The Agriculture of Staffordshire. 
279 
personal industry and attention to details, together with judicious 
expenditure, have, I hope, been rewarded. It is better to take 
for description a lair representative farm rather than a model or 
example farm, especially as models are not always practically 
serviceable, and example farms are sometimes examples that ought 
to be avoided. 
The live stock on the 20th May consisted of — 
61 dairy cows. 
9 barren cows, in process of fattening. 
2 bulls. 
17 "stirks," to goto the bull about July.] These arc all bred on the farm, 
20 yearling heifers. [ and will be drafted in suc- 
16 calves, born this spring. J cession into the dairy herd. 
120 Shropshire ewes. 
185 lambs. 
92 hoggets. 
19 feeding sheep. 
33 feeding pigs. 
5 sows and their young. 
A glance at this list shows that the system is to fatten off every 
year a certain number of cows and ewes, which for some reason 
are not to be retained, and to bring in others which were bred 
on the farm to supply their place. By this means the risk of 
purchasing animals at markets is avoided. Bull calves are sold 
as they drop. 
The crop of lambs is usually one and a half per ewe. The 
first year of keeping Shropshires on this farm 42 ewes had 80 
lambs, and reared all but two. 
The cows are tied up in sheds at the commencement of wet 
weather in autumn — say, November 1st. For the first month 
they are let out every day from 8 A.M. till 4 p.m., getting cab- 
bages, swedes, &c., in the pastures. The whole of the mangold 
tops are used in this way. To counteract the laxative effect of 
this succulent food, two feedings of wheat, straw-chaff, and grains 
are given. About the 1st December the cows are tied up entirely, 
except half an hour's e.xerclse twice a day. They are then fed 
principally on " mixtui-e," which will be described. The hours 
of feeding, &c., are as follows : — 
5 A.M. Mixture. 
7 „ Uncut straw. 
9 ,, Turned out to water and exercise for half an hour, 
during which time the sheds are cleansed and bedded ; then 
tied up. Mixture. 
12 o'clock. Mixture. 
3 P.M. Turned out for half an hour, and then tied up to mix- 
ture, which they eat in half an hour, and then lie down, 
VOL. V. — S.S. U 
