Management of Cattle. 47 



Galloways are much the larger and heavier animals ; and in 

 1864 two of the Galloways weighed, when killed, 86 imperial 

 stones odd, and a West Highland Kyloe heifer, reached the 

 respectable weicjlit of 63 imjierial stones (4| years old). 



The Crosses or Half-breds. 

 The calves (half-bred Kyloes and Galloways), when taken 

 from their dams in October, are put into comfortable and roomy 

 folds and upon good keep. They have good old-land hay, a 

 few tui'nips steamed, with hay-chaff and a small daily allowance 

 of oilcake. This plan of feeding is found to be very healthy, 

 the steamed food and oilcake being a preventive to quarter-ill. 

 After the first winter they have no more cooked food nor hay. 

 In the spring they are turned out to fine old grass-land. In 

 order to inure them to the variableness of the weather and to 

 avoid the risk of a sudden change, they go out for a few days 

 and come in at night, before being sent to their summer's grazing. 

 On their pastures failing, they either follow feeding stock on the 

 old-land aftermath or have a secondary aftermath allowed them. 

 They come into yards in the autumn either at the same time 

 with the feeding stock or shortly after, and receive turnips and 

 2 lbs. or 3 lbs. of meal. The object is to keep them in a steadily 

 improving condition, avoiding even a single check to their pro- 

 gress. The meal in such a season as the present (1864) is 

 cheaper feeding than turnips. In May again they are turned 

 out to the best old pastures on the estate, and, before being 

 stalled in the autumn, have the run of the best of the after- 

 math. They are generally brought into boxes about the middle 

 of October, and receive turnips, 4 lbs. or 5 lbs. of meal, and 

 2 lbs. or 3 lbs. of good oilcake. They are sold by auction in 

 December "for Christmas consumption, when about 2^ years old 

 (or little over), and generally average close upon 30/. It will 

 thus be seen that the mothers are sold one year before their 

 produce, but along with a former year's lot of half-breds ; and, 

 as this system is steadily pursued, the result is that a prime lot 

 of fat cattle is annually disposed of at Christmas which, along 

 with an equally prime lot of sheep, realises between 5000/. and 

 6000/. Several of the picked animals of this class and age 

 have of late years brought 50/. and over. 



Experiments. 



Within the last two years (1863, 1864) a slight deviation has been 

 made from the usual routine of management, Avhich the reader will 

 be the better able to comprehend after having become acquainted 

 with the general treatment of the stock. The soiling system, or 

 feeding in the yards on cut grass, meal, &c., has been for two 



