294 
Farming of Monmouthshire. 
set of cottages for our workmen. If we had them, the men 
Avoulcl invariably live under their own roofs, and this would 
be far more pleasant and satisfactory to both parties." On an 
average through the county, a farm-labourer receives from 13s. 
to 14,9. per week, with cottage and garden (where these are avail- 
able) rent free. In some districts, the money paid is, perhaps, 
lower ; but the allowance of cider, and other perquisites, bring 
it up to about the same amount as that paid by farmers who have 
no other arrangement with the men than that of a strictly cash 
payment. 
Horses. 
It would be a boon to this county if, like Cambridgeshire and 
many neighbourhoods in England, each district was travelled in 
the season by well-bred, powerful, entire cart-horses. At present 
this certainly is a desideratum. Few farmers rear more than 
are necessary to replenish their teams, although the demand 
for clean - legged, active, powerful horses at the ironworks is 
constant, and sometimes extraordinary. Throughout the county 
generally, the custom is to chafi nearly all the provender during 
the winter months, and to turn the team out to grass in the 
summer time. At one large farm, steamed potatoes with chaffed 
food was given to the horses throughout the whole winter, and 
nothing could be more satisfactory than their appearance in the 
spring ; in this instance no corn was given them. The horses at 
the iron works — where there are hundreds employed — are fed 
entirely on steamed food, with the addition of a liberal supply 
of oats, beans, and sometimes maize. The system of picketing 
horses to tares in the summer, which is so general in Glou- 
cestershire, is followed in some places in this county. The race- 
horse " Ely " was bred in Monmouthshire, and others of the same 
blood ; but, as a rule, there are not many thoroughbred horses, 
or, indeed, many nags, bred here. 
By the kindness of Colonel Morgan, of Ruperra Castle, the 
mountain-pony mares on one of Lord Tredegar's estates have been 
crossed with an Arab, and the stock is very promising. As may 
be supposed, however, they are not quite so hardy as the native 
breeds. 
Cattle. 
Take the whole county, and Herefords are in the majority ; 
although on manv farms there are, besides Devons, very excel- 
lent herds of shorthorns. At the Raglan Castle Farm there is a 
herd of 60 Ayrshire milch cows; and Mr. McMasters, the owner 
of them, states that he can keep three of them where he could 
maintain but two of the other breeds. The custom of permitting 
