General View of the Agriculture of the County of Stafford: With Observations on the Means of Its ImprovementG. Nicol; and sold, 1796 - 241 pages |
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abounds acres agriculture amongst annual arable land attention banks barley Blymhill breed bushels canals Cannock Cannock Heath cattle clover common considerable corn cows crop cultivation draining drill Eccleshall equal expence extensive farm farmers fatted fences flower forest garden grain grass ground growing growth herbage hills hoeing hogs horns horses hundred improvement inclosed inclosure increase Ipstones kingdom labour lime limestone loam manufacture manure marl meadow and pasture moist Moorlands Needwood forest neighbourhood oats observed officinalis parish particularly pasture land Pendeford places plant plantations plough population potatoes pounds present produce proportion quantity Rocester roots season SECT seeds sheep shillings shillings per acre soil sold sometimes sorts sowing sown spring squitch Stafford Staffordshire stone sufficient superior surface Sutton Coldfield Tamworth tenant thousand tillage timber tithes tracts trees turf turnips vegetable Warslow waste waste land weed wheat winter Wolverhampton woods
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Page v - Perhaps the following is the most natural order for carrying on such important investigations; namely, to ascertain, 1. The riches to be obtained from the surface of the national territory. 2. The mineral or subterraneous treasures of which the country is possessed. 3. The wealth to be derived from its streams, rivers, canals, inland navigations, coasts, and fisheries ; — and 4. The means of promoting the improvement of the people, in regard to their health, industry, and morals...
Page vi - ... the Board with accounts of the state of husbandry, and the means of improving the different districts of the kingdom. The returns they sent were printed, and circulated by every means the Board of Agriculture could devise, in the districts to which they respectively related ; and in consequence of that circulation, a great mass of additional valuable information has been obtained. For the purpose of communicating that information to the Public in general, but more especially to those counties...
Page vii - ... the following form was pitched upon, as one that would include in it all the particulars which It was necessary to notice in an Agricultural Survey. As the other Reports will be reprinted in the...
Page 65 - When the flower expands boldly and fully, no rain will happen for four hours or upwards : if it continues in that open state, no rain will disturb the summer's day ; when it half conceals its miniature flower, the day is generally showery ; but if it entirely shuts up or veils the white flower with its green mantle, let the traveller put on his great coat, and the ploughman, with his beasts of draught, expect rest from their labour.
Page 197 - Ipstones' sharp Cliffs, which are composed of huge piles of rude and rugged rocks in very elevated situations, piled rock on rock in a most tremendous manner, astonishing and almost terrifying the passing traveller with their majestic frown. Here single blocks, the size of church steeples, are heaped together ; some overhanging the precipice, and threateningdestruction to all approachers ; and some of prodigious bulk have evidently rolled from the summit, and broke in pieces.
Page 13 - BJIston, part of the parish of Sedgeley, and other parts of the coal country, are very extensive. These strata generally lay under a stratum of coal, and have occasioned some very considerable ironworks to be lately established on the banks of -the Birmingham Canal, where the iron trade is very much increasing ; and it is to be hoped the capital, spirit of enterprise, and exertion of our iron-masters will, in time, produce this necessary article in sufficient quantity to preclude the necessity of...
Page 168 - ... men, are employed in making the finer and lighter sorts, which they do equally well. The manufactures of Mr. Bolton at Handsworth are in this county, and very considerable, employing many hundreds of hands, chiefly, I believe, in various kinds of toys, and in the machinery for steam engines. Bilstone furnishes a variety of plated, lackered, japanned, and even enamelled goods. Wednesbury I believe, does something in the gun trade. Tobacco and snuff-boxes of iron or steel, and finished in various...
Page iii - ADVERTISEMENT. THE desire that has been generally expressed, to have the AGRICULTURAL SURVEYS of the KINGDOM reprinted, with the additional Communications which have been received since the ORIGINAL REPORTS were circulated, has induced the BOARD OF AGRICULTURE to come to a resolution to reprint such as appear on the whole fit for publication.
Page 17 - We have in this county some gentlemen of fortune, who farm upon a considerable scale ; and some others who have a turn for business ; these are consequently their own stewards ; but there is not perhaps a more useful or respectable set of men in the county than the proprietors of 200 or 300 acres of land, who farm it themselves...
Page 17 - I observe in the Lancashire reprinted Survey, the yeomanry are noticed in this Chapter, as a diminishing class of men ; and I have often observed, they are remarked by writers as becoming extinct. If we have lost, or are losing them in Staffordshire, I think it can be only in name. We hav,e gentlemen of larger and smaller fortunes, occupiers of their own estates ; and respectable farmers, who hire their occupations ; farmers upon a smaller scale, many of them laborious and industrious; people in...