AND CATTLE DOCTOR. . 143 



mens, or in the meanest, and most bushy pastures. 

 And in winter the poorest fodder will keep them alive. 

 And as our farmers know these things, they are very 

 apt to treat their young cattle in this manner. Those' 

 which are so treated, may oftentimes become as hardy 

 cattle as any ; but they will be small, and therefore 

 not so profitable. Farmers in genera]|[^re too ambi- 

 tious to keep a large stock of cattle. A necessary 

 consequence of which is, that they are pinched in their 

 food, and never come to their full growth. Another 

 ill consequence is, their growing unruly and mischie- 

 vous through hunger, learning to leap over fences, or 

 break through them. 



It would certainly be more conducive to the interest 

 of farmers, to keep smaller stocks of cattle than they 

 do ; for then they would be able to feed them to the 

 full. Their oxen would be much larger and stronger 

 than they are, and their cows would give plenty of 

 milk, and bring large calves ; not to say how much 

 they would save in taxes, by reducing their number of 

 rateable cattle. 



Farmers should allow their young stock the best of 

 pasture. This would keep them out of mischief, pre- 

 vent their learning bad tricks, and prevent many ill 

 accidents which befal them. And it would be no small 

 advantage always to know where to find them. But, 

 in the common method of treating them, it is too 

 common a case for them to straggle so far from home, 

 that the owner entirely loses them ; or else spends as 

 much time as they are worth, in seeking after them. 



If a young stock were well fed at all seasons, the 

 heifers would commonly have calves at two years old, 

 which is no small advantage, and steers would be fit 

 for labour earlier in proportion. And when they come 

 to be killed offj the quantity of beef would make 



