THE MIDLAND COUNTIES. 245 



Berkshire adjoins Surrey higher up the Thames. In 

 the east its soil is of the same sandy and poor description 

 as in Surrey and Hants. In this quarter are Windsor 

 Forest and tracts of uncultivated heath ; the rest is com- 

 posed of calcareous hills or downs, of the same nature as 

 those of Sussex and Dorset, and a valley famed for its 

 fertility, called the White Horse Vale, from the fact of 

 one of the chalk hills in it having been cut in the form of 

 a horse. The chief occupation in this valley is the 

 making of cheese, which is sold under the name of Glou- 

 cester. The chalk hills pasture sheep similar to the south- 

 clowns, and natives of the same kind of country. The 

 fattening of pigs is carried on to a great extent about 

 Farringdon, the Berkshire breed being one of the best in 

 England. We here find few large farms, but a great 

 number of small ; a few yeomen even remain, who culti- 

 vate their own land. 



The most celebrated farm in Berkshire is that of Mr 

 Pusey, the present President of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of England. This farm contains about three 

 hundred and seventy acres. All branches of farming 

 there are equally well managed ; but what is particularly 

 worthy of admiration, is the breeding and fattening of 

 sheep. The flock consists of eight hundred head, one- 

 half of which is composed of breeding ewes. In winter 

 they are fed with roots, and during summer upon irri- 

 gated meadows. These meadows are the most striking 

 feature in Mr Pusey's farming. Mr Pusey engaged an 

 experienced irrigator from Devonshire, and laid out about 

 5, 10s. per acre upon the work. The production of 

 these meadows appears to be enormous, as Mr Pusey pro- 

 fesses to feed, during the five summer months, seventy- 

 three fine southdowns upon two acres. These sheep are 

 put upon the meadows in pens, and as the grass is eaten 



