1 6 t STORE CATTLE 



and, without having been through any period of privation, 

 finished as prime meat on good Midland bullock pasture at the 

 age of three years and six months, or just when his dentition was 

 nearly complete. We will assume that this animal was born in 

 the month of May, that he found himself in the first moment 

 of active existence, say, at 48 hours old, running beside his 

 mother in a district of well-shaded and well-watered store-grass 

 land in a county of humid climate. He thus began life among 

 rural scenery remote from the cities of men, but as beautiful 

 as any in the world. Running by his mother's side his first six 

 months of life were happy; his food was plentiful and of the 

 sweetest, new milk and soft young grass in abundance being 

 his daily fare, and, for amusement, the constant companionship 

 of other youngsters of his own kind and age made life perfectly 

 happy except for the attention of his natural enemy, "the fly." 

 This pest is important to all concerned in his welfare ; for much 

 of the energy of the little calf's food is wasted in his frantic, if 

 foolish, gallops to escape these tormentors. The insect pests 

 of the order of the Diptera play a very pernicious part in the 

 summer-time growth of the store throughout his life and greatly 

 reduce his profit-giving capacity. At the age of about six months 

 the calf was weaned, and, supposing he was destined not to 

 travel for another year, his first winter was spent in the open 

 yard and shed attached to the farm on which he had been born. 

 This, his second period of life, was likely to be less pleasant; 

 his food consisted of the grass he could pick up in open weather 

 and an ample, possibly wasteful, supply of hay of moderate 

 quality with cold water to drink. His first birthday found him 

 under happier conditions, for the supplies of young spring grass 

 reminded him of his first youth and provided him with nourish- 

 ment and pleased his palate till about his eighteenth month. 

 Being "six quarter" old he was sold, as we will suppose, by his 

 breeder, and for the first time knew the troubles of the young 

 bullock in the market-place, and felt the inconvenience of travel 

 in the cattle-truck. 



For the sake of simplicity we will suppose that the young 

 beast is sent by rail to some county where it is possible to winter 

 him out on aftermath grass or on medium pasture that has not 



