446 The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 



Mr. J. Prosser, Honeybourne Grounds ; Mr. Griffiths, Broad- 

 way ; Mr. J. H. Whitehouse, Ipsley Court, near Redditcli ; Mr. 

 C. Wickstead, Shakenhurst, near Bewdley ; Mr. B. Hall, Malvern 

 Wells ; Mr. John Bullock, Guarlford Court, near Malvern ; and 

 Mr. J. Smith, Shelsley Walsh, near Worcester ; the latter of 

 whom is said to have one of the oldest herds of Herefords extant, 

 noted for their mottled faces. Many parts of the county are 

 famous for the butter and cheese produced. Mr. Ellis, of 

 Longdon, has taken eight or ten prizes for cheese at the agri- 

 cultural exhibitions in Worcestershire, and in Gloucestershire 

 likewise — no slight distinction for a Worcestershire man. The 

 increasing population of the county will be sure to keep up 

 the price of cheese, butter,' and milk, and it therefore behoves 

 every farmer to increase to the utmost this class of produce. 

 Each dairy cow takes about three acres to keep her well all the 

 year round. Great improvements may be made in the manu- 

 facture of cheese by studying the scientific principles which 

 regulate the separation of the curd, on which much valuable 

 information may be obtained from Dr. Voelcker's researches. 

 One of the common evils, no doubt, consists in pressing the curd 

 into the vats before it is cold, thereby inducing a species of 

 fermentation, exemplified in its heaving. This accounts for the 

 length of time allowed in Cheshire, Somersetshire, and other 

 cheese-producing counties. 



Sheep. 



Much of the lighter soils is peculiarly adapted for sheep, of 

 which a large number are kept ; in other parts there are but 

 few, and these are kept upon the meadows, being fed during the 

 winter upon hay and roots ; other farmers winter them in the 

 yards, which in some places answers very well, especially where 

 burnt soil is used for the sheep to tread upon, as the straw in 

 wet weather softens the horns of sheep's feet, and induces foot- 

 rot. This may be avoided by good management, as by putting 

 boards for them to stand upon to feed, and supplying a small 

 quantit}^ of fresh straw every day. The system of using burnt 

 soil for fattening sheep in yards is largely adopted by Mr. 

 Randell, of Chadbury : by continually turning the burnt soil it is 

 kept fresh for the sheep's feet, and absorbs their manure, making 

 a very valuable compost for the land. The number of sheep 

 kept in the county, according to the last census, is — under one 

 year, 50,379 ; one year and upwards, 153,775 ; total 204,154. 



The Cotswold sheep appear to be making way upon the sands ; 

 the Leicester is however the most important of the district breeds ; 

 the Shropshire downs are also kept; but by far the greater number 

 arc cross-breds of every variety. The principal ram breeders are 



