258 HOW TO MAKE THE FARM I AY. 



come into the baruyard in a thrifty, fleshy conlitioii, in late 

 autumn, to return to the pasture poor, in the spring. It is the 

 worst policy on the whole farm, to allow animals of any kind 

 to "TOW poor. A farmer should not attempt to keep one more 

 animal than he can keep in a growing and thrifty condition. 

 To keep too many half-starved animals, is a practice which de- 

 serves the severest condemnation. I have always acted on the 

 policy, that it is better to save a pound of fat or flesh, than to 

 attempt to produce it. The kind of soil that a man cultivates 

 in connection with the crops he raises, should determine, in a 

 great degree, what kind of stock he should keep on his farm. 

 If a man's soil will produce abundant crops of wheat, oats, corn, 

 and grass ; then we may conclude that it will support thorough- 

 bred animals of the largest size, whether they be neat cattle or 

 sheep. If neat cattle, those that have a large infusion of Durham 

 blood will be found quite as profitable, and doubtless more so, 

 than any other breed." 



On a hilly, barren, and rather unproductive soil, Mr, Todd 

 recommends the Devon cattle, and South Down sheep, or a 

 cross between the Merino and South Down. (We have quoted 

 thus at length from Mr. Todd, as expressing, better than we 

 could do it, our idea of the principles of rotation and mixed 

 husbandry, and we can give no better advice just here, than to 

 advise every reader to procure Mr. Todd's book, " The Young 

 Farmers' ManuaV\ notwithstanding its exorbitant price, and 

 we can assure you that it will well repay a careful perusiti.) 

 This system requires improved stock. A good cow, ox, or 

 sheepi got by a thoroughbred male, is preferable in every re- 

 spect to two poor ones, by grade males. They give more milk, 

 more beef, more wool, and more mutton, in proportion to the 

 food furnished them, and the manure voided is more valuable. 



