286 Norfolk Farmin(j. 



the latter bear but a very slight resemblance to the original 

 long-horned breed of the Emerald Isle, By judicious crosses 

 with the short-horns some very useful cattle are produced, 

 showing much of the quality of the new blood, yet retaining a 

 great deal of the flesh and frame of the old stock. Fearful losses 

 continue to result from the attacks of pleuro-pneumonia ; they 

 amount to fully 5 per cent, on the cattle that are purchased, 

 which of course makes grazing a still more precarious and losing 

 concern. The young Irish cattle are particularly liable to this 

 disease, the voyage and long journey appearing to predispose them 

 to its attacks. A few good herds of pure bred short-horns are seen 

 in different parts of the county, and some little attention has 

 recently been paid to the red-polled breed, which are the original 

 Norfolk cattle. The Devons, which were introduced by the 

 iate Earl of Leicester, still flourish at Holkham, where there is 

 some of the best blood in the kingdom, but there is only one 

 tenant on the estate who keeps up a Devon dairy, the other 

 herds having gradually dwindled away. It has been recently 

 the custom with some farmers to buy young calves or yearlings 

 from the midland counties, and rear and graze them. But where 

 there is so little pasture-land, and so much difficulty in procuring 

 well-bred calves, the system is not likely to extend, although 

 anything which tends to keep the price of store stock within 

 reasonable limits, and so reduce the grazier's expenses, is sure to 

 be highly appreciated in Norfolk. The quantity of roots which 

 grazing cattle receive is much greater in the East than the West. 

 In the latter, two-thirds, three-fourths, or all the turnips, are 

 consumed on the land by sheep, and therefore very few can be 

 spared for the yards ; but as the straw must be made into manure, 

 a number of cattle are kept, which receive a large quantity of 

 artificial food and a few roots. As a greater extent of corn is 

 grown now that extra crops are taken, the quantity of straw 

 increases and the number of acres of turnips diminishes ; so 

 cattle must be kept more than ever upon artificial food, if the 

 straw is to be converted into valuable manure. In the East it is 

 quite different ; the greater portion of the roots is taken to the 

 grazing-yards, and stock are allowed to partake of them ad 

 libitum. The quality also of the roots is so good that a much 

 less quantity of cake or meal is needed. 



The old-fashioned way of slicing roots has been much invaded 

 lately by the introduction of pulpers. Where but few roots are 

 given, it certainly economizes them ; and when equally distributed 

 over the whole mass of provender, cattle cannot pick out one 

 kind of food and refuse another. For all store stock it is an 

 admirable plan. By mixing the watery roots with large quantities 

 of dry chaff, cattle will eat an amount of straw which they would 



