Agriculture of Shropshire. 39 



object here, and the calves get their full share, nothing but an 

 excess of milk being ever drawn off. The consequence is, that 

 when May comes, and the grass is ready, the calves are also ready 

 to be weaned ; and, having had this good preparation, they 

 thrive on the grass when they are turned out. Shelter and proper 

 care are given to the calves until they are accustomed to the 

 change. The cows, when dry, are turned away to summer on 

 the poorer pastures towards the hills ; but if they are not in calf, 

 they are turned upon rich grazing land to fatten. Much of the 

 land will fatten a 45 or 50 score bullock per acre, besides two 

 or three sheep. The calves are summered on good grass-land, 

 and wintered on hay and turnips, and are kept very well from 

 the time of birth until sold to the butcher. Any heifers which 

 may be reserved for breeding purposes are not kept so well the 

 second summer, but, in common with the other stock, they are 

 kept improving, although not so rapidly. 



Some few farmers sell their stock when two years old ; they 

 are then worth on an average 18/. or 20/. each ; but the majority 

 keep them well through the following winter, and sell them in 

 the spring, when they fetch from 20/. to 24/. Some keep them 

 until three years old, and then they turn out beautiful beasts, 

 worth 25/. to 30/. A large proportion of the summer-grazing 

 bullocks are sold at Ludlow Fair (September 28th), where may 

 be seen a collection of beef which, for quality and quantity, will 

 rival any fair in the kingdom. There farmers may be seen selling 

 perhaps 20 fat cows each, the culls of their herds, at 25/. to 

 30/. a piece, besides fat steers. 



Some extraordinarily fine animals have been reared in this part 

 of Shropshire by crossing Hereford cows with a Short-horn bull, 

 thus giving greater weight and disposition for fattening ; but it 

 is not extensively done, for the subsequent produce from this 

 cross-bred stock very rapidly fails in quality, and yields inferior 

 stock. The chief inducement to cross the blood appears to be 

 from the fact that the Herefords have been " casting" their calves 

 very much of late years, and the use of a bull of another breed 

 has been found to lessen the loss very considerably. This pro- 

 bably arises from a greater degree of vigour in the embryo than 

 when the same strain of blood is used. 



The Herefords, in common with all other improved breeds of 

 cattle, have, by following too closely the same line of descent, 

 become enfeebled as breeding animals, and it is observed that the 

 same circumstances which produce abortion in a well-bred Here- 

 ford cow are without effect upon an inferior animal. It is however 

 very singular, that when this enfeebled condition of the breeding 

 powers exists both in a Short-horn and Hereford, although this 

 weakness would produce bad results if they were bred on in 



