the canal goes. The prefent navigation is that of the river Merfey, or, in other words, an arm of the fea for several miles, which is at best but an infecure navigation for inland boats, not to say a dangerous one, and occafions fuch precautions of the expenfive kind, that the carriage of goods can never be half fo cheap or regular as upon a canal. This river partakes, with others, of difadvantages, to which canals are not subject, fuch as tides, floods, working one way against a ftream, &c. &c. from all which the new navigations are perfectly free; add to this, the old navigation here is cramped with ten times the number of locks, that the canal would be.

But fomething fure is due to the execution and poffeffion of works, which command the attention and admiration of all Europe: The number of foreigners who have viewed the Duke of Bridgewater's prefent navigation, is furprizing; what would it be if his Grace was to extend it over a boisterous arm of the fea:---To exhibit a navigation afloat in the air, with ships of an hundred tons failing full mafted beneath it. What a splendid idea!*

* In fome of the controverfial writings, published on the propofition of a navigation from Hall to Liverpool, the prejudiced, or rather interested people, who were ftaunch friends to the old navigations, and, by the by, ridiculed canals, in a manner which muft now, while fuch great fuccefs attends them, turn, I think, to their

fhame

Upon the whole, the uncommon fpirit which actuated his Grace the Duke of Bridgwater in defigning and executing fuch noble works, can never be fufficiently admired: At an age when moft men aim only at pleasure and diffipation, to fee him engaged in undertakings, that give employment and bread to thoufands; that tend fo greatly to advance the agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, of an extenfive neighbourhood; in a word, that improve and adorn his country, is a fight fo very uncommon, and fo great, that it muft command our admiration. Nor was it lefs to his Grace's honour, that, in the execution of thefe fpirited fchemes, he had the penetration to difcern the characters of mankind: fo much, as to fix on those people who were

fhame, among other arguments afferted the fufficiency of the navigation to Liverpool already existing; a stroke in one of their anfwerers is excellent: "The delays "and inconveniences render this (the old) navigation

66

ineffectual for the conveyance of the produce even of "the county of Chefier; as far the moft confiderable έσ part of the cheese produced in that county is now car"ried by land, parallel with the whole length of this EXCELLENT navigation, to Frodsham-bridge, and "Bank-quay; from which places it is conveyed by flats "to Liverpool, there to be re-fhipped for London, and "other markets; and SALT, the other ftaple article of "this county, is fent, in great quantities, all by land car

66

riage, from Northwich to Manchefler, for the fupply of "that town, and a very extenfive and populous neigh"bourhood, notwithstanding the prefent navigable com"munication between thofe places?

formed

formed by nature for the bufinefs; to draw forth latent merit; to bring from obscurity one of the most useful genius's that any age can boaft; to throw that genius at once into employment; to give a free fcope to his bold ideas; to be unfparing of money in supporting them; and to keep him conftantly in a fituation of rendering his talents useful to his country; all prove that his Grace has a mind fuperior to common prejudice; that he is one of thofe truly great men, who have the foul to execute what they have the genius to plan.

I remain, dear Sir,

yours, very fincerely.

VOL. III.

R

LĘT

I

LETTER XX.

Took the road from Dunham to Knutsford: In that track, land letts from 20 s. to 35s. per acre. Farms rife from 40%. to

2001. a year. They reckon the product of a cow at 5 l. About Knutsford foils, clay and fand. about 16 s. an acre. about 20%. or 30%. 2001. a year. Their courses,

I. Fallow

there are chiefly two The average rent is Farms are, in general, but fome of 150% and

3. Barley

2. Wheat

4. Oats.

And,

1. Fallow

4.

2. Wheat

Clover for two or three years

3. Barley

5.

Wheat.

The quantity of wheat fown is but trifling. For barley they plow three or four times, fow three bufhels, and gain, at an average, five quarters. For oats they plow once, fow five bufhels, and gain from forty to fifty. Very few turneps are fown by farmers, but fome by gentlemen.

The farmers are getting more into tillage than formerly, and to their prejudice, for barley will only grow with much manure. The town of Manchefter fetting up malt

kilns in oppofition to thofe of Yorkshire, is what encourages the farmers to extend their tillage.

Clover they fow with barley, mow it twice, and gain two ton and an half the first time, and about a ton the second.

Potatoes they prepare for by digging, generally grafs land for the firft crop; they Alice and dibble them in one foot afunder every way, twenty bushels to the acre; Hand-hoe and hand-weed. The produce generally from three to four bufhels from a perch, or about five hundred per acre:Wheat after them, The expences are, Digging, 21.

Weeding, &c. 15 s.

I

Taking up, 1 d. per bushel.

2

Marle is their chief manure; they have it brown, red, blue, and alfo fhell marle. They lay two fquare roods and an half per acre, which coft them from 3. to 4 lay it chiefly upon grass. Shell marle is of fo excellent a nature, that it lafts very good for ten years, and the land conftantly cropped. a husbandry not much to the credit of the Cheshire farmers, They know nothing of chopping ftubble, but ftack their hay at home.

Good grafs land letts at about 25 s. per acre; they apply it chiefly to dairying, and reckon that an acre and half is fufficient for the fummer feeding a cow. Their breed of

R 2

horned