GRAZING. 



Rent, &c. as before 



It is remarked, "011 the firll of tlicfe ftatcmcnts, tliat 

 tile year was favourable for vegetation ; and that fuch pro- 

 fits could not probably be made feven years together, 

 which is the moit accurate method of calculating profits on 

 land. There bein<r no afTeffes on the land, alfo, makes it 

 more profitable." And further, that two modes in rcfpeft 

 " to the profits on fattening land are dated ; the firil ufed 

 by the bed graziers ; the other, the moll common : fome 

 take bullocks in to keep, others buy runts ; the profits of 

 which muft depend on their judgment ; but 3/. is the medium 

 profit between the whole : los. each fheep is generally al- 

 lowed as the gained profit by fattening."' It is added that 

 " it cannot be fuppofed that this profit will always 

 amount to fo much as the years differ ; therefore dry f'-a- 

 fons will abate it, and a large trail of land cannot have the 

 fiipply of flock to make it fo great. There are loffes 

 to be taken out ; but, upon the whole, it is very profit- 

 able, as the expences are fo moderate, that one fcrvant-man 

 can manage a ihoufand acres of paflure-land. The value 

 or rent of land is put too low, except for long leafes unex- 

 pired, or where a large quantity of land is taken. Tlie 

 average price of rent is from 40.r. to 3/. for fattening land, 

 unlets fpur or five hundred acres of breeding and fattening, 



perhaps about 30J. ; and fome old leafes i/. breeding 

 land." 



It is dated that where (heep, in order to fatten them in 4 

 more expeditious manner, or to finifh them in cafes where 

 the grafs is infufficicnt for the purpofe, have the addition of 

 turnips or other forts of luxuriant green food, great care 

 diould be taken, by the grazier, that a due proportion of 

 fome fort of dry material be had recourfe to at the fame 

 time ; as without fuch precaution, not only lofs may be fuf- 

 tained by the death of fome of the fheep in particular in- 

 dances, but by their making Icfs progrcfs in becoming fat 

 than would otticrwife be the cafe. Hay, cut cliaff, bran, 

 or a few oats, anfwer the purpofe very well. See Soil- 

 ing. 



It is necedary, in order that the confumption of thefe forts 

 of food may be conducted in the mofl economical manner, 

 that proper troughs, racks, crib«, or baflcets, diould be 

 provided, and fixed in fuch a way, as that they cannot be' 

 o\erturned. Tiie gra/iers, in fome parts of Lincolufhire, 

 have a large fort of crib or wicker-work badcet, being eight 

 or ten feet in circumference, and wattled to the height of 

 one foot or a foot and a half, in a dole manner, and then 

 left open for about a foot and a half; after which it is 

 clofcly wattled again for nearly a foot, being drawn in, in a 

 narrowing manner at the top, fo as to have only proper 

 room for introducing the food. The duds or Haves are 

 placed about eight or ten inches apart, which admit of the 

 dieep feeding in a dillinft manner. Jt is defcribed in the 

 fourth volsme of the fird feries of the Repertory of Arts, S:c. 

 and denominated a tumbril. It may be feen at_;fj. 8. in the 

 Pliite on Granaries. This contrivance affords much advan- 

 tage, botli in the faving of food from being waded, and m 

 affording the lefs drong fiieep an opportunity of feeding 

 without being dilhirbed or driven away by the ftrong ones, 

 and confequently much injured. 



In the Rural Economy of the Midland Counties, it is 

 noticed in refpetl to the practice of grazing in inch fcafons 

 as are very wet, tliat an incident of this fort tl>at occurred to 

 the writer in the very wet autumn of 1789 is intereiling. 

 " The general complaint is, that grazing dock, though they 

 have this year roiled in grafs, have not done well ; Mr. 

 Henton, of Hoby in Leicederdiire, being fingular in fay- 

 ing, that his feeders had done tolerably. Indeed his dock 

 corrobatcs his affertion. He had a lot of cows at Lough- 

 borough, the 1 2th of Augud, the fatted in tlie fliow. 



" But his manngcment is more remarkable tlian his fuc- 

 cefs." He "foddered them with hay all the wet weather; 

 that is, he mov/ed the broken grafs for them, beginning 

 under the hedges, and continuing to mow the coarfeft 

 patches throughout the piece. 



" The fird day (the day it was mown), the cattle feldom 

 touched it ; but the fecond or third day they fell to it 

 freely, eating it "between whiles," in preference to grafs. 

 In the morning, it was always the fird thing they filled their 

 bellies with. 



" The cattle having eaten up the more palatable parts of 

 the herbage, the thidles, and other offal, were raked up, 

 and carried off the ground : mod excellent management ! 



"This dock confided of about fixty head. At firll one 

 man only was employed in mowing, &c. But, before the 

 rainy weather ceafed, he fet on another man. 



" What an admirable thought ! that which other men dif- 

 fered to dand wade in itfclf, an encumbrance to the ground, 

 and anurfery of weeds, was converted to food, more nutri- 

 tious, in a wet fealon, than the bell of the Handing 

 herbage." 



Mr. Tarkinfon, of Lincolnfliire, had made a praftical ob- 

 I fervation, 



