PRESENT-DAY FARMING 



pared to say that did we not have this ready market 

 for our ram lambs at a figure in the neighbourhood 

 of six guineas apiece, our Hampshire Down flocks 

 would show us a very different return. 



Some of us diehards have got to admit the 

 disappearance of many hurdle folding flocks during 

 the last generation. I myself look with pleasure 

 to my half-bred flock of breeding ewes, they indeed 

 take their place and make a very useful contribu- 

 tion to the credit side of the balance sheet, and 

 certainly without much expense, but they cannot 

 fill the role of keeping the arable land in good heart 

 by regular folding, or is it that I just do not manage 

 them the right way ? I prefer to use them to 

 dispose of surplus crops or to keep certain crops 

 in check, such as the seeds in the autumn, to clean 

 up the pastures when the dairy cows go into winter 

 quarters and perhaps a few acres of rape and 

 turnips which must be cleared for a wheat break. 

 How well they take to mating when they get this 

 latter opportunity ; besides, it puts a bit of flesh 

 on their backs to stand the rigours of the higher 

 enclosures where they must finally winter. 



Then just about the end of February they come 

 back to the better pastures in time to tune up for 

 lambing in the middle of March, or perhaps carry 

 on in the low pastures to keep the grass in check 

 until the arrival of the milking cow at grass time, 

 whose arrival may be delayed owing to a wet spring. 



This year we had a most amusing time with this 

 flock of half-breds. As usual they were removed 

 from their bare winter quarters to feed pastures in 



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