Farming of South Wales. 



139 



used alone, but more commonly it is mixed with mud or other 

 mould, and spread over the surface during winter. Irrigation is 

 not practised further than turning the water from the yards or a 

 road-side ditch across a meadow. This is done simply by 

 running a furrow out with a plough, and when that portion of 

 the land has received its share another is drawn in a different 

 direction and the former one is closed up. A great many in- 

 stances occur in which a hill-side spring might be made, at a 

 trivial expense, of immense service by irrigating some of the 

 pastures below it. 



The cattle of South Wales are principally the Pembrokes and 

 Glamorgans. There are many runts in the upper district com- 

 plete nondescripts, being the result of complicated crosses with 

 all the Welsh breeds. The introduction of the West Highlanders 

 has much improved these cattle in parts of Cardigan and Radnor. 

 By the borders of England many excellent dairies of Herefords 

 are found, some possessing qualities of very considerable merit. 

 These cattle are well treated and carefully fattened, and I may 

 mention that last year Wales contributed two splendid Hereford 

 oxen to the Smithfield Show. 



The Pembrokes are a coal black, with large yellow horns 

 tipped with black and turning upwards, a clean light head and 

 neck, and a bright prominent eye. The forequarters of these 

 cattle are heavy and well made, but they are often deficient in 

 width across the loin and in roundness of rib. They are excellent 

 workers, active and hardy, but now not much used in the plough. 

 In the neighbourhood of the collieries a great number are 

 yoked in carts with one or two horses before them. The West 

 Wales carters, when driving oxen or horses with heavy burdens, 

 are constantly seated on the load, and it is very difficult to pre- 

 vent this unfeeling practice. Oxen were formerly worked in 

 ploughs behind two horses, but farmers find that two horses 

 tolerably kept are sufficient alone, and have therefore discarded the 

 oxen. These cattle feed best on rich pastures, are sometimes 

 restless and quarrelsome in open yards, but graze well in loose 

 boxes or when stall-fed. An ox when fat at four years' old will 

 generally weigh 7 or 8 cwt., and they always prove better to the 

 butcher than their outside appearance indicates. The cows are 

 capital milkers if well kept, and even on ordinary pastures give 

 a good quantity ; in summer the best will average 6 or 7 lbs. of 

 butter per week. A more useful and hardy race of cattle are 

 not to be found in the king-dom, and with care and attention thev 

 are capable of much improvement. Some successful crosses 

 have been made with the North Devons. The best Pembroke 

 cattle are bred in the district of Castle Martin, and they are 

 principally called by the name of that hundred. 



