290 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK III. hedges witli their vallations and trenches, will be requisite in all tlie 

 '-^^^''^ round, viz, one next to the inclosure, the other about the thicket, to 

 fence it from cattle : this between the two hedges, of whatsoever breadth, 

 is fittest for plantations. In these hedges might be tried the plantation of 

 stocks, in the intervals, all manner of wood-seeds sown, after competent 

 ploughings, as Acorns, ISIast, Fir, Pine, Nuts, kc. the first year chasing 



" their necks, and fastening one end of a cord to it, and the other to a large log of wood, 

 " and letting the ox draw it about as he feeds in his pasture, for three or four days, before 

 " he is put into harness, by which means he is very much brought forward in docility. 



" I have before observed, that twenty per cent, may be considered as the average profit 

 "of an ox ; stating them to be bought in at oflO, and allowing them to sell for £25, 

 " taking off „f 10 for the two years they are not worked : but the last year, beans being of 



little value, they were kept longer than usual, by being stall-fed with bean-meal, which 

 " answered very well, as they were brought to an average of nearly ^30 ^ and one of 

 "them, a Glamorganshire ox, originally bought for ^8, and from his compact, round 

 " make, always called the little ox, thrived to such a surprising degree, that he became 

 " too fat to be able to travel to Smithfield, and was therefore 8old to Mr. Charlwood, a 

 " neighbouring butcher, for of-i?. 



" Next to the advantage obtained from oxen, as much benefit as possible has been 



" endeavoured to be derived from sheep, by means of the fold. Two ewe flocks are 



" kept, of four hundred each : the soil being light and dry, admits of winter-folding (ex- 

 " cept when the weather is wet) upon the young clover a practice much to be recom- 

 " mended, as it is productive of a great crop of clover, and prepares the land the ensuing 

 " autumn for a crop of wheat, without any further assistance. Another excellent practice 

 " is folding upon light land, in dry weather, immediately upon the sowing of the wheat, 

 " which may be put forward, or kept back, a fortnight or three weeks, on that account ; 

 "and it is not amiss to have the fold rather large, and to give the sheep a turn or two 

 " round the fold in a moi-ning before they are let out, to tread and settle the land, which 

 " does a great deal of good, over and above their dung. 



" A third method of folding has been found to answer almost beyond description. This 

 " was first tried in the winter of 1793; but from an idea of the shepherd, that it injured 

 " the sheep, has been since disused : but as there is good reason to believe that there was no 

 " just ground for such an opinion, it is meant to be revived next winter. 



" A dry sheltered spot is selected, and sods of maiden earth, a foot deep, are laid over 

 "the space of a very large fold. It is then bedded thinly with rushes, leaves of trees, fern, 

 " moss, short straw, or stubble ; and in hard or wet weather, the flock, instead of being 

 " penned upon the clover in the open fields, is put into this warmer fold, where the usual 

 " quantity of hay is given to them in racks ; and every night they are so penned, the fold 

 " is fresh littered. When this has been continued, at intervals, during the winter, a layer 

 " of lime, chalk, rubble, or ashes, six inches thick, is spread over the whole surface ; and 

 " when it is heated together, about the nnonth of April, the whole is turned up, and mixed 

 " together, and makes the very best manure that can be used for turnips. 



" I have been particular in describing these methods of folding, as they are not com- 

 " mon in any place, and in others entirely unknown ; and to gentlemen who have parks 



