The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-25 00:00:00

4 4 0
1 10 0

£l4 14 . 0

The keep of 600 stock ewes and lambs kept on the
madows during the same time is set agaicst the ex-
pense of cabbages brought to assist the early ewes
and lambs.

Taking. therefore, the total quantity of meadow
at 300 arms, and the mean value at 111.45.
per use, this would give a yearly value of £3,360 0 0
Putting the value of the manure produced for
the arable part of the farm at 2OO 0 0
And the saving by snaring the seeds to become
• fell pasture before they are stocked in the
spring

The total sums' value would be £3,660 0 0

Here is a grass value of 121. 45. per acre, from
which must be deducted the wages of the superin-
tendent of the water meadows and hie two assistants,
amounting to about 10s. per acre, and the heal rates
and taxes; and there will then remain a good return
upon the outlay of 40,0001., the cost of the meadows.
And this fund of fertility was created oat of a rabbit
warren, for I understand it was scarcely a sheep
walk. Watered meadows are never considered
safe for sheep in the autumn, and in one year
some of the spring-fed sheep are stid to have
taken the tot on these meadows, but in
general they have been particularly healthy for
ewes and lambs in the spring. This, however, is but
a small drawback on the many advantages afforded to
the farm by these meadows. And the example offered
to landowners by the construction of them meadows
has been followed by Earl Manvers, who has formed
some irrigated meadows on his own land lying lower
down on the sides of the river Mann. The Clipstonnwater
meadows are by far the largest work of the kind in
England, and form one of the beet specimens of agri-
cultural engineering of modern times. I am convinced
that there are yet numerous sites where similar works
might be executed did the owners poseurs the spirit,
resources, and permvennce of the Duke of Portland.

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Between the water meadows and the arable por-
tion of Ctipetece Park Farm there are plantations of
timber trees of some extent, all, I believe, planted by
the present Doke of Portland. The arable land is on
high ground, and is a light sandy tract which oonld
scarcely be kept in cultivation without the
aid of the water meadows, or a large equivalent
outlay in artificial manures. At the farm, the stack-
yard is one of the finest rural sights at this period of
the year it is possible to behold. AU the produce of
hay from the water meadows, and the wheat, barley,
and other grain, with some hay from the seeds and
clover grown on nearly two thousand acres of arable
land, are here collected together in immense stacks,
got up and arranged with neatneas I never mw cur-
wThe system pursued in cultivating this land
allow it to remain four years in pesters, and
making the rotation a seven course one, but from some
three or four year old ley. I saw, it is obvious that the
last two years' pestures are of comparatively little value,
and ought to be broken up at latest by the end of the
second year. I am very much disposed to doubt,
—notwithstanding some good pieces of two year old
seeds I have seen in vinous thetricts--whete any-
thing is pined by keeping the land down in mode foe
more than a single year ; that is, always assuming the
farmer has soflieisat capital to keep the whole of his
farm in high cultivation. All the horses are kept
constantly in the stable, and the cattle are kept
in the yards throughout the year, the water
meadows supplying green fodder foe moiling both
horses and cattle throughout the miser and autumn.
At this time there are about seventy oxen,
tied up in stalls, two besets in a stall, which !alibiing
' fattened with °Botha bay, theft awl Until&
_The"
are also Mbar beasts loose is the yard& The =mg

boasts appear to be in various stages of maturity, and
believe they are sold off as get fat, others from
the yards taking their places in the stalls. No cattle
are bred an the farm, the feeding boasts being par-
abased {thirdly oat of Darisjahire. Short horns sad
Soots sin the atria fed. In this way the stook of
manure is eery large. So much so, as to permit the
applkation of nearly 30 loads par acre to more
than 280 sera of turnips yearly. I was told
that tram 35 to 40 toss of swedes per acre are re-
garded as not insanely heavy weights to be ss wn
under sea treatment. Hers I saw a twesidserosblso
somber of the forest sheep, and also of the moos
breed between South Down and forest sheep, all of
which are kept for supplying the Duke's establish-
ment with four and five year old mutton. Occasionally
some of the surplus stock of this sort is sold to the
butchers of the neighbouring towns, and is much in
demand amongst the provincial epicures. Doubtless
the mutton is good; bat, as farming stock, such • flock
most be vary unprofitable.
Beyond the Dales farm and in the village of
Clipstooe there are several old enclosed farms which
have partaken of the improvement during the last
twenty-five years so genial in the husbandry of west
Nottinghamshire. As as instant*, there is oas farm
occupied by tenant, wham father, grandfather,
ether, and graat-graat-grandfatber also
orespied it in sassomioa, in which, when he took
posnassios, the steak of sheep kept was Ift/
lwasel he new Leaps Owes Modred! sad tisk
ft required thirteen flosses to make op • tod
of wool, now eight fleeees make up the tod.
The increase in the patios of grain during the pre.
sent tenant's time has been in quite an equal propor-
tion. And from soma remarks he made to me
should not consider his system of cultivation to be
one of the highest of the district.
In a district new to him, a stranger is naturally
directed and attracted to some of the best
farms, and the more active farmers of the neigh-
bourhood he is visiting; and thus in all accounts of
the husbandry of any district, au impression is
apt to be given somewhat more favourable
than • minute acquaintance with tho locality
would warrant ; and, though the ordinary stan-
dard of cultivation of the light land division of
Nottinghamshire is really a high ot,e, I era by no
means sure that my letters from that &strict do not
tend to create a rather exaggerated idea of the good-
ness of its fuming, for I saw very many farms which
satisfied me that, though much has been done, more
yet remains to be dots before the farmers can say
" We ran grow no more."
A MIDLAND COUNTIES FARMER.