THE OX AND THE DAIRY. 149 



of stall-feeding has been adapted to the process of fattening 

 cattle, which goes on without interruption throughout the 

 winter as well as the summer; so that fat beasts, even 

 the most highly fatted, grace the markets at Christmas, 

 and attract a crowd around the butcher's decorated shop 

 Generally speaking, the practice of stalling milch cattle is 

 little practised in our island, or only partially, and at certain 

 seasons of the year ; but the practice of stall-feeding oxen for 

 the butcher is extensively carried on, and the stall-fed ox is 

 now an expression familiar to our ears, and well understood ; 

 whereas, in former times, vaunted as "the roast beef of 

 England " may be, all the beasts killed in the dead winter 

 months were miserably thin, and salt beef was the ordinary 

 fare, even of the most opulent, from November to May. 



When cattle feed in inclosed rich pastures, though they 

 may thrive well, yet there is a thorough waste of their manure, 

 and more grass land must be preserved untouched by the 

 plough than otherwise need be. An advocate for stalling 

 says, " Their dung falling in heaps on the grass, does more 

 harm than good. The urine, indeed, fertilizes the soil in 

 wet weather, when it is diluted ; but in dry weather, it only 

 burns up the grass. If we calculate what would be the 

 amount of manure collected, if the cattle were kept in yards 

 or stables, and fed with food cut for them, and brought there, 

 and also the loss of grass by treading in the pastures, we 

 shall have no doubt, whether the additional labour of cutting 

 the grass and bringing it home daily, is not amply repaid by 

 the saving. But if we also take into the account the variety 

 of artificial grasses, pulse, and roots, which may be grown 

 with advantage on land unfit for permanent grass, and the 

 quantity of arable land which may thus be kept in the highest 

 state of cultivation, we shall be convinced that the practice of 

 those countries where the cattle are kept constantly at home 

 is well worthy imitation. It may be of use to the health of 

 the animals to be allowed to take a few hours' air and exer- 

 cise, in a pasture near the stable, but there is no advantage 

 in having any grass-crop there; on the contrary, the barer 

 of grass the crop is the better. They will relish their food 

 better when they are taken in, after a few hours' fasting. A 

 bite of fresh short grass might, on the contrary, give them a 

 dislike to their staler food. When cut grass is given to the 

 cattle in their stalls, it is best to let it lie in a heap for 

 twelve hours at least, before it is given to them. It heats 



