Agriculture of Berkshire. 
29 
Thames is of a rich alluvial soil, with a mixture of gravel ; the 
other is on the London clay. The farmstead is of the most costly 
kind, and almost baffles description ; here and at the dairy farm~ 
buildings, are to be seen about 270 head of pure short-horn cattle, 
from the blood of Messrs. Booth and other first-class breeders, of 
which 100 are cows kept for dairy purposes. Among them are 
many beautiful cows, of well-known pedigree. The Royal 
dairy, recently built, is in itself a perfect gem. The pigs are of 
the much-admired Windsor breed, and have often successfully- 
competed at the different cattle-shows. The horses are the pure 
Clydesdale, and are fine specimens, being both active and power- 
ful ; they are bred on the farm : this breed has also been on the 
prize-list of the Royal Agricultural Society. I have omitted 
to speak of the sheep, as, from the nature of the soil, they do not 
form a prominent feature : there is, however, at the Shaw Farm a 
flock of Cheviot ewes, for breeding purposes ; at the other farms 
dry flocks are kept which are bought in as circumstances 
require. 
Not the least pleasing feature connected with the Royal Farms is 
the provision made for the instruction and comfort of the single 
carters and boys, who live on the premises in a A ery suitable and 
well-arranged house, a schoolmaster attending regularly in the 
evening for nine months in the year, to give them any instruction 
they may think proper to avail themselves of, a privilege from 
which the married men are not excluded. Her Majesty the Queen, 
with the same care and interest which she has always manifested 
for the welfare of her poorer subjects, has provided most appro- 
priate schools in the centre of the Great Park, with well-qualified 
schoolmaster and schoolmistress, for the instruction of the children 
of those who are employed on the Royal domain, and, by her libe- 
rality, they are also clothed and daily supplied with their dinners. 
It is to be hoped that this bright example will be more and more 
imitated by all her subjects. Here I feel bound to express my 
thanks for the great courtesy I received from the Hon. Colonel 
Hood, and the facilities that were afforded me for inspecting 
the Royal Farms by Mr. Brebner and Mr. Tait. 
The next selected farm for notice is the Earl of Radnor's, of 
Coleshill Park. It comprises about 700 acres, of which nearly 
300 are arable and 400 grass. The farmstead is very com- 
plete. There is accommodation for a dairy of 40 cows, boxes 
for fatting, and stalls for tying-up, bullocks ; yards and sheds for 
breeding cows and young stock ; also a sheepyard and fatting-shed ; 
piggeries, stables, &c. The machinery, by Clayton and Shuttle- 
worth, for threshing, sacking, and weighing the corn, grinding, 
pulping, bruising, chafF-cutting, sawing, &c., is in every respect 
well arranged. 
