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manner before noticed, but not requiring more than two, or at farthest three days at a time, and in about seven or eight weeks from the time the couples were removed, the hay crop is grown, and becomes fit for mowing; the watering being frequently repeated during the greater part of this period, and till within eight or ten days of the mowers going into the meadow.

"The cutting of the grass young, and in full sap, is indispensable for preserving its nourishing qualities."

P. 272. "These water-meadows are sometimes, but rarely, laid up for a second crop. They are more frequently fed, after the second summer-watering, with grazing or store cattle; but when depastured by milch-cows, the increase of the dairy produce from such a fresh and succulent herbage, is represented to be very considerable, and that without abating in any respect of its high land pasture quality. The meadows are commonly thus fed til! preparation is making or nearly completed for the winter flowing."

P. 277. "An opinion is strongly cherished, that the hay and after-grass of the water-meadows (let the meadows be ever so well managed, and their produce equally well saved) do not contain that feeding or fattening quality which is known to appertain to grass voluntarily produced upon an equally well drained, and in other respects similarly circumstanced soil, but without the aid or stimulus brought on by irrigation. Cattle or horses, they contend, feeding upon the hay, or pastured upon the after-grass of watered ground, will generally hold their own, or, in other words, keep to the condition they were in when put to such food: they will grow or increase in size, but not in condition, from such fodder of pasturage."

This opinion, I believe, is general among occupiers of watered meadows. The nutritious quality of the early spring shoots is very probably given by raygrass, which forms a principal part of the herbage, at that season:-a fact, this, which I speak of from my own examinations.

"DRY MEADOWS," and LowLAND PASTURE GROUNDS. P. 262. "Meadows.-Those of the greatest extent and value are found along the respective water-courses in the county.

"In the woodland part of the county, the proportion between the enclosed, cultivated, arable, and grass land, is stated about one-seventh of the latter to six-sevenths of the former."

P. 264. "The herbage, on the general run of these low grounds and pastures, is not thought equal to the feeding of a cow or steer exceeding 71, or at the utmost eight

score

score per quarter. The better, and indeed prime pastures (of which the District before us affords but a small proportion), will nearly finish an ox of 10 or 11 score per quarter, in the same time, that is, between the middle of May and that of November; but in either case, the extent of ground over which the feeding cattle would be admitted to range, was not satisfactorily ascertained.

"No manuring or compost was particularly understood as being applied, either as to time or expense, in the renovating of these grass lands. The produce of hay from those of the first quality, was estimated at 36 cwt. per acre, and of the inferior 22 cwt. The after-grass not consumed by the dairy cows or store cattle, is usually applied for the agistment of sheep taken in during the winter months, at 7s. or 88. per head, and in the manner before noticed.

"The rent or value of this land, whether meadow or pasture, is found, from various statements, to fluctuate between 158. and 50s., and which, on a general average, is thought to equal about 288. per acre.

"In the chalk district, the proportion of permanent grass land (excepting the sheep downs) is small in comparison to the extent of land subject to a system of up and down husbandry. It consists of some upland meadow or pasture ground, and which seemed to occur in the greatest quantity south of Overton, and extending towards Popham and the Strattons. The low grounds and vallies of the Teste, the Auton, the Itchen, and the river that passes through Titchfield, and obtains its exit into the sea at Hilt-head, exhibit many laudable exertions which have hitherto been made, and are still making, in converting the eligible parts of such vallies into water-meadow."

For a method of forming "dry meadows," see ozier beds, p. 329, aforegoing.

HIGH-LAND PASTURES, or "MAIDEN DOWNS."-Mr. Vancouver properly advocates the cause of this species of permanent herbage; showing, in different parts of his work, the propriety, or necessity, of preserving them in their natural state; and arraigning the officious meddlings of theory, with well grounded practice; in terms not unsimilar, in tendency, to those expressed, p. 300, aforegoing, on the same topic.

The subjoined extract sufficiently declares Mr.V.'s opinion on this subject.-P. 266. "The most striking shades of difference in the soil of the sheep downs, have already been noticed under three distinct heads, in the Chapter which treats of soil generally. It will therefore be only necessary in this place to say a few words on their herbage, and what appears to the Surveyor as being the best mode

mode of managing and preserving it in its purest excellence.

"It is found to consist of a prodigious variety of plants and grasses, as well upon the black mould as upon the soils possessing a grey and a hazel colour, and whether of an equally loose, or of a more close and compact nature: the value of all, but particularly of the former, will very much depend upon the close treading and paring (by the sheep) which it constantly undergoes. This done, the pasturage will preserve its value; and hence it follows, that sheep of a peculiar size and hardiness are alone proper for such sheep-walks, and no others; for whenever the down sheep-walk rises above the height of good store sheep range, the coarser grasses get a-head, and the flocks will suffer considerably before they will feed upon it.

"The large tracts of maiden down which within a few years have been reduced to the lowest stage of exhaustion and sterility, from the short-sighted policy and ever-to-belamented practice of paring, burning, and destroying, their native green sward, have contributed in a most alarming degree to the diminution of sheep in such parts of this district. Were it possible to cultivate rape, or any species of green crop upon these exhausted lands, and upon which the stock might depasture without appropriating the ordinary resources of in-field manure for raising such crops, the evil would in some degree admit of mitigation, and a larger proportion of the former sheep stock of the occupation would not only yield a correspondent profit as stock, but by their folding, contribute in a more extensive degree to the renovation and improvement of the ancient tillage lands. These advantages, however, are greatly abridged in the cases here alluded to, and the evils attendant upon them not only operates in a two-fold degree, but at the same time without the least shadow of relief or remedy.

"A very general opinion prevails throughout the chalk district, that unless the larger farms can have watermeadow at one end, and a maiden down at the other, or at least some sort of permanent grass land, it is utterly impossible for such farms to be conducted to advantage, and as they should be: hence the incalculable injury resulting to estates, not only from the breaking up of old down land, but by paring and burning, utterly despoiling it of all its fruitful energies."

ORCHARDS.-P. 289. "In the woodland, chalk, or malmy districts, very few apples are attempted to be raised beyond what is necessary for kitchen use. The chalky character composing so large a proportion of these dis

tricts,

tricts, seems by no means adapted for orchard ground on a large scale. Upon the marl or clay bottom lands in the south and south-western parts of the county, orchards were more generally observed, and from which a few families were in the practice of making two or three hogsheads of cider annually; but this appeared no where to be an object of much concern among the rural inhabitants. In the Isle of Wight it is somewhat different; for although the orchard ground even there is of no considerable extent, there are but few farmers who do not make from two to six hogsheads of cider annually. It is made chiefly for home use; but its excellent quality (principally derived from the strong brown loans upon which the greater part of the orchards are cultivated) often carries it to so high a price, as to form a powerful temptation with many of the farmers for selling certain parts of their annual produce to their northern neighbours, by whom it is in much demand and held in high estimation."

VINEYARD.-Mr. Warner, in his sketch Report of the Isle of Wight, mentions, at some length, an experiment which Sir Richard Worsley was prosecuring at the time Mr. W. wrote, (in 1793 or 4) with a view to produce Wine, in the Isle of Wight! The subjoined is Mr. Vancouver's account of the result.

P. 259. "On a subject so new and interesting, the Surveyor could not fail of being sensibly disappointed, when, upon his approaching Undercliff, he was not only refused admittance to that charming little spot, but from the cliffs above, the whole of the late vineyard was shown to him in the condition of a verdant lawn, and, with the only visible remains of the works of the vineyard, a stone wall about five feet high ranging through the middle

of it."

Either the climature of this island has changed, or certain classical writers must have mistaken apple for grape wine; or have fastidiously refused to write cider.

LIVESTOCK.

HORSES.-Forest Ponies;-provincially "Heath Croppers."-P. 376. "The ordinary height of the heath or forest horse of this country is about twelve hands. They propagate indiscriminately upon these wastes, where they seek their living throughout the year, and at four years old may generally be purchased for about 51."

CATTLE.-Breed.-P. 352. "Hampshire does not appear to possess, as exclusively belonging to the county, any specific breed of cow cattle. The Sussex, Suffolk, Leicester, Hereford, Glamorgan, North and South Devon,

and

and Norman breed, are indiscriminately met with, and have their respective advocates, in every part of the county. The Sussex, Suffolk, Hereford, Glamorgan, North and South Devon, command however as general a preference for draught, as does the Norman for the bucket, or the use of the dairy."

For a notice concerning the native or forest breed of cattle, see the head Occupiers, p. 333, aforegoing.

DAIRY.-Butter.-P. 359. "What has already been observed with regard to the indiscriminate mixture in the breeds of cattle employed for draught in this county, will equally apply as to the different breeds of cows in use for the dairy, where, although the genuine Norman and crosses from that breed, are universally preferred, yet necessity seems to command in the present day, that a considerable mixture of different breeds should be admitted in composing a dairy of any extent in this county."

No reason is offered for this puzzling assertion. The subjoined account of the merits of the Norman cows, which is almost wonderful, considering their inferior size, has a tendency to weaken it.-P. 362. "A cow of the Norman breed, belonging to Mr. Anthony Groves, of Lymington, produced in 1797, in ten months and twenty days, 1336 gallons, two quarts, and half a pint of milk, beer measure, which at 2d. per quart, sold for 447. 11s. Old. Another cow also, of the Norman breed, but of less size, which belonged to Mr. Richard Jennings, of Milford, yielded, from 15 to 16 lb. of butter for several weeks after calving. This cow was fed on hay in the winter, and had a range over three paddocks with an old horse. Mr. Groves's cow was fed in the house during winter, with grains and hay."

Letting Butter Dairies.-P. 364. "There are many cows kept for the use of the dairy, that are rented out to dairymen and their families at from 71. to 91. per cow."

"This practice obtains very generally throughout most parts of the county, including the Isle of Wight."

Suckling.-P. 362. "Suckling.-For this purpose, a number of cows are kept in different parts of the county, and many calves are suckled for supplying with veal the markets of London, Portsmouth, Chichester, Winchester, Newbury, Reading, Salisbury, &c."

SHEEP.-Hampshire, it would seem from Mr. V.'s Report, has no established breed,-no one that it can call its own.P. 365. "In the woodland district of this county," (the. Northern Vale Lands,)" the heath sheep and Old Hampshire, or the native Wilts breed, were those tormerly the most prevalent, but which in many places are now found

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