132 Cattle at Clifton-OTir-Bowmont. 



would be difficult to find a cleaner farm. This system of 

 cultivation also enables much more nitrogen to be taken 

 from the atmosphere, for in our experience, after 

 ploughing in the second turf, the red clover increases 

 by about 25 per cent. It is hardly necessary to remind 

 the reader that of all the nitrogen collectors red clover 

 is certainly one of the best. 



Though sheep are more profitable to the farmer than 

 ordinary cattle (pedigree cattle breeding I am aware 

 may be profitable), it is impossible effectively to graze, 

 or, in other words, regulate the grass in pastures, with 

 sheep alone, and this of course is especially evident 

 when, as in my mixtures, the large grasses are almost 

 entirely used, and therefore form such an extensive pro- 

 portion of the pasture. The necessity for having a herd 

 of cattle at hand is especially evident in the case of a 

 warm and growing spring, which requires the grasses to 

 be promptly kept down. If they are thus suppressed by 

 being at once grazed with cattle, the whole pasture can 

 be kept fine and even, and to the total exclusion of those 

 unprofitable patches of long coarse grass which are too 

 commonly to be seen in badly managed pastures, and 

 which cause other parts of the pasture to be over closely 

 grazed. The question to be considered now is as to 

 what cattle the landlord should keep, and this, again, 

 must be regulated by the guiding principle which, in 

 my opinion, should regulate the policy of the landlord — 

 . economy of production. How this may be best effected 

 must be left to the circumstances of each district, but as 

 an illustration which may be of use to those farming 

 land similar to Clifton-on-Bowmont, I may mention our 

 practice there, where we have a herd of pedigree 

 Galloways, to be crossed with shorthorns for the produc- 

 tion of what are known as the " blue-greys." These 

 havin"g two coats are better able to stand exposure to 

 weather, and are preferred by butchers to cattle of large 

 size. Besides the Galloways we keep a small herd of 

 pedigree shorthorns, partly for sale and partly for the 



