Tlie Agriculture of Glamorganshire. 193 
fat animals. A reaction has taken place this autumn, but it has 
not affected the value of hill stock to such an extent as sheep 
and cattle in arable counties. By hard and careful living, the 
farmers of the hill districts have been able to save money, and 
though thev make no parade of it, some of them can draw 
a comparatively long purse from an obscure corner for the 
purchase of a small freehold when opportunity offers. There 
is no lack of competition for farms when they become vacant ; 
but landlords rarely disturb old tenants, and very seldom raise 
their rents. 
Special Types of Fakming. 
Colliery Farms. — When farms become vacant in the neigh- 
bourhood of the collieries, the coal-owners or colliery companies 
frequently rent them. In one case with which I am individually 
familiar, a colliery company has a dozen or more of the small 
hill-farms in hand. The former tenants were in no case forced 
to give up their holdings, but in a few instances a new industry 
led them to change their avocation. The colliery companies, 
as a rule, spare no reasonable expense to carry on the farms 
with the same spirit as their large commercial concerns. In 
the case referred to, the situation is in one of the widest valleys 
of the county. Large areas of land have been drained, re- 
claimed, and laid down to grass. The meadow and reclaimed 
land is chiefly mown for hay, and from 500 to 600 tons are 
grown annually. The live-stock consists chiefly of 400 horses 
underground, about 4000 sheep on the mountains, and 150 cattle. 
The farms are simply auxiliaries to the pits, and though the 
profits are not large, they pay a fair percentage on the capital 
invested. The Welsh mountain sheep are kept on farms where 
no roots are grown, but as much care as possible is taken in the 
selection of rams, and breeding is now pursued in the direct 
line by a selection of the best native rams. Hay is liberally 
supplied to the hill stock in severe weather. Many crosses of 
the sheep stock have been tried, but the most successful has 
been that between the Shropshire ram and the mountain ewe. 
This is carried out on a range of hills 900 feet above the level 
of the sea ; but turnips are successfully grown at the bottom, and 
it need scarcely be said that therein lies the whole secret of 
success. The result of the cross is, that the produce goes off fat 
under two years old, and realises from \Qs. to 12s. per head 
more money than the four-years-old mountain wedder. Doub'e 
the weight of wool is also clipped, the cross-breed yielding 
from 4 to 5 lbs., whereas the average mountain fleece weighs 
only from 2 to 2i^ lbs. The cattle on the group of farms 
YOL. XXI. — S. 8. 0 
