324 Farming of Leicestershire. 



the remainder drawn off for cattle ; but in some instances, more 

 especially on the small holdings, all are drawn home, too often 

 day by day, no provision being made by storing for frost or 

 snow. 



Barley is sown after roots, followed by two years seeds, the 

 first year mown, and the second grazed. Oats follow the seeds ; 

 and wheat, completing the rotation, succeeds the oats, lime being 

 spread on the oat-stubble and ploughed in. Breaking up seed- 

 land for wheat has been tried, but seldom with success. The 

 farms vary from 50 to 300 acres, the larger ones being very con- 

 spicuous by better management. 



The harvest, which a few years ago used to be a month later 

 than on the adjoining low-lying lands, is now only a few days 

 behind, a circumstance undoubtedly owing to better drainage 

 and more vigorous management. 



The number of horses kept per 100 acres of arable being 

 about four, the winter ploughing is done with three horses, but 

 for fallow culture two is quite sufficient ; in some cases, however, 

 a great waste of power ensues from attaching them in line. On 

 the more elevated points of the Forest there are very healthy 

 and thriving plantations of larch, Scotch fir, &c. ; towards 

 Bradgate there are some healthy oak woods. 



On many of the farms the buildings are insufficient, and 

 nearly all want spouting. Much improvement in this respect 

 has lately been done on Lord Stamford's property, and much is 

 still being done on that of Mr. Perry Herrick. 



Dairy farming is followed, cheese being made from cows con- 

 suming the second year's seeds, and whatever permanent grass 

 there niay be. 



A flock of Leicester ewes is also part of the stock on the larger 

 farms, and the number of late years has been on the increase, 

 the produce being purchased at a year old at Leicester May Fair 

 by the graziers from the east side of the county. 



On the west side of the district some very extensive stone 

 quarries are worked by the firm of Ellis and Everard. 



The Bardon Hill quarries yield a close-grained porphyritic 

 stone, famed throughout the county, and far beyond, as a firsts 

 rate material for macadamised roads. 



When quarried the stone is conveyed down an incline by gra- 

 vitation to powerful crushing machinery, on a principle similar 

 to Crosskill's bone-mill, which admirably fulfils its purpose. A 

 fixed steam-engine of 35 horse power supplies sufficient power to 

 work two machines capable of properly breaking 170 tons of 

 stones per day. 



The Markfield stone is syenite, a species of granite, which 



