Journal entry – John Grey – 4 Sep 1833

Wednesday 4th September 1833



Another wet morning and as cold as November.  When the rain ceased I rode to Wooley- the crop there is generally bad and far from being ripe.  I then proceeded to look over the farms in Hexhamshire, terminating at Gairshield & inspecting the Wears which I had formerly marked out, to preserve the Bank in the plantation & eventually the Wall and public road from being carried away by the violence of the little mountain torrent.  The three Wears are completed which are certain I think to produce the intended effect.  At Salmon Field, I examined & directed the draining of a fallow field which I wished to be completed before the time for sowing the wheat, also look at what had been done at Rowleyheads.  The fallows on both those farms are in very creditable condition- only wanting a good cover of Lime to make them productive.  The Crops in this district generally, have a fair appearance, as to bulk, but much of the grain will not be fit for cutting before the end of the month, some of it still later, in which case, it cannot be expected to be fine in quality, to escape the many risks it must encounter at so late a season.



I particularly examined the few acres of corn growing at Gairshield; at this time as green as grass.  If it were ripe now it would be worth from 30/. to 35/[s] an Acre, hardly enough for Seed & expenses of ploughing & harvesting - but on asking when they expected to reap it, I was told ‘about Martinmas (11November) or when frosty nights came to ripen it’ which makes it doubtful whether it will pay for reaping at all.  This is poor remuneration for the building of barns and Offices, & the expense of enclosing and cultivating.  The land on this farm which grew Corn last year & should have been fallowed this, lies untouched.   Old Thorburn wisely thinking the Crop would not repay him.  It ought to be worked up & sown with grass if not with corn, but that will be left for his successor.  Returned in the evening by Dilston Park and Widehaugh, to see the progress at the Banks of Tyne.