Farming of Leicestershire. 299 



" None of the stock on the farm is ever allowed to sink. I am inclined to 

 think it would pay even on the hest grass land to breed and rear much more 

 extensively, as graziers suffer much loss from not being able to obtain cattle 

 kept in a fit state for grazing purposes. 



" The labour of this farm costs about 540?. per annum, being a little under 

 19s, per acre." 



Breeding and Grazing Farms. — The essential difference be- 

 tween this class of holding and the grazing farms already 

 described is, that their arable land by supplying straw and roots 

 enables the occupier to a certain extent to breed, rear, and fatten 

 his cattle and sheep. 



Generally the grass is of second-rate quality, and where there is 

 much rearing there is seldom much fattening, unless cake or 

 some other auxiliary is liberally used along with the grass. 



The practice is necessarily more complex, and in bygone years 

 the net returns have probably not been so satisfactory either to 

 landlord or tenant as those from the better class of pasture devoted 

 wholly to fattening. But the scarcity and consequent high price 

 of store stock, together with the many risks of importing disease 

 where all are bought, are tending somewhat towards a revolution, 

 so that farms with a certain proportion of friable arable soil are 

 regarded much more favourably than formerly, especially if the 

 buildings are suitable, which, however, is rarely the case. 



The extent of arable on these farms varies from one-third to 

 one-half, the former being about the proportion in the south and 

 middle of the Division, while, as we approach the north, manv 

 farms are found with one-half in arable culture. 



The rotation of cropping on the strong soils is a five-course, 

 viz. : — 1. Wheat. 2. Barley or oats. 3. Fallow or roots — a 

 crop of tares being sometimes taken before the fallow and con- 

 sumed by sheep. 4. Barley or wheat. 5. Clover. 



In some instances a six-course is adopted, viz. : — 1. Oats, 

 the stubble of which is manured and followed, 2, by Beans. 

 3. Wheat. 4. Fallow or roots, or bastard fallow after tares con- 

 sumed by sheep. 5. Barley or wheat. 6. Clover. 



On the lighter soils the four-course is followed, viz. : — 



1. Wheat. 2. Roots. 3. Barley. 4. Seeds. Or an extra 

 grain-crop taken makes it a five-course, thus : — 1. Oats. 



2. Wheat. 3. Roots. 4. Barley. 5. Seeds. 



As an illustration of the management current on these farms 

 we give the practice of a tenant who sixteen years ago entered 

 on a farm at that time considered a very poor one ; but by drain- 

 age, the liberal use of purchased foods, and manures, full crops of 

 all kinds are now grown, and the condition and value of the farm 

 generally is very much improved. 



