114 
Sussex Cattle. 
ever necessary) must also be included in the scheme ; the value 
of this excellent practice is universally admitted, y r et, somehow, 
it is less commonly adopted than it should be. 
Finally, a proper arrangement of the rotation helps con- 
siderably in making the most of the nitrogen supply. This 
opens up too wide a subject for discussion here, but it may be 
mentioned that cases have come under the writer’s notice where 
marked increases of crop have been secured by suitably 
modifying the order in which crops are taken, and without 
buying in more nitrogenous manure. 
E. J. Russell. 
Rothamsted Experimental Station, 
HarpendeD, Herts. 
SUSSEX CATTLE. 
The “ Sussex ” breed of cattle is named after the county of its 
origin, to which it was chiefly confined until the beginning of 
the last century. Even at the present day no recognised 
pedigree herds are to be found outside the Home Counties. 
When the Herd Book was started by Mr. Heasman in 1882, 
there were eighty-one registered herds entered in the first 
volume, of which seventy were in Sussex, ten in Kent, and 
one in Surrey, whereas we find in the last volume (Vol. 23) 
of the same, that there were recently (January, 1908) forty- 
seven herds in Sussex, forty-six in Kent, one in Surrey, and 
one in Essex. The increase is thus practically confined to the 
county of Kent, while there is a heavy decrease in Sussex. 
The chief value of Sussex cattle lies in its excellent grazing 
and beef-making qualities, combined with great constitutional 
vigour and thriftiness, which make it especially valuable for 
stocking poor pasture land. 
The colour of the breed is almost wholly red, but the tips 
of the tails are always white and spots of white occasionally 
appear on the body. 1 These, when confined to the belly of 
the animal, are not considered a disqualification. The shade 
of red most generally approved is a rich mahogany colour, but 
it varies from light brick dust to almost black. Black Sussex 
cattle are often referred to by early chroniclers of the breed. 
Sussex cattle have many characteristics similar to the 
Devon but are larger in size, stronger in bone, and more robust 
in constitution. Both breeds are no doubt descended from the 
middle-horned red cattle which old writers tell us were found 
in the south and south-western counties. 
1 It may be said there is really no breed of animal absolutely whole 
coloured. 
