238 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



of sowing corn for the first crop, they begin with turnips, 

 and these are eaten off by sheep ; then comes barley 

 with grass seeds ; the third year clover, and the fourth 

 wheat. The chief stock of the Cotswolds is sheep. 

 The old breed of the county become, by modern im- 

 provements, one of the best in England rivals the Dishley 

 and Southdowns. Upon the whole, the agriculture of 

 the Cotswolds may be held up as a model for light and 

 poor soils. 



The Agricultural College of Cirencester is situated in 

 the Cotswolds. It was built by subscription upon pro- 

 perty belonging to Lord Bathurst, and rented specially 

 for the purpose. The first men in the county are mem- 

 bers of this large establishment, which in many respects 

 resembles our Institution of National Agriculture. Like 

 ours, it had obstacles and difficulties to contend with, 

 such as all young institutions encounter ; but English 

 perseverance is not so easily put down, and it is now in 

 a flourishing condition. 



In this neighbourhood resided Lord Ducie, one of the 

 large landed proprietors of England interested in agri- 

 cultural improvements. After the death of this skilful 

 agriculturist, a sale of his stock took place on the 24th 

 of August last year, at which was witnessed one of those 

 sights to be seen only in England. Nearly three thou- 

 sand amateurs assembled at Tortworth Court farm, where 

 sixty-two head of short-horned cattle realised the sum of 

 9371, or 234,000 francs, equal to an average of 159 

 each. One cow alone, three years old, with her calf of 

 six months, brought 1010 guineas; it is true, she was a 

 descendant of Charles Collings' celebrated " Duchess." 



The Yale of Gloucester has been endowed by nature 

 differently from the Cotswolds ; but human industry has 

 done less for it. The average of rents there reaches 29s. 



