now converted into excellent arable and pasture ground, and produces crops of grain, grass, potatoes, &c. not exceeded by any lands in the neighbourhood. The first step towards improvement was drainage, and this was effected without any other materials than such as the Moss itself supplied: the drains being covered, at about half a yard deep, with the tough matted sod taken from the surface. The manures used in the improvement have been blue marle, of a strong calcareous quality, which is found under the Moss itself, lime, and compost brought by the canal from Manchester. This tract of land, which, previous to the year 1793, was wholly unproductive, is now worth four or five pounds per acre,* per annum. * Chat-Moss lies on the north side of the river, and of the great turnpike road between Liverpool and Manchester. It is within the Parish of Eccles, and Township of Barton upon Irwell, and consists of some thousands of acres. A branch of the Duke of Bridgewater's canal terminates in the more northern part of this Moss, on a part of which, belonging to the Duke, considerable improvements are now making. The remainder has been leased by Mr. Trafford for a long term of years to Mr. Roscoe, who commenced the drainage in the latter part of the year 1805, and having already laid a considerable portion of it sufficiently dry, is proceeding to improve it by means of lime, and marle. As this Moss consists of similar materials, and is of the same texture as Trafford-Moss, there can be no doubt that this attempt will be attended with similar success. Besides the above, there are several other large Mosses in Lancashire, some of which still remain in an useless and unprofitable state of nature. Those places that have been drained, have, iu some instances, acquired a value of about 31. per acre, per annum, although, before their improvement, they were not worth any thing. Bootle-marsh, in the vicinity of Liverpool, is now valued at more than three guineas per acre, although, previous to its drainage, &c. it was let at ten shillings per acre, per annum. Rainford The customary Lancashire açre of seven yards to the rod or pole. Rainford-Moss, near Prescot, has been amazingly improved under the judicious management of Mr. John Chorley, who obtained it, on a lease for three lives, from the Earl of Derby, and pays a rent of eight shillings per acre, per annum. He began his operations on this apparently sterile waste in 1780, and by draining, paring, and manuring, nearly similar to what was practised on Trafford-Moss, has rendered the land capable of bearing oats, barley, clover, potatoes, &c. According to his own memorandums, "potatoes, with dung, produced for the first time about four hundred bushels per acre of eight yards; next year potatoes again without dung, produced about three hundred bushels," This gentleman tried Tartarian oats, &c. but thinks that Moss-lands, in general, are not calculated for grain, as they are more congenial to the production of grasses, &c. which come spontaneously, if encouraged with a little dung. He frequently sows clover seed immediately after the potatoes. Mr. Chorley has built some cottages on this land for the labourers, and only charges them 20s, per annum for rent.* The AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS of Lancashire are principally Oats and Potatoes, both of which are used for human sustenance; and many of the labouring classes, in the northern and eastern parts of the county, are chiefly supported by this food. A considerable quantity of Barley, and some Wheat, are cultivated in Low-Furness, the Filde, and in the south-western parts of the county; but it is imagined that Lancashire does not produce one quarter of the grain consumed by its own inhabitants. The lands near the great towns are chiefly appropriated to pasturage and gardens. The first Potatoes said to have been cultivated in England, were grown in Lancashire. They were originally introduced into Ireland from North America, about A. D. 1565; and in consequence of an Irish vessel being cast away on the western coast, near *Holt's "General View of the Agriculture of Lancashire," 8vo. p. 97. In this work the reader will find many useful observations relating to the different plans of draining and cultivating the Mosses. near North-Meols in Lancashire, some of those roots were planted in that part of the county; but it was many years after their first cultivation here, before they were adopted as an article of food in London. At present they are grown in amazing quantities in this county; and many are annually exported hence to Ireland. A great variety of sorts are cultivated here, and great attention is paid to raising new species. They are produced both from cuttings, and from the apples, or seed. The Ox-noble and Cluster potatoe are chiefly grown for the cattle; and the Pink Eye, with different kinds of the Kidney, are used for the table. The Old-winter-red is found to keep particularly good till the spring, when others have lost their flavour. The produce of a crop of potatoes in this county is generally from 2 to 300 measures, or bushels, per statute acre:* each bushel weighing about 90lb. before cleaning. The early potatoes are generally planted in rows of about eight inches distance; and the sets four or five inches separate. Many useful particulars are detailed relating to the best mode of planting, growing, and preserving potatoes, in Holt's "General View of the Agriculture of the County," 8vo. Lancashire is possessed of a peculiar breed of Horned Cattle, which forms a variety with those of Lincolnshire. The cows are rather smaller in size than those of the latter county, and are known by their wide-spreading horns, and straight backs.. "To trace the origin of a breed of cattle now prevailing in Lancashire, would probably, at this time, be a difficult task. But that they were famous over the whole kingdom, is evident from being so frequently noticed, and in such estimation, as to be sought after from all parts of the kingdom. In such repute were they, and of such superior quality, that that great judge in cattle, Mr. Bakewell, thought proper to make them the source from which he has, by *They are frequently much more productive, as exemplified in the following statement by Mr. Waring, Steward to the Earl of Derby. On an acre of land, at Knowsley, the following crops were obtained in 1793 and 1794; in the first year 700 bushels of Pink-eyes; and in 1794 the same land produced 92 bushels of Wheat, of 70lb. weight to the bushel. This sold at 7s. 6d. per bushel. by crossing, &c. made such improvement. But as the breed has been under a progressive state of melioration in Leicestershire, it seems to have been in an equal state of retrogradation in Lancashire, and as if over-awed by competition, has silently yielded to a conqueror. It is not long since, however, that a celebrated traveller made the following observations in his tour through Lancashire."* "Breakfasted at Garstang, a small town remarkable for the fine cattle produced in its neighbourhood. A gentleman has refused thirty guineas for a three year old cow; has sold a calf of a month's age for ten guineas, and bulls for one hundred; and has killed an ox weighing twenty-one score per quarter, exclusive of hide, entrails, &c. Bulls also have been let out at the rate of thirty guineas the season; so that well might honest Barnaby † celebrate the cattle of this place, notwithstanding the misfortune be met with in one of its great fairs."‡ "Veni Garstang, ubi nata The CLIMATE of this county is proverbially Wet, and this seems a natural consequence from its peculiar situation, between the broadest part of the Irish Sea, and the high ridge of hills which form its eastern border. All this side of the county is more subject to rains than the side bordering on the coast: for as the clouds are wafted over the Irish Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, they are first checked and broken by the mountainous ridge, which has a direction north and south; and hence the rains, are almost perpetually falling on the western side of these intercepting emi * Holt's "General View of the Agriculture," p. 143. nences. ✦ Better known by the name of Drunken Barnaby, who published his Travels in the North of England. Pennant's "Tour in Scotland, in 1784." nences. At Townley, near Burnley, it has been found by experiment, that forty-two inches of rain fall annually, at a medium; and during the same periods, the annual height of rain has been only thirty-three inches at Manchester. At Liverpool and Preston, the average has been considerably less, whilst that at London has been still lower. This wetness of climate is found particularly injurious to the arable lands; though the meadow and pasture grounds are much benefited by it. Frosts are generally less severe, and of shorter duration, on the western, than on the eastern side of these hills. The Manufactures, Commerce, and Population of the county, are subjects properly connected with this general description; but I shall reserve, and bring together all the information I can obtain relating to the first, as an appropriate appendage to the history of Manchester; and to the second, at Liverpool. But respecting the immense population of Lancashire, I will endeavour to furnish the reader with some idea in this place. According to the Report printed for the House of Commons in 1802, relating to the population of Great Britain, it is stated that Lancashire contained 114,270 houses, inhabited by 132,147 families; and 3,394 uninhabited houses. Of these persons, 322,356 were males, and 350,375 were females: 52,018 of these were employed in agriculture; 269,259 in trades and manufactures: and the whole number of persons is set down at 672,731. The comparative state of the population of Middlesex and Lancashire has often been a theme of discussion: but if the returns obtained by parliament be correct, this dispute will now be easily settled. It, however, unfortunately happens, that the totals and calculations of this census have been found to be unsatisfactory and inaccurate, and hence we cannot decide this point with precision. The authorised total of Lancashire will be found to exceed the estimate that has been previously published, whilst that of Middlesex, as hereafter stated, is rather under the supposed number which has been generally admitted by political arithmeticiaus. According to the |