Coirqjarative Fafteiiinr/ Qualities of Sheep. 



179 



Whatever tlie causes may be, the effect of irrigation in im- 

 proving land far exceeds any other known method. Some time 

 ago T gave a statement of the numher of sheep kept by me on a 

 water-meadow, which was thought by many to be a mistaken 

 one. I can now say that this year the yield of my water-meadow^s 

 has been further increased, and that on a piece of poor peaty land, 

 recently irrigated, the fifth crop of Italian ryegrass has been already 

 severed, two crops being cut and three fed off ; all the crops 

 bulky, and produced by the simple stream only, not by any 

 liquid manure. The application of the water in dry summers 

 is, I find, an important advantage gained in addition. I said 

 formerly that it involved some risk of rot to the sheep, and 

 I did not escape the rot altogether myself two years ago ; but 

 by using more precautions I find the advantage greatly pre- 

 ponderate. 



If, as appears, land can now be irrigated at the cost of 11. per 

 acre, the profit will be at least 100 per cent., for no farmer can 

 doubt that the yearly value of the land must be increased to the 

 extent of II. at the lowest. I must therefore once more advise 

 those who have streamis at command, and poor land that can be 

 flooded, to examine for themselves the West country catch- 

 meadows, especially those recently made by jNIr, Smith upon 

 Exmoor. 



IX. — Report of Experiments on the Comparative Fattening 

 Qualities of different Breeds of Sheep. By J. B. Lawes, 

 Rothamsted, Herts. 



Part 11. — Cotsicolds. 



In the last number of this Journal we gave, in considerable detail, 

 the results of experiments m^ade during the winter and spring of 

 1850-1, on the comparative y^^^^e;? 2 /z^/ qualities of the Hampshire 

 and Sussex Downs ; and we stated that it was our intention to 

 undertake, in the succeeding season, a similar experiment with 

 the Cotswold and new Oxford breeds, — takiag, after them, the 

 Leicesters and Lincolns, and so on, until most of the breeds of 

 importance m this country had been brought under comparison 

 in this respect. As to the new^ Oxfords, however, we were 

 unfortunately disappointed of them at the last moment ; so 

 that during the season now just past, we were only able to have 

 the Cotswolds under experim.ent ; and it is, therefore, the result 

 of the trial with this breed only, that w^e have to record on this 

 occasion. 



N 2 



