loams are found; in some parts intermixed with gravel. Round St. Albans, and extending to Watford and Rickmansworth, the soil is principally composed of deep flinty loam, with a chalk basis: towards Berkhampstead, Hemel-Hempstead, and Beachwood, the loam is of a reddish hue, and full of flints: in some spots it merges into clay. The most productive of the sandy loams are found on the west side of the river Lea, extending in a line of be tween two and three miles in breadth, through the parishes of Cheshunt, Wormley, Broxbourn, and Hoddesdon, and on to the hills about Amwell. This is of a very pale reddish hue; deep, moist, and friable; yet so adhesive, as sometimes to bind: it lets at 40s. an acre; and in favorable seasons, that quantity of ground produces five quarters of wheat.* The principal clay district is on the north-east, or Essex side; yet even here the upper surface is in general a strong wet loam, improved by hollow drainings, and by ample dressings of manure, from the Capital. The pure clay of the stiff harsh and tenacious kind, resembling the bean-lands of Middlesex and Berkshire, forms but a small part of the soil of this county. It extends, on the south side, in a line from one to three miles in breadth, through the parishes of Barnet, Totteridge, Elstree, Aldenham, and Bushey; and so on to the vicinity of Moor Park. In the parishes of Northall, and North-Mims, and lower part of that of Hatfield, the general description of soil is extremely sterile: Mr. Young supposes it the most unfertile in the south of England. The characteristics of this soil, observes that gentleman," are wetness, or spewiness, as the farmers term it, from many springs; most of which are sulphury, and extremely unfavorable to vegetation, abounding more or less with smooth pebbles; which, at various depths, are conglomerated into plumbpudding stones, in some places so near the surface as to impede the plough, if set an inch or two at a greater depth than the old scratchings Some of these lumps of Breccia, that are occasionally dug up, are of considerable size, and when cut and polished, present a very curious variegated surface. scratchings of bad ploughmen. It is stiff, without a matrix for the roots of plants; and sharp and burning even in the immediate vicinity of springs: it has much sticky clay in the composition, but of a most sterile nature." The most judicious method of preparing this kind of soil for cultivation, is by ploughing it into high ridges; and when it is sufficiently drained by that means, to manure it properly. The benefit of manuring is, however, soon lost; and the best appropriation, perhaps, that can be made of this kind of land, is to apply it to the growth of wood. The tract included in this general description, is interspersed with many fields of better quality, particularly when surrounded by any little stream. The only soil that now remains to be noticed, is that of chalk, which prevails generally on the northern side of the county; and extends from the neighbourhood of Barkway and Royston, through all the contiguous parishes to Baldock, Hitchin, King's Walden, &c. The basis, indeed, of the whole county is chalk, either more or less pure; though the depths at which it is found are very different. "The surface chalk consists of two varieties: chalk with no other mixture than what ages of cultivation and manuring have added; and what is called marme, which is a white marle, from the mixture of a portion of clay; of these soils the latter is the best, though both are good."* As the principal part of the land in Hertfordshire is under tillage, the produce in wheat, barley, and oats, is very considerable: large quantities of turnips are also grown; and artificial grasses are cultivated to a very great extent. The rotation of crops is varied according to the nature of the soil: but the most general course appears to be turnips, barley, clover, wheat, and oats: in the clays and strong loams, fallows are introduced in succession with barley, clover, and wheat, and occasionally varied by peas, beans, &c. The average quantity of seed-wheat sown per acre, is two bushels and a half: the average produce from the same extent of land, may be estimated at from twenty-three to twenty-five bushels: on the rich loams, in the vicinity of Buntingford, forty bushels are frequently Young's General View, p. 11. frequently produced. The quantity of seed-barley sown per acre, is from three bushels and a half to four bushels; the average produce is thirty-two bushels: the produce of oats is nearly similar; the quantity sown varies from four to five bushels. Turnips and clover are supposed to have been introduced into this county in the time of Oliver Cromwell, who is said to have allowed 1001. yearly to the farmer who first attended to their culture. The most experienced husbandmen plough in the seed, in preference to harrowing it in, by which method it is less liable to be destroyed by the fly, and the produce in dry seasons is much greater. The entire management, however, is not proportionably judicious; for the turnips are, in general, hoed but once, instead of twice or thrice, as in the Norfolk mode. Swedish turnips, though but of late introduction, have obtained a very general attention, and are deservedly held in great estimation, for their valuable properties in fattening sheep, oxen, hogs, &c. for these, as well as for other qualities, they are very much superior to the common turnip; and sheep and cattle are particularly fond of them. Clover is generally mowed twice; but in some places the second crop is fed on the land; though the former mode is considered as the best: the clover grounds, under judicious management, are sometimes appropriated to lucerne and trefoil. Saintfoin, rye-grass, and tares, are also grown in this county; and the culture of cabbages and potatoes is much attended to. The system of drill-husbandry has not made any considerable progress in Hertfordshire: the success accompanying its introduction has been various; and in some parts it has been again laid aside; nor does the opinion in favor of its preference to the broadcast mode, appear to be very general. The spirited manner in which manures are employed in this county, tend greatly to increase the products of the soil. Chalk, obtained from pits sunk for the purpose within the district, is very generally in use; and night-soil, and stable-dung, brought from the Capital at considerable expense, has also a very extensive appropriation. In some few places the chalk is burnt into lime; but in all others it is strewed upon the land immediately from the pits. From sixty to one hun dred dred loads are commonly spread over every acre, at eighteen barrows-full to the load. Soot, ashes, and bones, are also used in considerable quantities: of the former, from twenty to forty bushels are used per acre; of the ashes, from fifty to one hundred bushels; and of the bones, from three to five chaldrons on the same extent of ground. Burnt bones are regarded as the most proper for pasture land; but for arable land, they are thought best when boiled only. Oil-cake, peat-ashes, woollen rags, hair, and various other substances, are also employed for manure in different parts of the county: the use of the sheep-fold is very general. The grass lands of Hertfordshire, compared with those under tillage, are extremely small; though a tract of grass, rendered artificially productive, at a great expense, may be found connected with almost every seat in the county. The meadows on the river Stort, which extend from Hockerill to Hertford, are very produc tive, as are those in the vicinity of the Lea, and in the neighbourhood of Rickmansworth, &c. The many streams which intersect the land, are extremely favorable to irrigation; though that system is not carried on to any great extent, on account of the claims of the mill-owners, and which claims have, in several instances, occasioned much contention and expense. Wherever the practice of watering or flooding the land, has been pursued with judgment, the consequent advantages have been very considerable. The principal agricultural implements employed are the great Hertfordshire wheel-plough, worked by three and four horses; the swing-plough, the Hereford plough, the skim-coulter, and the threshing-mill; but the latter is by no means in general use. In some parts, but chiefly on the estates of gentlemen farmers, the plough is drawn by oxen; and these are always worked in harness: they are also occasionally employed in the team. Different opinions are entertained of their utility in comparison with horses; but the best informed agriculturists appear to consider the use of both as essential to the interests of a farm. The oxen are sometimes shod, but the general practice is contrary. In the south-west corner of the county, and particularly in the. parishes of Rickmansworth, Sarret, King's Langley, Abbot's Lang ley, Flaunden, Bovington, and partly in Watford and Aldenham, are many Orchards: apples and cherries are their principal produce. The apples are most profitable; but the cherries are very beneficial to the poor, in the quantity of employment which they afford in gathering the crop. "In ten years after planting, cherry-trees begin to bear: each tree should have nine square perches of land. A full-grown tree will produce fifty dozen pounds in a favorable year; and from ten to twenty years, six dozen: prices vary from tenpence to three shillings per dozen. The Caroon, and small black, are the favorite sorts; the Kentish will not thrive here. The apples sell at from one shilling and sixpence to eight shillings the basket or bushel; each tree produces from two to twenty-five bushels. The orchards, whether of cherries or apples, should be under grass, and fed with sheep: and for ten years after planting, great care should be taken to keep the trees from the sheep, as their rubbing injures them. The size of the orchards seldom exceeds four or five acres; and their greatest value does not exceed 41. per acre." The woodlands of Hertfordshire are extensive; and, independent of those which lie contiguous to the seats of gentlemen, the whole county is interspersed with small woods and copses. The timber trees are chiefly oak, beech, and elm; the oak and beech are particularly flourishing at Ashridge, Beach-wood, Hatfield, and Cashiobury, &c. The underwood is generally cut once in about ten or twelve years. The copses adjoining Essex, abound in hazel and hornbeam, which are also grown in various other parts, together with ash, birch, poplar, fir, alders, &c. The beech is occasionally burnt into charcoal. Where necessary, the woods have been hollow-drained, and with much success. The quantity of waste lands is but inconsiderable, when compared with that of other counties: the aggregate does not appear to exceed 4500 acres; and of this extent, many acres are appropriated as sheep downs. The common and open fields in the northern part of the county, as well as in the western district, and in one or two other parts, Young's General View, p. 143, 144. |