GRAZING. 



n 



reslizcJ a comfortable fubfiftcnce. The grazing accounts 

 of certain fie'ds in the occupation of Mr. Loft, of Math 

 Ciiapel, arc- Hated in tliis way : 



Expencet, 



" Rent 



Tithe 



Rates - . 



Shepherding 



.Intereft: of capital 



" It carries a bullock to two acres, and three fheep per 

 acre. 



Proiiui 



« Half a bullock. 

 A fheep and half 



£1 10 o 



I 10 o 



300 

 Expences 2 13 o 



Profit 



Of better land. 



Rent 



Sundries 



■Intereft of capital 



It carries a bullock and three fheep an acre. 



A bullock 

 Three fheep 



It is however ftated, that very few fields will yield 

 any thing like this : he has but one clofe ; and there are 

 fome expences omitted. And " Mr. Tennifon, of Lincoln, 

 has 13 acres of marih at Grimfby, that fummer-i'eeds 14 

 bullocks ; and carries 35 fheep the year through.'' But 

 that " in the traft of raarih-land on the fea-coalf, they 

 obferve, that where moft grafs is left in autumn, there the 

 herbage is the coarfefl and word next year ; the remark was 

 made in anfwer to recommending eddifli for fpring-feeding 

 fheep, which would not do on rich marlh, tliough it might 

 on uplands." It alfo fhews, that tlie fyllem of clofe feed- 

 ing is proper, and would anfwfr well in many diilricts where 

 it is not the praftice.'' And " in the hundred of Skirbeck, 

 tjiey like to have a tolerable head of grafs in the fpring, 

 before turning in ; and afterward.'; fo to flock as to prevent 

 its getting coarfe by running away, fo as to prevent the 

 neceffity of bobbing, which, however, mufl be done in a 

 wet growing feafon.'' 



But after the flock has been brought into a proper ftate 

 for the market, there is in niany fituations much difficulty 

 iadifpofing of it to the befl advantage. Mr. Miirihall has 



remarked, that though it be attended- with lofs difRculty 

 than that of buying in the flock, it requires much know- 

 ledge, as well as experience, to execute it in the bell man- 

 ner, or with the leall pofiible lofs. A due confiderati -n of 

 the progrefs of the Hock while ■ feeding, and of the length 

 of time they have been upon the land, m;iy afford fome fort 

 of guide in the bulinefs ; but the moil correft judgment 

 may be formed by tlie young grazier, by the prattice of 

 frequent weighing, and the accurate comparifon of the hving 

 with the dead weight of fuch flock as are killed in his 

 neighbourhood, as- it is a mucli more certain method than 

 the ufe of the eye and hand, as has been fliewn under the 

 h?ad Gu.AZlER. Having recourfe to frequent weighing has 

 alfo the advantage of fiiewing the progrefs that is made by 

 animals under different forts of keep or food. But befides 

 this, the grazing farmer mull be regulated in the falc of his 

 flock by the nature of his fituation. In mofl of the mid- 

 land and fouthern parts of the kingdom, Smith field is the 

 place where the fat flock 0/ the farmers are difpofed of : 

 while in other parts, tliey are frequently fold in the neigh- 

 bourhood, or to the large towns which are at no great 

 diiiance. In the former cafes, efpecially on the lefs exten- 

 five farms, the fat Hock are brought up by perfons, who 

 make it a bufinefs, being employed by various graziers iu 

 the fame vicinity, who have an entire confidence in them. 

 With the more extenfive graziers, who fend up frequent 

 lots, the bufinefs is done by a falefman, in whom they have 

 confidence. Witli little grazing farms, the cuflom is often 

 to fell them to the butchers in the neighbourhood, which is 

 frequently the befl method. And the advantages of thefe 

 different modes mull depend greatly upon circumflances. 

 Some, however, fuppofe that the London market is the 

 befl calculated only for thofe who give a weekly attendance, 

 on account of the uncertainty of the fupplies. The ex- 

 pences being materially different, as with the falefman's com- 

 mifTion, they frequently amount to twelve fliillings, a head 

 there, while in the country they are not more than from 

 three to five. Confequently, that fat flock may in many 

 cafes, where only a few, or wliat are termed fmall lots, are 

 to be difpofed of, be fold at liome with lefs expence than 

 having them fent to dillant markets ; but that with large 

 lots, the latter mode mull be had recourfe to, as more cer- 

 tain, expeditious, and convenient. Upon the whole, the 

 fatis which have been flated fully fhew that the advantages 

 of the grazing fyfleni mufl be materially different under 

 different circumflances, and be greatly influenced by thofe 

 of a local kind. It has indeed been remarked by a Kentifh 

 grazier, that the profits of no two grazing farmers are ex- 

 aftly " alike on the fame given quantity of land," nor even 

 on the fame land, as years, prices, as well as the exertions 

 and talents of each individual, are different. In all cafes, 

 the fuperiority of the fuccefs mull in a great mcafure de- 

 pend upon the knowledge, exertion, and excellence of the 

 method which is adopted by the particular farmer. State- 

 ments can of courfe only fhew what are the general profits 

 of the fyflem. With neat-cattle, in the weflern and mid- 

 hmd dillrids, they are givi'u by Mr. Billingfiey, and Mr. 

 Young, in the Surveys under the dlretlion of the Board of 

 Agriculture. In this way, the former fays, that a grazing 

 farnier who has, 200 acres of land, may fatten annually one 

 hundred head of cattle, as oxen, with feventy fheep and ten 

 colts, which together may aflord a comfortable but not 

 exorbitant profit to him. 



6 Statement. 



