Farming - 1888
The 1888 farm boundaries are deduced from the tithe map of 1839, the sale catalogue of 1920 and the changes in acreages in the post 1839 land tax returns. The 1:10500 Ordnance Survey map of 1888 showed field boundaries, woodlands and orchards, other land uses for this period are not known.
The 'Golden Years' of British agriculture, when farm incomes rose and rents were once again increased, occurred after 1840. Average rents in Worcestershire rose from 22/4 per acre in 1836 to 26/2 in 1841.
In the second half of the nineteenth century Leicester sheep gave way to the Shropshire breed, but not before John Pickernell of Holt Castle Farm had held notable sales of Leicesters. In the 1860s Lord Ward of Witley Court fattened West Highland and Polled Scots cattle. The ‘Golded Years’ ended when 'Cattle Plague' or rinderpest was introduced into the country in 1865. Nationally 400,000 cattle died. It affected 0.5% of cattle in Worcestershire but up to 54% in Cheshire. The disease was eliminated in 1867 but was followed by Foot and Mouth disease in 1869. This latter epidemic died had run its course by 1878, but flared up again in Worcestershire in 1880, lasting a further two years. In the 1870's there was a series of cold wet springs. These devastated crops, delayed cultivations and took their toll of livestock, many sheep being infected with liver-rot (liver fluke transmitted by snails) in 1879 to 1881. Shortly afterwards there was a series of summer droughts. The resulting 'Great Depression' was made all the worse by ever increasing imports of cheap grain from the Empire and Americas, and the introduction of refrigerated steamships importing meat products from the southern hemisphere.
By 1877 thousands of acres of land within a few miles radius of Great Witley were tenantless. Those tenants that remained often claimed 10-25% refunds on their rents due to poor harvests with resulting low incomes.
Orchard fruits remained a viable proposition. The Worcester Pearmain, was first found in the market garden of William Hales of St John's. Worcester, in 1872. Richard Smith "the second" of the huge Westside nursery paid £10 to Hales for the exclusive right to remove grafts from the tree. Smith's went on to produce the Worcester Pearmain on a large scale and it still remains an important commercial variety in the UK today.
Worcester Pearmain Apple
The permanent poles and wires familiars in today’s hopyards were not introduced until 1875. The pole and wire system established itself quickly for these structural elements could last up to 20 years and so reduced growing cost considerably.
Pole and Wire Hopyard
With the construction of Holt, Bevere and Diglis locks in 1844 the River Severn became important to the potato growers of Holt and Ombersley, allowing them to transport this bulky crop to market.
By then end of the nineteenth century traction engines were being increasingly used as a portable power source for various machines, driven by a long belt from the flywheel. The engines would travel from farm to farm at harvest time, where they would drive a threshing machine (which separated the wheat from the chaff and stalks).
Traction Engine (built 1871)
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