The Winter of 1885-8C. 
399 
" 3. Total failure, except as regards mangolds, as above, and swedes grown 
on good sandy loam, where a gcxl j'ield was obtained after trifolium ; but 
this was quite an exception, as but few pieces could be found. 
" 4. By distributing a ver}' limited quantity of roots daily amongst the 
sheep, and by letting them graze a few hours on the pastures, and supplying 
them with plenty of water, which was done at a large expense of haulage. 
" 5. My sheep have never been without a small quantity of roots daily (as 
stated above) ; having taken great care to x'it all roots intended for spring 
feed. 
« 6. None. 
" 7. No shelter is provided for store sheep in this district during winter, 
unless it is for ewes during the lambing season, and then fixing thatched 
hurdles as a temporarj' building is all that is considered necessarj'. 
" 9. P"'or the most part, by the forced sales of half-meated sheep and cattle, 
consequent upon the general failure of root crops ; the great expense of 
artificial food necessary to meet such failure being more than the farmers 
could incur in the depressed condition of agriculture. 
" 10. The necessary increased accommodation in shedding, so as to enable 
the farmer, with the use of proper mechanical appliances (a steaming tank, 
for instance), to use inferior fodder crops, which at little extra expense he can 
thereby do with great advantage. The necessity of securing stock conse- 
quently in bad seasons would be to some extent met by such a. course as that 
suggested above." 
Messrs. William B. Beauchamp, Norton Down, Midsummer 
Norton ; A. J. Steeds, Red House Farm, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, 
Bath ; and Walter Beauchamp, Stratton House Farm, ditto, 
Bath, Somerset : 
" 1. Principally pasture, and mostly on a lias subsoil. Moderately dry, 
there being no wet lands. All good, healthy, grassy pastures. In some 
parts, where the subsoil is a sort of sandstone, the land burns in dry weather. 
" 2. Last summer we had a moderate crop of hay where it was laid up. The 
grass grew very quickly from May 1st to about June 12th. From this date 
the extreme dry weather and scorching atmosphere very quickly dried up all 
vegetation, and some of the stock were reduced very much in condition, and 
hay sers'ing commenced in August. 
" 3. Partial failure of mangolds, total failure of turnips and swedes. Globe 
and Intermediates kept well through the winter, 
" 4. Xo silage used, but grains to a large extent ; also cake, corn, and 
chaffed straw. A large quantity of hay was in stock from the previous year, 
and this was nearly consumed. Cattle got dry and mixed foods, and sheep 
ran on pastures with chati". 
" 5. Cattle were fed up late, and the turning out to grass was a fortnight 
to three weeks later than usual. "What was missed more than anything 
else was the usual autumn grass. Pastures then were bare, and there was no 
grass to carry stock on to the winter. 
" 6. No ; except as grains. 
" 9. First. The enonnous aggi-egate increase in the stock of the country 
put a much greater strain on the ordinary resources of food. Many had more 
than they could feed, and were forced lo sell. 2ud. "We compute that in 
pasture and roots the year produced, at least, 40 per cent, under average. 
This created forced sales also. 3rd. Dairy produce realised such extremely 
low prices that needy farmers were compelled to sell their stock to raise funds 
to go on with. 
" 10. Undoubtedly every farmer should have sufficient capital in hand to 
