Farrainc] of Derbyshire. 



25 



cake with the turnips : they are bought chiefly to make manure, 

 and the farmers want manure at home in a collected state. A 

 great deal of money is expended every year in both rape and 

 linseed cake, which, when ground into powder and mixed, both 

 cattle and sheep eat with avidity. Stirks that are bulled young, 

 and calve at grass in May or June, are usually turned out to 

 pasture to rear their own young.* Sometimes they will rear two 

 calves, and make good nurses to both. Very little cheese is made 

 on these soils, and cows are kept to supply the house and 

 the ploughmen wdth milk rather than to make produce for the 

 market. 



Sheep. — ^The principal live stock on the magnesian limestone 

 are the sheep, for which the soil is well adapted. The Leicester 

 blood predominates, and splendid specimens of breeding ewes 

 may be found. Mr. John Armstrong, of Palterton, has lately 

 crossed his ewes with the Shropshire Dow^n ram, and obtained 

 more flesh without reducing the weight or quality of the wool. 

 The great end sought to be attained is early maturity, without an 

 accumulation of fat. It is the great complaint against the Lei- 

 cesters that as the fat increased the muscle disappeared. The 

 same complaint was made against them in Farcy's time (1812) ; 

 and that writer, to compare their merits with the Merinos, says, 

 '* Mr. Thomas, of Chesterfield, lately sold some of the latter at 

 four years old, because the annual profit from the w^ool enabled 

 him to keep them with advantage." Wool was then the paying 

 point. The case is different at the present day : two-shear 

 wethers are the exception ; they are rarely found in the markets. 

 The best of the hoggets are sold after clip-day to make room for 

 the growing lambs, and at the time of Michaelmas few are left in 

 the farmers' hands. Another complaint made against the Lei- 

 cesters is, they are bad nurses ; and, like other high-bred animals, 

 refuse milk to their young. For these reasons the pale faces are 

 giving way, and the grey ones taking their places ; but it is a 

 question how long the mixed Down and Leicester will continue 

 to supply meat and milk. If the animal continues to be forced 

 and nursed, it may lose in a great degree its hereditary muscle ; 

 and if the formation of muscle depends on motion, ard food can 

 be obtained without searching for it, the Down may become as 

 quiet, as good tempered, and as slothful as the Leicester, and 

 give us fat instead of the lean meat so much sought after. Sheep 

 go on to turnips in October, the usual calculation being to pro- 

 vide turnips until the first week in May, when ttje young clovers 

 are ready. The turnips are cut into mangers ; but a few are 

 given on the ground on a Saturday, to ease the labours of the 



* When a young cow is suckling two calves, care must be taken that lier own 

 calf is not one. It would always be the favoui'ite. 



