Trial, two Gallons of the Milk of the Aubourn fed Cattle upon fhort Grafs, always yields more Cream than three Gallons of Milk of the Cows fed in the Vale upon long Grafs: So that the Cheese made from the Aubourn Cows, is much richer and fatter than what is made from the Cows of the Vale, as I find by Experience. Indeed, the Cows which feed upon this short Grafs, hardly yield three fourths of the Quantity of Milk that the Cows of the Vale ufually do; but then the Goodnefs of it is fo far beyond the other, that if it was but half the Quantity, the Price of the Cheese made of fuch Milk will fufficiently recompenfe the want of Measure; but especially if the fame Method was taken here in making the Cheese, as is used at Stilton.

From these Examples, we may conclude, that there is in this fort of Grafs, an excellent rich Quality, which affords an extraordinary Nourishment for Cattle, and renders them healthful and wholesome for our Ufe; for as they are well nourish'd, and preferv'd in Health, by fuch Food, fo we may reasonably judge, that the Flesh of fuch Animals, and their Milk like. wife, which is free from Diftemper, muft be nourishing to Mankind, who makes 'em fo great a Part of his Diet.

And now I have done with the Soil, as far as it concerns the Rabbits and their Food, it will be neceffary to hint that this Warren is wall'd about fo that they have not the Liberty of fearching their Food elsewhere; therefore 'tis only what they get in the Warren which brings them to that Perfection, and gives them their fuperior Value over other Rabbits.

Of

Of the Number of Rabbits neceffary to Stock a Warren; and of the Value of good Rabbits.

MR.

R. Gilbert, who is the prefent Master of Auborne Warren, and has all his Lifetime been bred up in that Way, tells me, that it is neceffary always to keep eight thoufand Rabbits for a Stock, in about feven hundred Acres of fuch Ground; and judges, that one Year with another, the Increafe from fuch a Stock is about twenty four thousand Rabbits ; but these are fubject to many Accidents, by Poachers, Weezles, Polecats, Foxes, and Diftempers, tho' the greatest Care be taken of them by watching, fetting of Ginns, or in their Food. To view the Warren in its prefent State, one would fuppofe that the Food there would hardly maintain half fo many; but yet we find by his Method of Management, that he lofes few of them, and his Warren is always in better Cafe than others, and his Rabbits of a greater Price; they are known from others by being fhorter legg'd, and shorter body'd, and thicker; and are highly admir'd for the extraordinary Sweetness of their Flefh, which is as far fuperior to that of other Rabbits, as the Down Mutton excels the Flesh of the larger Kind of Sheep fed in long Grafs.

The Time when he firft begins to kill them in Quantity for the London Markets, is about Bartholomew-tide; and from that Time to Michaelmas, delivers them at London for 9 s. per Dozen, free of Charges; but from Michaelmas to Christmas has 10 s. 6 d. for each Dozen deli

vered in London, himself being ftill at the Expence of Carriage, which amounts to 1 7. per Hundred, which is fix Score. The Reafon, he tells me, why the Price of Rabbits is lefs between Bartholomew-tide and Michaelmas, than between Michaelmas and Christmas, is, because the Skins are not perfect till Michaelmas, and theri they are not worth above a Penny a piece, and then the warm Weather will not fuffer the Rabbits to keep fit for eating above two or three Days; but from Michaelmas to Christmas the Skins are in Perfection, and are worth near 6 d. a piece, or about 5 s. per Dozen, and the Weather will fuffer the Rabbits to keep perfect for four or five Days after killing. This explains to me a Difficulty which otherwise I could never have furmounted; for it is commonly practis'd in London, to fell the Rabbits without their Skins for 10 d. or 12 d. a piece till about Michaelmas; and from that Time to Christmas, when the Poulterers paid dearer for them, they have been bought for 8 d. and 7 d. a piece, and even fometimes for 6 d. but it appears by this, that 'tis the Value of the Skins, which is the chief Occafion of the different Prices.

He acquaints me farther, that when a Skin is in Season, the Wool or Fur is not all of the fame Fineness, the coarfer Sort is worth perhaps 3 d. per Pound, the next about 5 d. and the finest, which is in the Poll of the Neck, is worth about three times as much; but when the Skin is not in Season, I am told that 'tis fo hard to separate the little good Wool from the bad, that the Trouble is almost as much worth as the Wool it felf; and therefore it appears, that the Wool of a Rabbit in Seafon, is worth full as much as the Flesh of the Rabbit, and we have

then Rabbits cheaper in London. But in Hertfordshire there is a Warren, where all the Rabbits are of that Kind which have the filver Hair, as they call it, and their Skins are worth 12 d. a piece, when they are perfect: So that for their Skins alone it is worth while to keep them, if the Flesh were thrown away. And one Reafon why I suppose the Aubourn Rabbits may be valu'd in an extraordinary Manner, is because their Wool is finer than others, from the Nature of their Food, which will contribute to the Fineness or Smallness, I fuppofe, as a barren Land will always produce Plants confifting of much smaller Parts.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Concerning the Improvement of Land by Clover, with the Method of gathering and dreffing the Seed.

Tgreat

HE Husbandry of Clover has prov'd of great Advantage to several Parts of England, but is not yet fo generally known, as to be cultivated in every Place where it might prove beneficial. We have many Lands in England which might be greatly improv'd by it, and I fhall therefore be the more particular in my Account of it.

We are firft to understand, that Clover has been, for many Years, cultivated in Flanders, and has been but few Years in England; therefore it will be neceffary to acquaint my Reader, That the Flanders Soil, where this Herb is chiefly cultivated, is fandy light Earth, for the most part, fuch as our Heath-Ground in England, and there it thrives very well, and returns more Money to the Farmer than three or four times the fame Quantity of Land will bring by common Grass.

It is of great Ufe for feeding Cattle, either in the green Herb or in Hay, and may be fown fimply, or with Oats, Barley, or Rye-Grafs, and either of these Ways turns to extraordinary Account. The Seed alone brings confiderable Profit; but at prefent, in England, I find the Art of threshing the Seed and cleaning it, is fo little understood, that we are forced to fend to Flanders for the greatest Part of what we use,

and