The Winter of 1885-86. 
403 
" 3. Nothing to complain of in the root-crop of 1885. 
" 4. Added a little cake. 
" 7. No shelter except for ewes lambing, or ewes and lambs. 
" 9. Foreign importations the principal reason, as it is the second qualities 
most affected. Farmers wanting money were compelled to sell half-fattened 
stock. 
" 10. The English farmer has more competitors than he used to have, and 
it is difficult I'or him to gauge foreign supplies. Mixed farms are the best. 
Winter keep pays as well, or better, than summer." 
, Mr. Thos. Bell, Hedley Hall, Whickham, R.S.O., Durham : 
" 1. The fields are undulating, the soil is generally thin, with a sandy 
subsoil. The climate, though late, is fairly good. The elevation varies from 
400 to 600 feet above the sea. 
" 2. We were favoured with some showers in the month of June, 1885, 
which secured a good root-crop, and saved us from the effects of the drought 
which was so prevalent in England. 
" 3. Eoots, good average crop)s. 
" 4. Keeping rather a heavy sheep stock we were obliged to supplement 
the usual quota of turnips with a liberal supply of hay and oats during the 
protracted snowstorm. The feeding hoggs also consumed a quantity of hay 
in addition to the usual food of turnips, cake, and corn. 
" 5. Do not count on green crops in spring, excepting young seeds and 
clover for the ewes and lambs in April. 
"6. No. 
" 7. Artificial shelters are not usually provided for sheep here, except 
lambing sheds, which are held to be indispensable on low-lying and arable 
farms, where the lambs come early. In stormy weather a good shepherd 
always endeavours to have his flock either in the shelter of a fence, or in the 
natural shelter caused by the lie of the field. 
" 9. All the causes mentioned combined to bring beef and mutton down 
to the disastrous prices which prevailed during autumn and winter; the 
ruinous prices of store sheep at the autumn sales were, I think, to some 
extent due to a sort of panic partly caused by the heavy importation of frozen 
meat. 
" 10. Present prices of mutton teach us never to sell in a panic if it is at 
all possible to hold stock. To prevent disaster it is always prudent to have a 
good stock of hay, and not to be entirely dependent on the root crops. It is 
also important to secure a large portion of the root crops as early as possible." 
Mr. W. T. Scarth, Staindrop House, Darlington, Durham : 
" 1. In the valley of the Tees, between Darlington and Bernard Castle, 
within the narrowest part of England. The soil to the north-west is 
alluvial, and black earth where boggy land formerly was — south and south- 
west on the boulder clay. The sea-level is 355 feet below us. The climate 
is a late one. 
" 2. The summer of 1885 was an average fine summer, the early part of 
the winter 1885 and 1886 being open and short of rainfall ; but a heavy snow 
commenced in December with severe frosts which continued into March, and 
the spring of 1886 found the land in such a moist state, that it delayed spring 
sowing, and early cultivation of the land for the turnip crop. 
" 3. In the summer of 1885 I had one of the heaviest turnip crops I recol- 
lect on this farm. I was able to store it satisfactorily in excellent condition, 
and upon it were fed a large quantity of fattening and store stock, and 
sheep. 
" 4. I had an ample supply from swede turnips stored, which are pulped 
