92 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



stocked, even this pasture. He crowded his fields at the rate 

 of six or eight beasts or more to an acre. From their natural 

 aptitude to fatten, they got into tolerable condition, but not such 

 as they might have attained, whether destined for the salesman 

 or the butcher. Winter, however, succeeded to summer; no 

 provision had been made for it, except for the cows ; and the 

 beasts that were not properly fed even in the summer, languished 

 and starved in the winter. 



"It is contrived, as much as possible, that the calves shall be 

 dropped from the first of February to the middle of April. All 

 the calves are reared ; and for the first three or four months they 

 are allowed to suck three times in the day, but they are not 

 permitted to draw any great quantity at a time. In summer all 

 the cattle are pastured ; the calves are sent to their dams twice 

 in the day, and the strippings, or last part of the milk, is taken 

 away by the dairy maid, for it is commonly supposed, that if the 

 calf is allowed to draw all the milk he can, it will keep the dam 

 in low condition, and prevent her being in calf in proper time. 

 The calves are separated from their dams two or three weeks 

 before the cast-cows are sent to the cattle-tryst at the end of 

 October, for it is believed that if the cows had milk in their 

 udders they might be injured in the long journeys they are then 

 to take ; the greater part of them being driven as far as the 

 lowland districts, whence they gradually find their way to the 

 central and southern counties of England. 



"The calves are housed in the beginning of November, and 

 are highly fed on hay and roots (for the raising of which the 

 soil and climate are admirably adapted,) until the month of Mav. 

 When there is plenty of keep, the breeding cows are housed in 

 November, but in general they are kept out until three or four 

 weeks before calving. In May, the whole cattle are turned out 

 to pasture, and, if it is practicable, those of different ages are 

 kept separate ; while, by shifting the cattle, the pasture is kept 



