Farming of Leicestershire. 331 



with, the mllkino;', but surely on other farms the practice might 

 be improved. The horse, unlike the ox, is not a ruminant, and 

 his small stomach requires frequent replenishing ; and eight 

 hours of continuous labour, without any food, is just as hurtful 

 to him as it would be to his driver, who, by the way, while his 

 poor horses, unshaded, are hungering and exposed to the broiling 

 heat of a summer's sun, or shivering in the winter's blast, may 

 be seen quietly ensconced beneath the sheltering shade of the 

 hedge recruiting his exhausted energies with a crust. 



We suggest as an improvement on this, the system universal 

 in the northern counties, viz., that the hours of labour be divided, 

 with an hour, clear, in the stable at midday to feed. 



By starting at 7 o'clock in the morning, and working until 5 

 in the afternoon — less one or one and a half hour to feed at noon 

 — much more work would get done, and the animals would be 

 found to endure the labour better than when going eight hours 

 continuously. 



In Leicestershire, the great distance of some of the arable 

 land from the homestead might be urged as an objection to this, 

 as much time would be wasted in travelling to and from the 

 stable ; but surely nosebags, with a feed of corn and chaff to be 

 given in the field, would obviate this difficulty. 



In summer the horses are usually turned into the fields at 

 night to pasture — tares, clover, 6cc., being grown, and a feed 

 given, morning and evening; but there are instances where they 

 are kept in the yards and soiled on clover or tares. 



On some of the lighter soils, two horses working abreast to draw 

 the plough is the practice, but the tandem fashion still prevails, 

 with three, and in winter sometimes four and five horses har- 

 nessed one before the other : indeed it is nothing out of the usual 

 course to see three horses in line attached to a pair of harrows, 

 with a man following behind and a boy to drive. 



Occasionally in a wet season on clay land, when at plough, 

 such practice may be necessary to avoid poaching the surface 

 soil, but as a rule there can be little necessity for it ; and we 

 venture to say that, where deep ploughing is required, three horses 

 abreast with a set of equalising whipple-trees, will with ease to 

 themselves do as much work as four when placed in single file. 

 Besides, as no driver is then required, his wages will be saved. 



Pif/s. — There is little either in the breed or management of 

 the pig that calls for remark. In the dairy districts considerable 

 quantities of pork and bacon are fed, the breed mostly kept 

 being the old Tamworth. In other parts breeds of all varieties 

 are represented, but mediuin sized animals are preferred, the 

 bacon grown being chiefly for home consumption. 



Lord Berners has an excellent breed of pigs, chiefly crosses, 



