such as the Suffolk Punches, or the active Scotch horses, are by far the best and most economical for farm-work. Where the horses are heavy and sluggish, the men become sluggish likewise, and the work is in consequence slowly and badly performed. Moderatesized, active horses, are therefore to be preferred to the larger, slower kind, except for particular work, where great strength and weight are required. The general business of the farm, such as ploughing, harrowing, and carting, require activity as well as strength; and a stout kind of horse of the above description, will answer for the collar, as well as carry its master to market and fairs.

It is very important that the farmer should ascertain, as accurately as possible, the number of horses actually necessary for the proper cultivation of his farm; and to enable him to do this, all the circumstances connected with it must be taken into consideration-such as the nature of the soil, the quantity of arable and of pasture land, whether lying compact or straggling, the state of the roads, and the distance from market. Nothing in this respect can be laid down as applicable to all cases, but as a general rule it may be said, that a farm of good light loam will require a horse for every 25 acres, with one additional for every 200 acres; that is, 9 horses for 200 acres, and so on in proportion. The larger the fields, the fewer horses are required to do the work, much time being lost in turning where the fields are small.

The field-work should be so arranged, as to give the horses at least two hours' rest in the course of the day, when they should be carefully fed and rubbed down. In summer, if the weather is very warm, the working hours may be from 5 in the morning till 10, and then from 2 till 7-thus resting four hours at the hottest part of the day; otherwise, from 6 till 11, and from 1 till 6 -resting two hours. In winter, the time should be from 7 till 4, resting an hour between 12 and 1. The better your horses are used and cared for, the better will they do your work, and the more profitable servants will they be found.

Working horses should scarcely ever be allowed to pasture in the field; for they fatigue themselves by roaming in search of food, are incommoded by cold, rain, the sun, or flies, and the manure is lost or wasted. Young idle horses and colts may, however, run out at all seasons, for the horse is a hardy animal: but the working horse requires rest during the time which, if turned out into the field, he would be seeking his food"; and a sufficiency of good provender is what, as a good servant, he is entitled to have provided for him, at the end of his day's work.

Considerable saving may be effected by judicious management in the food of farm horses, for although there is nothing more congenial to the stomach of a horse than good hay and oats, with bruised beans and chaff, there are yet cheaper fodders, especially in summer, on which a horse will thrive and do well. Tares, clover, lucerne, and sainfoin, will keep a horse in good working condition; and carrots and Swedish turnips, in moderate quantities, will be of great use. A supply of these plants and roots will always be provided by the prudent farmer, whose horses will then cost him much less than if fed with hay and oats the year round.

In purchasing a horse, there are a few marks which ought always to be attended to, and it will be better to point out these, than to give any lengthy instructions upon the several points of excellence. If a horse has a small head, and short pricked ears shaped like those of a fox, with short legs, and round barrel-shaped ribs close up to the hip-bone, depend upon it you cannot go far wrong in purchasing him. There is no good horse without one of these points, and the best horses have

them all.

The mare is often preferable to the gelding for the farmer, especially for the small farmer. The mare generally costs less, and it seems now to be admitted, that she will do more work and last longer than the gelding. The mare need not be idle whilst in foal; and if not compelled to carry heavy weights, she may with care be used till almost the hour of foaling; but she must have a few weeks' rest afterwards, and lighter work, until the foal is weaned.

If a stout useful cart-mare is crossed with a compact well-knit half-bred horse, the farmer may be pretty certain of having a useful kind of foal. The colt should be well fed and taken care of, or it will not thrive. Do not break it in till it is three years old, and then set him to light work with the plough and the harrow, gradually bringing him to heavier work as his strength increases with his years. Until after five, however, he should be worked with care, and not be over pressed, for a horse cannot be considered to have attained his full powers until he is six, and hardly then.

Be very particular in the selection of a stallion, and pay for a good one, rather than have your mares crossed by a bad weedy animal for nothing. He should have a small head, short ears, prominent eyes, short legs, a wide chest, and high forehand. His arms and thighs must be broad and muscular, his back straight and broad, and his body long, with little space in the flanks between the ribs and hip-bone. The maladies and defects to which the horse is subject, as well as its excellencies, are almost always hereditary. Contracted feet, the curb, spavin, thick wind, blindness, descend from sire or dam; and hence the importance of being careful in the selection of each.

THE SHEEP.

The average number of sheep in the British Islands has been estimated at 40,000,000, and if we reckon them to be worth only 17. per head, it will give 40,000,000%. as their total value in money, which is, however, considerably under the mark. It has likewise been estimated that the value of the wool obtained from the sheep every year is equal to 20,000,000/., and that 10,000,000 of sheep are slaughtered and brought to market annually-this gives 30,000,000l. as the value per annum of sheep to the country; and if we consider further the number of persons who obtain a livelihood by attending to the sheep, and by the manufacture of the wool in all its stages, we shall be sensible of the vast importance of our sheep in a national point of

view, and how necessary it is to attend to this branch of British industry.

Sheep are generally of a wandering nature, especially the hardy sorts, and thrive best on extensive ranges; but they will do well and may be kept with advantage on a moderate-sized farm, the number of course being regulated by the extent of land. Sheep will likewise thrive if fed in the house. Indeed stall-fed sheep fatten much faster than when they are at large; the exercise they then take, and their exposure to the weather, serving to retard their fattening. Warmth and rest always promote the fattening of every description of animal, and these are secured by house and stall feeding.

There are many different breeds of sheep, but they are usually divided into the long-wooled, and the shortwooled kinds: the first includes the Leicester and Coteswold breeds, and the latter includes the Southdown, the Cheviot, and the Black-faced or Forest or Mountain Sheep.

The Leicesters, are large fine animals, but they require a good pasture, and are not so highly prized by the butcher as the Southdowns, which are not so large, and make exceedingly fine meat. The Leicester is nevertheless a very valuable breed of sheep, and they thrive well in our rich lowland pastures.

The Southdowns, as their name imports, are generally found on the wide ranges of downs which extend throughout the southern counties of England, and are perhaps, on the whole, the most valuable of all our breeds: they are, moreover, in all probability, one of the oldest. A cross of the Southdown and Leicester will give an increase of weight, without material injury to the quality of the meat; but the cross must not be repeated, or the purity of the breed will be lost.

The Coteswold breed, is somewhat larger than the Southdown, and is a valuable animal, especially for its wool, which is very long and fine.

The Cheviot, is a highly improved Scotch breed. It

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is very hardy, and is well adapted for hilly, mountainous, and cold districts, in which it does better than the Southdown, and is better both in fleece and carcass than the mountain sheep.

The Black-faced Mountain Sheep, are esteemed for their great hardiness, and the quality of their meat; but they are small, and extremely wild, and are only calculated for the hilly districts of Wales and the West of England.

The Foresters, are a variety of this latter kind, which was probably the original sheep of the country; but they are, like the Welsh breed, unsuited for the general purposes of the farmer, and cannot be kept with advantage unless it be on wild mountain-ranges, and even there the Cheviot will generally be found to answer better.

These are the principal kinds of sheep which are reared in England. Each has its merits, and each its advocates; but the preference of any particular breed ought perhaps generally to depend upon local circumstances, one breed being fitted by habits and constitution for one situation, and another for another; and on this point the farmer must be guided by his own judgment and experience.

The more highly sheep are bred, the more valuable they become to the farmer, and the more social with one another. The Southdown (which are considered our highest and most valuable breed) feed closer together, are more easily tamed, and admit of closer stocking than any others. The more highly sheep are bred, however, the more liable are they to degenerate, if neglected, and the more care and attention will be required to keep their good qualities unimpaired. This is sometimes attempted by occasional crossing with other breeds; but if the breed be pure, crossing is dangerous, and can rarely be recommended. If attempted, the cross should be with the Leicester, which is the best, and indeed almost the only one with which a valuable cross can be made. The cross will sometimes