which it yields for the use of the farmer and his workpeople, as well as for sale. The principal orchards in England are found in the counties of Worcester, Gloucester, Monmouth, Hereford, Somerset, and Devon. In the two former counties, pear-trees are likewise extensively planted for the production of perry, whilst in the latter the apple is chiefly cultivated for making cider.

An orchard requires a deep soil, but it should not be wet or springy. A bank, or gently rising ground, is better than ground that is low and flat; and it ought to be well sheltered from the northerly and north-westerly winds, and, if possible, be open to the south and south-east. The situation should be dry, for where fogs and damps prevail, the blossoms are more liable to be injured by frosts in spring, and the trees become mossy, and soon decay from excess of moisture.

Young apple and pear trees should be planted early in autumn, as soon as their wood has become ripe, and their leaves begin to fall. They will then make fresh roots before the winter sets in, and be prepared to push forth young shoots with more vigour in the spring. They may be planted at about ten yards apart, a little more or less according to the character of the tree, and the nature of the soil. They will require to be watered the first year, if the spring and summer are dry. The young trees should be attended to during their growth, and pruned as required, to prevent their branches crowding and running cross. If this is properly done, the trees will rarely require anything afterwards, and the cutting of old trees is apt to be injurious.

It is very important that the orchard should be open to the sun and air, and that the trees, whether apple or pear, should not be planted too close together. All moss and misletoe should be removed from the trees, and the ground should be kept free from weeds and rubbish.

The pear requires a lighter soil than the apple, and this should be attended to in selecting the site of an orchard. The pear-tree is of stronger growth, and less liable to be broken and injured by storms, than the apple, and may therefore stand in the more exposed

aspects, or be planted as a belt round the orchard to shelter the apple-trees.

CIDER.

Apples of different kinds ripen at different times, and earlier or later according to the season; but in general, the principal crop attains maturity about the middle of November. Collect the fruit as it falls, and what remains on the trees should be shaken or gathered, and piled into heaps, each sort by itself, and there be allowed to remain till the apples become mellow and ready for the mill.

The cider-mill usually consists of a circular stone trough, about 18 feet diameter, round which a heavy stone roller is turned, by a horse harnessed to a pole passing through its centre. The fruit is put into the trough, and when completely ground down into a pulp that will pass without lumps through the fingers, it is placed under a press, either in coarse horsehair cloths, or between alternate layers of reeds, the outer ends of which are doubled back to prevent the pulp or "must" escaping. The pressure is sometimes applied by screw and sometimes by lever, and it must be continued until the whole of the juice is extracted.

The liquor is received into a flat tub, from which it is poured into casks placed in open sheds, and there allowed to ferment; and when it has become clear, by the thick muddy matter sinking to the bottom, it is "racked," or drawn off into other casks, but not bunged up.

In the making of cider, it is necessary to be careful in selecting the fruit, for its quality will in a great measure depend upon proper sorts of apples being ground together; and for this, experience is the only guide. Another important matter to be attended to is the fermentation. If this be too slight, the liquor will be thick and unpalatable; if too rapid, its strength will be impaired; and if it be excessive, the cider will be sour, harsh, and thin. The latter is the evil of most frequent

occurrence, and whenever excess of fermentation is observed, no time should be lost in racking the liquor off into another cask, which is the only sure remedy; and this it may in some cases be necessary to repeat two or three times.

Early in January the cider may be removed into cellars, but it is not usually bunged down until March; and it may be used in a month or two after, although it is always greatly improved by keeping. The quantity of cider consumed is very considerable, especially during harvest time, it being the usual beverage of the agricultural labourers in the West of England; and it is moreover extensively used as an article of luxury by the middle and upper classes throughout the country.

LIVE STOCK.

Having described the agricultural operations connected with the management of the farm, we will now speak of the live stock necessary to be kept upon it; for without a proper amount of stock, the farmer cannot make the most of his land, or obtain a sufficiency of manure for its profitable cultivation. The selection and management of his live stock, will therefore always form an important object of consideration with the judicious agriculturist.

The live stock proper to be kept on a farm, must depend on its size, and the nature and proportions of its arable and pasture land. The number of horses should be proportioned to the quantity of work to be performed. If too few, the work will be imperfectly done, or at improper times; if too many, they will lead to waste, and eat up the profits of the farm. To fix on the exact number, neither too many nor too few, must be the object of every farmer.

It was an old practice to divide a farm into so many ploughs, or plough-lands, that is, as much land as could be cultivated with one plough; and when there were several of these, it was found useful to have an odd or spare horse for every two ploughs, to relieve the others

occasionally. There seems to be little room for improvement on this practice; and as a pair of horses are now generally held to be sufficient for a plough (except perhaps in the case of very heavy adhesive soils), it folfows, that for every two ploughs a fifth horse should be kept. The odd horse will be found useful in various ways, and will well repay the cost of his keep, by ensuring greater regularity in carrying on the work of the farm.

With respect to cattle, cows, and sheep, the number of each proper to be kept, must of course vary in every case, and no general rule can be laid down on the subject. It is obviously of great importance that the largest quantity of these descriptions of stock that the farm is capable of properly supporting, should be kept, as well on account of the profit which they will yield, if rightly managed, as for the sake of the manure which they afford: but it is even of greater importance that the land should not be over-stocked, which would inevitably lead to great mischief, and serious loss; and no point calls for more consideration and judgment on the part of the farmer than this.

CATTLE.

The rearing, selection, and feeding of cattle, constitute a very important branch of the farmer's duties, and much of his success will depend upon the correctness of his judgment, and his judicious management in this respect.

There are certain essential points, without which no animal, whatever its other apparent merits, will be found in the long run to answer. These are a

wide deep chest, a round well-formed barrel, strong and straight spine, the hip-bones well separated, and a good length of quarter-all of which are necessary for the perfect and healthy performance of the various bodily functions of the animal. In addition to these, it should have a thick, loose, pliant skin, well covered with silky hair to ensure warmth, whilst its soft loose feel indicates a good quantity of cellular substance underneath, for the ready accumulation of fat. The legs should be short and strong. The eye should be clear,

full, and mild, indicating a healthy circulation, and a gentle temper. This is very important, for an animal that is quiet and not easily disturbed, will fatten rapidly, while one that is restless and impatient, will be slow in acquiring flesh.

There are various breeds of cattle, all differing in some degree from each other, but all possessing qualities which are held in high estimation in certain districts, and by certain breeders of stock. The most usual mode of distinguishing the breeds, is that of dividing them into the long-horned or Leicestershire kind, the middlehorned or Devon and Hereford kinds, the short-horned or Dutch kind, and the Polled kind, which is altogether without horns.

The long-horned, is a large and rather coarse animal, and is not now so highly esteemed as it has been heretofore. The cows are generally bad milkers, and this breed is gradually giving place to the shorthorned, which answers well both for the dairy and for feeding, and is daily becoming more popular and more extensively raised.

At the head of the middle-horned, we must place the Devon and the Hereford breeds. Each of these is a very valuable description of stock, especially the Hereford, which, taken altogether, perhaps stands second to none in quality, either for the dairy or the shambles. It is somewhat larger and hardier than the Devon, and the cows are generally better milkers. The Devon is, however, a very valuable breed, round, compact, and beautiful in form; and, on good pastures, easily fattened.

The short-horned, is a highly improved breed, obtained by crossing with the Flemish and Holstein kinds, and is deservedly held in great repute. There are several varieties of the short horns, one of the most generally approved of which is the Ayrshire. The Ayrshire cow feeds well, is very quiet, and a good milker; but, indeed, this may be said of nearly all the varieties of the short-horned kind.

The Polled or Galloway breed, is hardy and valuable to the grazier. They are generally black, have small