Farming of Wiltshire. 
167 
division of the county is small compared with the arable. It is 
mostly fed with sheep or the working cattle of the farm, except 
on the western borders of the county, ad joining Dorsetshire, where 
there is a tract of pasture-land which is chiefly a])plied to dairy 
purposes. 
The Water Meadons of this division of the county form a most 
important part of its husbandry. Of these there are about 20,000 
acres, and amongst them are to be found some of the best meadows 
in England; every brook and rivulet is applied to irrigation when 
practicable. Their management has undergone but little altera- 
tion since Mr. Davis made his report (who wrote so practically 
and ably on the subject), that it is unnecessary to give more than 
a general account of the system now pursued. The watering, or, 
as it is provincially termed, "drowning," continues to be d(me in 
the same manner as formerly, each meadow havmg its stated time 
for the %vater to be thrown over it, which rule has been in force 
very probably ever since the meadows were first formed, and 
seems likely to continue : from the construction of the meadows, 
generally, such must be the case, as the drain that takes the water 
from one meadow forms a " carrier" to irrigate the next below ; 
consequently, by altering that system one person would divert the 
stream to the injury of bis neighbouv below, which has been done, 
and caused many very vexatious and expensive lawsuits. They 
are generally fed by sheep, which is the principal stock of this 
division of the county. The grass is usually ready to take the 
couples about the third week in March, or as soon as the lambs 
can travel the distance (which is sometimes considerable), as they 
invariably return to the arable land at night. After being fed 
the meadows are laid up, and in about six weeks produce an ex- 
cellent crop of hay : they are sometimes mown a second time, but 
not often. It is usual to feed them in the fall with dairy cows (if 
any are kept) or the working oxen, and horses of the farm. There 
is great danger of rotting sheep in the autumn, consequently they 
are not allowed to feed there at that season of the year. Tlie real 
value of water-meadows is not so great now as in Mr. Davis's 
time. It was thought impossible at that time for the sheep-farmer 
to breed lambs on such farms as were not fortunate enough to 
possess them, but since the introduction and extensive growth of 
swedes, turnips, and other artificial food, many farmers that have 
little or no grass-land, have produced lambs equal, if not superior 
to those occupying the best water-meadows. In the neighbour- 
hood of Salisbury, and in the Wiley Bourne, some farms have 
increased their dairy-stock, and they set apart a portion of the 
water-meadows for that purpose, but the system is by no means 
general. 
