740 
On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
used  in  Wilts.  Mr.  Morle,  a most  spirited  tenant-farmer  at  Can- 
nington,  has  lately  ordered  one  of  Clayton  and  Shuttleworth’s  3- 
horse  power  engines. 
It  is  surprising  how  few  improved  agricultural  implements  have 
been  introduced  into  the  southern  part  of  the  county  ; but  near 
Taunton  the  case  is  otherwise.  There  are  some  good  implement- 
makers  on  the  east  of  the  county  bordering  on  Wiltshire.  In 
the  best  farmed  districts  of  the  west  the  smiths  are  slowly 
improving,  but  they  want  knowledge  and  encouragement. 
Carson,  of  Warminster,  makes  a scarifier  which  is  very  much 
in  use;  and  two  machines  of  Moody’s,  for  mashing  or  cutting 
turnips,  which  are  much  approved.  One  is  an  inverted  cone 
of  bars,  through  which  the  turnips  are  squeezed  in  a pulpy  state 
by  a circular  revolving  grating,  set  in  motion  by  a pony ; the 
utility  of  this  machine  is,  I think,  very  questionable  ; but  the 
other  is  an  invaluable  implement  for  economising  the  consumption 
of  roots.  It  is  similar  in  its  action  to  Gardner’s  turnip-cutter  ; 
but  the  turnips  are  cut  into  much  thinner  strips ; so  that  when 
given  with  chaff,  they  stick  to  it,  and  are  so  thoroughly  mixed  with 
it,  that  the  animals  cannot  pick  out  the  turnips  alone.  It  has 
twelve  knives  on  the  barrel,  so  that  it  cuts  nearly  as  fast  as  Gard- 
ner’s, though  cutting  so  much  finer. 
Manures. — It  has  already  been  stated  that  in  one  part  of  the 
county  the  fold,  and  in  others  farm-yard  dung,  are  considered  all 
sufficient.  This  estimate  of  the  value  of  dung  might  be  very  wise, 
if  more  were  done  by  the  generality  of  farmers  to  produce  a 
great  quantity  of  it,  to  make  it  rich  in  quality,  and  to  keep  it  well. 
Some  of  the  most  careful  lay  a mattress  on  the  ground  under  the 
dung-heap,  composed  of  ditch  scrapings,  weeds,  and  refuse  of  all 
kinds,  draw  the  carts  over  the  heap  to  press  it  well  down,  and 
spread  over  it  what  may  (by  a parallel  metaphor)  be  called  a 
coverlid  of  earth,  out  of  old  hedges  and  cobb  walls.  Mr.  Corner 
draws  the  litter  out  of  his  straw  barton  (the  yard  where  young 
stock  live  on  straw)  into  the  hay  barton  (where  beasts  are  living 
better),  so  that  all  his  straw  is  saturated  with  rich  matter.  Box- 
feeding is,  1 think,  unknown,  unless  there  may  be  some  who  do 
as  Mr.  Gould,  of  Broadclist,  did  many  years  ago,  before  Mr. 
Warnes  brought  boxes  so  much  into  notice — viz.,  sink  their  stalls 
about  a foot  below  the  level  of  the  yard,  and  let  the  litter  be  well 
trodden  for  about  three  weeks.  Instances  of  soiling  cattle  and 
horses  in  the  house  during  summer  have  come  under  my  notice 
in  two  farms  near  Bishop’s  Lydeard  and  Staplegrove.  The  last- 
named  case  is  virtually  box-feeding,  and  very  successful  in  its 
results. 
A west-country  farmer  seldom  thinks  much  of  confining  the 
liquid  which  runs  from  his  dung-heap,  being  quite  satisfied  that 
