300 Farming of Leicestersliire, 



In extent the farm is 450 acres, 100 acres being arable, the 

 remainder grass. The rotation is a five-course one, viz. : — 

 1. Wheat. 2. Roots. 3. Oats. 4. Wheat. 5. Clover and 

 beans. 



Farmyard manure is applied to the wheat - stubble, and 

 ploughed in deeply for roots, the plough being seldom used in 

 spring, but 2^ cwt. Peruvian guano " scuffled in," and the seed 

 drilled on the stale furrow on the flat. Where mangold is grown 

 double that quantity of guano is applied. 



After horse-hoeing, the plants are set out by a man with a 

 hoe, and the bunches singled by an attendant boy ; the cost of the 

 operation being bs. per acre. 



Part of the roots are conveyed to the yards for the cattle, and 

 the remainder consumed when grown by fatting sheep. 



The root-crop is followed by oats, drilled at the rate of 

 4 bushels per acre. Ten loads of dung per acre are applied to the 

 oat-stubble, and ploughed in for wheat, guano at the rate of 

 2 cwt. per acre being sometimes substituted. For beans the 

 Avheat-stubble is invariably well dunged, and the bean-crop well 

 horse and hand hoed. 



The clover grown is always mown once, and frequently twice, 

 for hay. 



This rotation seems a scourging one, but nevertheless, as 

 already stated, no deterioration, but great improvement, has 

 resulted from its adoption ; and the tenant says, " I have no 

 hesitation in affirming that my 100 acres now produce much 

 more corn than 160 acres which I had in arable fourteen years 

 ago did." 



The wheat, and all other grain-crops, are drilled and hand- 

 hoed ; and reaping, which is done by hand, costs from 10s. to 

 17.S. per acre in money, and one gallon of beer per acre. 



The oats are mown, and tied, at a cost of from 8s. to \2s. per 

 acre. 



Thrashing is usually done by hire of portable steam thrashing 

 machines. The contractors — who find, in addition to the ma- 

 chines, two men, one to feed and the other to tend the engine — 

 receive \0d. per quarter for oats, and Is. per quarter for wheat. 

 ■ Eighty head of fat cattle are annually sold off the farm, 60 

 head being purchased in spring, and 20 head reared yearly. 

 Seven milch-cows are kept, each rearing three calves annually. 

 The tenant would breed much more extensively if he had suffi- 

 cient winter accommodation in his yards for young stock. 



During the first winter the calves are fed on hay and straw 

 chaff, crushed oats, cake, or a little meal. The second summer 

 they are run on the store or inferior pastures, the second winter 



