418 Report on tJie Agriculture of Cumberland, 



of the year is entirely dependent upon the amount of food ready 

 for consumption, whether of grass or turnips. In hard weather 

 the wintei'-led sheep have straw, or occasionally a little hay with 

 their roots. There are two principal purchases of white stock 

 in the year as a general rule ; but, as I have already said, the 

 ordinary method is not always strictly adhered to, because a 

 partial failure in the pastures or the turnip-crop materially 

 changes the position of affairs. 



With respect to cattle, as many Shorthorn two-year-old steers 

 and heifers as can be conveniently grazed are purchased in the 

 spring ; and this number is considerably supplemented in the 

 autumn, as twice the number can be kept in winter. These 

 cattle are then drafted off' for market through the winter months 

 as they become ready. In this way about 100 head are annually 

 fed off; the stalled ones being liberally fed with straw and turnips 

 in the beginning of the season, and, as the year advances, cake 

 is added with crushed oats or meal. Altogether, about 200 

 cattle are wintered, and a pulping-machine is kept pretty regu- 

 larly at work for the purpose of preparing the food for them. 

 The above example farm is one of a very few where English 

 steers and heifers are fed off. 



Small Farms. — The system of rotation practised upon the 

 small holdings varies considerably ; indeed, there is scarcely a 

 single farm where a regular practice is observed. Sometimes the 

 best patches of soil are cropped so often that they become quite 

 exhausted ; and as little compensation is given in the shape of 

 manure, the crops are somewhat light. Here I may remark 

 that many of the holders of small, and even medium-sized, farms 

 plough out far too much land ; and as they cannot manage it 

 thoroughly, it is poor Avhen ploughed out — poorer when laid 

 down again. There are still too many farmers who have great 

 faith in keeping the plough going ; in fact, the writer heard an 

 occupier say the other day, that " a farmer never need become 

 bankrupt, he need only plough out another field." Mistaken 

 policy ! Mr. Mechi never uttered more true words in his life 

 than on the occasion when he said that nine farmers out of every 

 ten have too much land. " If," said he, " half of their land were 

 taken from them, and they invested the whole of their capital 

 . upon the other half, not only themselves but the community at 

 large would be benefited." I well remember, fourteen years ago, 

 when Mr. John Archer took a farm at Bassenthwaite, 113 acres 

 in extent, that nearly 100 were under the plough, and the neigh- 

 bours all said that in a few years he Avould be a ruined man. 

 However, he took the land in hand field by field, cleaned, ma- 

 nvired and limed it well, and laid down to grass as quickly as 

 possible, until, at the expiration of his 14 years' lease, 100 acres 



