Farmiruj of Dorsetshire. 
407 
up " the youngest " blade " of couch that has intruded upon the 
farm. 
Mr. James Caines, of Cheselborne, occupying about 700 acres, 
the greatest portion very thin soil, upon the chalk, maintains a 
flock of about 700 ewes, and, by a liberal consumption of oil- 
cake, fattens 200 wethers and 60 or 70 beasts. The grazing 
sheep get about 1 lb. of oil-cake a day, and the beasts oil-cake 
and swedes : the American barrel cake is found the best, " I 
can in no way improve my thin farm," says Mr. Caines, " so 
profitably as by a large use of linseed-cake. The sheep pays 
you for tlie cake, and leaves a very rich manure, which does not 
require to be carted." About 150 pigs are fattened every year 
and sent to the London markets. The four-course shift is fol- 
lowed, and about 80 acres of swedes are grown every year with 
superphosphates and crushed bones. 
Mr. Henry Fookes, of Whitchurch, who has carried off several 
of the large cups offered for turnips, grows a good proportion of 
giant sainfoin. This plant was introduced into the county about 
six years ago from Berkshire. Mr. Farqaharson, Mr. Fookes, Mr. 
House, and Mr. Burgess, purchased the first lot at the fancy price 
of 255. a bushel. The expenditure has however never been re- 
gretted, for according to the valuation of one of these gentlemen 
10 acres of it are worth 20 acres of common sainfoin. It is now 
grown extensively in the neighbourhood of Wimborne, Blandford, 
Durweston, &c. It is sown in the spring with the Lent corn 
and left till the summer following, when it is mown for hay, 
affording one good feed afterwards. Mr. Fookes is a large 
breeder of Cochin China fowls, which at the London periodical 
poultry sales have realised on an averao^e 1/. a head. The 
butter of a small dairy is made on the Devonshire principle, 
and the scalding of the milk is found to take away all unplea- 
sant taste from the butter, although the cows are allowed as 
many swedes as- they like. 
Edward St. Vincent Digby, Esq., of Minterne, has for the last 
8 years grown on a portion of his farm \vheat and mangold 
alternately, and, except in unfavourable seasons, he has found both 
crops to yield remai'kably well, the wheat I'eturning as much as 
11 sacks an acre in the most favourable year. Tlie roots are 
grown on the balk, with 20 tons an acre of farmyard dung and 2 
cwt. of superphosphate. Mr. Digby considers he can keep more 
stock on an acre of mangold than on an acre of swedes. The 
meadows sur^jounding the house are favourably situated for irri- 
gation, and they receive the contents of a liquid manure tank 
which promotes the growth of herbage greatly, and admits of 
four feedings and a mowing a year. 
The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, who possesses nearly 30,000 
