Agricultural Progress and 
as possible the sinking of the rain into the land as it fell and 
where it fell. 
The next step was to form some plan for stocking and 
cropping the land. Previous experience as an occupier of 
Strong land enabled the tenant to lay down certain maxims or 
axioms which he proposed to take as his guides. He had con- 
vinced himself, 1st, that corn-growing alone would not pay at 
present prices. 2nd. That the breeding and fattening of sheep 
had for many years been more profitable than any other branch 
of farming ; and that although this was clearly not a sheep-farm, 
still, with proper arrangements, it might be made to carry a 
moderate number of sheep with advantage both to the pocket 
of the occupier and the condition of the land. 3rd. That horse- 
keep is the item which it is most difficult to keep down on clay 
farms, and which, if not resolutely dealt with, will effectually 
keep doion the farmer's profits. 
The plan now adopted was to buy in a sufficient number of 
ewes in the autumn to run on the old grass land through the 
winter, at the rate of about one to the acre. In ordinary seasons, 
they maintained themselves without extra keep until Christmas, 
from which time they received a small feed of oats daily until 
lambing time. After lambing, turnips or mangold, previously 
stored on the grass, were given them, with corn or cake, until 
the winter tares or clover were ready to commence. By the time 
these were consumed rape was ready, and by selling off the lambs 
fat from time to time, and continuing the allowance of corn or 
cake to the ewes, all the lambs and most of the ewes were sold 
fat to the butcher by the time the rape was done and the land 
had to be ploughed for wheat. This plan had the advantage 
not only of realizing in a short time a handsome profit from the 
sheep, but of leaving the clover, tare, and rape land in first-rate 
condition for a crop of wheat. It also promoted the great object 
of spreading the horse-labour more uniformly over the year, as 
the land was broken up as the green crop was consumed, and the 
press of work avoided which usually occurs at the time of wheat- 
sowing. It thus became practicable to employ the whole team 
immediately after harvest in preparing the land for swedes and 
mangold-wurzel, the acreage under root-crop being reduced to a 
minimum by the growth of green crops for summer consumption. 
The following was the method followed : — As soon as the corn was 
out of the field, the stubble was scarified or breast-ploughed so 
lightly as to make sure of being able to burn in small heaps all that 
was pared off. After spreading the ashes, 12 loads per acre of 
manure fresh from the yards were distributed evenly over the sur- 
face, and ploughed in with a good deep furrow, of such a width as 
to stand nearly or quite on edge. Thus it remained fully exposed 
