18 
Agriculture of Nottinghamshire. 
animal from Lincolnshire and the Yorkshire wolds is the general 
stock of the county. Nottinghamshire has long been famous for 
its superior breed of sheep. Mr. Lowe makes mention of the 
names of several celebrated breeders of Leicester rams^ chiefly 
resident in the southern part of the county, who were, at the 
time he wrote, going to great expense in improving the breed of 
sheep ; giving even at that time as much as 100 guineas for a 
ram. It appears from his report, that Mr. Bakewell's celebrated 
stock had then been introduced about twenty years. The spirit 
infused by that eminent breeder has, we believe, been unceasingly 
at work ever since. It is well known that the late Duke of 
Bedford once hired for the season a ram of the late Mr. Buckley, 
of Normanton, for the sum of 800 guineas ; and also, that 
Messrs. Thorpe, Dudding Loft, and Marris, paid to the same 
gentleman 1000 guineas for the hire of a ram. The success of 
Mr. Burgess, of Holm-pierrepont, at the last Christmas show in 
London, will alone prove the high place he holds in the present 
day, not only as compared with his neighbours, but as challenging 
competition with the country at large. And although these names 
belong more properly to the other division of the county, their 
owners are honoured, and have their merits recognised, alike in 
both. 
Nearly every farmer in this western district is a breeder of 
sheep. The country is more adapted to the support of that ani- 
mal than to any other ; and it is doubtful whether so certain a 
profit is attainable by any other method of stocking a farm as by 
the farmer raising his own flock. For the difference between 
the price of poor stock, and the same animals when made fat, has 
of late years been so small, as not unfrequently to leave little or 
no profit to the person in whose hands that change has been 
effected. On the other hand, the fault of those who breed lies 
too often in breeding more than they can well keep at all seasons, 
and thereby materially lessening their profits. We are convinced 
that any infringement of the above as a rule, will assuredly in 
adverse seasons be attended by greater loss than is ever made 
amends for by the profits of more favourable years. 
We have before observed that it is the general practice to sell 
the wether hogs fat before Midsummer, when, without any great 
forcing, they will frequently attain a weight of from 20 to "22 lbs, 
a quarter, their fleeces averaging from 7 to 9 lbs. To bring 
about this result when allowance is made for the number kept on 
the acre, no time must be lost, and it can only be accomplished 
by giving them fruitful pasturage on clover seeds during the 
summer, and by putting them early to turnips in the autumn; 
with an allowance of linseed-cake or corn, mixed with culm or 
chafl', to meet the wants of the animal, during that season espe- 
