Farming of Wiltshire. 
175 
Pastures. — The usual method of managino: the pasture land is 
to feed and mow alternately. There is not always sufficient atten- 
tion paid to it, especially where there is much arable land in the 
same occupation, the grass land being neglected for the improve- 
ment of that producing corn. Composts of road dirt and ditch 
scrapings, with a little yard dung, are the principal dressing al- 
lowed, and even that but seldom. It is often well managed when 
the farm consists entirely of pasture land, and in no part of the 
county is pasture land managed so well as in the neighbourhood 
of Devizes, where there is little or no arable land occupied with it. 
Breed of Cattle. — The proportion of inferior and wet pasture land 
is great in comparison with the <\vy, healthy, and good ; notwith- 
standing which it is generally applied to dairy purposes, and not 
imfrequently does it happen that the cheese made upon it is of 
a better quality than that of the best land. The breed of cattle 
now preferred for the dairy is the short-horned, especially upon 
the best land ; but very few are bred there, the whole being ap- 
plied to the dairy and grazing. These dairies are supplied with 
heifers, of which large droves are brought from the northern coun- 
ties to the fairs and markets of Wilts, and although there are not 
amongst them a great number of short-horns of the purest breed, 
many excellent packs of cows may be seen here very nearly ap- 
proaching to the pure breed. There are a few individuals who 
breed sufficient for their own dairies, who have lately selected some 
excellent short-horned bulls in the north of England. Upon the 
inferior grass land it is usual to breed to an extent sufficient for 
keeping up the dairy stock, and different crosses, such as the 
Gloucestershire, Hereford, and short-horn are kept, according 
to the opinion of the farmer in regard to his own interest ; there is, 
consequently, no similarity of breed to be found ; in fact, upon 
many farms it would be difficult to find two animals of the same 
breed ; but even there the short-horn breed predominates. There 
are very few herds of the old lon<r-horned cows now remaininof in 
this county, but they were nearly univeral in 1811. The dairy 
farmers generally fat all their calves that fall early enough to be 
fattened before grass time. After that period the remainder are 
bought by dealers and sent into other counties for grazing. The 
whole of the milk is then used in making cheese, for the excellent 
quality of which North Wilts has long stood pre-eminent. Tliose 
who are particular in the selection of their stock always sell their 
cow-calves for weaning at good prices. The number of young 
stock now reared is greatly reduced by the enclosure of the com- 
mon land in this division of the county ; for once enclosed, the 
land is either broken up or applied to the dairy. A few are 
reared for sale on some farms, where the quantity of arable land 
is considerable, and the pasture not sufficient for a dairy to be 
