I doe
remember about 1633 but one enclosure to Chipnam-field, which was at
the north end, and by this time I thinke it is all inclosed. So all
between Kington St. Michael and Dracot Cerne was common field, and the
west field of Kington St. Michael between Easton Piers and Haywood was
inclosed in 1664. Then were a world of labouring people maintained by
the plough, as they were likewise in Northamptonshire. 'Tis observed
that the inclosures of Northamptonshire have been unfortunate since,
and not one of them have prospered.
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Mr. Toogood, of Harcot, has fenced his grounds with crab-tree hedges,
which are so thick that no boare can gett through them. Captain Jones,
of Newton Tony, did the like on his downes. Their method is thus: they
first runne a furrow with the plough, and then they sow the cakes of
the crabbes, which they gett at the verjuice mill. It growes very
well, and on many of them they doe graffe.
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Limeing of ground was not used but about 1595, some time after the
comeing in of tobacco. (From Sir Edw. Ford of Devon.)
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Old Mr. Broughton, of Herefordshire, was the man that brought in the
husbandry of soap ashes. He living at Bristoll, where much soap is
made, and the haven there was like to have been choak't up with it,
considering that ground was much meliorated by compost, &c. did
undertake this experiment, and having land near the city, did
accordingly improve it with soap ashes.
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