98 ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



acres of permanent pasture was laid down by his father sixty-five 

 years ago. This is now good feeding land, worth 50s. an acre 

 rental, whilst the adjoining land of similar character, still under 

 arable culture, is fairly rented at 38s. The best grazing lands of 

 the Midland Counties are those of the middle oolite and Oxford 

 clays. All the strongest lands are grazed by oxen or steers. 

 Shorthorns, Herefords, ])evons, North and South Wales runts, 

 have each their special admirers; in fact, from long practical 

 experience, the farmer finds that different farms are suited to 

 particular breeds, and even different fields on the same occupa- 

 tion pay better when grazed by one particular breed than they 

 do with any other. A large number of the best farms in 

 Leicester and Northampton shires are mixed occupations, that is, 

 part arable and part grass. This is the most profitable, as straw 

 and turnips can be grown for wintering at least a part of the 

 cattle required to stock the pastures during the summer. The 

 farms as a rule are not large, varying from 200 to 300 acres. 

 The arable land is generally managed on the five-course rotation — 

 1, wheat; 2, barley; 3, roots, a fourth of which is drawn off 

 and consumed in the yards with cattle, the other three-fourths are 

 consumed on the land by sheep with commonly | lb. of linseed 

 cake per head a-day; 4, barley, seeded with broad clovers, or a 

 mixture of ryegrass and trefoil; 5, seeds, mowui early, and after- 

 wards grazed with sheep till the middle or end of September, 

 when they are broken up for wheat. All the best farmers use a 

 dressing of 3 to 4 cwt. per acre of artificial manure for barley, 

 after wheat. The land is smashed up with the steam-cultivator 

 as early in the autumn as circumstances will permit; it derives 

 great benefit from exposure to the winter frosts. The land 

 receives one shallow ploughing at spring to bury and destroy 

 the annual weeds. The seed is usually drilled at the rate of 2| 

 bushels per acre from the middle of January to the middle of 

 April, according to the state of the weather. Early sowing always 

 answers best. On land in high manurial condition the produce 

 is stronger in the straw, and the grain usually of finer quality, 

 under this system all the finest barleys in the Midland Counties 

 are now grown. The great advantage of the five-course shift to 

 the gi-azier is the extra quantity of straw he produces, enabling 

 him to winter a greater number of stock. On most farms the grass 

 land varies from rich feeding pasture to ordinary store land, fitted 

 only for the breeding flock and young growing cattle. On the 

 majority of grazing farms the rents are too high, if used for breeding 

 and rearing cattle, hence the stock is purchased as required. The 

 grazier generally begins to buy in lean two to two and a-half 

 year old steers about midsummer. Those are run thickly on 

 the store pastures, and are drafted on the best land as the fat 

 beasts are disposed of. A great point with the grazier is to have 



