THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 343 



i^dbionally in the daytime for the purpose of air auq 

 exercise, whilst their stalls and houses may also ha 

 more completely aired and sweetened, as well as more 

 thoroughly cleaned out. 



It has been well observed, that in or near such 

 feeding-stalls and yards, the weighing machine is al- 

 ways a necessary and useful apparatus in this method 

 of fattening cattle, in order that it may be almost in- 

 stantly known what is the state and progress of the 

 animals, and that the improvement in them and the 

 expense may be compared, or the flesh and the food 

 necessary to produce it. By this means, a neglected 

 inquiry of the greatest importance has been laid open, 

 which is that of finding out the breed of or variety 

 of neat-cattle which gives the greatest quantity oi flesh 

 with the smallest quantity of food. No complete 

 building and yard of this sort, on any considerable 

 scale, should ever, of course, be without such a con- 

 trivance, as without this sort of assistance there are 

 but few able to decide correctly whether the cattle go 

 on profitably or the contrary ; while by the use of it, 

 at short intervals of time, when the beasts are the 

 most empty, this point may be perfectly determiued, 

 and the management of the animals in all respects be 

 regulated in the best way for effecting their fattening. 

 Principles on which the Fattening process depends. — 

 In the process of fattening animals, a somewhat larger 

 proportion of food than that which is exactly necessary 

 and proper for supporting them and keeping them in 

 good condition, is constantly required, in order that a 

 greater quantity of the nourishing material may be 

 prepared from it, and converted into blood, and the 

 substances are to be laid on or added to their several 

 parts in the form of flesh and fat; which is a circum- 

 stance that would seem to depend materially upon 



