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On Sheep Foldings from Dcwis^s Survey of ffiltshirCy 

 drawn up for the Board of Agriculture, 



In distant [wheat] lands, the farmers depend solely 

 on the sheep fold for manure. They fold as close as 

 possible to the sowing, waiting day by day for the fold 

 to keep pace with them : and in very dry seasons, they 

 fold again, after the wheat is sown. 



The great dependence for the barley crop, in the 

 common- field system, is the sheep fold. 



After the wheat is sown, the fold is sometimes, and 

 very properly, put upon the down land, but more usu- 

 ally upon the wheat stubble, which is to be prepared 

 for barley ; but the manure from the fold is not consi- 

 dered of any great value, until the ewes and lambs be- 

 gin to feed on the water meadows ; it then becomes 

 almost invaluable. The manure of ewes is reckoned 

 much better than that of wethers, on account of the 

 great quantity of urine which they make. Five hun- 

 dred ewes, with their lambs, will fold an acre well in 

 one night : and none but those who have seen this kind 

 of husbandry, can form a just idea of the value of the 

 fold of a flock, coming immediately on the fallow land, 

 with their bellies full of quick young grass, from a good 

 watered meadow, and particularly how much it will in- 

 crease the quantity of the barley crop. The increase 

 may be fairly stated at a quarter (eight bushels) of bar- 

 ley per acre. 



The quantity of barley seed sown, is sometimes six 

 bushels, and seldom so little as five. The crop is mown. 



