Management of a Home Farm. 
253 
a large portion of it — especially the shorter litter and the drop- 
pings — may be essential, it does seem wasteful that long litter, 
often but little tainted, should find its way to the compost-heap 
in the back regions of the gardens, there to be destroyed by slow 
combustion. For the littering of a common open farmyard, 
such material is all that can be desired. Reformation is needed 
in this respect.* 
3. Other Farm-Supplies. 
Meat, poultry, eggs, potatoes, peas for kitchen use, and 
sundry other items, may be included under the above heading. 
It is now so difficult to obtain light weights and small joints, 
that a stock of Southdowns must be kept, or purchases made in 
summer from the droves of Welsh sheep and half-breds going up 
the country. The latter are grazed in the deer-park, with but 
little care or attention for the next twelve months, and should 
then be fit for drafting into superior pasturage. When killed, 
the half-bred Welsh may weigh from 11 lbs. to 15 lbs. per quarter, 
and the Welsh about 10 lbs., if they have done fairly ; therefore, 
if the former were bought in at 28^. each, and the latter at 17s., 
it is evident that they have not paid much for their keep, Avhich, 
however, dui'ing a whole year will have been almost restricted 
to grass. Provision must be made in the farm-flock for a supply 
of early lamb, either house-fed or otherwise, and this should be 
ready to replace the killing of small pork in March, at latest. 
As regards beef, any of our pure breeds, well-fed and of 
sufficient age, will generally be acceptable ; but the preference 
is undoubtedly due to the West Highlander, of which a sufficient 
stock for the year's requirements is laid in towards autumn. Of 
late years, these, as well as other breeds, have been coming 
earlier to the shambles ; so that, unless kept two or three years 
on purpose, a six-year old bullock can hardly now be met with. 
About 80 Smithfield stones — a very suitable killing weight — can 
be reached long before that age, if wished ; but, by rightlv 
selecting the stock, the object of killing at a ripe age may be 
obtained with fair success. For the sake of choice, the bailiff 
should be allowed to attend one of the Falkirk trysts, for the cost 
of the journey will be as surely repaid in his case as in that of the 
dealer who picks up the refuse of the fair and brings them south 
on commission. This is a point on which many mistakes are 
made. 
In feeding pigs, both for bacon and pork, the food used should 
be of the choicest sorts only. Barley-meal alone we do not find 
* The heating process is often turned to account in the garden ; partial restora- 
tion to the farm would confuse the accounts. — P. H. F. 
