the produce of the breeding parts of the united kingdom, Alderney, &c.; the working bullocks are principally bred and broke in Sussex; the sheep are in general from Wiltshire, and the west country: the Welch sheep are purchased for, and kept in parks only. The Hertfordshire farmers derive from the plough the surest and most ample source of advantage and compensation for their industry, experience, and capitals employed in husbandry; their live stock must therefore be bred, and that breed improved, before it comes to their hands."

"GENERAL VIEW

OF THE

AGRICULTURE

OF

HERTFORDSHIRE.

DRAWN UP FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF

THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE

AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

BY THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD.

1813."*

THIS is what the Board styles a "reprinted Report."

It is in reality, however, an original Work; very little of Mr. Walker's sketch being incorporated with it.

1

To

The title-page date of this Report (and we have no other) has puzzled me much. From various evidence, in the body of the work, it appears not only to have been written, but published, some length of time, before the year 1813. I first imagined that it was a new edition, and that, in the negligent way in which the Board's literary works are edited, the words "second edition" had been omitted. But, on further examination, I found that the title-page, only, is a reprint! It is, however, so neatly "guarded" that the deception is not readily discoverable. To what good purpose, or to what peculiar circumstance, can this unaccountable step have been taken? Being what it may, much of the work is thereby rendered in a degree abortive; for the want, in these changeable times, of an authentic standard to refer to; as will appear in the course of this article.

To speak of the Author, in this place, is not necessary. This is the sixth time I have had occasion to sit in judgement on the Secretary's Reports to the Board; and have frequently spoken my sentiments, freely, on their merits and demerits. Therefore, all that I have further to say, concerning the one which is now before me, is, that I will draw from it such information as I conceive may add to the useful knowledge, on rural subjects, which I have hitherto been accumulating, for the instruction of the present and future generations.

The number of pages two hundred and thirtysix.

A map of the soil of Hertfordshire; with engravings on planting hedges and moveable sheep houses.

SUBJECT THE FIRST,

NATURAL ECONOMY.

EXTENT

XTENT.-P. 12. "I have had a map of the county carefully measured, by which measurement it appears, that Hertfordshire contains 472 square miles."

SOILS.-Species and proportional Extent.-P. 12.

chalk, .....

73

141

8

223

27

472" square miles.

The Reporter opens his copious section "Soils," with "notes that I took in the order in which they occur."These notes, of course, merely relate to the soils which happened to fall within view, in making his "survey.”— They are mostly uninteresting. For, seeing the extraordinary intermixture of soils (mentioned not only by Mr. Walker, but by his successor) those of opposite qualities would necessarily lie within a few hundred yards of his line of road, or the individual farm he might look over. There is only one passage which appears to be entitled to insertion here.

P. 6. "A clear distinction of soil from any hitherto described, is met with at Cheshunt; a very rich pale reddish sand of an admirable texture, deep, moist, and friable, yet

so adhesive, as sometimes to bind. It lets at 40s. an acre, and may be considered as cheap; for it produces in favourable seasons and circumstances, five quarters of wheat an acre it is viewed to advantage immediately out of Mr. Russel's garden." (!) "This noble vein of land continues to Hoddesdon, and to the hills before Ware. The vale is, for Hertfordshire, very wide, and is upon the whole the best land that I have seen in the county."

In the "Map of the Soil of Hertfordshire," prefixed to the Report, the County makes its appearance (notwithstanding its variegation of soils) under five uniform colors; blue, which denotes " loam," covering more than half the County. The Author, however, very properly explains his plan; and, if the colors mark the prevailing soils, the map will have its use.

P. 8. "The soils traced in the Map may be termed :1. Loam,-2. Clay,-3. Chalk,-4. Gravel.

"But I should guard the reader against the idea that this is an accurate discrimination: the truth is, that the soils of this county mix and run into each other in a remarkable manner; so that, except, in the case of chalk, and that singularly unfertile land, which I term gravel, they are traced and named with a good deal of uncertainty; not for want, I trust, of attention in making the observations, but from the varying qualities of the respective soils."

SUBJECT THE SECOND.

POLITICAL ECONO M Y.

PPROPRIATION.-The Secretary commences his chapter, "Enclosing," with journal memoranda, respecting the inclosures that have taken place, in sundry parishes of Hertfordshire. Those minutes appear to have been the fruits of conversation. Many of them are uninteresting. They are not, however, entirely so. I transcribe the following, progressively, as they stand in the Report.

On the Business of Inclosure.-P. 44. " In the enclosure of Hartingfordbury, a plan was formed to escape the charges (so often very heavy) which are made by commissioners; that of naming in the bill three neighbouring gentlemen for commissioners: Mr. Byde, of Ware-park, Mr. Nicholson Calvert, and the Rev. Mr. Browne. By this mode, no other expense is incurred than is absolutely necessary;

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these

these gentlemen, of course, taking nothing, but acting as friends to the parties. If this plan could be more commonly pursued, which surely it might be, enclosing would not be so much complained of."

On Fencing new Inclosures.-P. 44. " In new enclosures, Mr. Irons, of Market-street, banks double quicks and rails, and cleans for eight years, when he engages to deliver up a complete fence, taking his rails away, for 10s. a rod."

Principles of Appropriation.--P. 45. "By the enclosure" (that of Cheshunt comprizing 8452 acres)" 86 acres are allotted for rectorial tithe of the common, and 167 for vicarial; and 100 acres are left, by direction of the act, as a stinted common for cottagers of 67. a year and under, being vested in trust in the lord of the manor, vicar, and churchwardens. The improvement is likely to be very great; for the common was not fed by the poor, but by a parcel of jobbers, who hired cottages, that they might eat up the. whole."

The Reporter's Remarks.-P. 48. "The preceding cases are sufficient to shew that enclosing has gone on as well in Hertfordshire as we have any reason to expect in a county so generally enclosed of old time. There remains, however, much to be done in the northern part of the county; and there are smaller scattered common-fields in many parts, with extensive commons also in the western district. Many of these are too small to pay the expense of a distinct act of enclosure; but all would be properly cultivated under the sanction of a general act.”

other

In the chapter "Wastes," we find further remarks on the state of inclosure, in Hertfordshire.-P. 148. "The quantity of waste land in Hertfordshire, compared with that in most other counties, is very inconsiderable. There are some small commons scattered about the county, which would pay well for improving, but the quantity is no where very great."

MANUFACTURES.-For some account of straw-platting, see Workpeople, ensuing.

POOR RATE.-P. 31. "Hertfordshire is free from any considerable manufactures, which, from depression on account of the war, or from other causes, might have left an increased population in distress; a case dreadfully experienced in the neighbouring county of Essex. It has also the advantage of being the residence of a great number of people of fortune, whose charitable attention to the poor must have operated in keeping down the poor-tax; her agriculture also affords a great and regular system of employment. The manufactures of this county are singularly beneficial, especially that of plaiting straw, in which the

earnings

earnings of the poor are very great; yet, with all these advantages, the poor-rates are high."

To these remarks succeeds a detail of the rates in twenty or thirty individual parishes. But, for want of the time when they were collected, and of the species of rent (whether real or nominal, unless in a few instances) they are not of consideration.

TITHE-P. 30. "I am very happy to be able to premise, that I did not in the whole county meet with one instance of tithes being taken in kind; there may be such instances in Hertfordshire, but I no where heard of any; and I crossed the county in so many directions, that, if any exist, they must be extremely rare."

A list of thirty places is put down, with the compositions that are paid, by the acre, "for the tithe." Query, for the tithe of what? Of arable, meadow, pasture, or woodland? Separately, or jointly? The average comes out-" three shillings and five pence farthing." But at what period of time is not ascertainable.

CANALS. This Reporter, having copied Mr. Walker's notice of the Grand Junction, (see p. 11, aforegoing)-says, p. 15. "I did not neglect inquiries into the effect which this canal has had upon the agriculture of the county: the following minutes throw some light upon the subject."

Those minutes are few and not important. The subjoined remark, by the Reporter, however, is striking, and may have its use in this register. I do not insert it, to throw a damp on canals, many of which are highly beneficial, not to agriculture, only, but to the country at large. My object, on this, as it has been on other occasions, is to shew that, in some instances, canals have failed to realize the too sanguine expectations of speculative men.

P. 17. “From the information which I could gain on this subject, several arrangements appear to be wanted, before this great work can be turned to all the advantage which the agriculture of Hertfordshire should derive from it. It appears by the preceding notes, that the benefit of bringing bulky manures, is extremely questionable at present; and the fact is, that vast quantities of hay and straw go to London, from the very banks of the canal, by landcarriage, the carts,bringing dung back, which does not answer when brought by the navigation."

ROADS.-P. 221. "The roads of a county so near the Metropolis, can scarcely be bad: six great leading turnpikes passing through so small a district, would alone give this character, but there are many cross-roads nearly as good as turnpikes. The worst are found in the country between Pelham and Welwyn."

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MARKETS.