Farmiiiy of Derhysldre, 



55 



suited to this high district. The wheat grown is seldom a first- 

 rate sample, but wheat straw is of itself of great value in this part 

 of the county. A herd of 15 Ayrshire cows and heifers, besides 

 9 short-horns, were kept last summer : they did not average 5 lbs. 

 butter each per week last year. Those which calved shortly 

 after arriving from Scotland did not milk well. Some have calved 

 a second time and milking much better. We consider that 5 

 Ayrshire cows may be kept where 4 short-horns are. The milk- 

 ing cows are fed in winter on Swede turnips, hay, a few grains, 

 barley and linseed compound with chopped hay. A flock of 35 

 to 40 Shropshire ewes do remarkably well, though more subject 

 to foot-rot than others. In 1852, 37 ewes reared 63 lambs; of 

 these 7 lambed the end of February ; suckled 12 lambs which 

 were sold at Easter for 1/. each. Four ewes were killed between 

 September and Christmas averaging 94 lbs. each, and had 92 lbs. 

 loose fat ; of the other 3 no account Avas taken. About 6 years 

 ago tried Leicesters in a shed — 3 in a pen ; got very fat, but did 

 not pay. Since that time have had 20 hogs in the shed, 10 put 

 together ; they have done very well — they consume each about 10 

 lbs. of turnips per day with a little hay. The advantage found is, 

 that they are very healthy, grow faster, have made wool, and the 

 other sheep do better on the grass without them. Some Shrop- 

 shire hogs wintered in the shed 1851 and 1852, afterwards fed on 

 ^rass, averaged at 18 months old 25 lbs. per quarter. In 1848-9, 

 December 1, put 8 sheep in shed, gave them each per day 14 

 lbs. Swede turnips, a little hay, and 1 lb. of cake. They were 

 shorn February 1, weight of wool 8 lbs. each. Each sheep had 

 a pint of oats per day for the 4 last weeks. They were sold the 

 middle of March, when they averaged 11^ months old, and 

 weighed as given below : — 





' lbs. 





One Leicester .... 



. 80 





Ditto ..... 



. 70 









150 



One lialf-bred Leicester and Haslingdon . 



„ 82 





Ditto ..... 



. 80 









162 



One half-bred Leicester and Shropshire . 



. 84 





Ditto . • . . . 



. 76 









150 



One half-bred Leicester and Woodland . 



. 101 





Ditto ..... 



. 90 









191 



" Pigs kept from March 25, 1852, to September, on skimmed 

 milk, allowing for each cow's skim-milk Is. 'od. per week, fed 

 on pea, barley, and oat-meal, and charging for attendance, and 

 every other item, showed a small profit besides all the manure. 4 

 pigs, 11 months old, made 33/. at 5.v. Q^d. per stone." 



