56 Agriculture of Shropshire. 



Grass-Land. — Although this district has some good grass-land 

 along the banks of the Severn and other streams, yet the propor- 

 tion is small, and does not call for any further comments than 

 have already been given for the other districts. I may, however, 

 remark that W. VVhitmore, Esq., of Dudmaston llall, has had 

 some very beautiful water-meadows formed on the sides of the 

 Severn near Quattford. They are well planned, and no doubt 

 were formed at a great expense by the proprietor, but 1 fear their 

 value, is not fully appreciated. 



Live Stock. — Cattle. — This district cert.ainly does its share to 

 keep up the high credit of Shropshire for horned stock. We 

 have herds of Short-horns and Herefords of the highest degree of 

 merit. The Right Hon. Viscount Hill has one of the best herds 

 of Short-horns ; but, with all the good qualities of this justly 

 valued breed, we do not find them equal to the Hereford for ex- 

 posed situations, poor keep, and such similar conditions ; and 

 although his lordship has some beautiful Short-horn cattle and 

 South Down sheep, which have gained prizes at the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society's shows, and also at Birmingham, and realized 

 large prices from their sale to foreigners, yet it must not be anti- 

 cipated that similar success will always follow their extensive 

 adoption in this country. 



The almost universal experience of this district is in favour of 

 the Herefords, as being the most remunerative class of stock for 

 general purposes. Lord Berwick's herd of Herefords stands 

 first in the countv. If we look at the national shows of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society as the challenge-ground, his lord- 

 ship's herd certainly stands high. I observe that from 1849, 

 when Lord Berwick first commenced to exhibit, up to the Salis- 

 bury meeting of 1857, nearly 400/. has been awarded to this 

 stock as prize-money, not taking any notice of descendants shown 

 by other exhibitors — a fact which confirms the high reputation 

 of this herd. The chief })ortion of Lord Berwick's herd is sold 

 to French, American, and Australian breeders, at very high 

 prices ; and certainly, wherever they go, they are a credit to the 

 country in which they are bred. 



The price of well-bred Herefords necessarily varies with the 

 stock from which they are bred ; for here, as in other breeds, the 

 value of pedigree, so highly and justly esteemed by the Short- 

 horn breeder, is beginning to be rightly understood : thus bull- 

 calves have been sold from herds of medium position for from 

 40/. to 80/. each, whilst Lord Berwick has realized very much 

 higher prices. There are many excellent breeders of Hereford 

 stock in this district who, whilst they do not contest the pre- 

 eminence with Lord Berwick's herd, still supply stock of first- 



