBAL PROVINCIALISMS
of this diftrid appear to be lefs numerous than
thofe of many other provinces. I have, how-
ever, had lefs converfation with mere provin-
cialifts, in this, than in other diftricts 'I have
redded in. Befides, it is obfervable, the lower
clafs of people, here, are lefs communicative
than they are, perhaps, in any other province:
poireffing a fingular refervednefs toward flran-
gers J accompanied with a guardednefs of ex-
prefTion, bordering almoft on duplicity: af-
fording thofe who are obfervant of men and
manners, in the lower walks of life, fubjeft
for refle6lion.
Words, which relate immediately to ru-
ral AFFAIRS, I have endeavoured to colle<5t.
Y 2 But
j24 PROVINCIALISM S*
But I find they are few in number, compared
\%'ith thofe collected in Norfolk and Yorkfliire
on the fame fubject. Indeed, a lift of techni-
cal terms require a length of time, or the im-
mediate fuperintendance of workmen, to ren-
der it complete.
Befide the deviations which are merely
'■jerbal, this quarter of the ifland affords,
among others, one ftriking deviation in
GRAMMAR j — in thc ufc, or abufe, of the
pronouns. The perfonal pronouns are feldom
ufed in their accepted fenfe : the nominative
and the accufative cafes being generally re-
verfed. Thus her is almoft invariably ufed
ioT flje J — as " her faid fo" — " her would do
it": f^metimes he for fte y — as " he was
bulled" — " he calved" i and almoft invaria-
bly for ;'/ i — all things inanimate being of the
mafculine gender. Befide thele and various
other mifapplications (as they for them — /for
met i^c.) an extra pronoun is here in ufe -, —
cu: a pronoun of the lingular number; —
analogous with the plural they ; — being applied
either in a mafculine, a feminine, or a neuter
fenfe. Thus " ou vsoill" exprelTes either he
will, Jfje will, or it will.
This
GLOCESTERSHIRE. 325
This mifufe of the pronouns is common to
the wefteqi counties of England and to Wales :
a circumftantial evidence, that the inhabitants
of the weftern fide of the ifland are defcended
from one common origin. But in another
ftriking deviation j the pronounciation of
the CONSONANTS ; their propcnfitics of fpeech
are fo diametrically oppofite ; and fo different
from any tendency of utterance, obfervable in
the reft of the ifland ; one might almoft de-
clare them defcendants of two diftincl colo-
nies.
In Glocefterlhire, Wiltfhire, Somerfet-
Ihire &c, the asperate confonants are pro-
nounced with vocal positions: thus j be-
comes z i fj V I tj dy f^ b ^c. On the
contrary, in Wales, the confonants, which,
in the eftabhfhed pronounciation, are accom-
panied with vocal positions, are there as-
peratep : hence 2: becomes s\ b^ p; d, t i^c j
— the mouth of the Severn being the boun-
dary between thefe two remarkable propen-
fities of fpeech.
In the PRONOUNCIATION of VOWELS this
diftridt, as Yorkllr.re, has fome regular devi-
ation from the eftablifhed language ; but dif-
Y 3 fering
326 PROVINCIALISMS.
fering, almoft totally, from thofe which are
there obfervable : thus the a flender becomes
/ or aoy ; as hay, " high" or " aoy" ; Jiay,
" fty" or " zdoy" ; fair " fire" or " voir" j
Jiare " ftire" or " zdoir" &c. The <? long
fometimes becomes eea; as ha:7Sj " beeans":
the i long, ey (the e fliortened by the y con-
fonant) ; as /, " ey" j riiie, " reyd": the
0 long changes here, as in the middle dialedt
of Yorkfhire, into coa ; as home, " hooam"
or " worn" J — the « long into eeaw ; zsfew,
" feeaw", — dew, " deeaw.
There are other deviations, both in gram-
mar and pronounciation ; as l;e is generally
ufed for is j frequently do for does \ and fome-
times have for has. But thofe already men-
tioned are, I believe, the moft noticeable, and
in the moft common ufe: 1 therefore, pro-
ceed to explain fuch provincial terms in
HUSBANDRY as havc occurred to my know-
ledge in this diftridt.
BLOWS
GLOCESTERSHIRE. 327
B.
T> LOWS ; bloflbms of beans &c.
To BOLT ; to trufs ftraw.
BOLTING ; a truls of ftraw.
BRAIDS; pronounced "brides;" fee vol. ii.p. 283.
BROWN CROPS ; pulfe ; as beans, peas, &c.
GUTTER LEAVES; fee p. 285.
C,
CALFSTAGES; fee p. 225.
CARNATION GRASS ; aira ccefpltofa; haflbck
or turfy air grafs ; tufTock grafs.
CHARLOCK ; fmapis nigra ; the common muf-
tard, in the character of a weed.
CHEESE LADDER ; fee p. 268.
CLAYS TONE ; a blue and white limeftone, dug
out of the fubfoil of the vale.
COURT ; yard ; particularly the yards, in which
cattle are penned in winter.
COWGROUND ; cow pafture.
COWL ; milk cooler ; cheefe-tub.
CRAZEY ; the ranwiculus or crowfoot tribe. SeCi
note p. 178.
CREAIVl SLICE ; fee p. 269.
CUB i a cattle crib.
Y 4 DAIRY-.
328 PROVINCIALISMS.
D.
DAIRYHOUSE, or deyhouse, pronouncc<|
DYE-HOUSE ; (from dey an old word for milk,
and hcufe) ; — the milk houfe, ordairyroom.
DILL ; er-jum hirfutum j two-feeded tare s ^hich
has been cultivated (on the Cotfwold hills at leaft)
time unmemorial ! principally for hay.
E.
ELBOWS ; the flioulder points of cattle.
EVERS (that is heavers) ; opening ftiles. Seep. 41,
EVERY YEAR'S LAND s fee p. 65.
F.
FALLOW FIELD ; common field, which is occa-
fionally fallowed : in diftinclion to " every year's
land." •
FODDERING GROUND j fee p. 23c.
GREEN ; grafsland : *' all green" — all grafs ; no
plowland.
GROUND ; a grafsland inclofure, lying out of the
Tk'ay of floods ; contradiflin<jt from " meadow."
HACKLES;
GI.OCESTERSHIRE. 3^9
H
HACKLES; finglets of beans : fee page 151.
To HAIN ; to Ihut up grafsland from flock.
HAIRIF ; gollum aparine ; cleavers.
HALLIER J fee to haul.
HAM ; a ilinted common pafture for cows, Sec.
To HAUL J to convey upon a waggon or cart, as
hay, corn, or fuel: proper, but provincial; hence
HALLIER ; one who hauls for hire.
To HELIMi to cut the ears from the ftems of wheat,
previous to thrafhing. The unthrafhed llraw be-
ing called " helm". Not a common pracHce
here.
HIT ; a plentiful crop of fruit
HOVE; fwoln as cheefes.
K.
KNOT; -polled; hornlefs ; fpoken of flieep and
cattle.
To LANDMEND ; to adjuft the furface, with a
fpade or (hovel, after fowing wheat ; chopping the
clods, lowering the protuberances, and filling up
the hollows.
To
330 PROVINCIALISMS.
To LEASE (pronounced leeze) to glean : a term,
which is common to the weftem and fouthem pro-
vinces.
LODE ; this feems to be an old word for Ford^
hence Wain Lode L'pper Lode Lower Lode
St. Mary de Lode &c.
LUG or LOG ; a land meafure of fix yards ; that
is, a rod, pole^ or perch of fix yards ; a meafure, by
■which ditching 5cc. is done: alfo the Oick, with
wliich the work is meafured.
M.
MEADO^V ; generally, common mowing ground,
fubjecl to be overflowed ; or any low flat grafs-
hnd, which has not been plowed, and is ufually
mown ; in con trad iftinclion to " ground" and
« ham/'
MINTS ; mites.
MISKIN ; the common term for a durighill i or a
heap of compoft.
MOP ; a flatute, or hiring day for farmer's fervants,
MOUNDS ; field fences ot every kind.
N.
NAST ; foulnefs ; weeds in a fallow.
NESH; — the common term, for tender or wajhy^
as fpoken of a cow orhorfe.
O.
OXEY ; ox-like J of mature age j not " fleerifh.'*
PAILSTAKEj
GLOCESTERSHIRE.
331
P.
PAILSTAKE ; fee p. 268.
PE ASIPOUSE : peas and beans grown together as
a crop.
POLTING LUG (that is, perhaps, pelting rod)
a long flender rod ufed in beating apples &c. off
the trees.
QUAR ; the common term for quarry.
R.
RAMMELY ; tall and rank; as beans.
RUNNING ; rennet ; the coagulum ufed in cheef-,
making.
S.
SEGS ; carlccs ; fedges.
To SET ; to lett, as land &c.
SETTING PIN ; dibble ; fee p. 144.
SH (without a vowel) gee ; in the horfe language.
SHARD ; a gap in a hedge ; the common term.
SHEPPECK : the ordinary name of a prong, or
hay fork.
SIDDOW ; vulgarly ZIDDOW; peas, which be-
come foft by boiling, are faid to be " fiddow": a
well founding term, which is much wanting in
other diftrias. « Will you warrant them fid-
dow" ? is the ordinary queftion afked on buying
peas for boiling.
SKEEL i fee p. 269.
SLAGj
331 PROVINCIALISMS.
SLAG ; copper -drofs. See p. 319.
STEERISH : fpokenofa young, raw, grovringoxi
not " oxey."
T.
THREAVE ; twenty four boltings.
TUCK.IN ; a fatchel ufed in fetting beans, fee 144,
TWO-MEAL CHEESE ; fee p. 287.
V.
VELL ; a calfs bag or ftomach, ufed in making
" running.'*
W.
WAIN ; an ox cart, without fide rails.
WHITE CROPS i com : as wheat, barley &c,
WITHY ; JaUx i the willow.
WUNT ; a mole ; hence
WUNT HILLOCKS i— mole hiUs.
Y.
YAT or YATE i a gate. This appears to have
been once the univerfal name, and ftill remain^
the heraldic term, for a sate.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
Piiblijhed by the fame AVTHO R^
MINUTES OF AGRICULTURE
I N
SURREY.
THESE ARE A SERIES of minutes or memo-
randums, made on the more interefting circumllances,
arifing in the bufinefs of fanning. Giving the inex-
perienced a comprehenfive view of tlie real tranfac-
tions of hulbandry. And drawing, from the more
linking incidents, whether of fuccefs or mifcarriao-e,
pradical inferences, for the ufe of thofe, who are
farther advanced in rural knowledge.
To the MINUTES is added a digest, or syste-
matic INDEX, in which the minutes are claiTed
and referred to, under the feveral heads ordivifion of
the general fubject, to which they refpeclively be-
long : each head being explained, by an enlarged
view of the refpeclive fubjecl j the whole exhibiting
a GENERAL OUTLIKE of the ART aod SCIENCE of
AGRICULTURE.
ALsro
ALSO
EXPERIMENTS and OBSERVATIONS
CONCERNING
AGRICULTURE and the WEATHER.
IN THIS PUBLICATION, the bufinefs of the
farm is regiftered, systematically, under the fe-
veral heads, or fubjecls, of which the art of agri-
cuhure confifts ; practical inferences being
drawn from each year's experience. With a metho-
dical register OF experiments, and obfervations
on EXPERIMENTING. Together with general
observations on scientific agriculture.
This is principally intended as a fpecimen or form
of a scientific REGISTER ; through whofe means
the practitioner j in having under his eye a record
of his practice ; and in taking, annually, a re-
trofpeflive view of his part experience, drawing from
it practical inferences, as a bafis, on which to raife
his future management ; may, in a few years, ac-
quire more accurate ideas, more certain
knowledge, refpecting his own particular foil and
fituation, than he would probably afcertain, during
a life-time of illiterate practice.
Thefe two publications, comprizing a regifter of
five years' experience, on a farm of 300 acres of vari-
ous foils, are now joined, in one volume, quarto;
which, as well as fome feparate copies of the latter,
may be had of the publifher of the prefent volumes.
ALSO
ALSO, (In fwo Volumes 03ai'o,)
THE
RURAL ECONOMY
O F
NORFOLK.
Thefe volumes are publiftied in purfuance of a
PLAN FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE, by collea-
ing the established practice of superior
HUSBANDMEN, in different duincis of the illand ; a
plan, which is defcribed in a preface to thefe volumes;
and which is farther explained in the advertifement
prefixed to the prefent volumes.
The MANAGEMhNT OF ESTATES, inckiding rent
and covenants, leafes, buildings, fences, and plant-
ing: the ARABLE management; particularly with
refpecl to marl, tillage, wheat, barley, turneps, and
buckweet. The management of stock; more
efpecially the metliod of fatting bullocks with tumeps
abroad in the field, as pradifed in Eaft Norfolk, are
feverally treated of.
To this detail of the pradice of the beft-cuitivated
diftria of the county is added, a feries of IUinutes,
on various branches of rural knowledge.
ALSO, (in t-uo Volumes OSia^vo,)
THE
RURAL ECONOMY
Y O R kVh I R E.
Thefe volumes are in continuation of the fame
plan : including the three branches of rural econo-
mics; namely, the management of estates,
planting, and husbandry ; as pradifed in tlie
more
more agricultural diftri^Ss of this county. With 1
gO^raphical delcription, of the count)' at large, and
twith a (haded map, fliowing at fight its natural fur-
face, as divided into mountain, upland, and vale.
The fut^ev^ more particularly treated of in thefe
Tolumes are — the indofing of commonable property-
fan interelling and important fubjec^, whofe princi-
ples are here inveibgated and explained. ) Drinking
pools ; roads ; hedges ; woodlands. Clearing rough
grounds from the roots of trees and flirubs, and fod-
bumii^ or bread plowing fully explained, and ren-
dered applicable to the improvement of the ro^-al
waftes : the draining and improvement of low grounds :
lime, as a manure, amply treated of: com weeds and
their extirpation : vermin and their deitrucHon. The
d(^ coniidered as a fpecies of vermin, and an object
of taxation : the probable evils of paper money, and
Ae impropdety of its being fuffered to be cj/tx^^ by
countrv bankers. Railing frefli varieties or forts of
¥rfaeat. The cultivation of rape or cole feed. Raifing
fidh varieties or forts of potatoes, and their ctiltiva-
tion with the jJow. The cultivation ofniygrafs and
^intftMn ; and the ancient and modem methods of
hying land down to grafs. The oanagement of
graisland ; particularly the management of pafhire
grounds aiul aftergrafs. The breeding, &c. of horfes.
The breeds a."id points of different defcriptions of cat-
tk and iheep. The rabbit warrens of the Wolds.—
The imp*ovements of the Morelands. With a co-
pious gk>i&r)', and prefator)' obfervations concerning
the provincial language of Eaft Yorit(hire.
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