thousand tons of this stone, are annually shipped off from the island."

Purbeck Stone.-P. 41. The quarries in the island of Purbeck, are found in the parishes of Sandwich (called Swannage) Langston and Worthe, near the sea, where up wards of four hundred people are employed in digging and tooling the stone which is raised here from pits, some twenty others forty feet deep; they are not open to the top, but are undermined and underbuilt; it is excellent stone for walling, floors, steps, and in particular for foor pavement for towns, for tomb-stones, troughs, and feet and caps for rick staddles. Another sort of stone is here found and used for pitching streets, and some of the thin stones on the tops of these quarries are used for covering of buildings about fifty thousand tons are annually shipped at Swannage."

Pipe Clay.-P. 43. "On Norden and Burshen Heath, about a mile distant from the borough of Corfe Castle, is found large quantities of pipe clay, which is in great estimation, and absolutely necessary for the use of the potters in Staffordshire and other places. About eleven thousand tons are annually sent from this place for that purpose, and about one hundred men are constantly employed in digging it. Some of the pits are not more than ten or twelve feet deep. The mode of digging it, is to cut it with a thin spade, whilst in a soft state, in square pieces, which is forked up by another person, to the conveyance for carrying it off. It is of a white colour when first dug out, and dries to a hard substance of rather a blue cast.

"The ground where the pipe-clay is dug, is on the surface extremely poor and barren, and although the clay has the appearance of being a most excellent manure, I find that it has been tried without success, as it is supposed to contain some acid matter, which is highly detrimental to vegetation."

MINERALS.-P. 40. "There are no ores of any kind found in this county, nor are there any mines of coal.

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

APP

PPROPRIATION,-Common Pastures.-P. 43. "Of the commons in Dorsetshire, the greater part of them in the inclosed country are stinted, one horse or two beasts to a leas; the horse leas, is estimated worth thirty shillings,

and

21

and half that sum for a beast. The land in general overrun with furze and ant-bills, does not in its present state, return more than seven or eight shillings per acre; but most of them highly proper to cultivate, and if converted would be worth eighteen or twenty shillings an acre, as lime for manure is so easily obtained.

"The greatest proportion and extent of waste lands in the éounty, is in its south-eastern part, from below Bere-Regis; southwards towards Lulworth and the sea, extending all the way to Corfe Castle, Wareham and Poole, from thence. towards Christ-Church, in Hampshire, and within a small distance of Winborn Minster, the greater part of which, except a few cultivated parishes which intersected it, is in its present state a most dreary waste, and almost the only advantage derived from it at this time, is the support in summer of a few ordinary cattle and sheep, and the heath, which is pared up by the surrounding villages for fuel."

Common Fields.-P. 46. Very few parishes in this county, have of late years been inclosed, there are some however, between Winborn Minster and Blandford, and in the vale of Blackmoor, which are said to answer extremely well, and to have much increased the value of the property. therein."

PROVISIONS.-P. 46. "Provisions are plentiful, and besides a great abundance of most excellent fish, the markets are supplied in most parts of the county with beef at four pence per pound; mutton at four-pence halfpenny; chickens at fifteen pence per couple; geese half a crown each, and turkeys at three shillings and six-pence each."

FUEL.-P. 40. "The supply in this article" (coals) "is either from Newcastle to its ports, where they cost from two pounds fourteen shillings to three pounds per chaldron, of thirty-six bushels; or from Wales, which cost about thirty-two shillings per ton weight. The proportion be, tween the Newcastle and the Welsh coals, is as thirteen" and a half bushels of the former, to one ton of the latter.",

MANUFACTURE.-P. 37. "Among various others of great. import to the community, in the county of Dorset, the principal one, is in the manufactory of flax and hemp, in the neighbourhood of Bridport and Beminster; where all sorts of twine, string, packthread, netting, cordage, and ropes are made, from the finest thread used by saddlers, in lieu of silk, to the cable which holds the first rate man of war. The nets made for the fishery at Newfoundland, as well as for home use; and the sails for shipping of every kind, is manufactured of the best quality, as well as sacking for hammocks, &c. and all kinds of bags and tarpaulin; and in addition to the great quantity of flax and hemp used

R 3

bere, not more than one-third of it is allowed by the manufacturers to be of British growth; the remaining twothirds of it, is imported from Russia and America, as raw materials."

PUBLIC DRAINAGE.-P. 13. "Through this vale" (Blackmoor)" runs the river Stower, which is now undergoing a great improvement, from the general Act of Sewers, by cutting down the sides and removing obstructions, which will tend to the general drainage of the country, and be a lasting improvement."

RURAL ECONOM Y.

TENUR

TENANTED ESTATES.

ENURES.-P. 22. "There is a considerable part of the county (though perhaps the fee of the whole parish belongs, at most, to one or two persons) which is leased out for lives, and generally the land is here intermixed and confused by copy hold and freehold tenures. The customary terms for renewal of leases for lives, are nearly as follows: For copyhold, two years purchase is taken for one life; eight, for two lives; sixteen, for three lives; besides the widowhood. On leasehold, two years purchase for one life; seven, for two lives; fourteen, for three lives. Though this mode of letting land on lease is much less practised now than formerly."

.. DRAINING FARM LANDS.-P. 26. "Draining, except in the water meadows, is very little practised in any part of the county. Some of the tillage-land, which is gravelly and springy, might be much improved by it."

IRRIGATION.-P. 34. "The flooding of meadow land, is another business, of great importance, in the agriculture of Dorsetshire. The proportion of water meadows is no where so great, or any where better managed; the early vegetation produced by flooding, is of such consequence to the Dorsetshire farmer, that without it, their present system of managing sheep, would be almost annihilated."

Seeing what Mr. DAVIS and others have written on this subject, the slight sketch offered, by Mr. Claridge, requires not transcription. He properly refers to Mr. BOSWELL'S

treatise.

TENANCY.-For remarks on Life Leases, see the head Tenures, abore.

WOODLANDS.

WOODLAND S.

P. 32. "Though this county is extremely barren, both in timber and wood, still there are many local spots, appropriated to the growth of underwood in several parts of it, such as Duncliff in the vale of Blackmoor, Honeycombe wood in the neighbourhood of Sherborne, and many others of a similar nature. The soil is chiefly cold and wet, and the underwood cut at ten or twelve years growth, and produces about five or six pounds an acre for faggots. As to timber, I could wish I had it in my power to be able to describe from my own observation, a greater quantity than I am able to do."

AGRICULTURE.

FARMS.—Sizes.—P.

ARMS.-Sizes.-P. 24. "In many parts of Dorsetshire, one man occupies a whole hamlet, parish, or lordship; perhaps from fifteen hundred to two thousand acres, which I fear has been too frequently made, by laying five or six farms together, and thereby striking a fatal blow at the little farmer, who is one of the most useful members of society."

Enormous farms, such as are above described, are doubtlessly enormous evils. But a due proportion of great farms, as those from 200 to 500 acres of culturable land, are assuredly, in the present state of society, of great benefit to the country. Mr. C. it would seem, is a small-farm man. A GRADATION OF FARMS, in regard to size, is, in my judgement, most desirable *.

HOMESTEADS.-P. 31. "The land owner in this county has an advantage over others elsewhere, in the small proportion of buildings, which seems necessary for the farmer's convenience, in managing his land. A small low built house of stone, and covered with slate, situate in a bottom. A barn for wheat, small one for Lent grain or one barn with two floors, a stable, ox-house, cow-house, and carthouse, constitute every necessary; indeed, in one instance only, they exceed the wants of other tenants, which is in a house for the dairy-man, but this is either carried on, in a part

*In my TREATISE ON LANDED PROPERTY, p. 138, 4to edition, F have fully, and I trust satisfactorily, explained my ideas on this im、 portant subject.

a part of the farm-house, or in a cottage set apart for thats purpose, but as it too frequently happens, that the farmers rents more than one farm, he of course has an eligible ac<! commodation for the dairy-man in his power. The farmer's usual method, is to stack his hay on the ground, where he is likely to fodder in the winter, and his corn on stoneorick staddles, in a yard adjoining to the buildings. He is not extravagant in requiring useless or unnecessary ones; a few cottages are generally included in his bargain. It b

WORKING ANIMALS.-P. 12. "The breed of horses, in this county, is not particularly attended to a slight blood horse is made use of for the field and road, and a very ordinary stile of cart horse, used in agriculture; some cart. colts are bred in the vale of Blackmoor, and many others are brought in, either as suckers or yearlings from other counties. Some individuals indeed, have good teams, and are very careful of their horses; but from general observations I am persuaded, the, Dorsetshire farmers, pay, but little at tention to the shape, size, or symmetry of the cart horse. The stallions are chiefly working horses of farmers, and cover mares at half a guinea each for the season, and ans average price for a cart horse at five years old, is sixteen ors seventeen guineas.

"I was glad to find that oxen are often used in agricul ture here, and the breed are of two kinds; those on the western side of the county are chiefly from the red ox of Devonshire, an excellent sort; and the others in the more eastern and northern parts, are a mixture of the Hampshire and Wiltshire, with many crosses of the Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and North Country beasts.

MANURE.-Lime.-P. 18. " A great deal of lime is used as a manure, and twenty hogsheads of four bushels each, per acre, is esteemed a good dressing, which costs four-s pence halfpenny per bushel; but those farmers who are situate near coast, draw, a great deal of sea weed or kelp from the shore, and sometimes spread it at : omne : omi.theg ground prepared for wheat, and sometimes mix it with earth and make it into compost, both of these operations have a good effect.

"An extraordinary instance, is well attested by many, respectable people, that some farmers have on a particular occasion, when there, has been a drug of fish upon the coast, manured their land, with them, which, has produced a very florid crop.

"One in particular, is of Mr. Davies, of Swire, who about four years since manured a piece of land for wheat, from a shoal of herrings, which cost him no more than one shilling per load, besides carriage, he scattered them. lightly