400 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



forty are sown the latter end of Au- 

 gust with rye, for early seed the 

 next spring for the ewes and lambs; 

 the remaining twenty acres are 

 planted with potatoes, and the 

 whole comes round for turnips the 

 next year. 



From the advantage of running 

 sheep in the park, this farm has been 

 brought surprisingly forward, con- 

 sidering the short time it has been 

 cultivated ; and a great part of it, 

 which produced nothing but heath 

 and moss, and would have been 

 dear at five shillings an acre to rent, 

 now produces crops worth more 

 than the original fee-simple of the 

 land. 



Brevity checks me from going 

 farther into a general description ; 

 but the following particulars may 

 deserve notice. 



The comparative advantages of 

 the labour of horses and oxen have 

 been for some time under the con- 

 sideration of the public. His majesty 

 has unquestionably tried the latter 

 upon a larger scale than any other 

 person, as he does not work less than 

 one hundred and eighty oxen upon 

 his different farms, parks, and gar- 

 dens, and has found them to answer 

 so well, that there is not now a 

 horse kept. — Upon the two farms 

 and the Great Park two hundred are 

 kept, including those coming on 

 and going off. Forty are bought 

 in every year, rising three years, 

 and are kept as succession oxen in 

 the park ; one hundred and twenty 

 are under work ; and forty every 

 year are fatted off, rising seven 

 years. 



The working oxen are mostly di- 

 vided into teams of six, and one of 

 the number is every day rested, so 

 that no ox works more than five 

 days out of the seven This day 



of ease in every week, besides Sun- 

 day, is of great advantage to the 

 animal, as he is found to do better 

 with ordinary keep and moderate 

 labour, than he would do with 

 high keep and harder labour. In 

 short, this is the first secret to learn 

 concerning him : for an ox will not 

 admit of being kept in condition 

 like a horse, artificially by propor- 

 tionate food to proportionate labour. 



These oxen are never allowed 

 any corn, as it would prevent their 

 fatting so kindly afterwards. Their 

 food in summer is only a few vet- 

 ches, by way of a bait, and the 

 run of coarse meadows, or what are 

 called leasowes, being rough woody 

 pastures. In winter they have no- 

 thingbutcut food consisting of two- 

 thirds hay, and one-third wheat- 

 straw ; and the quantity they eat 

 in twenty-four hours is about twen- 

 ty-four pounds of hay, and twelve 

 of straw ; and on the days of rest, 

 they range as they like in the straw- 

 yards ; for it is to be observed, that 

 they are not confined to hot stables, 

 but have open sheds, under which 

 they eat their cut provender, and 

 are generally left to their choice to 

 go in and out. Under this manage- 

 ment, as four oxen generally plough 

 an acre a day, and do other work 

 in proportion, there can be no 

 doubt but their advantage is very 

 great over horses, and the result to 

 the public highly beneficial. 



The oxen, which are brought on 

 in succession, run the first summer 

 in the park, and in the leasowes and 

 temporary straw-yards, in the win- 

 ter; by which temporary straw- 

 yards, I would have it understood, 

 that they are made in different 

 places, so that the manure which 

 they make may be as near to the 

 spot where it is wanted as possible. 



