410 
Farming of Dorsetshire. 
ship's pigs ought either to be drowned in liquid manure or 
blinded by ammonia, or frozen to death in cold weather. None of 
these things however happens. Open air exercise keeps the pigs 
in health ; the ammonia is kept under ; and the liquid manure is 
not in greater supply than the stiaw can entirely absorb, leaving 
a dry surface for the pigs, which in winter can make for them- 
selves from it a coverlet as thick as they please. We saw in the 
midst of the severe weather of this winter some 40 or 50 of these 
animals (70 is the " stock " of a pit), and we are bound to say 
we never saw a happier or more thriving lot of porkers. In 
this way fully 300 pigs are. fattened annually. A floc k of 620 
ewes and 200 chilver lambs is maintained on the farms, and 
about 35 beasts are fattened with oilcake at the rate of 8 lbs. a 
day, and 96 lbs. of roots with straw, but no hay. The valuable 
manure thus pitted and preserved is applied at the rate of 15 or 
20 loads per acre, and is almost the sole manure used on the 
farms. 
This Report would be incomplete without a notice of the farms 
of the Rev. Anthony Huxtable of Sutton Waldron, although the 
notoriety which they have attracted will reduce our mention of 
them to the condition of a " thrice-told tale." The Reverend 
gentleman occupies two farms, on each of which steam power is 
employed. His " hill farm" consists of some 250 acres, resting 
upon the upper chalk, which is very hard and rubbly. The 
greater portion was formerly sheep-drive of an inferior quality ; 
50 acres were broken up out of Cranborne Chase, and about 70 
acres were average down land. The " tall chimney " and the 
extensive range of buildings stand in strong contrast to the sur- 
rounding downs, and light up with sudden activity and ani- 
mation a somewhat desolate district. The engine of 6-horse 
power, besides driving a combined threshing, straw-shaking, 
winnowing and sacking machine, cuts by one of Comes' imple- 
ments most of the straw into chaff, whilst the rest of the straw is 
propelled into a large dry covered shed close to the cattle stalls. 
The same engine also is used for working two pair of mill 
stones, a flour dressing machine, a large bone mill, and a bean 
bruiser ; and after work at night the remaining steam cooks the 
roots for the pigs. Above the boiler and engine is a large 
drying-room where the surplus heat hardens the corn for grinding, 
and in wet weather is found of great service. All the arrange- 
ments for the stock are made with a view of saving the manure 
from waste, whether by evaporation or leakage. The liquid 
manure from all the stock is conveyed into one large tank con- 
tiguous to covered receptacles for the dung, which is daily 
watered with the urine, and the drainage of these pits is caught 
in another tank and poured over ashes, sifted mould, and other 
