20 
Agriculture of Nottinghamshire. 
likely to end are hardships than to repay any expenditure in at- 
tempting to improve it. 
Beasts. 
As there is but very little permanent grass land in this district, 
the number of beasts kept is greater during the winter than the 
summer months. Many of the farmers sell off almost all they 
winter in the spring months, to the summer grazier, and buy in 
again to supply themselves in the following autumn. When the 
turnip crop is an abundant one, the number of fat cattle sent to 
market throughout the winter is very great. When that crop is 
less abundant, much fewer are made fat, the farmer's attention 
being directed chiefly to the converting of his straw into good 
manure, without drawing many turnips to be consumed in the 
yards. Any profit that he might realize on the feeding of cattle, 
he well knows would be more than counterbalanced by a dimi- 
nished crop of barley, where such turnips ought to have been 
eaten on the ground. He accordingly contents himself with pre- 
paring beasts for the summer grazier by sending such stock to 
market in good condition, rather than by fattening them himself 
to the injury of his farm. This he does by giving to each beast 
a moderate allowance of linseed-cake, varying from 4 to 6 lbs., 
according to their size, other circumstances also being considered. 
The animal is thereby kept healthy, and with only a daily allow- 
ance of 4 lbs., which is the minimum of what ought to be given, 
will at least maintain its condition. Each beast will thus cost 
during the six winter months from three to four pounds, more or 
less, according to the price of cake at the time. When, however, 
the farmer has in prospect his next year's turnip crop, and looks 
still beyond to the barley crop which is to succeed, a proportion 
of his beasts will most probably be allowed 8 lbs., and such as 
are being made fat, from 12 to 16 lbs. each, which will impart a 
power and goodness to his manure, visible wherever it is applied 
for years afterwards. 
The best farmers have long since ceased to give cake to their 
stock, at those times only when they find a profit on that stock 
to justify them in doing so. They now look upon the conversion 
of their straw into the best possible manure as an object of the 
highest importance to their farms. They calculate how they 
shall use the greatest amount of cake, which they regard as an 
indispensable in good farming — at the least possible loss ; for, as 
prices both of beef and mutton have of late been, they must ne- 
cessarily incur a loss if they expect their remuneration from the 
live stock, instead of from the land. The farmers take a wide 
view in this matter, and we think regard their interests in their 
true light. Mr. Pusey has observed, in his spirited description 
