File:An encyclopædia of agriculture (electronic resource) - comprising the theory and practice of the valuation, transfer, laying out, improvement, and management of landed property, and the cultivation (21269620746).jpg

Title: An encyclopædia of agriculture (electronic resource) : comprising the theory and practice of the valuation, transfer, laying out, improvement, and management of landed property, and the cultivation and economy of the animal and vegetable productions of agriculture, including all the latest improvements, a general history of agriculture in all countries, and a statistical view of its present state, with suggestions for its future progress in the British Isles
Identifier: encyclopdiaofa02loud (find matches)
Year: 1831 (1830s)
Authors: Loudon, J. C. (John Claudius), 1783-1843
Subjects: Agriculture
Publisher: London : Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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1164 STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. Part IV. consist of a cow-bouse (30), double cow-house (311, double cow-house (3'.iJ,fodder.bin (33), cow-house (51), coni-bag (3.5), threshing-floor ^0), corn-bag (37), corn-bas (3S), corn-b,if; (39), threshinK floor ('10), corn-bag (11), cart-bovel, with (jranary above it (42), stable (43), stable or calf-cot (44), calf- cot (45). 1112 ZoFect
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nails, on small spars flxed to the briclc ; they are afterwards painted, and fine white sand thrown on while the pEiint is wet, which jjives the whole an appearance of tl:e most beautifiil freestone. 4. Occupation. Farms very small ; a great many under ten acres; only one or two at 350 or 400 acres; excluding fill those under ten acres, the average of the coimty may be seventy acres. Large and small farmers com)>leteIy different characters iâditr'erent in tKeir habits, and, by consequence, in their ideas. Industry and excel'ert management of the dairy-women of this county much to l:e commended ; leases generally for seven vears. b. Implements, I^otberham plough and other good implements. A short stronj; scythe, with a blade twenty inches in length, and c stools 1 the middle, is used for scooping out the crowns of rush Cvtfa^eJi much the same as in other counties; improving â with the age. All the inlelligent persons whom Dr. Holland conversed with have invariably found, that tbe attachment of a small portion of land to the cottage of the labourer has been the direct means of rendering his situation in life more comfort- able ..nd easy, and of inducing those habits of honest independ- ence, of temperance, and of industry, which are most effica- cious in promoting the happiness of individuals, antt, conse- quently, tJte general interests of sociely. Luril Penrlttjn's poultrU'ftouses, at \V'inninglon, are supposed the most magnificent tnat have ever l.et;n built. They are united in a building, which consists of a handsome regular front, extending about 140 feet : at each extremity is a neat pavilion, with a large arched window. These pavilions are united ro the centn- of the design by a colonnade of small cast- iron pillars, painted white, which support a cornice and a slate roof, covering a p;ived walk and a variety of different con- veniences for the jioultry, for keeping eggs, com. Sec. The doors into these are all of lattice-work, also painttd white, and the framing green. In the middle of the front aro four hand- some stone columns, and four pilasters, supporting likewise a cornice and a slate roof, under which and between the cohmins is a beautiful mosaic iron gate ; on one side of this gate is an elegant little parlour, beautifully papered and furnished; and at the other end of the colonnade a very neat kitchen, so excessively clean, and m such high order, that it is delightful to view it. This front is the diameter or chord of a large semi- circular court behind, round which ihere is also a colonnade, and a great variety of conveniences for the poultry : this court is neatly paved, and has a circular pond and pumpm the middle of it. The whole fronts towards a rich little field or paddock, calltd the poultry paddock, in which the poultrj- have liberty to walk al)out between meals. It happened while the reporter was there to be their dinner-time, at one o'clock. At this hour a bell rings, and the beautiful gate in the centre is openid. The poultry being then mostly walking in the paddock, and knowmg by the sound of the bell that their rejiast is ready for them, fly and run from all comers, and rush in at the gate, â¬ver>' one striving who can get the first share in the scramble. At that time there were about 600 poultry- of ditierent I inds in the place, and although so large a number, the semicircular court is kept so very neat andcltan, that not a speck of dung is to be seen. This poultry place is built of brick, excepting the pillars and cornices, and the lintels and jambs of the doors and windows, but the bricks are not seen, being all covered with a remarkably fine kind of slate from his lordship's estate in U"ales. These slates are closely jointed and fastened with screw A?'able Lands.' In small proportion to the pastures. Cabbages a good deal cultivated for cattle. Carrots near Aitringharn for die lUan- che^ttr maiket, and also seed for the London seedsmen. Onions aUo for the Lancashire markets. The soil about Altringhani drj- and loamy ; the carrots large, coarse, and fit only for horses and cattle. 7. Grass. Natural meadows numerous, rich, and fertile. They are situated on rivers, which, from the fre(juency of heavj- rains, overflow and enrich them. Extent ot upland pasture very- considerable ; that on a tolerably stiff clay soil, especially with a substratum of marl, is reckoned the best for the dairy ; more milk may be had from cows pastured on a rich loamy soil, but it is esteemed inferior in point of quality. Many farmers com- plain that their land is too rich for the tiairy, by which the ad- hesive properties of the cheese is dimiiiishe<l: feeding of cattle little practised. 8. Gardens and Orchards. Good gardens to most of the farm-houses. " All the varieties of raspberries, currants, strawberries, and gooseberries are to be met with in the farm and cottage gardens in Cheshire. The culture of the latter fruit has been particularly attended to of late years ; and there are several meetings in different parts of the county, where small premiums are adjudged to those who jirodvice, out of their own gardens, gooseberries of the greatest weight. The common fruit trees, such as the apple, pear, cherry, and plum, are likewise grown in almost every garden. Of the latter kind, the damascene plum is by much the most common; and is an article of considerable profit to the cottager. Orchards not numerous, and rather on the decline. 9. Woods and Plantations. Few of large extent, yet the quantity of timber very greatly excee<is what would be a fair average for the kingdom at Iart.e. In the northern and middle parts the number of trees in the hedge-rows and coppices is so considerable, that, from some points of view, the whole county has the appearance of an extensive forest. The most considerable ancient woods in the Karl of Stamford's park at Durham Massey.' Few spots can boast such an assemblage of stately oaks, elms, and beeches. During a storm of wind, on the 21st of January, 1802, several hundred trees were torn up by the roots. . One of these, when harked, contained 403 feet of timber, and was sold at six shillings and sixjience per foot, to the extent of 373^ feet. An elm blown down at the same time measured 146 feet. A colo- ny of herons had for ages fixed their residence on the summits of these trees ; but on one of them being tom up, they retreated to a neighbouring grove of beeches, where they have ever since enjoyed a secure abode. A jdantation of 1000 acres at Taxall, F- Jodrell, Esq.; it was planted by WTiite, the landscape gardener of Woodlands, Durham, at five pounds per acre, half the trees to be tirs. Ex- tensive plantations by Ashton, on Delamore forest. Whitely, an ingenious tanner, at Ashley, near Knutsford, made some experiments a few years ago with the twigs and eiids of the boughs of oak, eis a substitute for the bark. These ground down, and used in the same way as the bark, mani- fested strongly asiringent properties: but the necessity there ^yas found to be for their immtdiate application took away very greatly from their value ; and their use is now almost en- tirely discontinued, though the plan at that time was adopted by several other tanners. 10. Improvements. Draining a good deal practised, especially with bricks and stones. Paring and buminj-, marling, sanding, claying, and liming, alt.o pr.^-ctised to different degrees of extent. Sand of advantage, diiefly by altering the texture of the soil, as that used contains no calcareous matter. 11. Live Stock, Present stock of dairy cows a mixture of the long and short homed, the Derbyshn-e, Shropshire, Staffbrdshire, Welsh, Irish, Scotch, and New Leicestershire cattle. Those cows reckoned best which are bred on the farm. Calves reared from the best milkers, and at two years old put to the bull. Cows housed about the middle of November; permittetl to go dry ten weeks before their time of calving : usual drv foods, wheat, barley, and oat straw, hay, and crushed oats. I'he two former kinds of straw are found to make cows go dry much sooner than the latter; and another generally allowed efl^ect attri- buted to such straw is, that more than the usual time will be required to chum the cream of cows when so fed ; but wheat straw is esteemed much more wholesome than barley straw, as h.'.ving less of those effects attending it. Three or four \\eik^ before calving, hay given ; and from calving to turning to grass, some ground or c ushed oats twice a day. The cows are turned into an outlet (a bare pasture field near the build- iniTs), al out ten o'clock in (he moniing, and housed again about four in the afternoon the winter through, or earlier if they showed an inclination to return; but have no fodder in the outlet. Turning the cows out to grass in good condition is a matter much attended to, in order that they may, as the term is, *' start well;" for if a cow is not in good condition when turned out to grass, or has been too much dried with barley straw, it is a long time before she gets into full milk. The ox-cabbage and Swedish tumiii are the kinds of green food most esteemed and cultivated in Cheshire. The former is

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