76 THE FARMER'S 



the heifers would commonly have calves at two 

 years old, which is no small advantage, and steers 

 would be fit for labour earlier in proportion. And 

 when they come to be killed off, the quantity of 

 beef would make amends for their being so fed as 

 to be well grown. If the farmer's view in increas- 

 ing his stock, be to make as much dung as possible, 

 he should be reminded of what he ought to know al- 

 ready, that the dung of a small stock would be equal 

 to that of a large one, if it consume the same quan- 

 thy of fodder. If a farmer make this objection to 

 pasturing his young flock, that his farm is not large 

 enough to admit of it; he may find an answer by 

 turning to the article, Mowing Groimd, where di- 

 minishing their number of acres, and increasing 

 that of pasture ground, is recommended, and suf- 

 ficient reasons assigned. 



In the winter cattle should be housed, to defend 

 ihem from the inclemencies of the weather. For 

 though nature furnishes them with a thicker cover- 

 erijfig of hair in the winter than in the summer, the 

 difference is not near so great as that of the weath- 

 er in this climate. Working oxen and milch cows 

 will suffer more than the rest by lying abroad. If 

 the farmer cannot conveniently house all his cattle, 

 those should be left out which are between the age 

 of one and three years. And those that lie out should 

 have a shed, open only to the south and west, to 

 shelter themselves under in stormy weather. 



The injuries which cattle receive from each oth- 

 er, when they are lodged together in a yard, is an 

 additional reason for tying them up in the barn. 

 To which it may be added, that a great part of the 

 fodder that is given them is wasted, even when it 

 is given them in racks; much more when it is 



