HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [69 



the following is recommended : Pick off the decayed leaves, and 

 then dissolve saltpetre in water, half a pound to the gallon ; bottle 

 the liquor for use, and put a glass of it (containing l-12th of a pint, 

 or from 2| to 3 cubic inches), into each pan of milk, warm from 

 the cow, containing a gallon : one ounce of nitre is thus applied to 

 12 gallons of milk, and will, it is said, effectually prevent the un- 

 pleasant flavour. Some persons recommend an ounce of nitre to 

 Spans of milk, stirring the milk when set up, and skimming it at 

 every meal. A lump of nitre put in the vessel that holds the cream 

 has the same effect. 



Feeding. Staffordshire is not a great feeding county, at least 

 not comparable with the neighbouring one of Leicester ; yet there 

 are some gentlemen, and many considerable farmers, that think 

 much of the trouble of a dairy, who fatten a good many cattle 

 and sheep. Calves and hogs are fattened upon most farms. The 

 horned cattle fattened here are principally heifers and cows, with a 

 few bullocks or oxen. This county breeds more cattle than it feeds, 

 as a good many partly fattened are sold to dealers, who drive them 

 into other counties. 



Cattle are sometimes fattened at grass, at others only brought 

 forward, and finished by stall-feeding. A heifer brought into good 

 plight at grass, will generally, on the approach of winter, come on 

 well. in a stall, with plenty of, turnips and. straw only. Potatoes 

 have been given with success when not wanted at market, and 

 ground barley, when plentiful and cheap ; but otherwise only tail- 

 en3 or damaged barley. Linseed oil-cake is also used ; also pollard 

 and bran, cabbages, Swedish turnips, and hay. Cattle stall-fed 

 are generally sold to t>he butcher without being put again to the 

 spring grass. 



Dried or barren cattle are often kept through the winter in a 

 turnip-field, with a little hay or straw given in severe weather, or 

 kept in a turnip-field by day, and, in a. yard by night ; or on a turf 

 by day, with an allowance of turnips drawn to them, and hay< or 

 straw given in the field or in. the. yard at night. With a tolerable 

 allowance of turnips: in this way they, will thrive and improve 

 through the winter, and may be either fattened on tne spring 

 grass, or sold to dealers at the early spring fairs,, who buy up with 

 avidity all such cattle, being dry and in an improved state. The 

 system of fattening cattle is np^ supposed to pay so well as the 

 dairy, nor indeed ought it, as the labour is considerably less. 



Sheep are fattened with the summer's, grass or cloyeiv and what 



