HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



in answer to them. I have added a few words 

 which I should have put in my answer, but, be- 

 ing rather busily employed just at that time, 

 and the season of the year requiring the answer 

 should not be delayed, my answer was more 

 hastily wrote than 1 wished, and I did not recol- 

 lect all that I ought to have mentioned. 



"You were pleased to think so favorably of 

 my management of the stall-feeding business 

 that you wished me to communicate in writing, 

 with a view to its having a place in your Annals, 

 an account of my method of proceeding 

 throughout. 



"If I conceived that I had really found out or 

 was possessed of any means excelling what oth- 

 ers knew or practiced, I should most readily 

 and without delay (without vagging the public) 

 give it into your hands, who, we know, would 

 put it in a way doing the most good to all whom 

 it might concern, and the community at large, 

 but 1 am conscious that there is nothing in my 



DARLING, FIRST BULL, EVER BRED BY MR. J. L. 

 HEWER. 



way of carrying on that business that will not 

 as well or better be learned from many other 

 persons, indeed. The enclosed papers (though 

 wrote only as answers to inquiries about feed- 

 ing with potatoes only) tell you almost the 

 whole of my proceedings. That you may not, 

 however, suspect me of disinclination to satisfy 

 you about it, and to show you there is nothing 

 extra in my management, I just run over the 

 course here. 



"The sort of oxen I take for my stall feeding 

 are such as should not go to market till there 

 is the greatest call for prime beef, and for that 

 time they should be completely fat; so that I 

 do not propose any material or regular sale, un- 

 til Candlemas, and sell so as to clear all the 

 stalls some time in May. With this view, when 

 I buy cattle in the spring, and on to August, I 

 make no objection to good oxen (that is, mel- 



low, supple-fleshed ones) for being as lean as 

 poor keep and hard work can fairly make such; 

 but from that time I look for having them in 

 better and better order, till at the last buying 

 for the year's feeding, at the end of October, I 

 demand what may be called, full of flesh. 



"I keep them at tolerable grass during the 

 summer, mending the quality of that as the 

 season draws later, and with good latter-math 

 (to which about the beginning of. November 

 or how soon the hoary frosts hang much on the 

 grass and the nights become long and cold) I 

 add a small feed of inferior sort of hay in the 

 mornings. The first of December (or sooner 

 if severe rains or snow set in) I take them to 

 the stalls, where at first I give them but 'small 

 quantities of potatoes and a larger proportion 

 of hay, but increase the potatoes and decrease 

 the hay till they come to about three-quarters 

 of a bushel of potatoes and about six pounds 

 of hay per ox, one with another. 



"When they have arrived at their full quan- 

 tity of potatoes, I give them in addition some 

 brewers grains, beginning with about a half 

 bushel to each, increasing till they will at last, 

 in general, eat a whole bushel per day. To the 

 grains after Christmas I begin to add either 

 pollard or (if to be had proportionately cheap) 

 pea or bean meal; of these, also, I begin with a 

 quart and increase till they come to a peck or 

 more of pollard, though seldom quite so much 

 of meal except to -such as are extra size and 

 therefore fit to be made extra fat. 



"Every other particular of my proceeding you 

 will see by the enclosed paper. 



"Many persons have expressed some wonder 

 at the rapid progress they observe my cattle 

 made in their fattening, and I believe with some, 

 I get more commendation than my proper share, 

 for the credit is justly due to the cattle, not 

 to their master, who claims no other merit than 

 having taken extra pains to make himself well 

 acquainted with different kinds of cattle, giv- 

 ing a fair and thorough trial to several different 

 breeds, thereby enabling himself to know what 

 breed would be most to his purpose to 

 attend to. 



"Of this true Herefordshire breed (which Mr. 

 Culley in his book on live stock says he is pretty 

 clear is neither more or less than a mixture be- 

 tween the Welch and a bastard race of long 

 horns), I may venture to say that (by the as- 

 sistance of my good friend Mr. Samuel Pant- 

 all, of Warhamear, Hereford), I have some of 

 the highest blood, a few of which I was very 

 happy in the opportunity of showing you and 

 Mr. Macro; I wished you two would have al- 

 lowed me more of the pleasure of your com- 



