Welsh Journals

within my observation in any part of the Kingdom being all valuable land, without the intervention of mountain waste or common." The Castlemartin gorse was formerly a tract of several hundred acres covered with rush, sedge or coarse unprofitable grass. John Campbell obtained an Act of Parliament to drain and enclose this tract. He drained it by making deep ditches most of which were planted with willows and other suitable trees. The greatest part of it was immediately tilled preparatory to its being converted into meadow. The improvement was effected by paring with a plough of the type used in the Cambridgeshire fens, and burning as a prepara- tion for cole-seed after which a crop or two of corn has been taken to bring the soil fit to receive grass seeds. Hassall, in his Report, says "No agricultural improvement that I have been a witness of in the course of extensive and long experience, has succeeded better than this undertaking; which promises in a very few years to become some of the most valuable land in the county. It is now the entire property of Mr. Campbell, of Stackpole Court." The owners of Stackpole were foremost breeders of the famous Castlemartin black cattle, and they helped to improve the breed. In 1794, Pembroke bulls sold from 8 to 12 gnineas, and in 1802 yearling bulls were sold for 18 guineas. The Castlemartin oxen were used as draught beasts, and they were well known for their good going. Nearly all the old time tourists who came to the county refer to the reckless speeds of these ox-drawn chariots. It was a popular saying that in a chariot race drawn by oxen, it was Pembroke- shire against All England for a thousand guineas John Hook Camp- bell, of Bangeston, Lord Lyon King at Arms (died 1795), uncle of the first Lord Cawdor, introduced the old Leicester cattle into the county, but they were not kept pure, and a cross of them was kept at Stackpole and Brownslade in 1802. The Campbells also introduced the Suffolk punch into the county late in the eighteenth century and, crossed with the native breed, produced very good results. There were some of these Suffolks still at Stackpole in 1802, but they seemed much inferior to the best Montgomery kind. The family helped to establish a number of cattle shows and agri- cultural societies in the county. Lord Cawdor and Sir John Owen, of Orielton, were patrons of the Pembroke Farmers' Club formed in 1817. In 1824, Lord Cawdor helped to establish three annual cattle fairs at Carew (1st May, 2nd August and 9th November). He was an exhibitor at these early shows and won several prizes. At the show of cattle, sheep and pigs of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society at Haverfordwest on Tuesday, 4th August, 1807, the following prizes went to his lordship :-Best two-year-old heifer, best yearling ram, two-year-old ram, and the best pen of two-year-old ewes. In 1808 he scored successes with his heifers, yearling rams and ewes. In 1812 he was again to the fore with yearling bulls and ewes. Two of the best known agriculturists in Wales were Thomas Hassall, of Kelrhue (ob. 8 Nov., 1813), and Charles Hassall, of Eastwood,