Farming of Dorsetshire. 
423 
crops of oats are obtained — as many as 60 or 70 bushels per 
acre. 
In this locality Mr. Joscpli Darby lias commenced the growth 
of flax, his attention having been called to the plant by observing- 
that it grew wild in the hedges. He had a very fair crop this 
yejir. Guano was tried on one part and soot on another, the 
manure being applied in the last harrowing, and the soot was 
found most beneficial. Another farmer near here ploughed A'ery 
deep, and fed off his clover twice with rape-cake, and it sur- 
prised his neighbours to see how he brought the land into con- 
dition. The farmers of Purbeck, where many sheep are reared, 
send their flocks in the winter, when food is scarce at home, to 
cat turnips at Lytchett, where a good many roots are grown for 
the purpose. Tlie price paid is from 1/. to 5/. per acre, according 
to quality and tlie season. 
The dairy system (we are not now speaking of a particular 
district, but of the whole county) is peculiar, the cows being, 
for the most part, let out by the farmer to the dairyman at per 
head, upon the conditions described in the Royal Agricultural 
Society's Journal, XXXI., pp. 74, 75. But very few tenants 
milk their own dairies. Amongst the few may be mentioned 
Mr. Edward Pope, of Great Toller, whose practice is as 
follows : — The cows are brought into the dairy at 3 years old, 
and kept there, if all go right, for seven or eight years, and 
those of the very best quality longer, for breeding purposes. 
They calve from January to the end of April. Previous to 
calving they are fed on straw and lbs. linseed cake per day, 
and afterwards on hay in the stalls, being turned out by day into 
grass provided from the autumn for that purpose. The calves 
are taken from their mothers when about 10 days old, and 
suckled with the skim-milk till the 12th of May, when they are 
weaned and turned to grass, and cheese-making is commenced. 
A cow produces about 14 dozen ll^s. of butter and If cwt. of 
cheese during the year. The cows are kept in two dairies of 
50 each, which are kept in every respect distinct, as a sort of 
check the one on the other. Tlie expense of management is 
estimated at Id. per cow per week. At the beginning of this 
year (1854), Mr. Pope had about 50 calves, and was making 
something like 260 lbs. of butter per week, which was sent 
fresh to the London market. 
Lord Portman and Mr. Pope are successful breeders of pure 
North Devon cattle, and in another district (Sherborne) Mr. 
Thomas Miller, of Castle Farm, has done much to improve this 
favourite breed of stock, and has carried off from the surrounding 
