1G8 
Report on Cheshire Dairy-Farming. 
this farm. Mangolds are chiefly given to breeding-sows in the 
summer, but some are used for the dairy-cows in March and 
April. 
3. Wlieat. — The tillage operations for this course exhibit a 
characteristic Cestrian custom, termed " sowing under-furrow," 
but this old practice of sowing under furrow is now generally 
substituted for the Suffolk drill with coulters 6 inches apart. 
After the swedes are off, the land is merely harrowed ; about 
3 bushels per acre of woolly chaff wheat is then sown broadcast, 
and covered by a shallow ploughing. No top-dressing is 
applied, the land being considered already highly manured ;. 
and it is said that the woolly chaff wheat is preferred on account 
of its standing better than other sorts on land in such high con- 
dition. In the spring, weeding is done by hand, and harvesting- 
is done in the same manner as already described for oats. Mr. 
Jackson, however, pays 8s. per acre for labour, finding horses,, 
reaping-machine, horse-rake, &c. ; this sum covers the cost of 
cutting, sheafing, raking, &c., without beer or food. 
4. Oats and Seeds. — The wheat stubbles receive a shallow 
ploughing (about 3 inches) in the autumn, and remain in this 
state until the spring. About the first week in April the tillage 
operations are carried on in succession as fast as possible. A 
grubber is first put through the land, which is then harrowed^ 
and afterwards ploughed to the depth of 9 inches. Five bushels- 
per acre of yellow Poland oats are then drilled, and harrowed in. 
A flat roller is then used, and a mixture of seeds sown and 
lightly harrowed in, after which the land is again rolled. Nothing- 
more is done until harvest, which is carried on as previously 
described. 
5. Seeds. — The mixture of seeds sown in the oats is the 
following, per acre : — 5 lbs. red clover, 2^ lbs. white Dutch, 
2\ lbs. alsike, 2| lbs, plantain, 2^ lbs. trefoil, ^ bushel Itallar> 
rye-grass, and ^ bushel perennial rye-grass. Immediately after 
harvest the seeds are dressed with 10 cwt. per acre of ground 
bones. The first year two cuttings are got, the first in June and 
the second in August — a mowing-machine being used, and the 
men working day-work. After the first year they are grazed by 
dairy-cows, and if at any time they appear to be losing in 
quantity or quality, a half-dressing of ground bones is applied. 
Mr, Jackson lays down with seeds upon barley, as will be 
seen by reference to his courses of cropping ; the mixture consists 
of 5 lbs. red clover, 2 lbs, cowgrass, 2 lbs, white Dutch, 2 lbs. 
trefoil, 1 lb. alsike, ^ bushel Italian rye-grass, and 1 peck pe- 
rennial rye-grass. For the course of seeds which stands only one 
year, the white Dutch clover, the alsike, and the perennial rye- 
