346 On Soiling Cattle. 



in half the number of cribs, and it will not be injured 

 by the cattle surrounding the cart, or the labourer hin- 

 dered by their being in his way ; underling cattle will 

 have an equal opportunity of feeding, and there will be 

 less risk of their injuring each other, and this is a sub- 

 ject of some consideration ; an ox was gored in my 

 yard last spring, and it was not without considerable 

 trouble and expense that his life was preserved, and I had 

 a cow killed last year in the same way, and if the cattle 

 were tied up in winter also, it is thought a sufficiency of 

 litter might be saved for the summer, as it requires 

 vastly more to keep yards properly covered than would 

 be necessary for stables and sheds. 



I have found cribs preferable to racks for soiling cat- 

 tle : when grass is put in the latter, they get it quickly 

 under their feet ; if the former are wide enough they 

 feed with their heads over them, and the waste is incon- 

 siderable. 



It has been my practice to give the cattle fresh grass 

 from the scythe morning and evening, but as the morn- 

 ing feeding is sometimes later than would be desirable, 

 perhaps the grass designed for the morning might be 

 cut toward evening and left in swarth ; raking up grass 

 until it is wanted should be avoided, as it is liable to 

 heat, and it is also very improper to let it lay in the field 

 exposed to the sun : in either case it is not relished by ' 

 the cattle. 



The cribs should be carefully cleaned out every morn- 

 ing, and the contents may be made into good hay in the 

 cheap and easy way mentioned in a former communi- 

 cation ; but this requires attention or it may not be pro- 

 perly shook and spread out, and not only spoil, but per- 



