Orchards, &c. terfield, Lord Melbourne, Lord Scarsdale, &c. &c. Those of Lord Mel- CHAP. 4. bourne, are a curious and elegant relique of the old style of horticulture, Gardens, which was brought from Holland with William III.; consisting of groves, long walks, statues and fountains. The Chatsworth gardens cover nearly forty acres, and are in the highest condition of picturesque cultivation. Richard Arkwright, esq. has repeatedly obtained the society's prize for the grapes produced in his beautiful gardens at Willersley, which are open for the inspection and recreation of the public, on three days every week.— The taste of the early part of the last century prevailed formerly as much in Derbyshire as in any other part of England; and yew trees, clipped into every imaginable fantastic shape, are still to be seen at Kilburne and Ideridge-Hay; but these things remain rather as curiosities than as examples to other horticulturists. The hot-house on the grounds of William Strutt, esq. of St. Helens, Derby, is esteemed one of the most curious and complete buildings of this description in England. The flues for the admission of hot and cold air, and those for distributing steam as a moist vapour for the nutriment of the plants, are admirably arranged.* Farm houses are generally well supplied with gardens for vegetables, which are well cultivated. The cottagers are seldom without a rood of ground for common vegetables and potatoes; and in the neighbourhood of considerDerby and other large towns, tradesmen and other persons occupy able tracts of garden ground, in which they seek healthful amusement. The gooseberry, tulip, ranunculus and other shows of flowers and fruit are much attended to by amateurs among both the gentry and operatives (particularly the framework-knitters) in Derby and its neighbourhood. Market gardens are cultivated near Derby. Messrs. Wilson have excellent garden grounds and nurseries. That of Mr. Palmer, near Darley Abbey, produces early vegetables and fruits. At Ashbourn, Chesterfield, Duffield and Melbourn, there are also extensive gardens and plantations. The vegetables and fruits grown at Melbourn are generally earlier than in any other part of the county.—Mr. Gratian's market-garden, at Belper, is highly productive. It has been observed, that the orchards of this county are not numerous, although there are spots in the red marl districts favourable for the growth of apple-trees, and which might, with proper attention, produce fruit equal to that of Worcestershire or Herefordshire. On the limestone, all fruit trees degenerate after a few years' growth. Walnut trees thrive near Bakewell, and there are very large trees of this species at King's Newton and at Newton Solney.-At Bretby park there is a large grove of the blackberried elder, the berries of which are preserved as food for pheasants.— At Overton in Ashover, there is an open grove of more than one hundred birch trees, which for upwards of half a century have been appropriated to the making of birch wine, from their juice or sap. They are each tapped We cannot omit here to mention the obligations of the curious in horticulture and the productions of the hot-house, to the ingenious Mr. Samuel Bregazzi, of Derby. His bark-bed thermometer is spoken of by experienced men as one of the best instruments of the kind ever invented. His hot-house thermometer possesses this advantage, that when hung from the roof of the hothouse, the heat of the sun is prevented from operating upon the bulb by the current of air which passes between the backs of the instrument. The first of these instruments enables the cultivator to ascertain the temperature at the roots or in any part of his pine-bed. CHAP. 4. about once in three years. The trees are tall, with small heads, and do Park, Wood not appear to be much injured in their health or timber. and Forest Timber. Chamomile. Copse woods and timber.—The copse woods of this county appear, generally, to be very ancient; and few, if any, have been planted within the last century. Large trees are, nevertheless, rare in these old copses, but they are abundant in underwood, which when neglected is destructive to the larger timber. The neglect of these old copses is justly attributed to the burning of coal as fuel.—The later plantations, however, are much more carefully attended to. They are well fenced in with stone walls or good hedges. The principal proprietors and planters of these woods, which are now seen extending across the barren wastes and moorlands of the county, are the Duke of Devonshire, the Duke of Portland, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Chesterfield, the late Sir T. W. Hunloke, bart. Sir George Sitwell, Francis Hurt, esq. Richard Arkwright, esq. &c. · Of forest trees, growing in parks and other situations, we may mention the grove of oaks in Kedleston park, which are remarkable for their bulk and their beauty. In Calke park and in Hardwick park there are fine oak and other forest trees. At Shining-Cliff, near Crich, there was felled an oak, containing nine hundred and sixty-five feet of timber, and measuring thirteen feet four inches across the stool.—At Bretby there is a remarkable cedar tree, and several very large Birch trees. The fir trees in Melbourn gardens are particularly worthy of notice, as many of the boles are eighty feet in height, and from eleven to thirteen in circumference. In the grounds of the Earl of Harrington, at Elvaston near Derby, there are fine cedar trees, and thriving plantations of young oaks. Chamomile, an uncommon species of culture, as a field-crop, is practised in this county. The culture of this plant is as follows: "a loamy soil is chosen, and, after the ground is well prepared by thorough cleanings, about the latter end of March the roots of an old plantation are taken up, and divided into small slips, which are planted in rows about eighteen inches asunder, and about the same distance in the rows. The plants are kept clean by frequent hoeing and weeding with the hand. In September the flowers are fit to gather: their perfection depends upon their being fully blown, without having stood so long as to lose their whiteness; the flowering continues until stopped by the frosts. The gatherings are repeated as often as successions of flowers appear; but this depends very much on the season, dry open weather furnishing more successions than wet or dull weather. When the flowers are gathered, they are carefully dried, either in kilns very moderately heated, or on the floors of boarded rooms, heated by slow fires: the object is to keep the flowers white and whole, and this is best effected by drying them as slowly as possible. The produce varies from two hundred weight, or even less, to four, five, and, in some few instances, six hundred weight per acre. The price has also varied from 40s. to £7. per cut. The plants usually stand three years, of which the first affords the smallest produce; and the second, the greatest and best. When the same plants are continued beyond three years, the ground becomes foul, and the flowers weak. When dried, the flowers are packed in bags; and afterwards sold to persons in the neighbourhood, who transmit them to the druggists in London." Agricultural Societies.-In 1819, several respectable agriculturists, in CHAP. 4. conjunction with some of the nobility and gentry of the county, formed a Agricultural kind of institution for the encouragement of agricultural improvements. Societies. This institution assumed the denomination of the Scarsdale and High Peak Agricultural Society; but has subsequently been termed the Derbyshire Agricultural Society. Its leading objects are the promoting, by prizes, on appointed annual show-days, the most useful breeds of cattle, sheep, pigs and horses. The Society also holds out considerable encouragement for the good conduct of male and female farming servants. The annual meetings of this Society are held alternately at Chesterfield and Bakewell; and, originally, the period of these annual meetings was the first week in July. On some late occasions, it has been held on the 29th of September. Sir William Chambers Bagshaw is the president; William Carleill, esq. vice president; and Mr. Paul Bright is the secretary and treasurer. In mentioning this Society, it is due to Mr. Thomas* of Chesterfield to say, that he was not only the founder of it, but that he has, ever since its establishment, been one of its warmest friends and supporters. The general beneficial consequences of these meetings, and of the conduct pursued by the members of this Society, are now acknowledged throughout the county, and particularly by those who are able to compare the present farming stock of Derbyshire with their recollections of what it was ten years ago.There is also an Agricultural Society at Repton, which has been established about twenty-five years. The following list of Enclosures exhibits a compendious history of that species of agricultural improvement in this county, according to the dates of the several statutes.† *In May, 1821, the Board of Agriculture awarded to W. B. Thomas, esq. a silver cup, of the value of thirty guineas, for the best cultivated farm within the Hundred of Scarsdale and High Peak. + The first enclosure, by Act of Parliament in the County was Scarcliffe, in 1729; next in suecession followed Winster, Litton, Ashford, &c. The publisher has reason to believe that there were separate Acts for these enclosures. Enclosures. 280 0 0 Palterton in Scarcliffe, see Scar cliffe Parwich, award executed in 1789 Ravenston or Raunston, Act passed 927 3 15 250 0 0 636 0 Rowsley, Little, in the parish of Scarcliffe and Palterton, 1729; Hollington, in the parishes of Long- Horsley Hulland Ward, 1773. This belonged Smisby, Act passed, 1 Geo. IV.; award executed May 3, 1828; a. r. p. CHAP. 4. Enclosures. 2940 3 0 Wheston and Tideswell, in one Act, award executed in 1823; com mons 1916 0 0 612 1 39 950 0 0 Willington, award executed in 1768 1300 0 0 Windley in Duffield Windmill Houses in Hope Wingerworth, in the hamlet of Tupton, in the parish of North Winfield, award executed in 1758 400 00 Winster bank pasture, Act passed 401 3 37 100 0 0 764 06 1116 0 14 The small wood engraving, here introduced, will show an easy method of securing corn and hay-ricks in wet seasons; the plan has been adopted by many farmers, and is universally approved by those who have purchased these rick covers. Much valuable hay was injured in the summer of 1828 for want of them, and many farmers afterwards regretted they were not provided with such security. |