12 WINTER FOOD ON GRAZING FARMS. 



round which as a centre the hay is built. The rick is 

 then encircled with a paling, 12 feet or so distant from 

 it all round. The paling is open below, so as to admit 

 sheep but not cattle. The field is then shut up from 

 stock, that there may be a good aftergrowth. At the 

 fall of the season the sheep and young cattle are 

 admitted to these fields. When the weather is severe, 

 the sheep go through the paling to eat the hay, at the 

 same time pulling out much more than they eat. The 

 shepherd throws this over to the young cattle. As the 

 sheep eat into the bottom of the rick, it gradually slides 

 down the pole which keeps it all together. The whole 

 plan is economical and ingenious. One rick, with the 

 aftergrowth of grass, generally affords food for 200 

 sheep and 10 young cattle. In some cases, the mea- 

 dow land round the rick is too soft for cattle, or might 

 be injured by their feet in winter. When this is the 

 case, the cattle are kept outside of the field within 

 which the hay is stacked, the sheep getting access to it 

 by the sheep-holes in the walls. The shepherd then 

 carries the hay for the cattle to the outside of the wall, 

 laying it down for them at the most sheltered part. 



On my way from Ballinasloe to Hollymount, I had 

 the good fortune to travel with Mr Bianconi. He was 

 coming down to start a new coach for the convenience 

 of " his friends the public/' and complained loudly of 

 the Postmaster-general for giving the mail contract to a 

 party who was to carry it with a car and two horses, 

 for 9d a-mile, when he offered to put on a coach and 

 four, and carry the mail-guard free, for lOd. a-mile. 

 " You don't understand us in England," he said ; "that 



