380 
The Winter of 1885-86. 
" -1. On my home farm I grow about 20 acres of mangolds and kohl rabi, 
18 rows of each alternated ; the mangolds are drawn off and the rabi consumed 
on the groimd; and, with the exception of straw, I was well provided with 
food. On my other farm the beasts get straw and cake in the yards, and any 
roots we can spare towards spring. 
" 5. No spring green crops are grown in this district, except tares for 
horses. 
"6. None. 
" 7. No shelter is provided. The ewes on grass land wintered badly, and the 
losses of both ewes and lambs have been considerable, except where I was 
able to give the ewes roots upon the grass. Ewes wintered on turnips, with 
a run upon grass over-night, have done well. I i'ancy shelter is desirable. 
"9. I think the fall in stock was in the main occasioned by the failure of 
the hay and root crops. Sheep have more than recovered their former vahic. 
Tlie fall in the price of milk and butter has reduced the value of milking 
beasts. The absence of competition amongst tlie butchers has enabled them to 
rule the auction markets ; the introduction of weighing-machines would enable 
unskilled men to enter the trade and cause competition. 
" 10. As to roots, that the land should be cleaned, and for mangolds 
manured, in autumn, and some turnips. In a dry season the land should 
be ploughed for the last time in the morning, and sown up in the afternoon 
of each day." 
Mr. Henry Woods (agent to Lord Walsingham), Merton, 
Thetford, Norfolk : 
" 1. Lord Walsingham has four large farms, including the Merton Home 
Farm, in hand. They are all in Norfolk, and comprise light, medium, and 
mixed soils. The lighter soils produce turnips, barlej^ oats, and rye. The 
medium soils grow roots (mangolds, swedes, and common turnips), barley, 
and wheat. The whole of the land is well suited for sheep farniing. The 
climate may be considered rather dry. 
" 2. The summer and autumn of 1885 were most unfavourable, in Norfolk, 
for the growth of roots. The winter of 1885-86 and the spring of 1886 were 
most unfavouiable for farmers generally, but more especially for flock-owners, 
and the consequence was a largely increased expenditure for feeding-stuffs to 
keep flocks of ewes in reasonably fair condition through the winter. Notwith- 
standing an increased outlay, many ewes have come out of their wool weak 
and bare of flesh. It will be readily understood that with ewes in this 
condition they produce less wool and of inferior quality as compared with 
wool grown on ewes which have been fairly well fed. 
" 3. The summer of 1885 was, as shown above, bad for the root crop^in the 
Eastern counties. The autumn was more favourable where a plant of turnips 
had been obtained. 
" 4. By mixing silage with barlej'- and oat-straw chaff. The silage 
was of great advantage to horses, cattle, and sheep, and formed their chief 
supply of succulent food. 
" 5. No spring rye or other green crops were obtainable hereabout until late 
in the spiing. We had to depend u])on silage. 
" 6. I believe I may fairly say that I have had a good deal of exiiericnce 
of silage for some years past, and especially during last winter and spring. 
I need scarcely say that it was no easy matter to carry upwards of 70 head of 
horses, 100 cattle, and ?300 sheep, through a long winter and late cold spring, 
with a very short supjily of roots, little straw (the corn crops of 1885 being 
light and short of straw), and an extremely scant supjjly of hay. 
" However much we might have been disjioscd to purchase artificial foods, 
they would have done comparatively little good unless there had been the 
