146 BREEDS 



bitten off too close. The Sussex cattle, on the other hand, feed 

 straight across the field, eating the pasture as it comes ; slightly 

 less land should therefore be needed to fatten them, and a better 

 covering of grass can be kept on the pasture they are grazing. 

 Of the commercial value of this peculiarity I have no idea. The 

 general statement "one acre of finishing land ought to do a 

 bullock" is apparently considered to be sufficient information 

 for the present-day husbandman. It is approximately true that 

 the average best pasture will graze an average large bullock, 

 say, weighing 1,000 lb., and that in the grazing season of 20 

 weeks one may expect, taking the average of seasons, that each 

 acre of land will supply food enough to the animal to allow of 

 its becoming fat, and that while grazing for this length of time 

 on such land its weight will increase (again on the average taken 

 over a great number of animals) by 20 imperial stone, or 

 2^ cwt. It is true that there are many difficulties in the way of 

 obtaining more definite information. The greatest of these 

 difficulties is that of expense. Up till now it has not been found 

 worth while to spend money upon such research. But there is so 

 much variation among individual bullocks that it seems foolish 

 in the extreme not to obtain more exact figures. In the very 

 limited data I have been able to compile in respect of animals 

 receiving the same ration, I have found a truly wonderful 

 difference. One is therefore justified in stating that it would 

 be worth while to find out whether or no the Sussex is a more 

 economical grazier than an animal of other breeds. 



Great credit is claimed for the Sussex bull as a begetter of 

 good beef animals from thin-fleshed milking cows 1 . I have 

 certainly seen very many specimens which, judged by the eye, 

 gave much support to this contention; but, on the other hand, 

 the demand for the services of these bulls is very restricted, 

 and during my 20 years of observation the breed has not 

 seemed to be on the increase. The extraordinary hardiness of 

 these cattle seems to me to be the factor of greatest potential 

 worth to the future. Improvement of beef -production, coupled 

 with increased corn-growing on cold clay land farms in exposed 

 situations, should, however, be a very important and valuable 

 1 See "Sussex Cattle" by H. Rigden, R.A.S.E. Journal for 1908. 



