378 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XXXIII. 



and oil-cake being estimated at Id. each per lb., and the amount of chaff 

 at 2s. 6d. Upon this every man may calculate his own prices, at the pre- 

 sent rate ; but as to the charge of attendance, it may be fairly assumed as 

 being remunerated by the increased value of the dung. 



Mr. Curwen also caused six very moderate three years old Highlanders 

 to be tied up on the 27th of June, and fed for the greater part of the time, 

 until the 9th of November, with grass of very little value, cut from hedges, 

 plantations, and walks ; the chief object being to destroy and consume the 

 weeds : they had no straw, and only during the last month were fed with 

 carrot and turnip tops. Yet, by the following account, they in that time 

 added 75 stone of flesh ; which, calculated at 4^. Sd. per stone, would 

 amount to 17Z. lOs., or an average of 21. 18s. Ad. each, being nearly 

 clear gain, besides a quantity of dung that would probably fully manure a 

 couple of acres. It is, however, singular, that had they been killed on the 

 1st of October, instead of the following November, they would have saved 

 the extra food, being nearly six weeks, during which it appears they only 

 collectively gained two stone. 



With a view also to try the experiment of rearing and fatting cattle at an 

 early age, without sending them to pasture, Mr. Curwen had seventeen 

 calves — eleven of the short-horned or Durham breed, and six Ayrshire — 

 turned into the yard when two months old ; and the intention being to 

 liottoni the practice on a system which might afford a profit to the farmer, 

 all costly food was rejected. During the first month the calves had but 

 one ijallon of new milk per day ; for three months afterwards, three gallons. 

 Turnips and hav were given with the milk, but neither cake nor meal. 

 From June till October the food was clover ; afterwards, till the end of 

 May, turnips: till Candlemas they had some little hay, but, being then 

 w'eli taken up to the turnips, straw was substituted. 



In size they were little inferior to those of double their age ; and, so 

 good was their condition, that at 18 months old one of the Ayrshire heifers 

 was butchered. 



The live weight was . 5.^ st. of 141b. to the stone. 

 Carcass . . . 31 , , 91b. , , 



Loose fat , . 2 , , 9 , , , , 



It was killed for a meeting of the Workington Society, and the meat 

 highly approved by the members. The Durham breed was in much higher 

 condition, and would have killed 46 stone at least ; it was indeed imagined 

 that there could be no difficulty in bringing them up to 60 stone of carcass 

 at two years old. They consumed, on an average, 6 stone each of turnips 

 a-day : of hay they had about half a stone ; but, when straw was given, no 

 account was taken. Besides this, however, they had a feed of steamed 

 chaff, the chief benefit of which was in its warmth preventing the green food 

 from disagreeing with them. Tiie practice was afterwards continued with 

 equal success ; but the progress was always greater on turnips than on 

 clover. 



The experiment related by Mr. Brown of Markle consisted of forty- 

 eight Aberdeenshire stots, mostly of a full age, which were wintered in the 



