GRAZING. 



ihc bed profit; but wliere the lands are lefs rich, and the 

 Feed of coiirfe lefs plentiful, the fmall, improved, (hort-wooUcd 

 breeds, as the South Downs, may leave a more am])L- pro- 

 fit to the farmer. Wlicre wethers of the former kind can be 

 procured, they moftly turn out well for the purpofe. And 

 Ml the contrary circumftances, pcrh ips the South Downs 

 ■aniiot be excelled by any of the fliort, or middle-woolled 

 ! ■reeds. But iu particidar fituations and circumflanccs of 

 tjrafs-lands, many other breeds may, ln)\vever, be more profit- 

 ;ilile to the grazing farmer- It is ilated, in the Agricultu- 

 ral Survey of Soraerfctfiilre, that the Dorfets, forint-rly fo 

 prevalent in that dillrift, have lately given way to the 

 polled, native breed of the lower part of tlie county; from 

 the circumftances of their giving a larger proportion of wool, 

 and th.'ir fattening more expeditioufly, and at tliefanie time 

 more fully, efpecially on the internal parts. However, in 

 tlie rich marfhes in the fouthern parts of the illand, the 

 grazing farmers, who are moftly in cxtcnilve bulhiefs, have 

 conftaiitly recourfe to the polled, white-faced breed, and that 

 uf the South Down, which they find the moft profitable 

 forts on their lands that can be employed. 



In the northern parts of the kingdom, the graziers havs 

 principally recourfe to the native breeds, the liealli and Che- 

 viot forts, and find the former the quickeft in getting fut, 

 , jid the moft hardy in their nature. The Cheviot fort fecms, 

 iiowever, lately to have gained ground in the more elevated 

 nnd hilly fituations. 



Wiiatever the breeds of t!;e aiii.iials may be that are made 

 ufe of as grazijig ftock, it has been found, from long expe- 

 rience, that it is a matter of much importance to procure 

 tiiem from diilricfts, where the quality of the land is infe- 

 rior to that on which they are to be fattein-d, as by fuch 

 means they not only get fat in a more expeditious manner, 

 but without fuffering any check upon being (irll turned upon 

 tlie paftures. 



It is a matter of much confcqucnce in (heep grazing that 

 tliey have a fine clofe pafture ; and that they be prevented from 

 going upon fuch grafs-lands as have been covered by water, 

 and become fandy, as under fuch circumftances, they are li- 

 able to become difeafed. And, befides this, it may be be- 

 neficial in many cafes for the farmer to be careful that 

 horfes are not turned upon the paftures along with tlieni, as 

 it has been found that the tufts of long, rank grafs that rife 

 about the dung-heaps, are apt to render them in a ftate of 

 difeafe, except where froft has taken place, when the dan- 

 :;er is for the moft part removed ; and it is fuppofcd, that it 

 io alfo dangerous to fuffer ftieep to browfe upon the grain, 

 efpecially that of barley, which (boots up among tlie ftubble, 

 after the harveft is completed; and fallows that are wet and 

 iifound are equally detrimental, whether the foil be li^hl or 

 ftroiig. In the former fituations, they frequently pull up 

 tlie herbs by the roots, which they eat with the dirt adhering 

 to them, which will inevitably give them the rot ; and, it 

 t'le fallows be llrong land, and fhould not afford a iuflicient 

 I'.ipply of food, they are liable to the hunger-rot, from 

 f .ing compelled to eat the rank, unwholefome vegetables pro- 

 duced on fuch grounds^ efpecially the lefter fpcar-wort, and 

 t!ie marfli-penny-wort, both of which plant,, llourilli in wet 

 'uations, and ought carefully to lie eradicated wherever 

 .';ey are found. It is further advifed, that in turning fheep 

 'to paftures, particularly water-meadows, and alfo into thofc 

 iaces that are fubjeft to rot, to piu-fue the fame precaution 

 as with neat-cattle ; which is previoufly to fatisfy the craving 

 ■if appetite, by giving them hay or cut ftraw, and after 

 the dew lias been evaporated by the rays of the fun, to 

 flrive them gently round the field for two or throe liours be- 

 'ire thev are fuffercd to eat. But, whenever any fort of dry 



Vol.' XVI. 



food is given, they ouglit to be fupplicd witli pure rvitfr, 

 particularly during the intcnl'e he tt that ufually prevadi in 

 the lummer months, and whicli often renders thc'-.Tafi at dry 

 as a ftubble. " For this purpofe, clear, light-runnmg water i» 

 always to be preferred, where it can l<e obtained ; thuugh, in 

 general, whatever prefents itfelf is made ufe of. Eut uhere 

 this neceffary of life is found only in a tainted ftate, or over- 

 charged with the juice of dung, it will lie advifahlt- to rive 

 them well-water in troughs or (hr.llov/ tubs. Thit mult be 

 particularly attended to in the folds, fo long as the Ibecp 

 are coniined there by the fevcrity of the weather.'' It hat 

 been noticed, tliat " the watering of fiiccp is, on the Con- 

 tinent, regarded as a circumltance of tlio grcateft moment, 

 and accordingly receive! that attention which it n.i|uirc». 

 Thus, in Sweden, and at the national farm at Rambouiikt in 

 France, they a-e daily watered with running-water, or w-ith 

 that obtained from lakes or l'prings,_//(7jr/;n/ water being mod 

 properly and rigoroudy prohibited. Infomeofthe .Saxon 

 !heep-farms, the flieep are watered in the cots or folds durn;j 

 the winter, inftead of taking thejn to watering-places. Spr'i g 

 or well-water is candufted by mean's of pipes into trougba, 

 out of which the fiiecp drink at ])leafure ; they in confe- 

 quence drink oftener, and eacii time take lels water, which 

 i» favourable to their health. Tiie ordinar/' n-.odc of water- 

 ing iheep iu that, and we may add in many parts of our own 

 country, is attended with many inconveniences. The ani- 

 mals rcfufe to drink water in tlie «-inter, if it lie too cold ; tliey 

 hurry wiiile drinking, and do not take enough when the 

 weat'ier is very windy, or hail, rain or fnow fall-. 



" Befides wliich, they often dilhirb the water witli their feet ; 

 tliis difgulU them, and at length one part of tlie flock com- 

 pletely prevents the otiier from approaching the watering- 

 plaice." And it has been advifed to fold them before the 

 dew falls in funimer and winter, and not remove them till it 

 exhales, letting them have hay or otiier dry food of fome 

 fort. 



1 1 is ftated, that ail grazing-lanJ of ricii quality ought to 

 be ftocked with flieep, cattle, and horfes, fo that the grafs 

 may be eaten clean otf ; for, unlefs it is regularly depaf- 

 tured, much damage eiifues. Each of the above three 

 kinds ot animals prefers, as moft palatable food, fomc graffcs 

 which the others rejeit ; and none of them will Lite near 

 their own dung, though they may near that of others ; and 

 thus they conjointly contribute to keep the pafture level 

 without much expence. Paftures or grazing-lands (hould 

 be kept as level as a bowling-green, both for ornament and 

 ufe ; for, by one part being left higiier than another, the 

 long grafs keeps increafing in patches ; and land where it 

 grows may be confidered as taken away from the pailure, 

 as the cattle will almoft fooner ilarvc than eat it. By leav. 

 ing the fort of graftcs the animals rcfufe from rear to year, 

 the laud increafes in utelefs plants, and diniiniihes in ufeful 

 ones ; as the feed of fuch plants continually drops, and .the 

 ufeful ones are prevented feeding by the cattle eatinff them. 

 If fuch paftures were mown in thofc places, it would give' 

 the ufeful plants room to grow. There are in this kingdom 

 ail infinite number of acres of rich and excellent Isnd, which, 

 from bad management, and from want of judgment in 

 llockiiig, become of no more value than a barren foil. ' But 

 fuch grazing land as is intended for the purpofe of feeding 

 cattle, a few ftieep are conceived abf^liitely treceftijry to'eat 

 up the weed;;. If any part ot the pafture be getting into 

 bents, or higher grafs than it ought to be, and the animals 

 begin to neglect it, you miift iuow it iiuiiH-di^tely, and as 

 near the ground as pofiible ; for the clofer you cut down 

 fuch coarfe parts, the fweeter and the quicker will tbo grafs 

 fpring up in the place. Could aniaidls, by hunger, be 

 4 T drive* 



