480 Farmhif) of Warwickshire. 



Sussex clown, and use them as their flock may require frame,. 

 quality, or wool. The wool from a well-managed flock averages 

 4^ fleeces to the tod. Ewes are sheared four times, and then 

 fattened ; and the number is kept up by drafting from the 

 maiden flock. Contrary to the notions of many breeders, the 

 ewes are kept on swedes previous to lambing, and this, when 

 plenty of dry food is given, is not considered injurious. The 

 stifFer loam above Warwick will not bear the treading of the 

 flock except in dry weather, and this forms an excuse for the old- 

 fashioned system of bare fallow for wheat, Avhich on the soil now 

 under description is unwarrantable. One-half only of the turnip 

 crop is fed off, and the ewes are taken every night into the yards, 

 where they have the picking of the straw, and some hay where 

 it can be spared. On lighter land the ewes are kept entirely in 

 the fold, and have their cribs filled Avith pea, bean, or other 

 straw, and rough hay. Some provide lumps of salt in the troughs 

 for them to lick. In this way they are kept until the seeds are 

 ready in spring ; but the flock is at this critical time often some- 

 what straitened for food before they can get on the seeds. With 

 a few turnips thrown to tliem at first, here they remain through 

 the summer until the meadows are ready. The vetch crop is. 

 consumed by the tegs. 



Murray says, "In most parts of the county they plough from 

 five to eight inches deep, and use from four to five horses in a. 

 plough, one yoked before another." The depth of ploughing 

 remains the same ; it is quite the exception to go deeper than 

 eight inches. Thei-e are some of the old-fashioned curved ridges, 

 gathered very high even on the loams and gravels ; however these 

 may have been formed, there is a horror of reducing them, for fear 

 of laying bare the subsoil at the centre of the crowns. We may 

 perhaps strike off one horse from the number named by Murray ; 

 but we must admit that much of the lighter land is ploughed with 

 three at length, which might be done with two abreast. To 

 advocate the latter plan in all instances is, however, absurd ; for 

 although we have seen a plough with two horses slicing the soapy 

 clays of Sussex with apparent ease, we must record that on a tena- 

 cious loam the draught is so much heavier as to completely de- 

 feat the practice. 



Reaping in this county is more common than bagging or 

 moAving ; but as most of the harvesting is done by Irish labourers, 

 it is difficult to alter the practice. Hoodiacj or capping the sheaves 

 is common in some parts : it is not practised in the neighbour- 

 hood of Warwick, yet nowhere is grain brought to market in 

 better condition. 



Horses in this county are generally of a good sort — neat, short- 

 legged, and actiA-e. Derbyshire horses are preferred to Suffolk or 



