Farming of Northamptonshire. 



81 



Cattle. 



The oxen fed on the rich pasture-land, or grazing districts, 

 are generally bought in, being principally purchased at the dif- 

 ferent fairs, or at Northampton Weekly Stock Market, either in 

 autumn or spring, and made fat during the summer. The prin- 

 cipal breeds are the Herefords, Devon, Shropshire, and North 

 Wales beast, with Scots, Irish, and home-bred steers. 



The breed of cattle peculiar to the district is the " Short Horn," 

 and the county has many breeders^ of this kind worthy of 

 notice. The Duke of Buccleuch, the Marquis of Exeter, the late 

 Marquis of Northampton, the late and present Earls Spencer, 

 Lord Southampton, Sir C. Knightley, Sir Capell Brooke, Rev. Sir 

 Geo. Robinson, John Beasley, Esq., Messrs. Manning and Faulk- 

 ner, of Rothersthorpe, and many other gentlemen have for many 

 years devoted their attention to the improvement of this breed, 

 and taken prizes at the different Agricultural Societies in the 

 locality. A very superior herd was sold last November at Ayn- 

 hoe, the property of the late Sir Thomas Cartwright, which com- 

 manded high prices. Sir Charles Knightley and Mr. Manning 

 have also had annual sales of surplus stock, producing very satis- 

 factory prices ; the former last year had a bull-calf which made 

 over 100 guineas, and this year his sale of 12 bull-calves aver- 

 aged about 40 guineas per head. 



In the dairy districts short-horned cows are the most prevailing 

 kind of milking beasts kept. There are very few of the old long- 

 horned cows now bred or used, but there are, however, a great 

 variety of cross-breeds of a most medley character scattered 

 throughout the county, some of them partaking of the Alderney, 

 Welsh, Irish, and Hereford's cross-breeding; and although very 

 deficient in form and aptitude for feeding, still are useful milkers. 

 When calves are reared, considerable attention is paid to the breed 

 of the bull kept, and also to the colour of the calves, red and roan 

 being found the most saleable and favourite colours. Some land 

 proprietors have kept on their own farms a well-bred bull for the 

 use of their tenantry. I remember, seven years ago, going to Sir 

 Robert Gunning's farm, at Horton, to see a very superior bull 

 that had been purchased in Yorkshire, and which was for the use 

 of his tenantry in that locality; and upon going over the same 

 property this winter I saw many good herds of home-reared stock 

 on the tenants' farms. 



Stall feeding, as a regular system, is not practised very exten- 

 sively. The great object of the grazier is to get his beasts fat at 

 grass. When it is practised it is more from necessity than choice, 

 arising from the beasts not being quite fat in the autumn ; they are 

 therefore put into the stalls and receive some hay, oil-cake, or 



VOL. XIII. a 



