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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



lis. He had been with him and his father more 

 than forty j^ears, and now expressed his intention 

 to retire, as he had got enough money in the bank 

 to keep him. (Hear, hear). His carter, in wages 

 and perquisites, received about 12s. per week, and 

 his best labourers about 10s, 6d. That his men 

 remained so lonp; with him was a proof that they 

 were not in a very bad position. 



Mr. Fowler then made a few observations in 

 reply, but said he had very little to say, as most of 

 the speakers agreed with the remarks he had made. 

 With respect to Mr. Fookes' allusion to crime, he 

 had cut out of a paper some statistics v»'hich 

 showed that the county of Dorset had the least 

 per-centage of crime according to population, but 

 he was sorry that he had mislaid the scrap. He 

 perfectly coincided with the remarks about the 

 Dorchester hiring fair, and believed it had now be- 

 come quite a nuisance in the county. He knew 

 two men, brothers-in-law, who had been there for 

 hiring regularly for these last thirty years. Mr. 

 Harding thought he should not have brought into 

 his calculation either the foreman or maltster. 

 They would, however, remember he had said his 

 wages were perhaps higher than others, because he 

 made use of his men as tradesmen ^ but they were 



nothing but agricultural labourers when they 

 began. Besides, the maltster was employed on the 

 farm in summer. Mr. Richards thought he placed 

 the advantage of a cottage too high at £4 a-year, 

 but they must remember in valuing labour they 

 must estimate what it cost the farmer. If the 

 farmer did not provide a cottage, the labourer 

 would have to get one himself. As to pay- 

 ing in money, he looked more to his men's 

 comfort than what people said. He had come 

 there to show that what was stated respecting 

 the Dorset labourer was incorrect, but whatever 

 was said would not cause him to put his men in a 

 worse position by withholding their perquisites. 

 If, however, they would rather have the money he 

 would give it l;hem, or he would pay any gentleman 

 to supply them at the rate he had estimated. Mr. 

 Fowler then successively proposed the resolutions 

 which he had read, and they were respectively 

 seconded by Mr. J. Ford, jun., Mr. Rawlins, and 

 Mr. G. Keynes, and carried unanimously. 



On the motion of Mr. G. Keynes, seconded by 

 Mr. Summers, a vote of thanks was j)assed to Mr. 

 Fowler^ and a similar compliment to the Chairman 

 concluded the proceedings. 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP, IN BREEDING, FEEDING, AND DISEASE. 



BY JAMES B. BIRD, RENTON BARNS, BERWICKSHIRE. 



. [Premium— The Gold Medal.] 



That the breeding of sheep alone, or the breeding 

 and feeding of them combined, where soil, situation, 

 and rent are suitable, is one of the most profitable 

 departments of farming, has long been the experi- 

 ence of tbc most of upland farmers. Such also is 

 the opinion that seems to be spreading rapidly 

 now, even amongst numbers in the lower districts, 

 who, while wheat continued to realise the very re- 

 munerating price of £3 or £4 sterling per quarter, 

 and barley and oats proportionably high, never for 

 a moment, perhaps, gave one serious thought as 

 to the possibility of breeding sheep at a profit on 

 their first-class high-rented land ; choosing rather 

 to buy them from those who could breed more 

 easily, at a price which, considering the heavy ex- 

 pense incurred in producing a fair crop of turnips, 

 as well as the great mortality amongst the sheep 

 themselves, in some seasons left anything but a 

 remunerating sum to encourage the feeding of them 

 as a lucrative transaction ; very probably often a 

 loss, expected to be repaid by the succeeding white 

 crop ; hut who, now when good quality of wheat 

 brings only about £2 sterling per quarter, while 

 mutton in the wool is at Sd. per pound, and wool 

 itself at 303. to 405. per stone, begin to think, with 

 reason, that even with heavy lands something may 

 be done in the way of the breeding and the feeding 

 of sheep combined. Rents must he paid ; grain 

 at present prices cannot do so ; and not a few who 

 some years ago kept not one ewe, now, as a matter 

 of necessity, turn their attention to breeding. That 

 such may be done successfully and profitably on 



many a farm, on which, at no very distant date, the 

 bare idea would have been regarded as the height 

 of folly, but which now, through drainage, followed 

 by heavy limings, have not only made a very great 

 alteration in their general aspect, but a materially 

 beneficial change in their very nature, there seems 

 every reason to expect. And yet the possibility 

 exists that such expectation may practically meet 

 with disappointment. For although, in the breed- 

 ing, rearing, and feeding of sheep successfully and 

 profitably, much, very much, is due to good and 

 efficient management, which can only be gained by 

 experience, as well as the natural inclination and 

 taste for it j still, on the other hand, as well known 

 to every one, certain soils and situations are by 

 nature much more adapted for sheep, and being so, 

 will undoubtedly prove themselves at all times 

 quite superior to all the efforts of art, not only in 

 the breeding but the feeding of them. So much 

 less loss from sickness and death, and in the end 

 producing to the butcher a much better kiUing 

 animal as well as a better clip of wool to the 

 stapler. 



Waving any further preliminary remarks, I will 

 now attempt, as lucidly as possible, to give an 

 account of how the flocks on the two farms with 

 which I am connected are successfully managed. 

 Both farms are situated in the eastern and lower 

 part of the Lammermuirs, in Berwickshire. The 

 highest and most extensive of the two, which has i 

 mostly a north-eastern exposure, contains about 300 

 acres permanent hill-pasture, mostly dry, with a 



