362 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



khoee you select; he may be a great trouble to you; and although the jobber may think yet 

 have i them badly, he will sell them according to what they are worth at the time, and 



the present weight u the great point with him. For this reason, always teleot thaaniin 



before purchasing, rather tlian agree to give a certain price par head to pick where you like 

 from the drove. 



"I think tli.' quality of an animal is of more consequence than his form for common fatten- 

 ing purposes, but bare both good if you can. But if you are thinking of fattening an animal 



ihow for a prize, be sure to have his form as perfect as possible, for all the flesh yoa may 

 lay on him will not hide any great defect in his form; also ascertain, if possible, bow the ani- 

 mal is descended: ten to one, but the progeny becomes similar to the progenitor. But this is 

 generally a most unprofitable affair, ami 1 strongly reoonunand all young farmers to leave it 

 in the hands of those gentry who can afford the loss, many of whom there are in the country, 

 and they deserve "iir best thanks for their patriotism, for it certainly shows the capabilit 

 of different breeds, and thereby enables the observing farmer to profit by the experience of 

 others. Never buy any animals that are excessively poor; they will consume a great deal 

 of food before they are got into health enough to fatten; for, depend upon it, unless your 

 animals are well-bought, fatting cattle will never pay enough to leave the manure clear yrofit, 

 which it ought to do, although I fear with the majority of farmer.- it is far otherwise. 



"Summer Q razing. — I shall say but little with respect to summer grating, as the wording of 

 the Society's advertisement appears to apply more particularly to winter fattening; merely 

 remarking that the fences should always be kept thoroughly good, a weak place being 

 strengthened before it becomes a gap — prevention, in this cas.-. like many others, being better 



than cure; that the bullocks should be well Supplied with water, and have plenty Of sha.le: 

 never allow them to DC (Tightened bj dogs, etc.; treat them kindly, and they will soon cease 

 to fear your presence; do not let a day pass, if you can help it, without Boeing them. There 

 is an old saying which ought to be impressed on every farmer's memory — it has been of great 

 service to me in the course of my life; it is: 'The master's eye grazeth the ox.' A friend 

 of mine has lately adopted a plan, which under the same circumstances 1 should Btroi 



amend : it is that of giving a small quantity of oil-cake to animals grating, for the sake 

 of improving an ordinary pasture, and its effects are astonishing. The pasture* I allude to 



arc small, and one or two bullocks more than they are calculated to carry are put int oh ; 



the lot are then allowed four pounds of cake per day per head; this, at a cost of about two 

 shilling- per head per week, which T believe the stock well paid for, ha* entirely altered the 



Of pasture! from what they were throe years ago, when the plan was first adopted by 

 him, and I believe without any loss to himself. 



'■ Winter Feeding. — I now come to the point of winter feeding. Vint, as to the places in 

 which they are kept, I unhesitatingly give my opinion in (avor of -tall-feeding, for all the 



common purpose ling, but not fur yuun» beasts that are to DC summered again, Of for 



prize oxen ; the f.nner should have small well-sheltered yards, with good sheds; it" the Canoes 



are so high thai they cannot see over, it is much the better; and the latter, loose boxes, with 

 plenty of room for them to walk about, because they have to be kept up for such a l 

 period, that, if no sxercise were taken, the health might suffer. It is the abuse of stall- 

 ling that ha* got it into di-repute with some j pie, and the not treading down straw 



wanngli with other*. Thi* la*t I hold to be an advantage, Instead of a disadvantage) for, 



depend upon it, it i* not the size of the dunghill, but the quality of the immure, that Oa UO Ol 



•taok-yard to be well filled, [f managed well, I contend that there i- ao plan so 



good a* Stall-feeding. Tin- fattening-hOUas may I f any size or shape, but it i* necessary 



that tlore ihould be underground drain*, with gratings, to oarry off the mine int.. the liquid- 

 manure tank: shutters behind the bullocks, to regulate the heat, and a wide p a ass g e at their 



has i them and clean their mn._-.-i-. The ad-. I conceive to I..-. tie- qu LUtity 



of litter required being smaib-r, therefore the much being made better, the tempera t u re I 

 mors saaflj i. and every bullook being allowed to eat his sharo La peace. The dieed- 



rantage of the animal not being able to rub himself as wall, I o on a jdwr fully done away with 



by the rOUgh bra h which I recommend Using; and although lUO Ul let. may fancy the health 

 of the animal likely to suffer, I have never found it so in practice. 



