574 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—M. 
Saturday, September 9. 
Excursion to open fields, Laxton. Paper during excursion :— 
Mr. C. S. ORwin.—The open field parish of Laxton. 
Laxton has an unique interest for the agriculturist and the economic 
historian in that it is the last survivor of the open field parishes, and it 
remains the only place where the manorial system can be studied as a living 
organism. 
The population is still concentrated in the village, with the farm buildings 
and crofts behind each dwelling-house. ‘The demesne lands, all of them 
ancient inclosures, extend along one side of the parish. The common, 
with its cow-gates attached to certain of the holdings, is still in being. ‘The 
plough land of the parish is still divided into three great fields, over which 
are scattered the holdings of the tenants, and they are farmed strictly on 
the old three-course rotation—winter corn, spring corn, fallow. Stubbles 
and the fallow field are still grazed in common by the livestock of the tenants. 
The Court Leet is still summoned by the Bailiff, and the jury is sworn by 
the Steward of the Manor. A Pinder is appointed to control the common 
grazing, and to impound straying or unauthorised stock in the parish pinfold. 
The jury inspects the state of cultivation and fines delinquents. 
Laxton has belonged to the family of Earl Manvers for the last three 
hundred years. It is an historical monument of the first importance, for it 
demonstrates the manorial system in a way which no written description can. 
Monday, September 11. 
Discussion on Grazing problems :— 
Alderman P. F. Ast1Lt.—Grazing in the Midlands (10.0). 
The grazing of the rich pastures of the Midland area consists of feeding 
animals for a comparatively short time till they are fit to butcher. The 
feeder has to consider what type is most suitable for his pastures, and at 
what weight and age the animal commands the best price. He must 
estimate the number his farm will carry, and have a proportion of his stock 
ready to market as soon as his pastures have reached their maximum growth. 
The greatest factor in producing these renowned pastures has been the 
management. 
Their richness or strength has unfitted them for feeding the younger 
animal the public now demands and presents an unsolved difficulty which 
merits most careful inquiry. The consumer’s demand for a small and 
tender joint is much easier to meet in the production of mutton and lamb 
than in beef. 
The rearing of the right type of store is increasingly important and there 
are good reasons to expect an early improvement. 
The increase of the grass acreage has caused an unequal production of 
both beef and mutton, with great fluctuations in value which tend, in the 
period of short supply, to limit the demand for home-produced meat. 
Mr. Martin G. Jones.—The art of grazing and its effect on the 
sward (10.30). 
Pasture is a perennial crop, and the art of grazing resolves itself into two 
aspects, viz. the maximum production from the sward in any particular 
