ON BOX-FEEDING CATTLE. 23. 



Art. VL— on BOX-FEEDING CATTLE. 



By Mr. Glover. 



[The following is extracted from a very instructive paper by Mr, 

 Glover, lately read before the Newcastle Farmers' Club, of wliich he is 

 Honorary Secretary,] 



It is almost impossible for am' one wlio lias not seen and 

 paid attention to the subject, to form a correct estimate of 

 the advantage of box-feeding- cattle. The plan is extremely 

 simple and feasible, Avhicli is one of its g-reatest recom- 

 mendations. The advantag-e of feeding- cattle in boxes con- 

 sists in tlie absence of all waste of food; wliich in a 3'ard it is 

 impossible to prevent. It alJbrds the opportunity of placing- 

 before .the animal an equal portion of food, which cannot be 

 the case in a yard where cattle are indiscriminately mixed. 

 It allows each animal to eat at its leisure, ruminate unmo- 

 lested, and take its rest undisturbed. In yards where there 

 are a number of cattle, the master cattle consume the choicest 

 part of the food ; they drive the weak ones about, and allow 

 them little rest. Hence the g-reat inequality observable in 

 the condition of yard-fed cattle compared to those fed in 

 boxes ; and hence the astonishment so often expressed by 

 farmers that after their fattest cattle have been sent to mar- 

 ket, the remainder thrive rapidly. It is then perceived that 

 those cattle which appeared the least prone to fatten would 

 perhaps have been the most forward in condition, had they 

 been separated from others. In fact, the system of feeding' 

 cattle in boxes can be regiilated to the g-reatest nicety ; while 

 that in the yards must ever remain slovenly^ wasteful, and 

 imperfect. 



I shall now proceed to g-ive you a description of the boxes, 

 according- to the plan of Mr. Warnes. We will su])pose that 

 you wish to erect ten boxes, for which you will require a 

 space of 90 feet long-, and 12^ wide ; then let a line be drawn 

 from one end to the other, S^ feet wide, from the side most 

 convenient for the passag-e. Next, let the mould, to the 

 depth of a foot, be excavated from the other part, and thrown 

 on the side intended for the front, and spread to the thick- 

 ness of a foot deep. This will g-ive 2 feet from the bottom 

 of the boxes to the surface. A wall of brick-work, 4 inches 

 wide and 2 feet high, is next to be built round the inside of 



