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T he stock is principally neat cattle and sheep ; the former of 

 the North Devon, the latter of the Dorset breed, both excellent of 

 their kind. Many graziers prefer the oxen bred in this district, to 

 those of Barnstable, South Molton, Torrington, &c, and the sheep 

 are considered as equally profitable with the Leicestershire breed 

 which have been introduced, but do not gain ground. 



The dairy farmers are accustomed to take in sheep to keep du- 

 ring the winter, (viz.) from the beginning of October and Novem- 

 ber, to the 5th of April ; the usual prices are for hog sheep five 

 shilKngs, and for ewes seven or eight shillings per head. The 

 Dorsetshire flocks are greatly improved by this custom, and the 

 price of keeping is on the advance. 



Rotation of crops. On the clayey loam, 1st. Fallow manured 

 with ten cart load of dung, and sixty or eighty bushels of lime per 

 acre, mixed with the earth of the headlands. 



2d. Wheat 5th. Clover 



1. Deans 6th. Clover 



4th. Barley 7 th - Wheat 



The Grub has of late years so attacked the wheat sown on the 

 clover lays, that this practice is in some measure discontinued. 



In the foregoing rotation, the crops are good; seldom less than 

 twenty-five or thirty bushels of wheat, and the same quantity of 

 beans. The* beans are planted promifcuously, after the Tate of five 

 bushels of seed to an acre ; and after beans they sometimes sow the 

 winter vetch ; feed it twice in the spring, and prepare the land for 

 wheat. 



In no county are the farmers more attentive to the mode of sow- 

 ing wheat, or laying up their lands in such form, as to secure them 

 from injury by winter rains; and the quality of the grain is such, 

 as to induce the farmers of Sussex, Hants, and Berks, to purchase, it 

 for seed at Weyhill Fair, at a great price ; seldom less than ten 

 shillings and six-pence per bushel. 



An implement- called a mattock is much used here, and is pecu- 

 liar, I believe, to the West of England; it is of great service in 

 sowing wheat and peas on clay lands ; the ridges consist of six fur- 

 rows, with a furrow left unploughed between each ridge, which is 

 called a comb. The labourers with a mattock chop the furrows 



abroad, 



