316 Farmincj of Leicestershire. 



farm. A fixed steam-engine to drive the grinding mill and other 

 machinery is placed at one of them. 



A large quantity of grain is ground, and consumed by pigs, a 

 numerous herd of which is kept. 



Dairy Farming is the great feature of this division of the 

 county. From 20 to 30 cows constitute a fair-sized dairy, although 

 in exceptional instances these numbers are doubled. 



To illustrate the management adopted on these farms we give 

 the practice of an occupier near Market Bosworth, in the centre 

 of the dairy district. 



In extent this farm is 230 acres, 80 arable, the remainder per- 

 manent grass. 32 dairy cows are kept, the breed a coai'se variety 

 of Shorthorn ; and here, as in the district generally, the quality 

 has of late years been considerably improved by the use of well- 

 bred Shorthorn bulls. 



From May to December the cows are depastured in the fields. 

 About the beginning of the latter month they are taken up at 

 night, and turned out to the pasture during the day, their stall- 

 food being a mixture of straw-chaff and pulped roots, seasoned 

 with a little meal ; hay or hay-chaff being substituted as they 

 approach the calving season, about the end of February. 



Although the failure of the root-crop did much to popularize 

 chaff-cutting and pulping, the practice is yet by no means general, 

 and in this matter this farm may be somewhat exceptional. 



The cows calve chiefly in March and April, and are milked 

 up to the second week of December, being dry on an average 

 about three months. 



Such calves only are reared as are required to fill the vacan- 

 cies occasioned by drafting the old or otherwise unsuitable cows, 

 one calf per year for every four cows kept being the usual pro- 

 portion, the others being sold for veal, and to the grazing farms 

 to rear. 



The heifer calves reared have new milk until 14 days old, 

 and are then introduced to porridge of oatmeal or linseed, but 

 some give sweet whey, and others keep to new milk until 

 weaning time. About the beginning of May, if the weather is 

 dry, warm, and otherwise favourable, they are turned to grass ; 

 being brought up daily for the space of a month or six weeks for 

 their porridge or other pail food. 



On the approach of winter they have a little cake or meal, 

 with hav and straw chaff, given in a shed in the corner of a well- 

 sheltered grass field, to which they have free run ; and this, which 

 in some instances is varied with cut or pulped swedes and straw, 

 constitutes their first year's keep. 



During the second summer they are grazed on the store land, 



