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crops. For land of a full medium quality, three green crops for two of white; for ordinary land, two green crops for one of corn; and for the worst, or most exhausted, land, downs and sheep-walks, three green crops to one of white.

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Cropping land in the foregoing ratio or proportion, would keep it free frem weeds, and in a high state of cultivation; and under such management, might be continued in perpetual aration, with a constant succession of large products.”

Under this very ingenious system, how, let it be asked, would the poor and the rich be supplied with corn, for bread, beer, and other valuable purposes? And where would a market be found for the cattle and sheep which such a system would consequently produce? A surplus of corn may be exported, or preserved; but not so a superabundance of beef and mutton.

P. 163. "There are several farmers of this county, who have a field or two near their houses, of a few acres each, cropped one year with winter tares, then turnips, and the next year wheat; thus obtaining three valuable crops every two years, averaging a produce of fifteen guineas.

per acre per annum.

*

"If this system could be extended to a whole farm, and thence over the nation, what a wonderful scene of fertility would this island exhibit! The entire kingdom, undoubtedly, could not be so cropped, but most of the light, dry soils, are perfectly adapted to this mode of culture, even in places the most distant from dunghills. Provided the tares and turnips were one or both of them eaten on the land, a continual productiveness might be ensured. The cold clayey loams are exceedingly well calculated for the alternate growth of tares and wheat, or, which is still better, of wheat, clover, tares. The former rotation would, in this county, average eleven guineas, and the latter twelve guineas per acre.

"If it were either necessary or advisable, clover, tares, turnips, &c. might

brown and consumed on the land,

until it became too rich for wheat, in which case it might be laid down to grazing pasture, or again depreciated by the growing of oats." O! fine, fine!

OCCUPIERS. I have pleasure in copying the subjoined

well

*This is eligible. GARDEN FIELDS are most convenient appendages, to farmsteads. I am gratified to hear of their being adopted in the environs of the Metropolis. See my Minutes of Agriculture in Surrey.

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well drawn picture of Middlesex farmers.-P. 51. "The farmers, or cultivators of the soil of this county, may be divided into various classes, or descriptions of persons.

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"In the vicinity of London, the ground is mostly rented by gardeners and nurserymen. The land lying immediately beyond the last, is occupied by the villas of wealthy citizens and others; and at a still further distance, by farmers, who are again divided, first, into persons with whom farming is but a secondary object (their primary occupation being generally in London), and who do not pay to it that attention which is necessary to make it profitable. Secondly, into persons who, having acquired an easy fortune in other pursuits, retire to farming, with the idea of uniting profit and amusement in their agricultural labours. There are many of this class, who know nothing either of the theory or practice of agriculture; but having hastily imbibed a notion that it is a very pleasant pursuit, enter into it with great expence and precipitancy, and generally quit it again in two or three years, after having suffered considerable loss, from having laid out large sums of money for the most part in useful improvements, without waiting to receive a return for their labour and expence. They then quit their farms in disgust, and leave them for others to reap the fruits of their industry.

"The third is a less numerous class, and consists likewise of persons who have been in a different line of business, yet have had such a strong inclination for rural occupations, that they abandon their former employments altogether, and betake themselves wholly, and without reserve, to farming of land, as a profession. This class forms the most intelligent and most accurate of husbandmen.'"

P. 52. "The number of cultivátors of this description, is, however, very limited."

"The fourth and last class, is about equal in number to all the rest, and is composed of persons who are farmers by profession, and who have at no time been engaged in any other line of business: these, as a body of men, may justly be said to be industrious and respectable, and much more intelligent and enlightened than the generality of farmers in places more distant from the metropolis."

WORKPEOPLE.-P. 380. "The wages most generally paid" (in 1798) "to ordinary labourers in husbandry in this county, is ten shillings a week during the winter half year, and twelve shillings a week during the summer half year; but on most farms, there is one handy, confidential workman, at twelve shillings a week all the year round. Those who are only employed during hay-time and harvest, are paid fifteen shillings a week; they are occasionally

occasionally allowed beer, and sometimes a dinner, which makes it equal to their being paid twelve shillings a week the year round.

"In summer, the hours of labour are from six o'clock in the morning till six o'clock in the evening; and during the winter months, from light till dark but half an hour of rest is always allowed at breakfast, and an hour at dinner. "A great deal of labour, perhaps a moiety or more, of the whole, is done by the piece."

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P. 382. The number of women (mostly from North Wales) who are employed by the farmers and gardeners round London, during every summer season, in weeding and making hay, in gathering green peas and beans, in picking fruits, and carrying strawberries and other tender fruit to market, is astonishing."

P. 388. "The servants who are boarded by the farmers, frequently consume more animal food than their masters. There is no certain rule, but perhaps something like the following routine may be near the truth, viz. bread, cheese, and fat pork for breakfast; coarse joints of beef boiled, with cabbages and other vegetables, or meat pyes, meat puddings, &c. for dinner; cold pork, bread and cheese, &c. for supper; and with every meal small beer.

"It is evident the expence of such a diet must be very considerable; and the waste which the servants of this county make, is shameful.

"This, together with their rude manners, induces most farmers to pay them board-wages, especially as this method greatly lessens the trouble of the mistress, and female servants of the house."

Mr. Middleton's observations, and censure, concerning chandler's shops and public houses, as grievances to laborers, are highly creditable to him, as a zealous moralist.

IMPLEMENTS. Mr. M. has thought it fitting to bestow nine or ten pages of general "Observations" on this head, without conveying much useful information to his readers. They are the remarks of an amateur-of a man of reading and incidental observation, rather than those of a practised occupier.

MANURES. In the section "Manuring," is comprized some interesting intelligence, concerning the amelioration of Soils, in the County of Middlesex.

Town Manure.-P. 301. "The greater part of the manure used in this county is carted from London; being part of the sweepings of a surface containing three thousand acres of pavement, in streets and market-places, and the dung produced by 30,000 horses, 8000 cows, and 650,000 inhabitants.

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"The

"The whole quantity thus produced is probably not less than five hundred thousand cart-loads; about one-half of which is supposed to be annually spread on the land of this county. Unfortunately, ninety-nine parts in an hundred of the soil of privies is carried, by the commons sewers, into the Thames; which is a very great loss to agriculture, as night-soil is not only more quick in its operation than any other dressing, but is by far the richest manure that ever was laid on land."

Lime.-P. 307. "There is neither limestone nor chalk in this county; nor is there any lime burnt in it; though there are kilns for the burning of both chalk and limestone at Nine-elms, near Vauxhall, on the Surrey side of the Thames."

Chalk -P. 303. "Chalk is brought by the same canal, from Ware-park, and its environs (Herts) a distance of about eleven miles, and delivered at Enfield, at the rate of 4l. for about thirty tons; and is found to answer with tolerable success."

Shell Marl.-P. 312. "I have not heard of there being any shell marl near the surface in this county; but, at the depth of many feet, a strata of four or five feet in thickness, consisting of oyster, and other marine shells, and sediment, has been dug through at Chelsea; and it most probably extends over at least all the flat part of the county. The same strata has been met with in many places in the adjoining county of Surrey. I know not whether it has been used as a manure, except indeed in such small quantities as are usually dug on the sinking of wells; nor has any one entertained an idea of raising it purely for the purpose of agriculture."

Sheepfold.-P. 303. "Sheep-folding is resorted to, in order to manure part of the land in different parishes round Hounslow-heath and other commons.'

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In the author's section, "Size of Farms," as well as in other parts of his Work, we perceive, pretty plainly, his decided opinion on this species of melioration; as well as on the value of "sheep downs"-" sheep walks"--and other "wastes."

P. 50. "No waste, sheep-downs, sheep-walks, or pastúre, should by any means be permitted for the mere purpose. of feeding dung-carriers, or of filling the bellies of lean sheep, which are intended to empty themselves at night in the fold on the arable land, to the ruin of all the grass land so used."

TILLAGE.-Plow Team.-P. 139. "It is not one time in fifty that they go to plough with so few as three horses; but mostly for the lighter work using four; on rather

stronger

stronger land, five, and sometimes even six: in every instance, drawing at length, or one before the other. In May 1796, I saw, in one day, two teams, with six horses in each, and three men to attend each team, namely, one to hold the plough, and two to drive the horses, ploughing with a wide furrow, about three quarters of an acre per day."

SEMINATION.-Seed.-P. 165. "The method I wish to recommend to those cultivators who desire to excel in the article of grain, is the following, namely, a few days before harvest, to walk through their fields of corn, to select and gather the prime samples of every species of seed, and ever afterwards to continue the same practice, by repeating the operation of collecting the most perfect grain from the crops produced from such selected seed.".

Nor

This recommendation is excellent, but not new. does it go to the full extent of the advantage to be gained by a selection of superior individuals, among cultivated plants, as among domestic animals. Not only may a cultivator, by selecting prime plants, from his own crops, improve, from time to time, the particular sorts under cultivation, as to a fairness of sample, but he may, at the same time, and by the same ready mean, become possessed of a sort superiorly adapted to his own soil, situation, and climature. And moreover, by diligent search, may discover a NEW VARIETY of superior excellence to every other, previously known. See my YORKSHIRE; article Wheat; first published in 1788.

For Mr. M's thoughts on Drilling, see the head, Wheat, ensuing.

VERMIN.-The Reporter (in p. 476) "estimates the damage done, by vermin, on a farm of two hundred acres, one half of it arable, the other in grass, without sheepwalks," in manner following:

Mole-catcher
Rat-catcher

Mouse-catcher

Scaring sparrows and other small birds.
More for rooks and jays ...

Mischief by magpies, carrion crows,
ravens, kites, hawks, and dogs,

Damage by game

£.

Ꭶ. d.

1 11 6

3 3 0
330
6 6 0
220

2 2 0

10 0 0

By hunters and shooters, "who prey 10 0 0

upon game"

And lastly by "the slug only"

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"Thus" says the estimator, p. 479, "the amount is upwards of fifty-eight pounds a year, or near six shillings

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