THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY 349 



upon, that is in May or earlier, and wholly completing 

 the fattening of them on the pastures towards the latter 

 end of October, or later, according to their quickness 

 in feeding. In this practice of summer-pasture fatten- 

 ing stock, the smaller breeds and sorts of good feeding 

 neat cattle, will probably be the most beneficial, ex- 

 cept where the pastures are of the more rich and 

 luxuriant kinds, and it is more convenient and pro- 

 fitable than some of the modes noticed below. A 

 third mode of feeding or fattening this sort of stock is 

 occasionally had recourse to, which is that of buying 

 in the stock at such periods of time as that in pro- 

 portion to the differences in their sizes, kinds, and 

 properties for fattening, they may be ready to be sold 

 off about the beginning of April, or very early in the 

 following month, at which times they commonly bring 

 a remunerating price to the grazier. In this mode 

 of practice, large oxen, or other kinds of beasts, may 

 be kept through two winters, giving them only one 

 summer's grass ; not feeding them so fully or well in 

 the first winter, but keeping them in good feeding 

 grass pastures in the ensuing summer season. In the 

 second winter they should be forced on with the best 

 house or yard-feeding, so as to be ready early in the 

 succeeding spring. But with smaller-sized sorts 

 of such stock, one summer's grazing, and a winter's 

 stalling or yard-feeding, is the common practice in such 

 cases, the stock being bought in as early in spring as 

 the grass has risen to a good and full bite ; these are, 

 in general, less beneficial practices than either of the 

 two methods that have been already noticed, and pro- 

 bably less so than that with roots in combination with 

 grasses and pasture-feeding as described below. 



A still further mode, is that of buying in neat cattle 

 stock at the fairs or markets in the end of the autumnal 



