"Temperate mixed soil, upon a gravelly loam, a yellow woodland clay, a brick, and a tile earth, and a chalky clay."

SUBJECT THE SECOND.

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

APPROPRIATION.-P. 110. “The adjacent forests

of Epping and, Henhault, are viewed as an intolerable nuisance, and are equally regarded as such, at Chigwell and at Loughton, where the farmers uniformly declare, that the privilege of commonage is by no means equal to the one tenth part of the losses they constantly sustain from the deer in breaking down their fences, trespassing. upon their fields, and destroying their crops either ripe or green. Against these depredators it is further alledged, that there are no fences, however laboriously contrived, expensive, and formidable against other animals, that will in any wise avail: add to this, that the evil is continually. increasing from, the annual increase in the stock of deer.

"These forests, so near the metropolis, are well known to be the nursery and resort of the most idle and profligate of men here the under graduates in iniquity commence their career with deer stealing, and here the more finished and hardened robber secrets himself from justice, or retires for a time with his plunder from his haunts in London, where his, arrest is certain, whenever it is determined by the master robber, or the robber catcher, that the active and actual robber is to be done.”

The Improvement, of which the County of Essex is ca pable of receiving, by the complete Appropriation of its Commonable Lands.-P. 185. "A general statement of the improvement, which by enclosing and-laying into severalty, may be annually made on the present rent, or value of the open common fields and waste lands, in this County. "By a reference to the minutes taken on the survey, it appears, that the arable land in about forty parishes in the county, lies very much in open common fields; and which, in point of quantity, is found to average about 1,200 acres per parish. This amounts in the whole to, 48,000 acres; the excess whereof in the annual rent or value from. enclosure and laying into severalty, would according to the general average table, be. 4s. 6d.

4s. 6d, per acre, and consequently form an

annually increased income, or revenue of £10,800 0, 0 "By enclosing or embanking from the sea 4,600 acres of salt marsh, an acquisition to that extent would be made to the national territory, and yield to the individual owners annually 15s. 6d. per acre, equal to ......... "By enclosing for cultivation 10,370 acres of thicks or forest lands, unfit for the growth of oak timber, thereby improving its rent or annual value 12s. 6d. per acre

3,565 0

..... 6,481 5 Q

" By enclosing and laying into severalty 14,237 acres of waste or common land, thereby increasing its annual rent or value 11s. 4d. per acre, equals

5,067 12 8

£25,913 17 8"

For farther information, see the head Summary, at the close of this article.

PUBLIC EMBANKMENT.-See above,

PAUPERAGE. This Reporter of Essex is the first writer whom I have heard to speak of the revenues of the poor.. Not in the way of modest intimation. He boldly declares that" as revenues of the poor, they may now with as much propriety, as roundly and as correctly be asserted, as any other revenue drawn from the subject, and attaching upon the crown." p. 159.

"And on this foundation he builds his plan of reform. The first step of which is this:-p. 160. "Let the average value of labour in every parish be correctly ascertained, and let an argumentation thereon be made equal to the annual amount of the present poor's rates in such parish." Now, it has so happened, in the very County of Essex, that what was the present poor's rates" in " a parish, has lately been, and I fear still is, tenfold greater; and what is, now, may, in no great length of time, be tenfold less,

That the present "Poor Laws" of this Country are, as a punster might say, poor indeed, every one seems to be well aware. I have not, however, found them more forcibly satirized than in the subjoined extract.

P. 161. "How different the whole design from the melancholy experience of thousands, who in the present day, and in the case of settlement only, are no longer treated as sensible and rational beings, but are hunted like wild beasts from parish to parish, not because they have of fended against the laws of their country, or otherwise

possess

possess evil, which ought to be avoided; but too often because they may have piqued the parish officers; or that some of those gentlemen may occasionally wish for a frolick, at the expence of the parish, or for an agreeable excursion in a post chaise: but this, together with the immense sums annually expended in legal contests concerning the removal and settlement of paupers, and which are necessarily charged to the account of the poor, would on a certainty be saved, were an arrangement generally adopted, somewhat similar in principle to that above stated."

IMPR

SUBJECT THE THIRD.

RURAL ECONOMY.

TENANTED ESTATES.

MPROVING ESTATES.-Forming Drinking Places for Pasturing Stock.-P. 78. (Marshland Islands.) "From, the situation, general structure, and materials, of which these islands are formed; it is obvious, that they can afford no springs of water; and consequently, that the only supply for drinking, or for fencing, is to be obtained from the rain, or from the melted snows: this forms but a precarious and scanty dependance, which in the summer season is frequently dried up, or by putrefaction rendered extremely injurious to the health of the inhabitants, and too frequently also to that of the horses and cattle: Hence there are but few resident occupiers in the islands; and in particular dry seasons, the larger stock are driven from Foulness to Shoebury for water; and in like manner from the other islands, and embanked marshes, the cattle are driven at much expence and inconvenience to water upon the higher lands.""

These natural inconveniences, or shall we say distressing circumstances, might surely be alleviated, or removed, by art. An inclined plane of one eighth of an acre in extent (more or less according to given circumstances, and as experience would soon point out:-in ordinary cases a few square rods would be sufficient), with a spacious receptacle on the lower side of it, would collect, in the course of twelve months, rain water sufficient to supply, with wholesome beverage, a numerous herd of cattle, during the grazing season.

The method of forming artificial pools is now known,

and

and is in general practice, in different parts of the kingdom. See my YORKSHIRE. Also TREATISE on LANDED PROPERTY.

The collecting surface might be formed with the natural soil of the marshlands; and be covered in various ways. If of great extent, clay, condensed as in pond-making, and strewed, from time to time, with clean sand, to fill the cracks, and render it impervious to running water, would be sufficient. More confined slopes might be covered with flags, slates, or tiles, applied as on a roof; and might be found more effective than clay and sand. In either case, the expence would be found inconsiderable, comparatively with the benefit which would certainly arise from it.

For other serious evils, occasioned by a want of good water in those marshes, see the article Grass Land, ensuing.

AGRICULTURE.

FARMS.-P. 167. One very material error exists in the

σε

present mode of occupying farms throughout this county; which is that of one person monopolizing several farms, and holding them as it is termed, off hand.' These farms lie frequently detached and very wide of each other, and a looker or superintendant, at ten or twelve shillings per week, occupies the ruins of the old mansion or farm house, which was heretofore the seat of hospitality, industrious emulation, or modest virtue. In the course of the tour, it was observed, with much indifference by an overgrown farmer's wife, that her husband had but nine farms in his occupation; each of which upon further enquiry was found to be equal to the care and capital of the same number of equally skilful and respectable, although perhaps not such wealthy and imperious families.'

PLAN of MANAGEMENT.-By Mr. V's Journal, this varies, minutially, in every district. But, viewing South Essex at large, the following would seem to be the prevailing practice; and a better I believe is not at present known.

On the more absorbent, free-working lands, an autumn, winter, and spring fallow, for turneps or rape; to be succeeded by spring corn and mixed herbage, is prevalent. On the stronger, more retentive, less friable soils, an eighteen months' fallow; to be followed by the same.

The subjoined passage evidences the lasting benefit, which may arise, and which may reasonably be expected, from an EIGHTEEN MONTHS' FALLOW; namely, a

fallow

fallow broken up soon after harvest, and continued, as the given circumstances of the soil, the weather, and intervals of leisure will point out, until the spring-twelve-month following:

66

P. 75. Upon the temperate lands, first, thorough summer and winter fallow for oats or barley, with which sow sixteen pounds of red clover, or in lieu thereof, six pounds of white Dutch clover, and ten pounds of trefoil per acre. Clover ley sown with wheat, the etches of which are dunged, and sown with beans that are kept well howed through the summer, and again sown with wheat; after which, a crop of oats or barley is sometimes taken, but most generally the wheat stubbles are haulmed, and sown with winter tares for spring food, then dunged and prepared for coleseed, fed with hogs, left for a crop, and succeeded with wheat; the stubbles of which, are dunged, sown with beans, which are kept well hoed and fallowed by a second crop of wheat; then fallow in course, for oats or barley. In this routine of crops, a thorough summer and winter fallow, and a short preparation for coleseed only occurs once in twelve years :' -a succession of benefits, these, which it might be said, are purchased for the pittance of one twelfth of a year's rent, annually.

On the marshlands, that are embanked from the tide, the following appears to be an established practice.-P. 80. (Foulness Islands.) "The most approved husbandry in these islands, and in those embanked marshes along the coast, which have been enclosed a great length of time from the sea, and have not been chalked; is first to apply chalk upon the ley or swerd ground, about six waggon loads, of ninety bushels each, to the acre. This dressing is recommended to lie upon the surface for three or four years; the marsh then to be very neat and fleetly ploughed, and sown with white oats upon the flag."

MANURE. Species.-The favorite manure, in South Essex, seems, by the report under view, to be chalk rubbish, from the quarries on the Kentish side of the Thames. A native marl is also repeatedly spoken of, under the names of "chalky clay," "blue and white clay," &c. The dung of animals, it appears, was, in the richer parts, of the County, considered, until of late years, a troublesome encumbrance on a farm.

Chalk. This is conveyed, by water carriage, up the Estuaries of the Blackwater and the Crouch, and other creeks and inlets of the Thames and its mouth; where wharfs have been formed to receive it; and, from these, by land carriage, into the more interior parts.