176 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



its usual value. I could winter this year one-half stock 

 upon it. 



Mr. Thomas Thompson said: The farm will not winter 

 now one-half what it kept when Mr. Smith took it. By this I 

 mean that part of it is damaged by rabbits. The farm will not 

 be itself for some years. 



Hall TurnbuU said : I have been 2| years in my present 

 place as shepherd to Mr. Smith. From Martinmas, 1857, to 

 Marl in mas, 1858, the jrround was not quite so much dam- 

 aged by rabbits. The hiil I hired was equally bad then as 

 now. The firat sjmjjer, perhaps, not quite so ill. The hay 

 land is an addition to the pasturage at Heidon. From the 

 12tt» Nov,, 1859, to May, 1860, if half the stock was kept, 

 they would do badly, and if bad weather came, they must die 

 of poverty. Our meadow was much injured by rabbiis j and 

 there vi-as no hiy at all near thi;ir burrows on the Dean side. 

 Last year there v/as scarcely any hay at all, I have no sheep 

 upon'the place. All the hinds have money wages. The same 

 number of cows are kept by them. Tbe hogs were very poor 

 last May-day, and we had a very bad clip. Several died 

 during the wiater, although meat was taken at dift'erent places 

 to keep them alive. The ground is not subject to pining. 

 Much the same quantity of stock has been kept upon the place 

 this summer. In 1858 and 1859 the rabbits have been much 

 the same. The meadow, after beiu^ dressed last sis wetks, 

 was as bare as just now. I consider that the rabbits during 

 these two years have eaten more than Mr. Smith's sheep, I 

 consider the stock upon the place has been nothing like my 

 neighbours'; nothing but poverty and death among them. 120 

 ewes were sold at Wooler Fair at 22s., and 27 at 168.; some 

 could not bs shown in consequence of being so lean. They 

 are sold at five years old. 



George Davison said : I lived near the Dod all my life. I 

 have lived at Greeuside 21 years. I have often been on the 

 Dod theee two last years. I considered the farm much worse. 

 As far as I know Mr. Smith hss storked it less than Mr. Neil 

 did when he farmed it. The Flint Hill Meadow has been hay 

 since Mr. Smith got the place. I have known 40 pikes of hay 

 taken off it ; about 20 tons. I think it is four years biiice 

 there was any hay upon it. The present meadow was unricr 

 crop when Mr. Neil had it. I consider that the ground this 

 year, if there is a bad winter, will keep very little, if any, 

 stock. I thiuk this damage has beeu done by rabbits. I 

 ■never saw laud eaten in such a manner by them. There is 

 scarcely a bit of grass left. There is a great increase of rab- 

 bits since Mr. Smith came ; there has always been rabbits, 

 but nothiag to what they are now. There was always plenty 

 of meat upon the farm \^hen Mr. Neil had it, and I believe the 

 place had more stock upon it then. There has been, in my 

 opinion, an increase of 30 rabbits to 1 since Mr. Smith got the 

 place. There were some of the ewes sold at Wooler a perfect 

 shame to be seen. The injury has not been done by pining; 

 I never knew such a thiug on ihc place. 1 attribute the de- 

 crease in the value of stock to rabbita. There were never 

 auy of Mr. Neil'a stock shifted in winter off the farm. If I 

 had my wage off such a place iu sheep, I thiuk I might die 

 and the sheep too. 



Mr. Gibson, of Freestone Burn, said : I have known this 

 farm ail my life. I have ofteu seen the stock these last two 

 years. My farm and the Dod join. I ha«e noticed great de- 

 preciation in the value of the slock these last two years. They 

 are much v/orae thau their neighbours'. Tlie ewes should have 

 been as good at the beginning of lambing time as they are 

 just now. Mr. Smith hss had Itsj thiu the usual quantity of 

 stock upon Heddon since he took the farm. The hog wool 

 weighed 13 and 14 fljecea to the weight of 48ibs. On the 

 Dod last year there should have been 13 and 14 fleeces to the 

 weight. It should average 15 fleeces in general years. The 

 farm is in such a state that I wowl 1 not put my sheep upon it 

 if I might for nothing. Rabbits are, in my opinion, the sole 

 cause of the bad sheep. Sheep would not eat the grass in 

 such a way. There had been a great increase of rabbits siEce 

 Mr. Smith took it. 



On the part of the Rev. Mr, Ildeiton, Mr. Bell brought for- 

 ward the following evidence : — 



Joseph TurnbuU : I came with Mr. Smith to the farm. I 

 herded Dod Hill and Flint Hill, but had nothing to do with 

 IJeddon, There rjae less stocli kejit ia 1858, We hardly 



knew what stock was regularly kept ; stock often changed* 

 The rabbits were, I think, as numerous the second year Mr. 

 Smith had the place as at any other time I was there. I know 

 nothing of how they were upon Heddon. Mr. Smith never 

 complained to me of the rabbits, and I never complained to 

 my master, Mr. Smith. The ^upper part of the Dod Hill 

 ia more barren now than it used to be. I know nothing of 

 what stock has been kept upon the farm since I left in May, 

 1859. I can say nothing of what rabbits the keepers caught. 

 As many rabbits on the part I herded the second year for Mr, 

 Smith were there as in any other year. We got as much as 

 our neighbours for the stock in general years. I coniidered 

 that there was more spring meat upon this farm than on any 

 other of Mr. Smith's farms. The sheep went very little into 

 the Dean in summer, more during the winter. There was a 

 good deal of gtass in the Dean on the 12th of May. I never 

 had any quarrel with the keepers. My lot of sheep got the 

 scab. Mr. Smith and myself had words. I have a bouse at 

 Hartside, but no herding. I decline answering what rabbits I 

 got from the keepers. 



John Anderson : I have been keeper to Eev. Mr. Ilderton 

 for six yesrs. Mr. Smith had the farm half-a-year before I 

 went to Ildertca. I have often had ccmplaiuts of the rabbits 

 these two years. I have had no quarrel with the shepherd. 

 Rabbits were more numerous these last two years ; there has 

 beeu a general increase there two fine seasons. There were 

 always more rabbits on tbe Dod farm than on any other part 

 of the estate. They were killed by me or my men when com- 

 plained of during the summer on the tillage farms, but were 

 not killed upon the Dod until winter. Mr. Smith never desired 

 me to do so. I seldom saw Mr. Smith. Lots of small rabbits 

 were thrown away during the summer, and never put into any 

 account. 



Alexander Stephenson said : I have been engaged eight years 

 killing rabbits on the Ilderton estate. There are more this 

 season on account of the weather. 1854 — the Eevere winter 

 — greatly reduced them. There baa been much the same 

 quantity' of rabbits on the place since I knew it. I do not 

 know the number of sheep kept, but I think more were kept 

 this summer. I noticed them much thicker. The ewes had 

 to be herded to be kept on the inner hill. We have done all 

 we could to kill the rabbits. 



Mr. Leighton said : I am agent to the Rev. Mr. Ilderton. 

 Mr. Smith complained to me about the rabbits in May, 1857, 

 and again in November, 1857, and Mr. Ilderton engaged to 

 pay for damages. In November, 1858, Mr. Smith kept from 

 his rent £200 for damages. This he afterwards paid at my 

 request. He claimed to May, 1857, £200, as damages done 

 by rabbits. 



The following letter was read by Mr. Forster, from "Mr. 

 Robert Shield, of Sourhope, who viewed the farm on the 

 Monday previous, but was unable to attend to give his evi- 

 dence verbally : — 



" Dear Sir. — After further consideration about the state of 

 the grass land on the two hills which we were talking over on 

 Monday last at Ilderton Dod, I think that fully half of the pre- 

 sent stock should be taken off Heddon Hill from the present 

 time to Whitsunday next. I am informed that there are 200 

 hogs already removed from the Dod Hill; and looking at the 

 grass en the hil! and comparing it with other hog gruunds, I 

 think it would require as many more to be taken from the hill 

 for the present winter. Though these sheep were removed 

 for the winter, and the rabbits all caught, I don't think the bill 

 will be as good as foimtrly for seme years. I understand Mr. 

 Smith has lost a good many hogs from brasy upon the Dod 

 Hill, which I apprehend has been caused by the rabbits upon 

 the hill. — Yours, &c., Robert Shield." 



Mr. Bell ofifered as a compensation for the damage Mr. 

 Smith had sustained, £60, 



This concluded the business, it being understood that Mr. 

 Forster was to forward to Mr. Hogg, the umpire, iu a day or 

 two, the calculations upon which lis founded his demand. 



Copy of Mr. Forster'a estimate of the loss sustained by 

 Mr. Smith on his farm at Ilderton Dcd by rabbits, from Nov. 

 12, 1857, to Nov. 12,1859;— 



Loss on 600 ewes, by depreciation in value of 

 tL^msyives, their wool, and their lambs, from 



