148 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 3 



gras« seeds along wilh it. One experiment, on 



good land, oi" sowing red clover only, succeeded 

 admirably. 



Potatoes, under good management by the drill 

 eystem, never fail here, even on the clay soils. 

 No great quantity, however, is ever grown on 

 this farm, except ibr the use of" the family. 



3Ia)igel JVvrzel lias been cultivated lor two or 

 three years. The growing of this esculent is, 

 however, quite new in the district, and is there- 

 fore only cautiously attempted at first. The re- 

 sult, hitherto, is favorable, although the Swedish 

 turnip is supposed to be a crop of equal value. 



STOCK. 



As feeding cattle for the butcher has alwaj's 

 formed a principal point in the management of 

 these lands, it is considereda matter ol'importance 

 to select the breeds likely to arrive soonest at ma- 

 turity. The pure short-horned breed, selected 

 with care and expense from the stocks of the 

 Messrs. Collins and other celebrated breeders, 

 have long been used here, and on the best de- 

 scription of soils, with success. Various crosses 

 have also been often tried between the short- 

 horned and other breeds, and the result in general 

 has been favorable for the first cross. The second 

 cross produces here by no means so good an ani- 

 mal as the first. The cross between the short- 

 horned and highland breeds produces a very good 

 animal, wilh every tendency to leed, but of a na- 

 ture almost as wild and untameable (and some- 

 times more so) as its highland progenitors. The 

 cross between the short-horned and Ayrshire 

 breeds produces a very good animal, o-enerally 

 well suited for dairy purposes. The cross^ between 

 the short-horned and polled Galloway breed pro- 

 duces a very excellent animal, possessing, in a 

 great measure, the feeding qualities and best 

 points of the short-horn, and the hardiness and do- 

 cility of the Galloway cattle. On good lands, 

 this cross is here preferred to any other stock. 

 The pure short- horned cattle are found, after 

 many years' experience, to be rather too tender 

 for the climate, and difficult and expensive to 

 winter. 



Galloway cattle are the general stock of the dis- 

 trict. They possess many advantages, as they 

 can at any time be brought to market. Their 

 hardy and very healthy habits fit them well Ibr 

 the climate and soils of Cumberland; and although 

 the first cross with the ehort-horn does produce a 

 good beast, no good breeder would choose to con- 

 tinue his stock from these crosses. Thirty of the 

 best West Highland heilers, and four-score aged 

 Highland black-fltced weddcrs for the family use, 

 along with the Galloway cattle, Ibrm the perma- 

 nent stock on these lands. Eut from their extent, 

 it is impossible to winter as many cattle as the 

 grounds can summer; and therefore in April and 

 May yearly, a flying stock of cattle, chieflv Gal- 

 loways and West Highland heifi^rs, are purchas- 

 ed in the local markets on their journey southward, 

 and fed off on these pastures; and it is the custom 

 to have an annual public sale of this flying stock. 

 They are sold in lots, and are generally bought by 

 cattle dealers and butchers. The greatest num- 

 ber are resold again at the great fair of Broughhill 

 in Westmoreland, on the Ist of October. Thus 

 the pastures are completely eased at the proper 



season, and left rough for the wintering stock, and 

 about this period all accounts are settled, the re- 

 maining stocks, crops, &c. valued, and the profits 

 or loss on the whole concern annually struck. 



Sheep. — Except the black-faced stock already 

 mentioned, as kept Ibr the consumption of the 

 liimily, no other sheep are kept, for it has been 

 Ibund that cattle pay much better; pure Leicester 

 and South Downs have been kept as breeding 

 stocks, as we^ll as Cheviot and hall-bred sheep, 

 but the result has been to abandon a breeding 

 stock of sheep entirely. 



Lambs. — The breeding of lambs for sale to the 

 butcher, has never been followed here, but breed- 

 ing Ibr a stock has been. The ewes have in eve- 

 ry case lambed in the open pastures, and little or 

 no loss has ever ensued from the practice. 



In extensive stocks, it is impossible to protect 

 the ewes in the lambing season, from the fall of 

 ram or snow. In very small stocks, sheds for 

 sheep may answer a ver}' good purpose, but it 

 has never been Ibund necessary to provide such 

 protection here. Folding ewes in a confined 

 place in the lambing season, is decidedly an im- 

 proper mode, and is never practised in this coun- 

 try. 



The sheep commonly grazed in the distnct are 

 the Cheviot breed, but probably the most profita- 

 ble is the half-bred or cross, [jetween the pure 

 Leicester, and the pure Cheviot; for these possess 

 the stamina or hardy constitution of the Cheviot, 

 with the docile and gentle nature and feeding qua- 

 lities of the Leicester breed, while the wool is im- 

 proved by the cross Sheep are seldom laid with 

 tar and butter on these grounds, but otherwise 

 every thing that can conduce to their health and 

 comfort is attended to by a careful person who 

 manages the stock. 



Horses. — The farm horses in greatest repute in 

 this district are the rough-legged Clydesdale or 

 Lanarkshire breed. In this establishment, these 

 and the Cleveland horses are generally used. 

 The preference in the reporter's opinion is due to 

 the Cleveland breed, fbr they are more quick in 

 their movements, and consequently better adapted 

 to light soils than the Clydesdale, which breed, 

 however, is admirably adapted to heavy soils, and 

 are remarkably quiet, and generally possess good 

 constitutions. 



Pigs. — This particular district produces great 

 quantities of bacon and hams for the London and 

 Liverpool markets, and the breed of pigs is in con- 

 sequence a point much attended to. There are 

 different breeds here, but the kind preferred in this 

 establishment is what are provincially called the 

 " prick ears," a well made, short-legged animal of 

 its kind, of a yellowish-white color, averaging, 

 when quite fat, sixteen or seventeen stone of four- 

 teen pounds each. This variety seems of a re- 

 markably sound constitution, and is generally fed 

 off at from twelve to fifteen months old. In this 

 district pigs are allowed a range of pasture, with 

 food in their piggerj' at regular intervals, and they 

 thrive remarkably when so managed. On this 

 frirm, however, they are only allowed the range of 

 the straw-yards. They consume the refuse from 

 the kitchen, aided by potatoes, &c. steamed for 

 their use, and they have always yielded a very 

 fair return. 



Management. — Cleanliness, as well in making 

 ready the (bod as in the piggery, is essentially ne- 



