Farming of Bedfordshire. 25 



His Grace the Duke of Bedford, who is one of the largest 

 winter graziers, has for many years adopted stall-feeding, but of 

 late has used boxes ; and Mr. Baker, his Grace's farm-bailiff, 

 generally exhibits well-fed beasts. This gentleman gives a 

 decided preference to boxes, but more from the saving of labour, 

 and from the superiority of the manure, than from any decided 

 increase of the flesh of the animals over those fed in stalls. In 

 the former, moreover, the animals have always been healthy. 

 Mr. Thomas, of Bletsoe, after five years' experience of box- 

 feeding, says his cattle always do better thus than when tied up 

 by the neck. He consequently always keeps his boxes full while 

 he has any beasts left. He makes it his practice to have them 

 twice littered per diem, and has the litter from the sides regu- 

 larly levelled under the animals, by which they are kept clean 

 and healthy. He also considers the manure so made 25 per 

 cent, better than that made in stalls and thrown out into the 

 yard. This gentleman is a great advocate for covered farm 

 liomestalls, and thinks that when the farm buildings are first 

 arranged such need not be much more expensive. 



Mr. Thomas, of Lidlington, an equally experienced grazier, 

 feeds in stalls, because he has no boxes, else he would gladly 

 adopt tliem. He decidedly prefers either plan to that of fattening 

 in the yard, with hovels attached. He asserts with confidence 

 that in yards the animals consume more food, and make con- 

 siderably less progress. Where straw, however, is very abundant 

 he finds it necessary, in order to get it all made into manure, to 

 keep his growing store beasts in yard, but takes care to give 

 them good food. 



The practice of many other good farmers might be cited. The 

 writer, however, regards the subject as sufficiently important to 

 warrant a suggestion, that the Royal Agricultural Society should 

 get some well-attested experiments made on this subject. 



Labourers loarjes in the county of Beds are, I think, about the 

 average of the kingdom, or somewhat above that average, if the 

 perquisites in kind be added to the payment in money. They 

 are not so high, generally, as in Lincoln and Yorkshire, but far 

 higher than in the west of England ; and the labourers are conse- 

 quently, I believe, a more active and industrious class. 



The common day-labourers' wages vary from 95. to 12s. per 

 week. During the late advance of provisions they have attained 

 the higher point, while the horse-keepers and shepherds have 

 about 25. per week in advance of this. The labourers have, for 

 the most part, small beer during the greater part of the year ; but 

 in the busy months, and when at very laborious work, they have 

 ale furnished in addition. Harvest wages are, generally, about 

 double those paid during the other parts of the year. 



