46 Management of Cattle. 



their calves in the yards, chiefly during April and the beginning 

 of May. No inconvenience or loss from accident ever arises 

 from their calving in the yards, as none of them ever injure a 

 young calf. The calves are allowed to suckle their dams, and 

 are turned out to pasture with them between the 10th and 15th 

 of May. They, i. e. the heifers with calves, are generally thinly 

 distributed over the sheep pastures on second year's grass (seeds) 

 or secondary old grass-land, where they have an abundant supply 

 of water. The calves are weaned from their dams about the 

 latter part of October, and the mothers are taken to low-lying 

 sheltered fields, where they get dry in milk ; and, about Christ- 

 mas, as the fat stock is cleared off, succeed to the empty boxes. 

 They have turnips, — a moderate allowance at first, but gradually 

 increased to as many as they can eat, except in seasons such as 

 that of 1864, Avhen the turnip-crop, being deficient, was supple- 

 mented with a daily allowance of o lbs. or so of barley-meal and 

 Indian corn-meal mixed. It has been customary to give the 

 turnips sliced, but last year the pulper was introduced, and has 

 been found to be a valuable economiser of roots. No fodder is 

 used for our keeping or feeding cattle, but good oat-straw, 

 which when grown upon early land, and given with turnips, is 

 found to have as good an effect as the best of hay. The Kyloes 

 are kept in the boxes until about the 10th or 12th of May, when 

 they are turned out to good old grass-land. On their pasture 

 failing, about August, they get the aftermaths of the fields cut 

 to supply hay for the coal-pits. They come in again to the boxes 

 in autumn and receive turnips, cake, and meal, and are sold by 

 auction at home at the annual Christmas sale held in December. 



In the bad, dry season of 18G4, this description of stock, 

 having got nothing in addition to their pasturage, were not so 

 ripe as usual, but at the sale our Kyloe heifers, 4|^ years old, 

 averaged 24/. odd. When purchased, they cost between 5/. and 

 6/. If it be thought, on calculating their keep up to the time 

 of sale, that there is little margin for profit, I may observe that, 

 until they have a calf at their feet, their keep is nominal, as 

 they are made the scavengers or gleaners of what other stock 

 leaves ; besides, they benefit the farm to which they are [first 

 taken by converting the straw into manure in a locality not 

 adapted for fattening stock. 



Our cross-breeding is now extended with great success, though 

 not quite to an equal extent, with the Galloway heifer and 

 Shorthorn bull. The result of this cross is a fine, noble animal, 

 of excellent symmetry and great weight. The Galloways are 

 treated exactly as their sisters the West Highlanders, except that 

 being scarcely so hardy they require, on pastures failing, to be 

 eailier removed to better keep. This is reasonable, because the 



