152 
Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
poses,  and  for  the  produce  of  butter  for  the  neighbouring  towns, 
where  it  generally  brings  a good  price.  The  breeding  stock  are 
mostly  short-horns  or  a mixed  breed.  Miss  Strickland,  of 
Appcrley  Court,  introduced  the  pure  short-horn  into  this  neigh- 
bourhood some  years  since,  with  an  advantage  to  her  neighbours. 
There  are  a few  breeders  of  Herefords  ; Mr.  Barnes,  of  Tirley, 
has  exhibited  some  very  good  ones  at  shows.  The  stock  bred 
being  mostly  for  dairy  purposes,  short-horns  are  preferred.  The 
young  stock,  when  weaned  early  and  kept  tolerably  well,  are 
brought  into  the  dairy  at  two  years  old,  but  when  kept  on  poorish 
land,  not  until  three  years.  It  is  dangerous  to  keep  young  stock 
on  too  good  land,  as  they  are  more  subject  to  the  murrain, 
whence  the  vale  is  not  so  suitable  for  rearing  young  cattle  as  the 
hills.  Seeds  are  better  for  them  than  the  pasturage  of  the  old 
grass-land.  In  the  extreme  north-east  of  the  county,  at  Marston, 
Honeybourne,  Willersley,  Wormington,  and  adjoining  parishes, 
there  are  considerable  dairies  making  fair  cheese. 
Loose  pens  for  dairy-cows  have  been  tried,  where  each  has  a 
separate  place  to  itself,  and  are  thought  the  best  possible  accom- 
modation. The  cows  are  kept  cleaner  with  less  litter  than  on 
any  other  plan,  and  much  less  hay  is  wasted  than  when  in  yards. 
A shed  9 feet  deep,  divided  into  pens  8 feet  wide,  with  an  outlet 
of  9 or  10  feet,  besides  a space  for  the  crib  and  water,  is  about 
the  proper  size.  Lord  Ducie  and  Mr.  Walters  are  breeders  of 
excellent  short-liorns. 
Sheep. — Scarcely  any  sheep  are  bred  in  this  district.  They 
are  bought  in  from  the  Cotswolds,  and  at  Gloucester  market,  for 
feeding.  The  land  in  moderately  wet  seasons  is  almost  sure  to 
rot  them. 
Butter,  Cheese-making,  Sfc. — It  has  been  already  stated  that 
there  are  dairies  in  almost  every  part  of  the  county,  but  the  prin- 
cipal ones  are  found  in  the  vales  of  Evesham,  Gloucester,  and 
Berkeley,  and  of  the  Isis  and  Thames,  and  on  the  borders  ex- 
tending all  round  it.  Butter  and  cheese  are  made  in  the  dairies 
adjoining  North  Wilts,  which  are  sold  in  the  neighbourhood. 
As  before  mentioned,  much  of  the  land  in  this  district  will  not 
produce  cheese  of  the  best  quality,  although  it  may  not  be  de- 
ficient in  richness.  It  is  too  strong-tasted,  and  inclined  to  heave, 
or  get  hollow  and  full  of  eyes.  The  valley  of  the  Severn,  between 
Gloucester  and  Bristol,  including  the  vale  of  Berkeley,  is  the 
most  important  dairy  district  of  the  county.  The  celebrated  double 
and  single  Gloucester  cheeses  are  made  here,  and  most  of  the 
farmers  make  it  their  principal  study  to  produce  as  much  of  those 
kinds  as  possible.  Butter,  veal,  and  rearing  young  stock  are 
quite  secondary  considerations.  They  sell  their  calves  when  a 
