Farming of Lincohisldrc, 



399 



to fertilize the soil) were to be taken away.* Instead of this it 

 is found necessary to feed them off with sheep, thus changing- 

 them into dung on the spot ; and it is common to treat the land 

 still further by supplying these sheep with a portion of oilcake. 

 The consolidation arising from their tread is also absolutely ne- 

 cessary in order to obtain a successful grain crop. The use of 

 turnips in the yards being thus precluded, the farmer may either 

 strengthen the manure with artificial food, or, leaving that weak 

 and all but worthless, buy bone-dust and other portable fertilizers 

 for his green crop„ Universal experience has decided that light 

 and frequent dressings of good cake dung are far more valuable, 

 even on light soils, than any other kind of manure, and therefore 

 the former plan would be the wiser of the two. The general 

 practice, however, is to do both ; and the advantages of this system, 

 apart from the nature of the soil which renders it necessary, may 

 be thus stated — the roots, instead of being consumed in the yards, 

 are eaten on the land, thereby saving the carriage to and from the 

 homestead, and occasioning a profit upon the growth and feeding 

 of a flock of sheep in addition to that upon the growth and feeding 

 of the beasts. If the turnips alone were to be given with the 

 straw the only extraneous aid imparted to the soil would be the 

 artificial manure employed in their production ; but by the Lin- 

 colnshire method the roots are likewise consumed on the farm — • 

 only in a different place — the artificial stimulants are also applied, 

 and in addition to, and independently of these, the oilcake is 

 bought for improving the excrements of the cattle. The grounds 

 upon which the practice is based are^ therefore, simply the 

 natural infertility of the land and the expectation of bountiful 

 crops from the ample investment of capital in manures. 



Where cattle are not bred, it is customary to buy in yearlings 

 or two-year-olds in November, and feed them loose in courts or 

 yards, 15 or 20 together, giving them from 2 to 4 lbs. of cake each 

 per day. If older stock are purchased they have 4 to 8 lbs. of cake 

 each daily, and are sold out in spring to be finished by graziers. 

 The younger beasts are expected to pay as much by their growing 

 as the others by their increase of flesh, but it rarely happens that 

 either kind realizes more money than has already been expended 

 in their food. It is a very common thing for a farmer to winter 

 another person's beasts upon straw, without any money remune- 

 ration, the owner furnishing them with oilcake. On the light 

 barley lands the cattle eat the barley straw and clover hay with 

 oilcake, and are littered with the wheat straw. Good manure,'' 



♦ In some localities on the Wolds the farmers could not pull their turnips if they 

 ■wished. Labour is expensive, and there are no children to do the turnip work. 



