82: 



Farming of Northamptonshire. 



corn, for a few months, until they are fit for the butcher. The 

 late Clark Hillyard, Esq., of Thorpelands, was a considerable 

 stall-feeder of beasts. 



Box-feeding has not been adopted to any great extent, owing to 

 the want of accommodation, all newly-erected bullock-hovels 

 having been made with stalls for cattle. It has been carried out 

 to some extent by Mr. Wallis, of Rowell Lodge, Mr. Webster, of 

 Pealdrk, and a few others. 



Annual sales of fat cattle by auction have been practised by 

 many large feeders of cattle of late years, amongst whom may be 

 mentioned Stafford O'Brien, Esq., who farms very largely at 

 Blatherwycke ; J. Beasley, Esq., at Overstone ; Messrs. Cave and 

 Wright, of Grendon ; and Messrs. Mathers, of Irchester. 



Many farmers, having suitable occupations, breed and feed 

 their own short-horned cattle, raising their stock from the dairy, 

 rearing them up upon the inferior grass-land, and fattening them 

 on their rich pasture-land. 



Considerable loss has been incurred of late years from the pleuro- 

 pneumonia epidemic. In some cases as many as 20 or 30 dairy cows 

 have died of it on one farm. The first symptom of the disorder 

 is a cough, with expectoration of a thick mucous secretion. The 

 animal loses flesh and appetite, experiences great difficulty of 

 breathing, and gradually becomes weaker and weaker. It very 

 much resembles the disease called consumption in the human 

 frame, and seems, like that, to baffle and defy all medical skill. 

 Loss is also incurred by cows dropping after calving, especially 

 in the summer months, when they are in high condition. Bleed- 

 ing a few weeks before they are expected to calve is a very safe 

 precaution. 



Last autumn an effort was made to form a Mutual Cattle 

 Assurance Company in the vicinity of Northampton, but it was 

 not successful from the want of support; there is one formed at 

 Banbury, which numbers many of the farmers on that side of 

 Northamptonshire among its supporters. 



Sheep. 



The Leicester breed may be justly considered to form the 

 greater part of the flocks of the county. The principal breeders 

 of rams of the Leicester or Bakewell breeds are. Earl Spen- 

 cer, Mr. Hewitt, of Dodford, Mr. Earl, of Barton, Mr. Free- 

 stone, of Irthlingborough, Mr. Wallis, of Barton Seagrave, and 

 Mr. Valentine Barford, of Foscote. The latter gentleman has been 

 following out a system of in-and-in breeding for the last 40 years, 

 without artificial food, and may be considered to have one of the 

 purest breeding flocks, direct from the lineage of Mr. Bakewell, 

 of any in the kingdom. 



