132 FIELD AND FERN. 



coat of soft hair to stand a northern climate, that 

 they can be made ripe for the shambles on mere 

 grass and turnips without extras, and that the cows 

 after the calves are weaned can do well enough on oat 

 straw and water, and thus save the turnips for the 

 rest of the stock. He prefers crossing the Hereford 

 bull with the Aberdeen "cross-bred" cows, and con- 

 siders that the produce do not lose their aptitude for 

 fattening, but grow to a larger size than the pure- 

 bred. His favourite instance on this head is of a 

 four-year-old steer, which, according to the London 

 butcher's certificate, weighed 1,919 Ibs. neat ; but 

 still he finds that, as two-year-olds and weighing 

 from 7 to 8 cwt., they leave the most profitable re- 

 turn. They have oat straw and turnips till Christ- 

 mas, and then, we believe, about 3 Ibs. of cake per 

 diem till May, when they are sent off to the London 

 market. 



His first venture comprised a bull and two cows from 

 Mr. Hewer, and two more from other Hereford 

 breeders. Conqueror, the bull, cost 60 gs., and had 

 three horns. By way of making good his claim 

 shortly after his arrival, he fought a shorthorn and 

 smashed the surplus horn, which was seven or eight 

 inches long. Some years after Mr. Price's celebrated 

 Sir David (319) was purchased for 100 gs., and stayed 

 there three seasons, when Mr. Turner of Noke Court 

 arrived and brought him back to England. 



As a proof of the goodness of the cross, he once 

 sent a shorthorn cow, with her calf, yearling, two- 



