553 Cultivation of Grafs Land. Grazing. Different Syftems of. 



ftraw, or fometimes, which is a much better practice, with a little hay mixed with 

 it, till towards the beginning of March, continuing their fattening through that 

 and the fucceeding month with fome fort of fucculent food, fuch as turnips, pota 

 toes, or other fimilar kinds, until the grafs be in a ftate fit to be turned upon in 

 May, on which they may be carried forward and completed according to circum- 

 fiances about Auguft, or in the following month. 



Another method of management is to purchafe the beafts lean, as foon as the 

 grafs lands are in a ftate fit to be turned upon in May, wholly completing their 

 fattening on the grafs about the latter end of October, or later in the autumn, ac 

 cording to their quicknefs in feeding. In this fyftem of practice the fmaller forts 

 of cattle ftock may be found in general the moft advantageous, efpecially where 

 the lands are not of the moft fertile or luxuriant kind. 



The grazier has alfo fometimes recourfe to another mode of proceeding in his 

 fyftem of fattening neat cattle ; but which is, we believe, in general lefs profitable 

 than either of the preceding methods : this is that of buying in his ftock at fuch 

 periods, according to the difference in their fizes, as that they may be ready to be 

 difpofcd of about April, or in the fucceeding month, a period at which they ufually 

 fetch a high price. In this fyftem, with large oxen or other forts of beafts, it is 

 fometimes the practice to keep them through two winters, giving them only one 

 fummer s grafs ; being in the firft winter not fully fed, but kept in good grafs in 

 the fummer feafon, and forced on with the beft feeding in the fecond ; but with 

 the fmaller forts of ftock, one fummer s grafs and a winter s ftalling is the 

 ufual mode ; the cattle being bought in as foon in the fpring as the grafs is rifen to 

 a good bite. 



In fome diftricts heifers are preferred to oxen, in which cafe they buy them in 

 about March or April, and, after keeping them through the fummer, fell in Octo 

 ber and November. This method is thought by fome a profitable fyftem of ma 

 nagement. All thofe methods may probably be pradlifed with advantage under 

 different circumftances; but it is obvious that the firft can only be had recourfe to 

 vvirh propriety where green winter food is raifed in fufficient abundance, and the 

 grazier has a ftore of litter for being converted into manure. Under other cir 

 cumftances the fecond mode of management will be much more profitable. The 

 two laft methods are the leaft convenient, and, probably, on the whole, except in 

 very iavourable circumftances, the leaft profitable, efpecially the former of them, 

 as, from the great length of time which they arc kept, much management and 



