609 
Typical Farms in Cheshire and North Wales. 
his first year’s seeds, about 16 acres, also 16 acres of two-year-old ley, and 
18 acres of older pasture, annually, the latter being taken in rotation after the 
cake-fed grazing bullocks. These are all well top-dressed with farmyard 
manure, and occasionally bone superphosphate, either before or after mowing. 
The normal yield of hay is from 30 cwt. to 2 tons per acre. The expendi- 
ture in purchased manures amounts to 45/. a year, with an additional out- 
lay of some 10/. occasionally for 100 tons of Irish ballast manure, delivered 
on the shore from the Irish boats. 
Of live-stock, besides Mr. Roberts's carriage and riding horses, there 
were — 
5 waggon horses (including 1 | 100 mountain ewes and 96 lambs, 
breeding mare). [ 10 yearling and old rams. 
80 black North Wales bullocks. 2 pigs (feeding for home bacon). 
100 cross-bred ewes and 240 lambs, j 
The bullocks are all purchased, and fattened before being disposed of. 
They are bought in the autumn and spring of the year at two and three 
years old, averaging about 12/. each, and are sold out off the grass as they 
become ripe. The average duration of tlieir stay on the farm is from ten 
to twelve months. They are well done from the time they come on the 
farm. The young stock (about 50 two-year-old bullocks) are wintered in 
the yards and run out on the pastures. They have straw and hay chaff and 
roots pulped, but no allowance of cake and corn. When turned out on the 
pastures in May, cake and corn is commenced at the rate of 5 lb. per day 
for each beast. That amount is not usually exceeded, but the abnormal 
drought this year has necessitated a double quantity being supplied. 
Even under these conditions the beasts are more backward than usual, and 
Mr. Roberts apprehended that they would not all be fattened off as usual 
on the grass. They are generally sold fat from July to November inclusive. 
The bullocks are divided into lots of about one dozen each according to age 
and condition, the most forward having the best keep, and the younger ones 
running with the sheep to keep the pastures evenly grazed. They were a 
fine lot of animals, and usually finish at from 9 to 10 score lb. per quarter, 
and realise the top market price. Cows are kept for supplying the house 
with milk and butter. Formerly the whole of Mr. Roberts’s stock was 
consigned to the London market, but the prices there have become so much 
depreciated and so irregular that it is now disposed of more advantageously 
in the locality. 
The 150 cross-bred ewes are a cross between the Shropshire and the 
Leicester. They are put to a Shropshire ram, as are also the 100 white- 
faced mountain ewes. The cross-breds are mated a fortnight or three 
weeks before the Welsh, and the lambs are dropped in February and March. 
The single ram lambs from the cross-bred flock are sold oft' as fat lambs at 
about 25s. each. The couples are castrated, and such as are not sold are 
finished on the roots and disposed of in the spring. A large proportion of 
the ewes are also sold, and the flock is brought up to its normal proportions 
by the introduction of some of the ewe lambs and the purchase of additional 
ewes. The lambs from the mountain ewes are all sold fat at about 20s. 
apiece, and the ewes make cost price and leave their wool as profit. Roth 
flocks of ewes run out through the winter, and are brought up to a 
meadow adjoining the buildings in which a shepherd’s temporary sleeping- 
house is placed. They are selected in lots as they approach lambing, the 
ewes being carefully marked as to date of lambing during the rutting season. 
No hay, straw, or roots are sold, and most of the oats grown at home are 
consumed on the farm. The cake aud corn purchased account amounts to 
between 200/. and 300/. per annum. 
