47 



better meihods of raising cattle adopted by onr farmers of late 

 years. Still there would seem, from the great and increasing 

 deficiency in the supply of neat cattle to meet the demand, 

 to be a call for greater efforts on the part of farmers. And 

 while it is not to be expected that the great mass of New 

 England farmers can engage in raising high bred, fancy 

 stock for pleasure or ornament to the farm,' every man who 

 engages at all, (as every good, practical farmer shonld as a 

 source of annual income, and as a means of replenishing his 

 exhausted lands,) in raising so important a production as 

 neat cattle, can do something towards elevating the general 

 character of those animals in our midst. The great agri. 

 cultural interests of New England, and some of the other older 

 States, being generally in the hands of men of moderate 

 means, and consequently a limited area of land, their efforts 

 in this useful branch of husbandry must necessarily be di- 

 rected to practical and profitable results. And to lliis end 

 the farmer, who attempts to raise this kind of stock, will of 

 course have one of two objects in view, viz: to supply th« 

 stall, or the yoke, because these are the great practical uses 

 for which steers and oxen are wanted at the present day. 



Now, if the farmer would raise stock successfully for either 

 of the purposes above named, after having determined to 

 engage in the business, he should never commence till he has 

 first definitely fixed in his own mind the object for which 

 his steers shall be raised — whether for the stall or the yoke; 

 nor until he has learned, so far as he may be able, what 

 qualities are required in the animal to best adapt it for the 

 purpose designed. Having done this, he should determine 

 npon some plan or system by which to be governed, and 

 then go to work diligently to carry out tiiat plan, just as the 

 skilful mechanic when he would construct a good house or 

 any thing else, first ascertains what qualities are required 

 to constitute a good article of the kind desired, and then 

 lays out his plan to secure those qualities, taking care always 

 to obtain the most approved plan at the beginning; so the 

 would-be successful stock rearer should be careful in ma- 



