408 
Farming of Dorsetshire. 
acres of land in this county, and manifests a very warm interest 
in its agriculture, has lately taken in hand two farms in the 
neighbourhood of his residence, Rushmore Lodge. The Farn- 
ham farm consists of about 400 acres, a great portion of which, 
three years ago, was a common field, growing wheat, barley, 
and — couch, the latter being pleasantly regarded as clover. The 
condition of this land, both as regards poverty and foulness, it 
would be impossible to exaggerate, although naturally of very 
fine quality. About 297 acres are arable, 94 are almost entirely 
covered with furze, and the remainder are very coarse down. 
ToUard Farm, which is worked with it, consists of 188 acres arable, 
but portions of it are so steep that they cannot be ploughed 
upward, nor can the drill be used on it : 20 acres are moderate 
grass land, and 179 are described as " the very worst down in 
England." On the arable his Lordship follows a four-field shift, 
catching a green crop after wheat and before turnips. On 4 
acres of land cabbage plants are pricked in in March, and an 
average produce of 50 tons an acre is obtained. The chief 
points in his Lordship's farming are, deep ploughing (all the 
arable land being ploughed with one of Lloward's implements at 
least a foot deep), and his Pit si/stem of feeding pigs and pre- 
paring manure. The farm buildings are arranged on a most 
convenient plan, designed by his Lordship (see Plan), the 
kitchen being placed in one of the angles so as to communicate, 
right and left, with ranges of stalls, meal-stores, root-houses, &c. 
In the centre of the yard a pit is formed 10 feet deep, and in 
width and length 24 by 30 ; this is bricked and cemented, and 
surmounted by a dwarf brick wall. The fatting houses open 
conveniently to it, and the litter of the fatting beasts and horses 
is, by means of a hand-barrow, thrown into it, the liquid manure 
being caught on cemented floors and conveyed into the pit by 
a pipe placed G inches under ground. Upon the litter a number 
of young pigs run about in all weathers, treading the straw into 
dung and providing for the arable the finest possible farmyard 
manure. Every particle of solid manure and every drop of 
urine are thus saved ; the ammonia is prevented from escaping 
by the constant kneading by the pigs ; the yard is kept tidy ; 
tlaere are no little streams of liquid manure running off to the 
barton pond ; there are no sties to be cleansed, and no piggeries 
to be built. As soon as a porcine youth becomes sufficiently 
advanced in life to make his own way in the world, he is taken 
from his dam and most unceremoniously tosse4 into the pit, 
where he remains till tlie butcher claims him, making himself 
happy on plenty of tailing l^arley, pollard, and steamed or 
grated roots, and in severe weather " burrowing " into the litter 
and making thatch for himself. According to critics his Lord- 
