The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 445 



the railways, with which the county is well furnished. The Mid- 

 land Railway runs all through the centre of the county, and has 

 thirteen stations within the limits ; the Oxford, Worcester, and 

 Wolverhampton has eleven stations ; the Worcester and Hereford 

 six stations ; the Tewkesbury and Malvern four stations ; the 

 Ashchurch and Evesham two ; and the Severn Valley, Bewdley, 

 and Tenbury six stations. Some of the stations are counted on 

 two lines of railway. Thus the greater portion of the county has 

 access to a railway within five or six miles, the value of much 

 of the land being thereby increased by lOZ. to 12Z. per acre ; 

 yet too many landowners, who would have done well to give 

 the land for such a purpose, have met such enterprises with 

 apathy, if not with active opposition. 



Live Stock. 



In the recent census the cattle in the county is thus enume- 

 rated' — cows, 20,818 ; cattle under two years, 12,565 ; two years 

 and upwards, 12,406; total cattle, 45,789. Worcestershire cannot 

 be considered a breeding county, a large quantity of both cattle and 

 sheep being brought into it for feeding and dairy purposes. The 

 cattle may be divided into three classes, shorthorns, Herefords, 

 and dairy cows. The shorthorn is not bred so extensively here 

 as he should be, particularly in arable districts, for in my belief 

 nothing will beat him for high feeding in the yards and on pre- 

 pared food ; a great improvement has, however, taken place of 

 late, and many very valuable herds are now in course of forma- 

 tion. Perhaps the greatest improvement hitherto effected is from 

 the use of a good shorthorn bull with the old dairy cows. 



Whilst the shorthorn gradually gains ground in arable districts, 

 the Hereford becomes more highly valued amongst graziei's, 

 being well adapted by his short legs and compact growth to get 

 his own living by grazing, with less inconvenience to himself 

 than the longer-legged shorthorn. Among the principal short- 

 horn breeders are Lord Beauchamp ; Mr. Randell, of Chadbury, 

 near Evesham ; Mr. William Woodward, of Bredon, near 

 Tewkesbury; Mr. Jos. Woodward, Birlingham ; Mr. Guilding, 

 of Brickbarns, near Malvern ; Mr. Harris, of Stony Lane, near 

 Bromsgrove ; Mr. Curtler, Claines, Worcester; Mr, Wm. Willett, 

 Bishampton ; Mr. James Webb, Fladbury; and Mr. F. Munn, 

 Temple Langhern. The Herefords are the prevailing breed in 

 the north-west, and are more or less distributed over the county, 

 but there is room for great improvement in them. The prin- 

 cipal breeders are Mr. H. Chattock, Solihull, near Birmingham ; 

 Mr. E. J. Goldingham, Grimley, near Worcester ; Mr. S. C. 

 Good, Aston Court, near Tenbury ; Mr. Walker, Knightwick ; 



