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the most diminutive, until they reached the bed of rich alluvial soil; and CHAP. 4. afterwards decreased in quantity of produce until they terminated in the Diversity of inert peat. After the second year this order of luxuriance did not continue Soil. in the same proportion. The rich silicious sandy soil, in the fourth and fifth year was greatly inferior in produce to what it was in the second and third, and the produce of the poor silicious sandy soil decreased annually in quantity after the second year. The produce of the sandy loam and of the clayey loam continued much the same; but the rich alluvial soil and rich clayey loam increased in quantity of produce until the fifth year; and even afterwards the diminution was trifling, although no manure in any instance was applied.

The grasses, together with those broad or narrow-leaved plants which Grasses, &c. constitute the natural produce of pasture-lands, are twenty-six in number; and will be found enumerated in our sketch of the Botany of the county.

Lands that are mown in the summer are called meadows; an opinion Meadows. prevails in Derbyshire, that it is better to appropriate particular grassfields as meadows, and to mow them successively, than to change them. Low meadows consist, for the most part of alluvial flats, extending to a considerable width on both sides the Trent, the Dove and the Derwent. The accumulated loam or sandy loam, which is the sediment left by floods upon the gravel, is from one to several feet in thickness, and is generally without the admixture of stones or other heavy bodies. Some of these flats are very rich land, particularly those which form the meadows along the lower course of the Dove. In general the low meadows of this county are kept in, what farmers term, a clean condition; but sedge or tussock grass, docks, thistles and wild tansey greatly abound. The upland meadows are said to be much injured by earth-heaps thrown up by worms.

The laying or shutting up meadows for hay is, in Derbyshire, called hayning. This takes place early or late in April, according to circumstances. In the Peak, the hay-harvest usually begins about the first of August; and at Hartington, Buxton, &c. sometimes much earlier. The hay-time, in many parts of this county, is considered of more importance than the corn-harvest, and is generally called the hay-harvest, and often, in the dairying districts, the harvest without other addition. As rainy weather prevails very generally during July and the commencement of August, in the Peak Hundreds, it seems injudicious to delay the mowing in expectation of a heavier crop; for, if the first fine weather in July were embraced, the succeeding rains would increase the aftermath with a greater degree of profit, than they do the grass standing for hay, after it has formed its flower stalks, and, frequently, its seed.-In very steep and small inclosures, hay continues here to be carried to the stack, by a method called stanging. Stangs are poles or long levers, and on the middle of two of these stangs, a large cock of hay is carried, by two men. Corn crops, from similar situations, are also stanged.—The stacking of hay is practised in a very neat manner generally throughout Derbyshire. The hay-stacks in Bretby park are ventilated, by means of upright chimneys in the interior of them. There is a hay-barn at Locko park, and in other places, with small openings between the bricks to admit the air or allow the escape of the steam.—The salting of hay was formerly much practised about Bake

Meadows.

CHAP. 4. well and Buxton, but it never was very usual in Derbyshire. The produce of hay, from the low meadows in the Wye, has been estimated at 30 cwt. per acre, of that from the hill-pastures at from 18 to 20 cwt.-From the earlier gritstone soils and the shale lands, the crop has been reckoned from 34 to 40 cwt. The general growth varies considerably in different parts of the county. The rowen or eddish after-grass, is consumed by dairy cows or by sheep.-The expense of mowing grass varies from half a crown to three or four shillings per acre, with generally a gallon of small beer and a quart of ale.

Pasture
Land.

Farming
Stock.

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On the western, or rather south-western district of Derbyshire, there is much excellent pasture land, as well as in the more southern parts. The soil in the coal-measures inclines much to clay, and draining with the application of lime seems to be essential to the proper occupancy of a farm in the coal districts. There is, however, very good pasture land on the southern coal-measures, resulting probably from alluvial deposits.

The stocking of pasture land has been much studied by some of the Derbyshire graziers. Much advantage, it appears, may be derived from a judicious mixture of sheep with cattle, with the introduction of horses, and occasionally ley beasts, so as to follow as each sort of stock is changed from one pasture to another. Sometimes it happens in a county of such diversity of soil, that every description of land is met with in the same or neighbouring closes. Except in the Woodlands about Hope and some of the moors of Scarsdale and the High Peak, there are no lands exclusively appropriated as sheep pastures. Dairy grounds, or those appropriated to cheese-making, prevail chiefly on the red marl and mineral limestone soils; and it seems a general opinion, that old sward answers better for dairying than artificial grasses or lands newly laid down, though clean and luxuriant in growth.

Through a considerable part of the limestone tract in the Peak Hundreds, it is common for the farmers to set apart large pasture fields, for the taking in of summerlings or ley cattle, at fixed prices per week. Gentlemen's parks, in many instances, admit ley cattle. The period of the year for such admission is usually from Old May-day to Old Michaelmas-day, and the terms for that period differ considerably.

In the farms of Derbyshire, where, as has been already remarked, the grazing and dairy branches of agriculture are so prevalent, the cows, cattle Description and sheep become objects of attention. Of the cow-stock for the purposes, there are breeds called the new Derbyshire long horns; but these as well as the other kinds of cow-stock, have been introduced from other places.

of Stock.

The old long-horn breed was originally from Lancashire or Westmoreland. This useful sort of cows for the dairy prevailed very generally in the county until the beginning of the present century; but it has subsequently declined. Mr. Wilson, of Stenson, has continued to keep this stock unmixed with any other.

The short-horn, also called Holderness, Yorkshire or Durham cows, are brought to the fairs at Derby and other places in the county, and many are bred here. Most of the principal farmers, as well as the agricultural nobility and gentry, have paid much attention to this description of stock; among whom we may mention, the Earl of Chesterfield, Sir George Crewe,

bart. Sir George Sitwell, bart. Mr. R. Needham of Longstone, Mr. W. B. Thomas of Boythorpe farm, Mr. Smith of Swarkstone-Lows, &c. &c.

CHAP. 4.

Description

The following are some distinguished animals of this celebrated breed. of Stock. 1. A beautiful bull, called Charles the Second, on account of his being a son of Mr. Mason's famous bull Charles, was the property of W. B. Thomas, esq. This fine animal obtained the first prize given by the Board of Agriculture for the best bull in the United Kingdom, at Aldridge's Repository, London, on the 9th of April, 1821. The prize was a silver cup, with the following inscription:

"9th. April, 1821. The Board of Agriculture to W. B. Thomas of Chesterfield, Esq. For the best pure short-horned Bull exhibited at the Board's Cattle Show, this day, called King Charles the Second."

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This Bull was slaughtered at Chesterfield, on the 19th of December, 1821; he was five years old, and his dimensions, weight, &c. were then taken; viz. live weight, 1 ton 2 cwts. or 182 stone, 14 lbs. to the stone; 318 stones, 8 lbs. to the stone; 127 scores, 8 lbs.

Dimensions taken whilst living.
Height, 15 hands 3 in. or 5 ft. 3 in.
Girth behind the shoulder, 8 ft. 8 in.

before the shoulder, including the bosom,
9 ft. 2 in.

round the neck, behind ears, 3 ft. 11 in.
of his fore-leg, below the knee, 8 in.

- of his hind-leg, below the hock, 9 in. Length from the front of his shoulder to the root of his tail, 6 ft. 4 in.

- from root of horn to root of tail, 7ft. 9 in.
-from his huggin or hip bone to the root
of his tail, 2 ft. 1 in.

from huggin to hock, 3 ft. 5 in.
of his horn, 1 ft.

When standing quite straight, and on even
ground, the distance between his hind and
fore-feet was exactly the same as his height.

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CHAP. 4.

Description of Stock.

Daffodil, the beautiful heifer represented in this print, was bred by W. B. Thomas, esq. At twenty-one months old, her live weight was 90 st. 7 lbs. at 14 lbs. to the stone; or 158 st. 3 lbs. at 8 lbs. to the stone; and was sold as a show-beast, for 50 guineas.

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The Dishley Steer was the property of William Smith, esq. of Swarkstone-Lows, by whom it was bred and fattened. When two years and eleven months old, this fine beast was slaughtered by Mr. J. Radford, at Derby, at the Christmas of 1823; and the weight was, carcass 1380 lbs. ; inside fat 193 lbs. ; hide 89 lbs. This animal has been considered as an astonishing instance of the early maturity of the improved short-horned breed.

A fine short-horned cow, represented in this print, called Lady, was also the property of the same skilful and enterprising gentleman. She was sold, when fat, for upwards of £120.

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W. Smith, esq. was the chief purchaser of this breed at Colling's sale, CHAP. 4. at Brampton in Durham, in 1818. He gave 621 guineas for the famous Description bull, called Lancaster, still in his possession; and bought the beautiful of Stock. cows, Trinket and Venus, at 143 and 195 guineas. In 1827, Mr. Smith made a general sale of his short-horned stock, and obtained the sum of £4000. for the most estimable animals, which were purchased by the Earl of Chesterfield, Sir George Crewe, bart. and several other eminent breeders. The new long-horn, which is also called the new Derbyshire, was originally from Craven in Yorkshire, afterwards improved by intelligent graziers in Westmoreland, and was introduced into this county by the late Thomas Princep, esq. of Croxall, and Eusebius Horton, esq. of Catton. This breed was also much encouraged by Thomas Coke, German Pole and L. P. Meynell, esqrs.; and is now possessed by E. S. Cox, esq. of Brailsford, Mr. Yates of Ednaston, Mr. Wilson of Stenson, and several other gentlemen. Mr. Yates milks forty cows of this description regularly, and states the average produce of each to be 4 cwt. of cheese yearly. The longhorned cows, when fat, average from 7 to 12 score pounds per quarter, and sometimes more. The late Mr. Princep, of Croxall, paid very great attention to this breed, and an ox from his pastures was fattened at the Marquess of Donegal's, in 1794: weight of the four quarters 1988 lbs. ; tallow 200 lbs.; hide 177 lbs. The stock of the late F. N. C. Mundy, esq. which consisted of this breed, was sold in 1808 for upwards of £1093. It contained forty animals, of different ages; and had not the weather been extremely severe during the day of sale, these fine animals would have fetched much higher prices. A bull, called Sweet William, which was purchased at this sale for £84. won the prize at the Derby cattle show, on the very next day.

The pure Devon breed is a useful species of cattle, but not generally cultivated in this county. It is stated that Devon bulls thicken in the neck during the month of March, in the manner that bucks do in October. The late Earl of Chesterfield kept cows of this breed, and raised some labouring oxen; and Edward Coke, esq. of Longford, reared many bullocks of this description.

The Hereford or middle-horn breed was introduced by Edward Coke, esq. of Longford. An Hereford ox, called Merriman, belonging to the late Earl of Chesterfield, when slaughtered, in 1802, weighed, carcass 1235 lbs.; hide 136 lbs. ; tallow 180 lbs.

The Scotch, the French or Alderney, and the Welsh breeds, are fed in the county by various eminent graziers, but they are seldom bred, unmixed, by any of our Derbyshire farmers.

At Sudbury park, a breed called the White breed, was formerly kept; and some of these white cows had black ears, with a tuft on their heads. They were very gentle and good milkers, and it was thought that they originated in the Holderness breed. The young cows often prove barren. The late W. D. Lowe, esq. had a few of these white cows and a white bull.

A cross-breed between the long-horns and short-horns has been attempted, and some breeders have expressed it to be their opinion, that a cross between a long-horn bull and a short-horn cow, is preferable to any other

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