560 Somersetshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1875. 
liberally treated on coming in after their first summer's run. 
They go to the bull so as to drop their calves from March to 
May, when they would be from 2 to 2^ years old. They are 
then transferred to the dairy in place of the aged cows drafted 
for feeding. Eight or 9 heifers are bred, and about the same 
quantity of steers ; most of the former go into the dairy, and 
the latter are made up to 20 by bought-in calves, and all treated 
alike. As a rule, 40 other more matured animals are also 
purchased and fattened, but this number was deficient by 30 
head when we inspected the stock in November owing to the 
drought of last summer. At our second inspection we found 
the cattle in good grass, which was doing well, although it was 
stated that the pastures did not start till April 28th. In addi- 
tion to the home-bred stock, the yearlings had been made up 
to 20 by 8 exceedingly good Shorthorn bullocks, 16 months old; 
and 22 3-year old Devon oxen, with a stain of Shorthorn blood 
in them, had also been recently secured ; the former to go on 
for Christmas and the latter to finish off on the grass with 
their allowance of cake, consisting of 3 lbs. of mixed cotton, 
2 lbs. of linseed, and 1 lb. of wheat-meal. 
Sheej).~T\ie sheep are of the Dorset Horn breed, and arc true 
to type, and very good of their sort. The ewes drop their lambs 
about the end of December, and they are weaned the middle 
of March on swedes. They then go on to rye, where mangolds 
are carted to them, then to trifolium, and afterwards to clover 
and the succession crops, until the next season's swedes are 
available, when they are folded on them and have their roots 
cut. The pur or wether lambs commence with a \ lb. of cake 
and bran at weaning-time till October, when it is increased to 
^ lb., some cotton-cake being added ; and from December till 
the time of finishing, at the end of January or beginning of 
February, they get 1 lb. of mixed corn and cake per day, in 
addition to hay, which is given to them from the time of their 
being folded on the roots. 
When sold, they average about 74 lbs. per sheep in the wool. 
They are shorn as lambs. The turn-off ewes are drafted princi- 
pally from age, and put to a Down ram (pure Sussex preferred, 
though Hampshire is not infrequently selected by some farmers) 
on the 12th of INIay, with the view to produce house-lamb for the 
early markets. They are either sold to dealers, who dispose of 
them at Weyhill Fair, or go direct to the feeders in the Isle of 
Wight and the home counties, and realise for this purpose 12«. 
per head more than if sold to the butcher. The stock ewes, after 
the lambs are weaned, run partly on the pastures and partly on 
close folds of the succession crops. They are rutted by a Dorset 
Horn ram in July, and begin to lamb in December. The 
