Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
143 
.iltogethcr  to  fancy.  It  may  partly  arise  from  want  of  real  merit 
in  comparison  with  them.  We  dare  not  boast  even  of  our  flocks, 
because  there  is  danger  in  thinking  we  have  reached  perfection 
in  any  point  of  husbandry,  and  more  especially  in  breeding. 
After  animals  have  attained  the  extraordinary  aptitude  to  lay 
on  fat,  which  we  witness  at  the  present  day,  it  may  reasonably 
remain  a matter  of  surprise  that  this  quality  should  now  be  con- 
sidered at  our  shows  almost  the  only  thing  needful. 
The  ewes  begin  to  drop  their  lambs  at  the  beginning  of 
March,  at  which  time  they  are  taken  home  to  the  lambing-yard. 
They  usually  have  access  to  a grass  field,  where  they  have  a few 
turnips  served  in  the  daytime.  When  the  lambs  get  sufficiently 
strong  the  sheep  are  removed  to  the  turnip-field,  which  would 
serve  them  until  the  second  year’s  seeds  afford  a good  bite. 
Sometimes  a temporary  pen  is  made  in  the  turnip-field  for  the 
ewes  to  yean  in,  surrounded  with  little  houses  made  with  hurdles 
to  put  each  ewe  and  lamb  in,  until  the  lambs  are  a day  or  two 
old.  Some  of  the  best  hay  is  given  to  the  ewes  at  this  period. 
It  is  this  season,  when  green  food  and  turnips  sometimes  run 
short,  which  renders  good  hay  so  valuable  in  producing  milk  for 
the  lambs.  When  the  turnips  are  consumed  they  are  turned  into 
the  second  year’s  seeds,  where  they  remain  until  July,  when  the 
lambs  are  weaned,  and  put  into  aftermath  of  seeds  and  sainfoin. 
The  wether  tegs  and  ram  tegs,  if  any,  are  put  on  the  vetches,  to 
be  forced  on  for  the  annual  tup  sales  in  July  and  August.  It  is 
the  rule  to  put  about  sixty  ewes  to  one  tup,  each  flock  having 
separate  fields.  Towards  Michaelmas  the  lambs  are  put  on  the 
turnips,  the  wether  lambs  being  more  particularly  attended  to, 
having  cut  turnips  and  swedes  with  hay.  Some  farmers  give 
them  corn  and  cake  also,  hut  many  fat  tegs,  weighing  from  20  to 
30  lbs.  per  quarter , are  brought  to  the  neighbouring  fairs  in  April 
and  May,  being  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  months  old,  that  have  had 
neither  cake  nor  corn.  Those  which  are  not  fatted  the  first 
winter  on  turnips  are  fed  the  following  summer,  or  sold  in  store 
condition,  but  few  are  kept  to  be  two  years  old.  The  draft  ewes, 
if  not  fed,  are  sold  at  the  fairs  in  August  and  September.  Their 
wool  is  rather  coarse  and  heavy,  preference  being  given  to 
quantity  rather  than  quality.  The  clip  of  ewes  will  average 
about  6 lbs.,  and  that  of  the  tegs  7 lbs.  each. 
The  stock  kept  on  farms  varies  according  to  the  quality  of 
the  land,  or  with  the  system  of  management.  The  average 
number  of  sheep  kept  on  the  best  farms  will  run  to  about  a 
sheep  to  an  acre,  some  rather  more,  but  on  thin  elevated  soils  not 
so  many.  See  Statistical  Table  at  page  144. 
Pigs. — The  pigs  are  mostly  of  the  Berkshire  breed.  The 
colour  is  nearly  black,  and  spotted  with  patches  varying  in  shade 
a little  from  the  rest  of  the  body. 
