REVIEW— REPORT OF THE FARMING OF CORNWALL. 223 
encourage a good fleece, and of sound staple, sheep require to be 
kept well in the spring season; but it sometimes happens, from the 
scarcity of food — the general consequence of bad farming or over- 
stocking — that this is not attended to ; and the difference produced 
in the weight of wool only — on sheep of the same breed kept in 
different ways — is as much as 25 per cent.* The principal disease 
to which our sheep are liable is scouring, which is referable to 
deficiency of food at one time, and excess of it at another. 
CATTLE. 
“ The breeding and rearing of cattle forms no inconsiderable 
item in the agricultural economy of the county. A rough estimate 
of the number bred annually has been made by Sir Charles Lemon, 
by calculating the number of hides tanned in 1839, and the num- 
ber exported and imported, which the writer is permitted to make 
use of. The result is as follows : — 
“ Store cattle, sold to the eastern dealers, 
averaging from 5i to 6 cwt. each 
Eat catt.le ditto ditto 
3,500 at 10Z. . 
1,200 at 15/. . 
15,950 at 15/. . 
11,550 at 2 5s. . 
35.000 
18.000 
.. 239,250 
14,437 
Cattle killed in the county 
Calves ditto ditto 
There are also some fat cows and a bull 
occasionally imported, which may be 
estimated at 
32,200 head . 
900 head . . . 
.. 306,687 
10,800 
31,300 head ... 
. <£295,887 
* “ Sheep are very rarely turned on the turnips without being hurdled ; 
the general practice is to cart the roots on the arishes or pastures intended 
to be broken next in rotation for turnips : besides which, a little hay, and 
sometimes barley and oats, is afforded them during the severe weather by 
the best farmers. We are aware of but two instances of feeding of sheep 
under sheds, practised by Mr. Snell, of Wayton, Landulph, and by Mr. Lawry, 
of Tregarton, Gorran. 
“ Mr. Snell’s shed is 70 feet long and 12 feet wide, having a yard attached 
about 50 feet by 20 feet. This will contain 50 sheep. They are fed three 
times a-day with sliced turnips, in a manger placed against the inner wall the 
whole length of the shed. The yard and shed are prepared by laying down 
during the summer -six inches of earth (sand is used by Mr. Lawry), and 
upon that are placed hedge parings (which are cut, ricked, and thatched 
for the purpose) and stubble, so that when the sheep are first introduced 
there is a bed about one feet in depth, and upon which is afterwards daily laid 
straw or hedge parings from the rick. When the bed becomes inconveniently 
high for the manger, it is removed, and a fresh one applied. Mr. Snell adds, 
‘ I have not found my sheep, kept in this manner, more liable to disease than 
others, except the foot-rot , which was easily prevented by carting a quantity 
of earth in the form of a mound in the centre of the yard, upon which were 
occasionally strewed small quantities of slaked lime; and this simple remedy 
has ever since entirely prevented the disease.’ 
