What goes on in the farm, the moorlands and fenlands? This book is packed with facts about rural Britain today, presented in a clear and lively way. It will inform the city dweller and surprise even the farmer and the villager. Chicken, sheep, pig, beef and dairy farming, crops, pest control, GM, rare breeds, crofting – no topic is ignored!
• How many eggs does a hen lay in its lifetime?
• What's a hogget?
• What is the point of burning heather on moorland?
• How does grazing help the environment?
• Can Britain be self-sufficient
• What is a genetically modified crop?
• When is a pig a gilt?
• Who owns the forests, the mountains, the wetlands and coastline in Britain?
• What is the future for British farming?
All these questions and more are tackled by Jill Mason in this new fact-packed, illustrated book.
It is an invaluable account of the British countryside today, its livestock, its crops and its wildernesses.
Arvustused
Detailed explanations in laymans terms make Everything You Wanted to Know suitable for everyone whod like a general understanding of the countryside. It is written in a down to earth, realistic manner and dispels urban myths. Some of the facts will enlighten and surprise even those who have lived and breathed a rural life. Bang up to date and well researched, Jills latest book takes a wide-ranging look at the countryside as it is today. She investigates all the farming sectors and a range of working roles from fruit-pickers to thatchers and professional hedge-layers. Insights into green energy, forestry, heather moorland and bogs. Well thought-out and sensible.
The book is informatively illustrated throughout. * National Gamekeepers magazine: Keeping the Balance * She explores topics such as green energy, forestry, hay meadows, heather moorland and bogland with a pragmatic approach that is both informative and fascinating.
If you are looking to brush up on your understanding of how the British countryside works today, this book will answer all of your questions in laymens terms. * Sporting Shooter *
Farming: The Big Picture 7
Farming Livestock 17
Animal Welfare 23
Cattle Farming 29
Sheep Farming 45
Pig Farming 59
Poultry Farming 67
Horses and Ponies 86
Arable Farming 103
Horticulture 123
Genetic Modification 141
Organic Farming 145
Farming Diversification 149
Landowners and Managers 159
Forestry 178
Pest Species 190
Alien and Invasive Species 206
Country Sports 216
Working Dogs 253
Conservation 259
Renewable Energy 291
Countryside Leisure 301
Our Heritage 304
Index 317
Jill Mason was one of Britains first women gamekeepers, a job which she enjoyed for over 30 years. She has lived and worked in the countryside all her life and has written for several country and fieldsports magazines.
She is the author of several books including The Rabbit, The Hare and The Townies Guide to the Countryside, Rural England, and Away My Lads, Away and The Ennerdale and Eskdale Hunt.
She lives in Norfolk with her husband David Mason, also a retired gamekeeper.
David Mason, whose pictures appear throughout her books, is a keen wildlife and countryside photographer whose work has been published in many books, magazines and newspapers.
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