Ch. XXXII.] GRAZING. 3G9 



— whether it consist of rougli pasture, sound meadow, or marsl), — and he 

 should then select those beasts which show the most likely disposition to 

 improve upon the soil on whicli he farms. On this, the consideration of 

 the most appropriate kind of breed will, of course, not be neglected ; and 

 the well-known remark — " that heifers are superior to oxen in early 

 ripening*" — may not be found useless. Spayed heifers are, indeed, 

 known to fatten more speedily than oxen of the same breed, but do not 

 attain an equal weight; they are also considered as of so much finer quality 

 that, although four or five stone lighter than steers, they liave fetched a 

 higher pricef. Free martins, or barren cows, also become fine meat ; 

 and even old cows, if recently taken the bull, and tlioroughly dry of 

 milk, are generally found to fatten sooner than oxen of the same a<Te ; 

 but they consume more food, and their flesh is of inferior quality J ; nor 

 are they equal to young stock in point of kindliness to fatten. 



Those farmers who chiefly occupy rough pasture very generally breed 

 the greater part of their stock, which is afterwards sold, when voung, in a 

 lean state, to graziers holding richer land, on which they are enabled either 

 to fatten it on grass, or to finish it for market by the process of stall- 

 feeding. These persons, if they have any scarcity of land, frequently pur- 

 chase the store-stock after Michaelmas, turning the cattle into the straw- 

 yard upon straw and turnips until the pastures are ready to receive tliem, 

 when they usually get fat towards the close of the autumn, or at such 

 periods of the year, either earlier or later, according to the quality of the 

 land and the condition of the beast. 



Others, who hold hay farms, purchase the small kind of bullocks and 

 slieep soon after the grass is mown, and turn them upon the rowen, where, 

 if then in tolerable order, they may be got ready for the market, with some 

 hay and oil-cake, by Christmas. Besides these, many other plans are 

 adopted for the purpose of fattening the cattle at different periods, so that 

 they may be brought to market in succession. Tlius thev are not unfre- 

 quently kept throughout two winters, during the first of which thev are not 

 at full keep, but in the following sunmier are turned into the best pasture, 

 and stall-fattened off during the close of the year. The more common 

 system, however, consists in confining the operation within twelve months 

 from the purchase of the lean stock until fattened for market §. 



Regarding the aqe and increase of weight, it is stated in the General 

 Report of Scotland, upon the authority of eminent breeders and graziers 

 that the Galloway cattle, kept on good pasture during summer, and merely 

 preserved from falling off in winter, will weigh, at the age of from 



* A well-bred thvee-year-old long-horn heifer, without liavintj a calf, will, it has been 

 stated in the Leicester Report, be fat at grass only, and wtii^h GOO lbs. ; while an ox at 

 grass will eat mnch more and not })roduce so mnch beef per aiinnin. Thus — an heifer 

 calving at three years old may be milked six months, and fatted, by four years old, to 

 600 lbs. weight the four c|narters ; producing in the following year — 



The calf at six weeks old, and pork from the milk . 140 lbs. 



— cheese ...... 360 



— beef ...... 6U0 



thus giving a total of 1100 lbs., which is much superior to an ox in the same length of 

 time. — p. 245. 



f On the Continent they are often spayed, and afterwards worked as oxen ; in which 

 case they are said to be peculiarly apt to fatten, and to produce beef of a very superior 

 quality. — Von Thaer, Princ. rais. d"Agric., 2de ed., tom, iv., p. 589. 



I Gen. Rep. of Scotland, vol. iii., p. 91. 



§ See the Complete Grazier, 6th edit,, p. 75. 

 • VOL. II. 2 B 



