Agricidture of Nortlmmherland. 



431 



when the wind is high, that sheep run most to shelter, and 

 lose their condition, which might be greatly avoided bv judicious 

 planting. 



2. On Turnip Farms. — As already named^ the great object 

 with the farmers in the north and north-eastern part of Northum- 

 berland, is to raise as many turnips as possible^ one half of which 

 are usually consumed on the land by sheep, and the other half 

 drawn off to feed the cattle in the folds. 



On the farms between Wooler and the Tweed, which are all on 

 the five- course system, a breeding stock of pure Leicester sheep 

 is generally kept, and great competition now exists who can pro- 

 duce the finest stock. The ewes are drafted off for sale in Sep- 

 tember, at four years old. In the year 1846 from 466'. to 48^. 

 per head v>as obtained for the primest lots, but on an average of 

 years from 305. to 405. is the usual price. They generally have 

 their first lambs at two years old. On farms w^here larger breadths 

 of turnips are sown, the Wedder lambs are netted upon them in 

 October, and full fed. The swede turnips are invariably cut for 

 them. This is quite necessary, as full-fed hogs shed their teeth 

 in February, which prevents them from breaking the hard turnips. 

 They are generally brought into the market, after being shorn, in 

 May and June, and vary in weight between 15 lbs. and 18 lbs. per 

 quarter. But if, as is often done, they receive corn and oil-cake, 

 they are often 20 lbs. per quarter. The ewe lambs not required 

 to keep up the breeding stock are marked out in the autumn, and, 

 although well fed, are scarcely so highly treated as the others. 

 Besides the sheep, the tenants occupying such farms as we are 

 now describing rear a good many calves, m.ostly contriving to 

 bring up three for each cow during the winter and spring. These 

 are grazed on the new grass, and kept till one year and a half old, 

 after which they are fed fat with full turnips in the yard, and will 

 bring at two years as much as 15/. to 18/. The extra cattle, re- 

 quired to consumxC the turnips, are purchased at the district fairs, 

 or from south-countr}^ dealers. It is necessary to pay great atten- 

 tion to the feeding cattle, to see that they are kept clean, and get 

 their meat at different times of the day ; keeping them clean and 

 warm being, in the words of a respectable farmer, " as good as half 

 meat." 



On the turnip farms to which a stretch of hill land is attached, 

 such as some v. est of Wooler, tv^ o kinds of stock are kept — on the 

 low lands the Leicesters, and on the hills the Cheviots. In order 

 to keep up their Cheviot stock, many farmers breed from the 

 young ewes to a Cheviot tup, and in the last year or years, from 

 the ewes they are going to case, they commonly take a cross of 

 lambs by a Leicester tup : the lambs by j^arentage are called 

 haJf-hreds. They are generally half-turniped in winter, that is, 



