570 
The Cumberland and Westmoi'eland 
Climate. — The climate is the great obstacle to the successful 
cultivation of the land. The soil is naturally of rather a strong 
character, a red loam upon the Sandstone formation, and, under 
other conditions, would no doubt be excellent turnip and corn 
land ; but it is not easy to fight against the power of Nature, and 
Mr. Leathes is inclined to keep more land down permanently 
than he did, and wisely to let the climate work Avith him rather 
than against him. Only enough land, therefore, is broken up each 
year to provide a supply of turnips and straw for winter keep. 
The farm is held on lease for twenty-one years from 1872, with 
a Candlemas entry. Five per cent, is paid on a certain small 
outlay in drainage done by agreement, A " meal " mill is held, 
together with 16 acres of land, of another landlord, just on the 
outskirts of the farm, and is taken full advantage of by Mr. 
Leathes for the purpose of grinding his oats for the use of the 
farm. 
Hcrdwich Sheep. — Mr. Leathes' speciality is his Herdwick 
flock. These hardy sheep find a congenial home on the fell, and 
know their way down to the lower grounds under stress of 
weather, or at lambing-time. 
But the farm, as will have been gathered, is something more 
than a pastoral sheep-farm, and a considerable number of cattle 
are bred, reared, and fattened upon it. Work is found for four 
horses generally, and I will briefly note the husbandry of the 
arable land first, turning afterwards to the important feature of 
the sheep-management. The plough is only used here with the 
object of cleaning portions of the farm and laying them down 
to grass, and for straw to assist the wintering of the stock. Out 
of a total of 225 acres, considered as arable land under the lease 
(the inland being in all 488 acres), only one field is broken up 
yearly, and Mr. Leathes says he should abandon cultivation 
entirely if it were not for the excellent fit-up he has in his 
barn-machinery, and the expense he has been put to in regard 
to it. 
Cropping. — The fields varying considerably in size, a definite 
area for green-crop and corn can scarcely be fixed, the practice 
being to break one field from grass every year ; but generally 
from 12 to 18 acres of roots are sown. Ot' this about 1 or IJ 
acre consists of potatoes, ^ acre to 1 acre mangolds, and the re- 
mainder swedes and common turnips. The usual course of 
this part of the country is adopted for the arable land. The 
land selected for cultivation is broken out of lea for oats. The 
field which most shows signs of failure in the grass is usually 
chosen. Turnips follow, and the roots are all carted off the land 
for consumption by sheep on grass, or by cattle in the yards. 
The oats are seeded down, and the seeds mown the first year 
