If a greater number of horses are required, a proportional diminution of other stock is to be made. Hay. The meadow is estimated to produce 56 tons of hay, of which 10 tons are appropriated for the laboring oxen, milch. cows, and the pair of horses; the remaining 46 tons are to be applied as additional food for the sheep, from the beginning of October to the end of April, and will afford a daily supply of about half a pound for each of the whole stock of 1000, and with the cabbages, turnips, potatoes, borecole and rape, will furnish an excellent variety of valuable home food during this period, adapted to the respective scasons.* Straw. The amount of straw from 12 acres of barley and 12 acres of wheat, may be reckoned at 40 tons; of which 20 tons are to be applied as additional food in the winter season, for the young cattle; the remainder to answer for litter. Salt. The different kinds of cattle in a natural state frequenting salt-licks; horses severely treated speedily amending, when fed on salt-marshes; and sheep affected by the rot, if not in the last state of weakness, invariably recovering on being turned into such pastures-indicate its salubrious effects. Some farmers recommend salt to be given to sheep: about a spoonful to be rubbed in their mouths once a week, and in a little time they will take it themselves. Mr. Young says, "In Spain, where the finest wool in the world is produced, great quantities of salt are given to the sheep; to which they attribute, in a great measure, the fineness of the wool. The salt is laid upon the rocks, and the sheep come and lick it, and are exceedingly fond of it." * Mr. Ellman, celebrated for his valuable South Down sheep at Glynd, in Sussex, observes, that "Sainfoin hay and turnips, are by far the best provision for sheep, during winter. When they are first turn. d to turnips, they are frequently attacked by the red water, which is caused by their eating too large a portion of fluid in wet seasons; by which means a proper digestion is prevented. The eflects of this malady are immediately presented, by allowing them a small quantity of hay, to counteract the effects of the turnips. Mr. Ellman has not so much a lost a single sheep by this disorder, for five years, (his flock in winter amounts to 700, in summer to 1450) merely from giving them each a small portion of hay: half a pound, or even a quarter per day, is sufficient. Produce of Food applicable to the different Seasons: and a Statement of the Quantity of each kind of Food, which will supply a Sheep of the weight of 201b. per Quarter, for one day. The total amount, 2504 tons of food, is sufficient to supply 469,575 sheep with food for one day, as appears by this statement; it is therefore sufficient food for 1,286 for one whole year, which number exceeds the flock of 1,000 stated for the farm, by 286 sheep. The food that would support this overplus of sheep, is to be applied to, and will be sufficient for the maintenance of the thirty-two head of cattle in succession, together with the two horses, the total amount of the stock. Manure. In order to examine the quantity of manure that may be annually raised in the farm-yard, a calculation may be formed from what is produced from a cottager's cow of 5cwt. This, though poorly fed and scantily littered, will in the course of the winter, from November to May, make as much dung as will manure twenty perches or rods of land for potatoes, and will be housed about twelve hours in the twenty-four, during these six months, which are equal to three months constant housing. Now as the 1,000 sheep on the farm will be equal in weight to 142 cows, each of 5cwt. and will consume at least as much food, they may be expected to return an equal quantity of dung; and as the thirtytwo head of cattle in succession (supposing them only of the same kind, though in fact they would be a much larger sort) and the two horses, will consume as much food as twenty-eight such cows, which added to the 142, are altogether equal to 170; i. e. the whole stock of the farm will produce as much dung as 170 cottage cows, supposing the time of housing to be the same. But as the sheep and cattle are to be confined and properly fed and littered in the house and sheep-yard for only eighteen hours in the twenty-four, which is equal to nine months constant housing throughout the year, being three times the length of time of that of the cottager's; it may thence be safely expected, that thrice the quantity of dung will be collected on this account, and consequently will manure sixty perches in the proportion that the cottager is able to apply his manure. This increased 170 fold from the stock of the whole farm, will furnish a like portion of manure for 10,200 perches, which is above sixty-three acres. And such a quantity of manure will surely yield a good dressing for 12 1-2 acres, besides allowing a sufficient quantity for enriching the farmer's garden. Labor. Oxen are recommended for all the farm works. The necessary labour of ploughing (with a well formed plough) and harrowing forty-eight acres under the courses of crops before * mentioned, is easily executed by a pair of oxen, and another pair of oxen for carrying in the crops and drawing out the manure. These will have employment only for a few hours each day, as the average distance of all parts of the farm from the yard is about thirty perches. The land will always plough freely when stirred immediately after the crops are removed, save the wheat stubbles, which, in a dry autumn, will be severe work, if the land is much disposed to clay. The wheat being sown at an early season, the crop may be expected to be ready to cut by the beginning of the third or fourth week in August following, when the stubbles are immediately to be ploughed. The ploughing of the clover land commences about the 23d of August. At this period there will be two ploughs at work, with two oxen in each, and the fifth laboring ox employed in drawing the green clover for home food, and at all other times he may be in readiness for other exigencies, as harvest-drawing, &c. But should the wheat stubbles prove very stiff, so as to require the united force of three or four oxen to plough it, the additional strength must be made good, by the four years old ox, and if necessary, by one of the three years old oxen classed among the younger stock; however, in this case of stiff wheat stubbles, and this only, there will such strength be required for one ploughing of twelve acres, as, in all other circumstances, two oxen will perform the work better than a greater number. The oxen, both in plough and harrow, should be guided by reins, the man with the harrow (as well as the ploughman) takes his place behind, where he can view the working of the harrow to more advantage, and be at hand to disengage it when necessary. This land, being all of a good quality, is appropriated to more valuable purposes than that of growing trees, as it is observed that planting can be only profitable on rocky lands, or on those inaccessible to the plough, or on barren heathy mountains. There are several useful crops that are not mentioned here; viz. oats, flax, beans, peas, &c. as the arrangement is drawn up in the present form to avoid prolixity. Dublin, May 1, 1798. JOHN HAMILTON. * Mr Boys mentions, that on the 31st of May, being at Bradfield, (Mr. Young's farm) he saw "A pair of stout oxen turning in manure for cabbages, with a Suffolk plough driven by the ploughman with reins: a stiff soil turned in a great depth; a Sussex, or Weald of Kent farmer, must have at least eight oxen, and perhaps a horse or two, with two drivers to perform this operation, and not plough much more in a given time, than Mr. Young does with his man and a pair of oxen." Fatigued with toils, from war's alarms I bent my weary way; I sought the grove (where nature's charms Pure as the silver ray of light, Enchanted with this rural scene, |