A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



proportion of the swede crop is pitted or trenched in the field as a precaution 

 against frost. 



Winter feeding of cattle for the production of beef is not customary 

 on the Cotswolds, nearly all the roots being consumed on the land by sheep 

 receiving hay and cake. To attempt to fatten cattle in yards or boxes to 

 any considerable extent would necessitate increased expense in lifting and 

 carting home the roots and drawing out the manure, with little or no profit 

 now that beef is imported in such enormous quantities and values are so 

 greatly diminished. 



As the roots are being consumed the ploughs are kept going close 

 behind the sheep-fold. The land that was ploughed in autumn is cross- 

 ploughed in February or March, dragged, rolled, and harrowed. About 

 three bushels of barley is drilled per acre, harrowed, and lightly rolled in. 

 The mixture of seeds for the next year's hay crop and sown in the barley, 

 varies with the nature of the soil and the taste of individuals, about twenty- 

 eight pounds being sown for a two-years' lay, or if intended to be laid down 

 with sainfoin four bushels per acre is a usual seeding. It may be noted that 

 this limestone soil is not so liable to clover sickness as is the case where lime 

 is deficient. The grass and clover seeds are sown with the seed barrow, or 

 drilled across the barley in April or May, after which they are lightly 

 harrowed and rolled in. When the land is dry enough a second rolling is 

 given when the barley is about three inches high. The cultivations for oats 

 are similar to those for barley, except that so fine a seed-bed is not absolutely 

 necessary, and they can be sown when it would be too late to plant barley. 

 From three to four bushels of oats are drilled to the acre. 



The value of barley for malting purposes is now very much lower than 

 that which prevailed up to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when 

 great care was taken to ensure an even-coloured sample. It was generally 

 mown with the scythe so as to lie thinly and evenly on the ground, after 

 which it was twice turned before being carted to the stack in order that it 

 should all be exposed as far as possible to the same amount of sun and dew. 

 It is now often cut and tied with the self-binding reaper, and although, in 

 this case, the corn in the centre of the sheaves does not exactly match in 

 colour that on the outside, the very small increased value that is now given 

 for an even sample does not pay for the considerable addition to the cost 

 of harvesting involved by the extra manual labour. 



When the corn is off the land should be found covered with a close 

 plant of seeds for the next year's hay crop, and the moist climate of Glou- 

 cestershire provides this with greater certainty than is the case in counties with 

 a lower rainfall. The young seeds are often lightly grazed with sheep in autumn, 

 but must not be stocked so heavily as to have an adverse effect on the 

 succeeding hay crop. In winter it is good practice to give a dressing of 

 farmyard manure as, irrespective of its fertilizing properties, the shelter and 

 covering afforded are a great protection to the plant from frost, and not only 

 result in an increased weight of hay, but also improve the succeeding wheat 

 crop, for, as a general rule, a good crop of clover is followed by a good 

 yield of wheat, caused by the accumulation of many necessary ingredients, 

 nitrogen and potash in particular, in the clover root. Very little of the 

 clover and seed hay is now mown with the scythe, the horse machine doing 



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