On Soiliiig Cattle, 347 



haps set fire to the building ; however after the gage of 

 the cattle is known, there will be but little grass left 

 over, if proper attention be given and the quality is good. 



Labour appears too high in this country to admit of 

 cutting straw with the grass, but it is likely that the love 

 of variety might induce the cattle to eat some of the 

 best quality, if attentively given in small quantities, and 

 it has been considered by some a useful corrector of the 

 purgative properties of grass. 



The confined situation of the cattle in the yards, is 

 peculiarly favourable to the prevention of loss from eat- 

 ing green food too freely at first, but requires close at- 

 tention for a few days in the beginning. When any of 

 them appear rather full, they should be immediately 

 placed where they can get nothing to eat or drink, and 

 if this fullness is followed by a restlessness discovered 

 from unusual movements, particularly with their feet, 

 and an extension of their tails as if straining to discharge 

 the wind, and generally accompanied with a disposition 

 to lay down, it then becomes immediately necessary to 

 keep them in pretty smart motion, which enables them 

 to disengage large quantities of wind, which is some- 

 times accompanied with frequent discharges of dung, 

 and when their flanks get lank, further attention at thab 

 time is unnecessary ; there were only two in my yards 

 this year, with which I had scarcely any trouble. 



A little good first crop hay should be kept for feeding, 

 when the weather is too bad to admit of cutting and 

 bringing in grass, but during the whole feeding of last 

 season, a resort to hay was not found necessary more 

 than three times ; a healthy Irishman who feared no 

 weather, performed this work at 10 dollars per month, 



