1864. Agricultural Intelligence — England, 1 15 



* Sheep on the rich lands would get on apcicc ; but the continual 

 rain is againft them, efpccially here, where fcarcely any turnips are 

 carted off, but confumed on the land they grew on. The early ewes 

 are now in full leafon of yeaning, and conliderable quantities of lambs 

 are dropping every day. One farmer in tlie neighbourhood has had 

 more than 600 already. None are houfed here, as we never feed any 

 houfe lamb in this ccKmty. The turnips arc almoft all eaten by fheep, 

 very few by beads, none by flore cattle. Sheep and lambs entirely en- 

 gage the farmer's attention — every thing gives way to the (heep fyllem. 

 Thofe who cart off a part of the turnips (the number is very few), 

 carry them upon green land ; but the ahnoil univerfal pra6lice is to eat 

 the turnips on the land they grow on, by giving them fmall quantities 

 at a time by means of hurdles, which are removed daily, that the fheep 

 may always have a certain quantity frefli. At night the flieep are; 

 enclofed in a, pen or fold, allowing about a yard fquare of ground to 

 each ; and this fold is removed every day to a frefh fpot regularly over 

 the field. Strange infatuation ! you will fay. Of your mode of feed- 

 ing, it is faid here. What ! let the fheep lye fcattered all over the 

 field ! — Strange infatuation indeed ! Perhaps thofe who have atten- 

 tively obferved both methods,- will think both right. This I will ven-» 

 tare to fay : You, if here, would foon do as thc\' do here. But I 

 Avill not fay, We, if there, would do as you. Therefore the preju- 

 dices here are the ftrongefl, and mofl to be condemned. 



* Swine are become numerous, confequently cheap. The reafon is 

 obvious : Of all the various fpecies of farming ftock this is the fooneft 

 replenifhed, and comes the quickefl to market ; the fall in price is there- 

 fore great ; and as corn is linking in price, pigs will be fattened i\x 

 coniiderable quantities, and alTiit in reducing the price of butcher 

 meat. 



* The flate of the weather may be given in few words. Tiie drought 

 continued till the beginning of November ; from thence to the middle 

 of December, the weather was wet, but not attended with heavy rains ; 

 from thence to the end of the year, very tempeiluous, Avith abundance 

 of rain. Many people v/aited for the rain before they began to fow 

 their wheat ; but, after a fortnight, the land got fo wet, and the horfes 

 funk fo deep in the fallow, that they were obliged to defer fiuifhing till 

 the fpring — a praftice feldom ufed here. 



* How is it, ii\ a climate evidently warmer, we cannot fow wheat in 

 the fpring with fuccefs, 'U^hen, in the north, it is not unfrequent to fow 

 a great deal ? Our markets, at Chriilma;,, were, Beef (not fat)- from 

 6d. to 7d. per lib. fmk offal; Mutton yd. ; Veal begins to come into 

 market (good) from 8d. to yd. ; Pork in great plenty from 8s. to qs. 

 per fcore (2© lib.) ; Batter I'^d, per hb. of 180/.. (every thing elfe 

 only 16 oz.) ; good Cheefe 80s. per cwt. — but little of this in DurfetV 

 ihirc ; Cheefe made after butter at 40s. per cwt. — of this fort large 

 quantities are made tlirough the fummer. Wheat from 6s. to 6s.- 6d., 

 a4id the very bell 7s. per bafhel, Winchciler — all forts of grain are 

 ibid by ;,this meafure ; EarL^y (our ftaple y;iaiu) fmks faft — it was 



H 3- 25s* 



