Farming of Wiltshire. 
169 
Woollen rags are often used as manure on the sand-land for swedes 
or mang-old-wurzel. Soot is also found to be a good top-dressing 
for wheat, and is much used. 
Chalk has long since been known as a permanent, and. conse- 
quenilv, a valuable manure, and it is to be found on every farm ; 
but a.s most of the Und that requires it has been chalked, there is 
little used now, except w hen some of the down-land is broken up, 
which is alwavs benefited by its use. 
Paring and Burning, or, as it is called in Xorth Wilts, " stifle- 
buming," is a svstem latelv introduced into the south of the 
countv, where it finds manv advocates. It is not confined to 
burning the turf of old lea or sainfoin, but is done on wheat or 
other stubble, as a preparation for turnips, and has been found to 
prrKluce excellent crops. The method of doing it will be de- 
scribed in the report for Xorth Wilts, where it has been practised 
with success for manv years, on the stone-brash soils. On the 
hill farms great attention is paid to the coUectin? of ashes from 
burnt stubble, couch-grass, and other weeds. The parin?s from 
road-sides, old banks, and linchets, ant-hills, &c., are burnt like- 
wise ; and the ashes mLxed with bones, or other artificial manures, 
and sometimes applied separately, after the fold, or a light dress- 
ing of yard manure. 
Breed of Cattle. — There is no particular breed of cattle kept in 
this di\"ision of the county, and very few of any kind are bred, 
there being but a small quantitvof pasture exclusive of the water- 
meadows ; and the sheep bein? the principal stock, verv little 
attention is given to homed cattle. The dairies that are kept 
here are generally let to dairymen, and the cows are selected 
chiefly for iheir milking qualities, consequently there are all kinds 
of breeds, but the short-horn cross prevails. There are some 
farms, on the western borders of this countv, where the pasture 
exceeds in quantity the arable land ; here more attention is paid 
to the dairy, and some good herds of cows may be seen, principallv 
of the short-horn breed, and some few good stocks of Herefords. 
The cows are generally bought at the fairs and markets in Xorth 
Wiltshire. 
Pigs. — The Berkshire spotted pig may be said to be the breed 
of pi?s kept, of which large quantities are bred : thev are not 
usually fattened, except for the use of the house, but are kept 
to run over the stubble and eat the offal corn ; and are sold as 
stores, either to the labourer, or go into the dairy counties to be 
fattened. 
Sheep. — The principal live-stock of this division of the countv 
consists of sheep, for which tl;e nature of the soil, and of the 
farms, is peculiarly adapted. Sheep are kept as store-siock. and 
chiefly lor brecdmg, very few being fatted. Wether flocks are 
