ESSEX 553 nants controlling the last period of leases; long fallows are abandoned; steam cultivation has become general; the sickle is replaced by the reaping-machine, and other machines are employed to mow the grass, and shake it out, gather it, and eveci to "cock" it and elevate it to the stacks; in like manner the cereal crops are sown, hoed, reaped, stacked, and thrashed by a force superior to, and cheaper than, manual power ; and the employment of women and gangs of children in the fields, once so general, is now the excep tion. The generous treatment of the land by the farmers of the county has been followed by corresponding concessions on the part of the landowners ; and although the recent Agricultural Holdings Act has become nearly a dead letter owing to landlords "contracting themselves out of the Act," yet there is for the most part a mutual good feeling between owner and occupier, and in cases where leases are granted the covenants are practical and liberal. It is probable, however, that in no county in England is the phrase "farming by the custom of the country" so vague and elastic as in Essex ; the system which is successful " on the flat " in the district north of Finchingfield and Rad- winter would be ruinous or impossible in Dengie Hundred, with its deep furrows drawn by powerful and costly teams between the narrow reaches of Purleigh, Mundon, and Latchingdon ; notwithstanding, both districts produce excellent crops. Not the least interesting feature in the agriculture of the county is the rapid disillusion which has taken place with regard to the growth of certain varieties of farm produce, which it was supposed could only be raised OH certain soils and in certain districts, notably the culti vation of root crops and of barley, which now take their place in the ordinary rotation nearly throughout Essex. There are, it is true, localities particularly favourable to certain crops, and at Castle Hedingham, at Sible Heding- ham, and Coggeshall, and at Peering we find seed-growing practised both for the farm and the garden; at Wethers- tield, Shalford, Hedingham, and Booking are hop-grounds, which are, however, gradually dying out ; Tiptree Heath supplies large quantities of fruit, used principally by the London traders for preserving ; the teasel and the aromatic seeds, coriander and caraway, have well-nigh disappeared; onions, French beans, cabbages, potatoes, indeed all kinds of vegetables, are produced at Barking, Rainh.un, Aveley, and the neighbourhood, whence they are transferred by road to Covent Garden Market. Agricultural horses are imported from Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Belgium, comparatively few being bred at home. Several herds of shorthorns have been established, but thousands of store bullocks are introduced from Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Ireland, and Wales; of sheep there are but few distinct flocks; the pig tribe is represented by a high-class Berkshire type, ths " improved Essex," a breed introduced by the late Fisher Hobbs, having become absorbed by frequent crossing. From the comparative dryness of the climate Esses does not excel in pasturage, and in consequence the majority of fanners devote their attention to winter grazing, and fatten their stock upon roots, cut hay, bean-meal, pease-meal, and vast quantities of oilcake, usually of American manufacture. The county possesses one of the largest and most in fluential agricultural associations in the kingdom, number ing between 800 and 900 members, and giving away from 1500 to 1900 annually in prizes, many of which are open for competition to all England ; the chamber of agriculture has GOO subscribers. Attempts at sewage farming have been made in several localities, but in most cases the sewage farm is looked upon as a necessary evil. Many of the minor towns have their sewage farm attached, but the disposal of the drainage usually exhausts any possible remuneration for the excessive outlay. Essex, which was at one time famous for the extent of its forests, has for many years been decreasing its acreage of woodland. Epping Forest, which is of the estimated extent of 60,000 acres, has been in jeopardy of encroach ment, but by the "Epping Forest Act, 1871," a board of commissioners was appointed for the better management of the lands : the corporation of the city of London has acquired by purchase the freehold interest of waste land belonging to the lords of the manor, thus, at an outlay of 59,000, securing 800 acres for the benefit of the public forever; the Ancient Court of Verderers has also been revived, and consists of an hereditary lord warden together with four verderers elected by freeholders of the county. The celebrated Fairlop oak, which measured 45 feet in girth, was blown down in 1820 ; the largest now standing is only 18 feet in girth. Hainault Forest was disafforested in 1851. Ths landowners of Essex number 22,305, of whom 14,833, or 66i- per cent., hold less than one acre each, the proportion for ail England being 71 per cent. The gross estimated rental is put at 2,166,077, or 2, 5s. 6|d. per acre, as compared with 3, Os. 2|d. for all England. From the return of 1873 we find that of owners possessing more than 5000 acres each, Lord Petre, Thorndon Hall, owns 19,085 acres; Lord Braybrooke, Audley End, 9684; Executors of Lord Maynard, Easton Lodge, 8617; Lord Rayleigh, Terling Place, 8536; the Governors of Guy s Hospital, 8400; Sir T. C. C. Western, Felix Hall, 7875; R. B. Wingfield Baker, Orsett Hall, 7579; J. Archer Homblon, Great Hallingbury, 7127; J. JolliffeTufnel, Langleys, 6582; Mrs Honywood, Markshall, 6436; Colonel Bramston, Skreens, 6318; Executors of T. G G. White, Berechurch Hall, 5600; Crown property, 5526; the Governors of the Charter House, 5481; Sir C. Du Cane, Braxted Park, 5409; the Countess Waldegrave, Dudbrook, 5108. The manufacturing establishments in the county com prise the various iron works at Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, Colne, Halstead, and Rayne (which supply agri cultural implements for local use), important craps factories at Bocking and Halstead, a large manufactory of rich damasks and satins for furniture at Bocking, and a con siderable jute factory at Barking. There are also Govern ment gunpowder mills at Waltham Abbey. The county forms nineteen " hundreds," each comprising several parishes, and one "liberty," that of Havering-atte- Bower, which includes Hornchurch and Romford. The " liberty " has a special jurisdiction of its own, indepen dent of the county, having its own high steward, magis trates, clerk of the peace, coroner, and quarter sessions for the trial of offences committed within the borders of three parishes. The principal towns are Colchester (population, 26,343), Chelmsford (9318), Maldon (population of parliamentary borough, 7151), Romford (6335), Harwich (6079), Halstead (5783), Barking (5766), Saffron Walden (5718), Braintree (4790), Witham (3347), Dunmow (3342). For parlia mentary purposes the county is divided into three constitu encies, east, south, and west, each returning two members; the borough of Colchester also sends two representatives to the House of Commons, while Maldon and Harwich elect one each, making a total of ten members. There are 250 justices of the peace for the county, which is divided into 18 petty sessional divisions. There are 1 7 poor law unions, 10 local boards of health, and 62 school boards. A large camp at Colchester, usually containing 3000 infantry and 1000 artillery and cavalry, is the headquarters of the eastern district of England, Great Warley being the military centre for Essex. Two regiments of militia are established, the Essex rifles and the West Essex regiment, having their head-quarters at Colchester and at Chelmsford respectively.
VI II. 70