Breeding, Rearing, and Feeding, Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. IT 
Some farms are naturally rich in grass land and arable produce, and are 
by far more suitable to fatten than breed ; for instance, farms in rich vales, 
well sheltered, are adapted for feeding. On these farms large numbers of 
sheep may be bought and fattened on roots during the winter, and early 
vetches and young seeds in the spring, and sold before the hot weather 
sets in. 
I consider sheep most profitable as a rule, especially in large arable dis- 
tricts where quantities of roots, &c., can be grown and fed off on the land. 
Also on all light and Down lands. 
Medium-sized cart-horsos, with sound good legs, and hacks of the cob 
description, with plenty of muscle are best for our hilly roads and general 
purposes. 
The Devon cattle I consider the most profitable for this part of the country, 
as they are hardy and quick to fatten. You can keep three of these on the 
same land as easily as two Shorthorns, and do better. They are good milkers 
on the whole ; the steers are usually fattened off at three years old ; weight 
from 100 to 125 stones, of 8 lbs. The Devon Long-wool sheep are the most 
profitable ; they carry heavy rich fleeces of the finest wool, and possess all 
the fattening qualities of the Leicester, and larger size with more flesh, come 
earlier to maturity, and are much hardier. 
On many farms wethers are fattened on roots during the winter, and sold 
off in the spring, when only 13 and 14 months old, from 11 to 12 stone each. 
They will cut from 85 to 10 lbs. clean-washed ,wool each, and this after 
having been shorn the previous summer, when lambs, cutting 3 lbs. washed- 
wool then. On higher and colder farms the Devon Long-wools are often used 
for a cross with Mountain Horns, making a very hardy and profitable sort. 
They are also often used to cross other kinds of sheep for improvement, and 
much used with the Down ewe for fattening lambs. 
The Somerset and Dorset Horned sheep are kept in some parts of Somerset. 
"Where farmers are in the habit of folding their arable land by night, these 
sheep are mostly used for that purpose. 
In some few cases the pure Shorthorn is kept, and also the cross between 
the Devon and Shorthorn. 
A. BOWERMAX. 
71. Mains of Aieies, Galloway. 
I think British farmers could breed 50 per cent, more stock in the 
shape of horses, cattle, and sheep with profit, providing all the farms in the 
country had the same labour and capital expended upon them as the best-farmed 
land in this district ; but unless the tenant-farmer has some security for unex- 
hausted improvements, stock and crop will not increase to the maximum. 
Most of the tenantrfarmers are beginning to see that the better they farm, the 
more houses they build, the more land they drain, and lastly, but not the least, 
the more lime, bones, cake, and com they consume on the land, in nine cases 
out of ten, it takes the shape of an extra rise of rent at the end of the lease, 
just when the tenant is commencing to be paid for his enormous outlay. 
I am of opinion it will pay any farmer to breed his own horse-supply at 
the present high price of horses; but breeding is generally found a disad- 
vantage where cartage is heavy, and especially since reaping-machines have 
come to be used on every farm. At that time of the year the brood-mare is 
very easily injured; so with loss of cartage and risk of mare, a number 
of farmers prefer purchasing their horses to breeding them, which, in my 
opinion, has caused horses to rise to such a high rate. On a farm partly arable, 
and the cartage not so heavy, breeding is followed more generally. 
