The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-03-30
AN ENGLISH FARM.


a farm In the lowland, holding
altogether 1900 acres. This great |
charge he is now resigning to his
sons.
The two great industries of Mr..
Thompson's hill farm seem to be the
raising Of sheep and keeping COWS
for milk. A lamb fair has been
held lately, at which he sold 300l
lambs between four and FIVE months |
old, averaging in price 30s. or about
81. Such are sold to farmers who |
are not breeders to be fattened for
market. Sheep fairs are frequent
in Sussex. l hear of one recent
lamb fair TO which was brought
II, 1000 lambs.
The girls take me to the granary
to show me where are stored 1,600I
fleeces-a fact which indicates that
their father is not obliged to force
his produce into market. On both
farms he works about fourteen
bullock's and forty horses. On the
South Downs working oxen are
Sh0d-twO shoes on each foot, of
course. They are thrown down on
their backs, and possession is taken
of their feet. There are black
smiths and wheelwrights' shops on
the place, to save the expense and
trouble OF running to and fro.
On this farm are kept fifty COWS
in beautiful order, not only fed, but
groOmed. They never come out of
the stable except when dry, when
they are turned into the yard
or into rough pasture. Mr.. Thomp-
son whiteWashes, the slated
roof of the coWsheds to keep the
COWS cool. He says that it makes a
wonderful difference as to the heat
absorbed. 1t was in early August
That [ visited Mr.. Thompson. They
were then feeding the cows with
Igreen vetches, among which enough
l0ats had been sowed to hold UP
these climbing leguminous plants
Besides this green fodder, each COW
Ireceives daily about a bushel OF
brewers grains, or matted barley
lsent to this region from London
about forty miles by rail, anG
brought by wagon several more
The cows average two aud hal
gallons Of milk daily, which is cartet
several miles, and sold at abou
22c. the gallon. Mangel wurze
is the principal root crop RAISED
on the farm, and is fee
to the COWS in winter. A COW get
daily one bushel Of sliced mangel
one bushel of the grains, and az
much oat straw as she wants, anC
not unfrequently they give twenty
four quarts day. They keep Dur
hams, which they consider the bes
mixers. The mangel. wurzel doe:
not make rich milk, but it comes W
to the legal standard so that. the
are not fined.
In August, | am just in whea
harvest. Mr.. Thompson says tina
twenty EIGHT bushels of wheat Il
the acre is here considered moder
ate crop, and not untreQuently fort!
Ibusht Is are grown. He says tina
Richard Redford, close to the sea, OF
rich tertiary land, the washings o.
these chalk hills, raised fifty
nine bushels to the acr,
over his whole seventy-fv'
acres, and for several years in sue
cession. Mr.. Thompson can no
understand how farming pays il
America, where the average O
wheat is only twelve or fifteel
bushels. We have not, however
the expenses that [ find in a news
paper estimate which 1 see for al
adjoining county to this Engllsl
one, some Of which, turned int
dollars and cents, run about thus G
shilling being put at 24c.): Rent
: per acre. over ST; tithes, So; rate
or taxes, over 81. Other items ar
plOughing, pressing, drilling, fou
borrowings. spring rolling, hOeing
wedding and rocking, or employing
a boy to drive away the rocks. Thi
last is put down at only SC. per acre
Farming has recently been in
very depressed condition in man,
parts of England. Mr.. Thompso
attributes this circumstance to in
creased wages, rise in expense o
mechanical work, unfavorabl
weather tor several years, and fol
IHlSu COU1pCIlb4Ous ouU uS UO6S LII
appear to desire the re-establist
ment of the corn laws or duties o
foreign grain. On the contrary, b
thinks that my own country Woul
be infinitely benefited by the intro
duction of free trade. During th
late wet and bad seasons, Mr.. ThOml
sons home farm has not suffere
as so many others have, as it lie
high.
Of the Southdown sheep 1 hav
before spoken. Merino sheep lik
ours in America, are not KEY
here, the carcass being to theI
of more Importance than the WOO
The celebrated SouthdoWn mutto
does not owe its flavor to vii
: thyme, as the sheep are fattened o
Cultivated plants; but when rabbit
are killed their kidneys are ofte
quite thymy. This hill farm of NJ
Thompson's, which is not inclose(
feeds about 900 sheep, in thre
fiocks, each flock having shep
herd and dog. At night the shee
are folded, the fold being made c
Z wattles or hurdles of wood, whic
7 can be moved from spot to spot, {"
fresh bedroom every night" say
Mr.. Thompson, and thus one spC