The farms of Leicestershire are of various and almost all sizes. In the vale of Belvoir, and in many other parts of the county, as upon Beaumoor estate, belonging to William Herrick, Esq. are a great many farms from 80 to 100 acres; here the occupiers put their own hands to the plough. Mr. Monks says, "in the neighbourhood of Market Town are many farms much under 100 acres, occupied by tradesmen or manufactures." - A more general size of farms is from 100 to 200 acres, and from 200 to 500 acres are in the hands of many of the principal breeders and graziers, and in some instances occupied by the owner. On farms of this larger size the greatest improvements have been struck out, and established, which have often been adopted by the smaller farmers : some few occupations are larger still, and much more is kept in hand by some of the great land proprietors. Mr. Monk remarks as follows:

"Manner in which the land is employed. - The land is employed for the most part in pasture for sheep, dairies, feeding neat cattle, a considerable part for breeding horses, and a proportionable quantity in meadow for hay for winter use. The farms employed chiefly dairies of which there are a great number, have always land in tillage to produce straw, turnips, &c. for the cows in winter. A farm of 200 acres may perhaps have about thirty or forty acres of various sorts of grain, &c. Those parishes where the land is of an inferior quality, have a greater proportion of arable ground than where the soil is richer.
About Ashby de la Zouch, and Loughborough, three parts in four are in pasture. Near Melton Mowbray, there is very little arable, not more than one acre to thirty. Market Harborough has also very little arable. The pasture near Lutterworth is in proportion of eight to one. At Hinckley, five parts in six are in pasture."
Under this head it may not be improper to detail particulars of some of the principal occupations, from the minutes or memorandums made on the spot, in various and different tours through the county.
His Grace the Duke of Rutland (as I was informed at Belvoir Castle) has in hand 2000 acres of land and upwards of all descriptions, including pleasure grounds, plantations, meadows, arable, and lay land, where stock is taken into keeping.
When a piece of lay ground is broken up, oats are commonly sown, then turnips, common or Swedish, and 3rd, oats again; for this article there is a great demand at the castle stables, where 50 horses or more are generally kept. No wheat was grown the season I was there, and little of that or barley at any time ; the principal growth being oats for the horses.
At Donnington Park, the Earl of Moira has in hand, besides the park of 450 acres, a regular farm of about 370 acres, making the whole about 820 acres : the park is well stocked with both red and fallow deer, and occasionally sheep, and other live stock. The farm is thus occupied ; there are about 70 acres of permanent enclosed pasture, 35 acres of meadows on Trent, 100 acres of crops, wheat, barley, oats, and beans ; no wheat fallow ; 35 acres of green crops, cabbages, common and Swedish turnips, potatoes, and sometimes a few carrots ; in a few acres miscellaneous vetches, buck wheat for the pheasants, furze for game covers, and the remainder clover ; and seeds for mowing, or at pasture for a course of one or more years, and then ploughed up again. - See Courses of Crops and Other Articles.
Several Arabian horses are in his lordship's stable ; one was shewn me which cost £200 in carriage over ; 2 large Goza stallion asses, 14 hands high ; 6 mules got by these asses ; a few asses are kept for carrying turnips or other burdens ; 8 plough horses are kept to make 4 plough teams, besides a team of waggon horses, and the necessary coach and saddle horses. About 100 to 120 Leicester ewes are annually put to the ram for breeding, and about 20 South Down ; these latter for variety, comparison, or home consumption ; 10 dairy cows are kept, 2 of which are Alderney, and the rest of the improved Durham breed ; a very capital improved Durham bull, besides a dozen capital Durham and Ayrshire oxen feeding in Trent meadows. The hogs are of a breed highly improved, small boned with thin hides, and always keeping themselves in good condition. A German boar is kept here, thick and well made ; the bacon and pork of his breed preferred for sweetness and good flavour. A pecary from South America has been 3 years kept amongst the hog breed, which he much resembles ; he is a male animal, but perfectly chaste, and never attempts cohabitation with his companions, though analogous to himself in form and appearance, when not too much grown ; he much resembles a small hog of the size for porking. An Egyptian ram is also kept here for curiosity ; he is a perfect contrast to every good quality expected in an English ram, both in wool and carcass ; care is therefore taken to prevent any great increase of his breed. The business of this farm is principally done by labourers, (who board themselves); ploughing, as well as other work ; the drill system is introduced and practised.- Further particulars are to be found under the different heads of this survey.
Dishley Farm, the occupation of the family of the Bakewell's for three generations, and now Mr. Robert Honeybourn, nephew to the last Robert Bakewell, who died a batchelor, contains between 4 and 500 acres. This farm has long been remarked for the spirit and enterprize of its occupiers, in striking out new improvements, especially in live stock, and the resources for keeping them. I have several times seen it at intervals for the last ten years, from the year 1797 to 1807 : Its situation is in the north part of Leicestershire, bordering on Nottinghamshire, about 2 miles from Loughborough, on the road to Derby. The nature of the upland soil is a mild friable loam, of a good depth, on a clay or marl bottom, in some parts inclining to wet, and requiring drainage. The meadow soil similar to that of the other low lands of the county : the enclosure and buildings ancient, with a church attached on the scite of the premises.
The peculiarities of this farm are 1st, the attention that has been paid to live stock, and the efforts and exertions that have been made for improving it (see Live Stock), and which have been in a great measure successful ; 2, in increasing resources for supporting such stock, principally by irrigation and green crops ; 3, in a correct and improved cultivation of the upland, so as to clean it from weeds and drainage wherever wanted.
The following memorandums were made on this farm in 1797 : 1, Concernining irrigation, &c. "A rivulet, which near this farm falls into the Soar, is applied to the purpose of irrigation ; and to prevent any interruption on that head, a mill worked by this rivulet was hired by the late Mr. Bakewell, by which he was enabled to apply the water either to working the mill, or watering the land at pleasure.
To effect his views in irrigating the land, a large water course or main-carrier is cut from the point at which the rivulet enters the farm, and continued on a perfect level to the extent of about a mile and a quarter in length. All the land below the level of this carrier, to the extent of about 200 acres is capable of being watered, and consequently may be mown either for hay or green food, without robbing the upland for manure. But on the contrary is a source of manure for the upland, by the dung made from its produce.
Near the house are several small plots, or parcels of pasture land, of less than an acre each, and well fenced round : these are for the convenience of keeping by themselves small lots of sheep or cattle. The other part of the farm is divided into closes, of which none exceed 10 acres each ; the subdivision was done by the late Mr. Bakewell, I believe at his own expense ; the fences are generally of hawthorn, without timber trees, and are kept neat and in good order.
The cultivation of this farm has for a length of time been so correct a system, that it is now almost free from weeds : that most complained of is chickweed (Alsine media), which I was assured upon the spot gave more trouble there upon tillage land, than all other weeds put together. I observed, however, in a barley stubble, a considerable quantity of knot grass, or birds laker*ed (Polygonum aviculare), probably encouraged by the moist season, upon a cool bottom insufficiently drained. There were also a few thistles in hedges.
Considerable plantations of willow are raised upon this farm by the occupier, for gates, hurdles, rails, sheep cotes, and other uses. The sort is, I believe, the white willow (salix alba.) It is a quick and straight grower, and soon becomes large enough for a rail or gate bar. A plantation of these is continued alongside the water-carrier before-mentioned for a great part of its length ; besides which, there are several willow plantations near the house, which have a pleasing effect. I think this a practise worthy imitation, as it proves a substitute for oak, which may thus be reserved for more important uses, and furbishes a constant and plentiful supply of wood to the farmer for many purposes, with little expense, trouble, or waste of land.
One practise entirely peculiar to this farm, is that of drawing heifers of 3 or 4 years old at the cart or plough, in lieu of oxen or horses. They are easily trained and managed, and a considerable number from 12 to 20, constantly ready for use ; they are tied in a shed, and supplied with mown grass or other green food in summer, or with straw and turnips, or cabbages, or hay in winter. I was informed that 3 of them will work a plough or cart, and they are very docile and tractable. They may be worked 9 hours a day, viz. From 6 in the morning till 12 at noon ; then baited two hours, they go out again till five in the evening.

The water-carrier before-named is sufficiently large for navigating a small boat, and has been used for that purpose ; and as it goes along the lower end of several of the arable closes, is often used for conveying turnips to the home sheds ; for which purpose nothing more is necessary than throwing them loose into the carrier, when they are taken home by the stream, ready washed, and discharged into a reservoir, from whence the water may be drawn at pleasure. The reservoir, which is boarded round, is also used for a sheep wash, with a convenient place for the sheep to ascend after washing.
In consequence of the breadth of water meadow, large quantities of hay are raised ; and the resources for maintaining stock are further increased by the cultivation of green crops of vetches, turnips, both common and Swedish, coleseed, cabbage, borecole, carrots and potatoes. Light carts are employed to convey these articles where wanted, either by horses or heifers. Carrots I understand to be the most casual and expensive crop, but so highly valued, that they are continued to be raised for the stallions and other horses. They are preserved in various ways through the winter ; some by burying in earth in the manner of potatoes, not laying them in too bulky a heap ; others within the building.
The following green crops were on Dishley Farm in the autumn of 1797, and of each sort several acres :
1. Common turnips hoed and cleaned in the usual way.
2. Coleseed, highly valued for use, the beginning of winter.
3. Swedish Turnip, crop equal in bulk to the common turnip, and much more valuable upon several accounts ; they bid defiance to frost ; the tops are equally nutritive and acceptable to stock with the roots ; they preserve their nutritive qualities through the spring months, when turnips run away and become oozy, and of little value. I was assured, that in any stage of growth, sheep prefer them to the common turnip.
4. Cabbages, planted in rows, and horse and hand hoed in the usual way : these begin to plant early in the spring and to use early in autumn.
5. Boresole, 5 or 4 acres, and very good, having been planted early : this was rather an experiment than an established plant, not having been tried before but on a small scale. It is expected to stand severe weather better than coleseed, and to be equally nutritive.
6. Potatoes, several acres, plough planted in rows, well cleaned, and a great crop. These are meant for stock occasionally ; or, if the price at market makes the selling of them an object, they will be sold, and the stock supplied from other resources.
7. Carrots. Of this plant they had no less than 9 acres, and the crop good. They have some time ago begun to get them for use, and are now getting (Oct.16.) They are given to horses and other stock, - tops and roots together when fresh, but when stored the tops are cut off, and thrown fresh to the stock. Nothing is known here of making them into hay. Many of the roots I observed to be from 2 to 3 inches diameter.
From these resources, united with a large stock of hay, a very large live stock can well be supported through the winter ; and to increase summer resources, winter vetches are sown in considerable quantity. Cooke's drill was then in use at Dishley, but not generally.
In 1801, I again visited Dishley soon after harvest, and was informed, that about 120 acres of the farm were kept in tillage ; of which, about one-third was green crops and vetches, one-third corn crops, and one third clover and rye grass of the first and second year : the remainder of the farm being permanent grass land.
The growth of hay of that year I estimated at more than 200 tons. Barley and other oats considerable ; wheat less in proportion, it being more suitable to the occupiers system to grow oats and barley than wheat ; pease in small proportion ; vetches, a few generally saved for seed.
The Swedish turnip in great repute : coleseed instantly sown upon the early oat stubble, even before the crop is harvested ; the oats being reaped, bound, and set up in shocks, 4 or 6 butts in one row, and the intermediate butts immediately ploughed and sown. This stubble cole reserved till spring, then eaten by ewes and lambs, and succeeded by some other green crop.
Cooke's drill was then more in use than before, being constantly used for barley, sometimes for wheat, and occasionally for vetches ; and the hoes and scarifiers also used in barley previous to sowing the seeds, which are afterwards light harrowed. They had also scarified a piece of vetches, to destroy weeds and hoe the crop. Mr. Honeybourne's opinion of the drill system then was, that it required particular attention, and a clean cultivation (yet not more attention than may be given by a steady servant or labourer); that it was rather gaining ground ; but that in the present state of farming and cultivation, it is in vain to expect its general adoption.
In the autumn of 1807, I again paid a visit to Dishley farm, and saw the cultivation and stock. There were about 40 acres of green crops, including vetches. The Swedish turnip sown to the middle of July, as the land is made ready, beginning early in June : the common turnip sown after that time ; about 20 acres of the former to 10 of the latter. Several acres of cabbages grown, begun to be set in April, and continue to the end of June : some potatoes and coleseed, but no carrots ; the growth of the Swedish turnip making them less necessary, and the soil not being very suitable : less irrigation of the land than formerly, the mill being kept at work, and part of the water diverted to some other purpose. Three or 4 capital black stallions kept ; and 10 or 12 strong black brood mares, for breeding and doing carriage and farming work. About 25 calving cows kept ; and 100 to 150 ewes put to the ram. The pig stock, fine boned and well formed, thick end plump, with a fine thin hide. These are the principal features of the farm, of which more particulars will be given under the different heads.
The opinion at Dishley, which was always that of Mr. Bakewell, and which corresponds with my own, is that of an alternate system of grass and tillage, mutually supporting each other ; the one by keep or food for cattle, the other by manure, assisted by a due proportion of meadow and permanent pasture. To afford certain resources for a proper live stock is a much more profitable and superior mode of farming to that of excessive ploughing, or of grass land alone ; and that whether considered as referring to landlord, tenant, or the public at large ; though it must be admitted, this farm from the peculiarity of its pursuits, has but a small quantity of tillage in proportion to its extent. In the common field system too much ploughing prevailed, and the tillage was ill conducted, with little encouragement to any individual for improving, and no probability of improving the general system. In a considerable proportion of the enclosures tillage is neglected, the land being easier managed, and supposed to pay more nett profit in feeding stock. But here the public are injured ; by no means the greatest possible quantity of human food is produced ; and it is certain that both the landlord and tenant may be benefited by introducing a moderate system of tillage, upon a due proportion of land. More human labour might be advantageously employed ; more human food produced ; more rent afforded, and more profit obtained, by due exercise upon a well regulated course of cropping. It is, I believe, well understood, or may be easily proved, that good land in tillage, in due proportion, will maintain a much larger human population, than it will as grass alone. I therefore think that grazing farms, merely so, are jobbing speculations, and ought not to be encouraged.
Mr. Astley's occupations at Odstone, about 3 miles north of Market Bosworth, consits of about 500 acres, the property of his brother, Dugdale Astley, Esq. of Everley, in Wiltshire. The upland soil generally a strong gray loam, with about 100 acres of water meadows mown for hay, to support a large and highly improved stock. This meadow-land has been drained by Ecklington, and is irrigated upon the catch water system. I went over these meadows with Mr. Astley, in the month of July, when the morning had commenced ; they appeared to me to mow from one ton and a half to two tons of hay per acre. In 1797, Washington, a bull, and lady Washington, his dam, both from Rollwright, were in his possession, but sumwhat super-annuated. A dairy is kept of about 30 milking cows, of the long horn breed ; they are the largest and best, taken all together, I have ever seen, except those of Mr. Princep, of Croxall. The cow calves are reared, and part of the bull calves ; the best bred for the bulls, the rest for oxen ; but most of the team work is done by strong black horses. Some brood mares are kept of the blood kind, and colts bred of the highest blood. A large flock of sheep kept ; when I was there the farm had upon it between 7 and 800, of which more than 100 were rams of different ages : about 200 ewes put to the ram. The sheep are of the very prime quality, though Mr. Astley, I believe, never belonged to the Ram Society.
The hogs are of a breed highly improved, being fine boned and mellow, with thin hides, and coming to a large weight. Mr. Astley is generally reckoned to stand at the head of the breeders, in the superiority of his swine. - See Live Stock.
The green crops grown are turnips, both common and Swedish ; cabbages and potatoes, followed by barley and seeds. A good deal of corn is grown ; sometimes 50 acres of barley, and 50 of oats and wheat, and 50 of green crops, including vetches (I believe seldom or never any wheat fallow). This leaves 250 acres of upland grass or clover and 100 of meadow. - See Course of Crops.
I consider this farm as very productive, the crops being generally full and good. Mr. Astley has removed the ant-hills from his pastures, and levelled the surface of the meadow land, by removing uncouth ill-formed banks, taking care to reserve the surface soil in its proper place.
I visited Mr. Stone's farm of Knighton, about 2 miles south-east of Leicester. The soil, a good deep gray loam, fit for turnips. His sheep stock very capital. Mr. Stone grows coleseed, cabbages, the common turnips, and the Swedish turnips in the same field, for the support of his capital store sheep stock, which he disposes of in the following manner : 1st. The summer, or fallow cole, is brought into use ; it is generally mown, and carried to turf land for the rams and ram lambs ; the store ewes and ewe lambs being seldom indulged with any, and the wether stock being elsewhere. The turnips and cabbages are next brought into use ; and lastly, the Swedish turnips. This plant answers the best for supplying the vacancy of sheep-keep, which has often occurred in the month of April, as it preserves its juices completely, and sheep will even eat it from choice after they are put to grass and clover ; at which time they reject the common turnip. It is by much the best plant that has yet been introduced for spring use, and should be sown rather earlier than the common turnip ; the best time is the month of June. With the assistance of this plant, and stubble coleseed, sown immediately after harvest, Mr. Stone seldom experienced any scarcity at that time.
Coleseed for a main crop is sown the same time with turnips ; and this, Mr. Stone thinks should always be eaten off the beginning of winter, as it receives much injury from severe frost ; but stubble coleseed may be kept till spring, as it will then grow and produce excellent food for ewes and lambs, or other stock, its growth being of a different nature to the running to seed of that early sown.
Mr. Stone's course of crops on his store sheep farm is, 1, green crops as above upon fallow ; 2, barley with seeds ; 3 and 4, sheep pasture ; 5, barley at one ploughing of the 2 year old turf, and stubble coleseed sown immediately after harvest and first ploughing the land ; and then green crops, and round again as before. In this system there is no wheat, which however, may be sown instead of barley in the fifth year of the course. But Mr. Stone observes, that the stubble would be later and less kind for coleseed, upon a wheat than upon a barley stubble. Spring wheat may also be sown instead of barley after the green crop, in the second year of the course ; and this I believe to be an increasing practice.
The first year's clover, which is the third year of the course, is grazed with rams and ram lambs, on which they do better than on grass, particularly in the former part of the summer ; but continuing them on clover through the whole summer and autumn, Mr. Stone thinks has a tendency to give them the yellows or jaundice ; he therefore prefers taking them from clover, and putting them to grass in August.
As a proof how thick on the ground, the new Leicester sheep will bear to be laid, Mr. Stone shewed me 5 theaves which were either barren, or had lost their lambs, and had wholly summered on half an acre of grass in an orchard, containing also some fruit trees ; these 5 sheep were in excellent condition, and full of flesh. This stocking is 10 sheep to the acre for the summer months.
Sheep-cotes and pens are erected on various parts of this farm, in a situation for serving two or three pieces of land each. The rams here, and with all the principal breeders, are cloathed after shearing time with a yard of flannel each, which with care will last three or four years.
Mr. Watkinson, of Woodhouse, occupies his own estate, about 3 miles south of Loughborough, which is kept in a high state of cultivation, and about three-fourths kept a t grass, and one-fourth tillage. He dissaproves of two white corn crops in succession, and therefore sows upon breaking up turf, part wheat and part oats. The wheat sometimes followed by pease and coleseed on a pea stubble, then turnips, barley, and seeds ; the oats, by turnip, barley, and seeds. In this case wheat is ommitted. A varied system is more common in this county than a regular one. -See Course of Crops.
Mr. Watkinson has Cooke's drill, which he often uses, but not generally ; had not used it for wheat, because his wheat is sown on lay ground, but sees no objection to using it for fallow wheat, as he believes a saving of seed might be made : he uses it considerably for barley, but sometimes sows part of a piece broad cast against the drill, and can scarcely perceive a difference ; but says, if he may venture an opinion, it would be in favour of the drill, as he believes the straw stronger and the grain better bodied ; but hoeing the barley is omitted, because it interfers with the grass seeds, and after the drill the grass seeds are lightly harrowed in. Mr. Wilkinson observes, that for the drill to be advantageously used, the land must be highly prepared ; hence it appears that a principal advantage of the drill system would be, to force a more perfect preparatory tillage, from which, probably, greater advantage would be derived, than from the mechanical mode in laying the seed.
This gentleman is in the first rank of Leicestershire breeders ; his sheep are closely bred from the Dishley stock, and have great merit in laying on a great weight of mutton upon small dimensions, with the least possible bone or offal. He also shewed me a grass fed long horn cow, which I estimated at 13 or 14 score the quarter, and believe to be worth to the butcher £35. He had shewn an ox at the Smithfield show, of the long horn breed, but the prize was given against him in favour of an Hereford ox of superior weight ; but the Leicestershire breeders remonstrate against individual weight being made the criterion of merit, without taking into due consideration the proportion of offal, and quantity of food required by the animal, in which they assert the long horn breed excel all others.
The Swedish turnip is here in great repute, and cabbages cultivated on a considerable scale, as well as stubble cole and the common turnip. Potatoes also in such plenty as to be sold from 14 to 16d. the bushel. Oct. 1807, viewed a sheep farm of Mr. Stone, of Barrow, some distance from his house, a mile or more from Barrow, on the Nottingham road : soil a strong gray loam, rather harsh, with an under stratum of limestone ; about 200 acres.
A whole field of drum head cabbages, and the crop good; another field, part summer cole, part cabbages, small pens of hurdles, with 10 ram lambs in each, eating of the cole seed, about 8 perch of which will last ten lambs a week : this piece meant to be eaten off early enough to sow autumn wheat.
Stubble cole sown after oats, a whole piece about the middle of August, and very promising, the shed oats growing amongst it. Mr. Stone informed me, he has grown on this piece of land, 11 quarters of oats per acre, the piece through.
Common turnips grown, but Swedish in a double proportion, or at least two acres for one, being reckoned to suit better on this rather strong soil ; Swedish turnips generally washed and cut for the rams, or other prime sheep in the spring, by Handforth's machine ; sheep-pens, or coles, erected where four pens meet, about 20 feet square ; also in the middle of fields, pens of hurdles, four hurdles long, and one wide, open at the ends, for the sheep to walk into shelter, or to shade themselves, and covered with hurdles and straw ; these in one year old clover sheep pasture.
Ewe stock very capital, 160 put to the ram, about 90 to an aged ram of his own, and the rest to a Dishley shear hog ; the ewes placed in a stock, to prevent fatiguing the ram, and teasers employed to single them out when in use.
See Live Stock.
Wheat stubble hacked up, or mown for litter ; beans set by hand on this farm, and followed by wheat, then a green crop, then barley and seeds,-See Course of Crops.
The Swedish turnips when cut, are generally given to the sheep in troughs. Mr. Stone had nine capital rams, making off for the butcher, having so many above his number. By a rule of the Ram Society, no individual is to let out more than 30 rams in one season.
Mr. Stone has two teams of five oxen each, but means to drop draught oxen, and make them off to the butcher ; he burns lime stone on this farm for manure, and other uses ; the price two shillings and sixpence per quarter, five quarters weighing about a ton. The sheep here, are of the first class, and the business respecting them, conducted in a first style of management.