392 
The Winter of 1885-86. 
ewes had no roots at all until the end of February, when they had a small 
cartload a day of swedes among 200 for a week or two, and then chopped 
clover and black oats during lambing, with about one mangold each thrown 
to them on the grass. I never had ewes do better ; they had some hay 
during the frost on the grass. The yearling ewes had no roots all the winter, 
but 5 lb. of barley each, and a little hay in the frost; they kept healthy, 
and I had no losses. The wethers had no roots until December, but were fed 
on barley and peas, half of each, beginning at j a lb. up to f lbs. each ; no 
hay ; after Christmas they had swedes cut for them on the land, to be fol- 
lowed with barley. I sold 100 out of 114 fat to the butcher the same day, 
on the 12th of April. No sheep died, and I never remember them doing as 
well on the same amount of food. I believe nothing comes up to barley and 
peas for feeding sheep, or to oats for lambing ewes. I also attribute their 
healthy condition to the dry weather, as they always stand cold better 
than wet. 
" 5. I never sow green crops for early spring use. 
" 6. I have had no experience in ensilage. 
" 7. No shelter is used excepting during lambing time, when a rough yard 
is made of hurdles bound with straw, on those farms where there are not 
proper sheep pens. My sheep did not suffer from the severe cold ; in extreme 
weather wattled hurdles, or hurdles bound with straw placed in the form of 
a T) are a great shelter from the wind. The losses on the Church Stretton 
and neighbouring hills were very great from the continued heavy falls of 
snow. 
" 9. More produced by the badness of the manufacturing trade in the 
country than by any other cause. This, combined with the low state of the 
farmers' finances, had more to do with forcing sales than the want of keep ; 
but of course the latter cause to a great extent increased the difficulty of 
holding on for better times. 
" 10. That stock of all ages can be well wintered without roots, on the 
home-grown produce of the farm ; the large quantity of roots usually given 
is a waste, and of no advantage to cattle or breeding ewes. By a greater 
economy in the use of roots, by pulping the few that are used for cattle, and 
by being provided by their landlords with better accommodation in yards, 
where there would be no waste of the food and fodder that are used, and by 
having sheds in convenient places on the grass land where there is plenty of 
shelter, so that cows or other stock can be wintered on the grass, with a 
foddering of hay or straw daily. By clearing some of the rough pastures 
in August, there will be a good quantity of grass for winter consumption. 
This plan saves the other food, and I have found cattle do remarkabl}' well 
in this way, as I usually winter about 50 head of in-calf Hereford cows on 
the grass ; otherwise I should be overstocked in winter." 
Mr. Thomas Hutton (Shropshire agent to the Marquis of 
Bath), The Hall, Ministerley, Shropshire : 
" 1. Soil mostly clay, and climate below the average for wet and cold, with 
high winds. 
" 2. The summer of 1885 was dry and hot for the first part, autumn more 
inclined for rain, which made it a catching harvest, but good lor the turnij)- 
crop. The winter was a very wet, cold one ; very little wheat was sown ; 
stock had to be housed very early; spring, a deal of snow and cold rain, and 
all kinds of fodder and turnips very short; cattle in very low condition. 
" 3. Koot crops were very indifi'erent, being a long whde in coming up ; then 
getting much cut about with the turnipfly, and never did much good, and 
ended in only half a crop. 
" 4. To make the best of the few turnips we had we used the pulper mostly. 
