Sir kV. Heatlicotes Fann. 
301 
but .now, owing to deep ploughing, subsoiling, winter exposure, 
and a six years' rotation, 6 bushels have the effect which 20 pre- 
viously had ; and all other purchased manures are, as a general 
rule, dispensed with. The horse and hand hoes are kept inces- 
santly at work. Of the crop, it is sufficient to say, that Mr. 
Charles (Sir William Heathcote's land steward) has lor two years 
successively on this farm carried off the first prize (Sir John 
Ratcliff's cup), at the Birmingham and Midland Counties Show, 
for 24 selected roots (6 long red mangold, 6 globe mangold, 
6 swedes, and 6 carrots*). The earlier sown and larger roots 
are hauled to the feeding-sheds for consumption ; the later sown 
and smaller are pitted on the ground for folding. The land being 
ploughed before Christmas, and broken down by cultivators and 
drags in the spring, 21 bushels of barley are drilled to the acre, 
12 inches apart. After harvest 20 loads of farmyard manure are 
ploughed in, and winter beans drilled, 27 inches apart, by the 
end of October in this manner ; three ploughs are set to work, 
taking 9 inches of land apiece ; in the third furrow a hand drill 
follows, dropping the beans ; the fourth furrow covers them 
in pretty deep, and out of the reach of rooks. Of wheat, 2 bushels 
are drilled at the same distance as the barley. The seeds are 
put in at the last hoeing of the wheat, rather late in the spring, 
so as not to get too high, and interfere with the di-ying of the 
wheat at harvest time. Sometimes one, sometimes two, cuttings 
of grass are taken, before the sheep are turned on. Of oats, 
3 bushels produce a better sample than a smaller quantity of seed. 
The produce of this farm has been carefully ascertained as 
follows : wheat, 4 qrs. per acre ; barley, 5j ; oats, 8 ; swedes, 
25 tons ; mangold, 35 ; carrots, 40. 
The live stock consists of 12 horses, 80 horned beasts (IG 
Ayrshire and Channel Islands cows for the dairy, short-horns 
for grazing, and young cattle), 300 pure southdown ewes, 100 
chilver tegs to keep up the breeding flock, 100 fatting sheep, 
about 80 pigs ; and in the park nearly 200 deer, each of which 
is equal to 2 sheep. 
Another farm in Hursley is interesting, as illustrating "the 
progress of improvement, and as an example for imitation. Land 
has been here (as it may be with thousands of similar acres in 
the county) lately recovered from a state of nature. The newly 
created farm at Ampfield is in a transition state, in part re- 
claimed, in part wilderness, the one indicating what all will one 
day be, the other what all the other day was, not " an acre " but 
"furlongs" of "barren ground, ling, heath, broom, furze, any- 
thing." The first operation was to drain the peaty, sedgy parts with 
* Since tkis was written, the Hursley roots have, for a third time, won this 
blue ribbon of the green crops. 
V 2 
