198 WORCESTER SOCIETY. 



time for four months past. No diiTercnce in keeping has been 

 permitted, at any time, to grow one faster than the other. They 

 came from the pasture the first of winter in good condition, 

 and were fed on good hay, corn fodder, and half a bushel of 

 flat turnips per day, to the 4th of January. They were then 

 put into a close stable by themselves, one tied eight feet from 

 the other; boxes, or close cribs, were so fixed that it was im- 

 possible for them to waste their own, or get each others food. 

 Water was given them in the stable, and they were not per- 

 mitted to go out of the stable except to be weighed once in 

 two weeks, and one day for ivoi'k, and this was during the first 

 week of my experiment, and will show, conclusively to my 

 mind, why they fell off in weight during the first two weeks. 

 They had been unaccustomed to the yoke and confinement in 

 the stable, and being very ambitious, worked beyond their 

 strength, and evidently did not recover themselves before the 

 end of the first two weeks. Their food was regularly given 

 them at 8 o'clock in the morning, and 4 in the afternoon, 

 and feeding was permitted after the first week only at these 

 two stated times. After the first week, water was given but 

 once a day, (at noon) ; though repeatedly offered at other times 

 it was generally refused after the first week. A full bucket of 

 water was weighed, and the number minuted, and the frac- 

 tions weighed back and minuted, and an average taken at the 

 end of each two weeks ; a thermometer was kept during the 

 eight weeks centreways between where the steers were tied, 

 in a box for the purpose fastened to the scaffold floor, and con- 

 sulted at 8 and 4 o'clock, (feeding time,) the degrees minuted, 

 and an average taken at the end of each two weeks, being 

 weighing day. The quality of hay was an average of what is 

 cut on my farm, about equal portions of herds-grass and red- 

 top, with a small quantity of clover mixed. A half bucket of 

 water was sprinkled on to their hay both cut and uncut after 

 being put into their crib, and the meal sifted on to the wet hay 

 at each feeding, (morning and evening,) which feed was gene- 

 rally consumed before the next feeding time ; if not all con- 

 sumed a less quantity was placed in the box for the next meal, 

 though they experienced no want of more food at any time 

 during the trial than what they received ; in short, they had 

 enough, and no more. The nigh steer would have preferred 



