402 
Tlie Manac/enicnt of a Sliorthorn Herd. 
lathed at the top with hooper's chips, to turn the rain, and small 
larch-branches are used to cover this slight roof. A great part of 
the land in the neighbourhood is in its natural condition little 
more than sand : a whirlwind has been known to carry a large 
portion of a field over the fence and deposit some hundreds of 
cartloads on the adjoining road, so that it was a work of consider- 
able time and labour to cart the sand back to its proper place. 
Messrs. Gaitskell have, however, a hill of good stiff soil on 
their property, and this they have skimmed, and are continuing 
to use in the same way, each year taking a sufficient quantity to 
mix with their farmyard-manure. A space helow the midden- 
stead, at a short distance, is set apart for it, the liquid manure 
and oozings from the midden being brought down to it, the solid 
manure eventually mixed with the soil, and the Avhole applied 
to the land, thus not only fertilising, but causing that cohesion 
which is wanting in the sandy surface in its original state. 
South-west of England. 
From the north-west I will, with the reader's consent, travel 
directly into the south-west of England, and describe what is 
going on among Shorthorns in Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, 
and Somersetshire. 
The late Mr. Richard Stratton, holding at different times 
farms in the counties of Somerset and Wilts, was one of those 
skilful and fortunate men who have contrived to make a hand- 
some profit out of agricultural pursuits. As a Shorthorn- 
breeder he was no less successful than as a farmer ; and he had 
the rare credit of raising, from combinations of materials in the 
acquisition of which his judgment spared his purse, a herd bril- 
liantly successful at the leading shows. Since his death two of 
his sons, Mr. Joseph Stratton, of Alton Priors, in Wiltshire, and 
Mr. Richard Stratton, of The DuflTryn, Monmouthshire, have 
ably carried on his line of breeding and traditions of manage- 
ment, winning numerous] prizes, including on several occasions 
the principal prizes and champion honours of the Smithfield 
Club. This proves that the animals of Messrs. Stratton's 
breeding and rearing can make beef; and an inspection of 
their herds and farms has enabled me to say that the milking 
properties of many of their cattle are so great that it seemed 
questionable whether dairy or grazing properties formed the 
leading feature. The animals in both herds are of similar 
character ; and as I do not wish unnecessarily to multiply ex- 
amples, and the Alton Priors herd, I regret to say, is about to 
be dispersed, I will take the management at The Duffryn for 
my illustration. 
