THE

AGRICULTURAL MAGAZINE.

No. XLVII.] JUNE, 1803.[Vou. VIL.

ae

DESCRIPTION OF A FEEDING HOUSE FOR CATTLE. WITH A PLATE. To the Editor of the Agricultural Magazine.

Sir,

N making the Tour of South Wales during the last

Autumn, I visited Hafod, the residence of Thomas Johnes, Esq, Member of Parliament for the county of Car- digan, This delightful place is situated about sixteen miles from Aberystwith, and near the road leading to it from Rhayader.‘The agricultural imprevements made by the above gentleman demand particular notice, as prebably no part of Great Britain can produce an example likely to precure even- tually so great a benefitin any neighbourhood. Time will not permit me at present to enter into a long detail of the par- ticulars, I shall, however observe, that the soil of that part of the country appears to be formed from decomposed argillace- ous slate, and was supposed fermerly incapable of producing wheat, and almost unfit fer other kinds of corn, or even hay grass. 1 had, however, the pleasure to find some very. ex- celignt crops of wheat and barley upon the land, and his meadow iand in fine condition. The barley had been sown with Mr. Cooke’s drill, and though the land was hilly and ap- parently full of small fragments of broken slate, the crop was very full and even. His extensive plantations of forest trees were in a very luxuriant state, and particularly his larch trees, which flourish in every part of the estate, even upon precipices where there appears scarce any soil, and amongst fissures of the rdcks. 1 mention these circumstances to show that na- ture'is more grateful to the industry of man than is frequently supposed, and as a tribute of applause due to the person who has had penetration and courage to conquer those prejudices which we are apt to imbibe in infancy, and which seldom quit us in our course of life, continuing throughout a bar to improvement.’ Mr. Johnes has, however, surmounted every difficulty of this kind, and whether we consider the pic- teresque scenery of Hafod, its present natural products, or the instruction it affords as a farm,[ do not recollect, though I have traversed a great extent both of this kingdom and the continent, any place so interesting, or which affords so much gratification to the mind.

Ag. Mag. Vol. 8,$H