The richest grazing lands in England are, the vale of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, the marsh lands of So mersetshire, the fens of Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Etc. Romney Marsh in Kent, and the midland counties, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Etc. The natural fer tility of some of these districts, and the fertility bestow ed upon others, by the agricultural skill, capital, and in dustry of the farmer, is astonishing. On the rich graz ing lands in Lincolnshire 3i sheep have been kept on an acre during the summer, besides I bullocks ; and during winter, the same ground has kept two sheep per acre.
The hay made in this kingdom is either from the na tural grasses, from clover and rye grass, or clover alone, or from sainfoin. The first description, or meadow hay, as it is called, is principally the produce of the western counties, where comparatively little clover is sown, and where meadows are most extensive and numerous. The mode of making this species of hay is carried to the greatest perfection in the county of Middlesex, particu larly in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. Clo ver hay, either pure, or mixed with rye grass, is most common in the southern, eastern, and northern counties. Sainfoin hay is confined to those counties which have a calcareous soil, as on such a soil alone this plant can be profitably grown. The usual weight of a crop of mea dow hay, is from one to one and a half tons per acre ; of clover hay, from one to two tons; and of sainfoin hay, about the same quantity. In those counties, which are peculiarly favoured with an early and dry climate, clover is sometimes permitted, after it has been once cut, to stand for the purpose of procuring its seed ; but by far the greatest proportion of clover seed is obtained from Holland and Flanders.
From the sketch which we have given of the arable husbandry of England, it will be perceived, that, with the exception of a few counties, it is by no means gene rally deserving of a high character for excellence and im provement. Many of the implements employed are con structed on bad principles, and awkwardly made ; much labour and expence in the cultivation of the ground is thus needlessly thrown away. Besides, the ground in many counties is imperfectly ploughed and kept clean; and courses of crops are followed, which tend to exhaust it, or at least to prevent the farmer from reaping all the advantages from his expence and labour, which, under more judicious rotations, he could not fail to derive.
But though the arable husbandry of England, on the whole, is thus defective and backward, the agricultural character of the country must be placed deservedly very high, on account of the breeds of its sheep and cattle, and the great improvements which within these few years have been made in them. Respecting the sheep of this
country, we shall enter into pretty full and minute de tails; and we trust our readers will not deem these de tails too far drawn out, or superfluous, when they reflect, that the investigation and account which we shall after wards give of our staple manufactory, will be thus ren dered more full, satisfactory, and complete. As the same reason does not exist for being so particular respecting the other branches of live stock, we shall bestow on them a comparatively short notice.
Before, however, we proceed to describe and enumerate the different kinds of sheep that arc kept in England, and to form an estimate of the quantity of wool which they afford, it may be proper to premise some general remarks respecting their management. Sheep are fed either on the mountainous districts of England and Wales, in the rich grazing grounds, especially in the midland counties, and on the marsh lands, or on arable farms. In the mountainous districts, the chief object is to breed them ; where they are kept on grazing grounds, or on arable farms, the principal ohject is to prepare them for the butcher. In some parts of England they arc kept on arable farms, not only fur the purpose of being fat tened, but also to manure the fallows, by being folded on them. This practice, however, is by no means ge neral. On these farms, the most common mode of fat tening them is by means of turnips, oil cake, hay, and corn.
There are great varieties of sheep kept in this country. The principal kinds are, the Dishley or New Leicester, the Lincoln, the Teeswater, the Dartmoor, the Exmoor, the Dorset, the Hereford, the South Down, the Norfolk, the Heath, the Hardwick, the Cheviot, the Dunfaced, the Romney 'Marsh, the Wiltshire, the Bagshot Heath, and the Spanish or Merino. Of these, however, it may be remarked, that the Wiltshire and the Dorsctshire are nearly alike in their form, the quality of their wool, and their general properties ; and that the Bagshot Heath sheep are nearly extinct, or, where remaining, are so nearly allied to the Heath sheep, that they may be class ed with them. The following Table will exhibit a clear view of these different breeds, according to their most important and distinguishing properties.