GRAZING. 



driven to eat the long graf?, they would not fatten upon it ; 

 for, as the nearer the bone the fweeter the flefli, fo the nearer 

 the ground the fweeter the grafs ; it is not, he fuppofes, fo 

 much the quantity as tlie quality of the food that muft be 

 attended to. And in further proof of the advantage of 

 hard Itocking, it is dated, that it is a common complaint, 

 that the land is good in fpring, but it goes off. Is this to 

 be wondered at, when one-third, or perhaps one-half of the 

 field is become fo rank, that no one animal in the pafture will 

 bite a mouthful of it ? Suffer the V(;ry beft piece of grafs- 

 land, entirely free from weeds, to lie witliout either eating 

 oil the grafs, or mowing it, and in a few years it will be 

 over-run with weeds, have very little ufefiil grafs in it, and 

 in faft be little better than rubbifli. Confequcntly, there 

 can be httle doubt of the beneficial confequences of hard or 

 clofe ftocking on the older forts of grazing-land ; but on 

 the new leys it (hould probably be feldom attempted, as 

 injury may be done to fuch lauds without the Hock being 

 thereby adequately improved. 



But m grazing farms, there are feveral different fyftems of 

 management purl'ued, in refpeft to cattle as well as fheep. 

 The practice with fome graziers is, " to purchale tlieir 

 cattle in the fairs in the autumn-ftaion, about Oclober, or 

 in the following month, fupporting them througli the win- 

 ter, principally witii llraw, or iometimea, wliich is a much 

 better practice, with a little hay mixed with it, till towards 

 the beginning of March, continuing their fattening through 

 tho.t and the fucteeding month with fome fort of fucculent 

 food, fuch as turnips, potatoes, or other fimilar kinds, until 

 the grafs be in a ilate lit to be turned upon in May, on which 

 they may be carried forward and completed, according to 

 GJrcumltances, about Auguft, or in the following month.'' 

 And another praftice " is to purchafe their bealls lean, as 

 foon-as the grais-lands are in a itate lit to be turned upon in 

 May, wholly completing their fattening on the grafs about 

 the latter end of October, or later in the autumn, according 

 to their quicknefs in feeding. In this fyifcm of management, 

 the fmaller kinds of cattle Hock may be found in general the 

 reioll advantageous, efpecially where the lands are of the leis 

 fertile and luxuriant defcriptions." 



Another practice, fomelimes had recourfe to by grazing 

 farmers, but which is, in general, perhaps lefs profitable than 

 tither of the above modes, is that of buying in ilock at 

 fuch periods, according to the difference in their fizcs, as 

 that they may be ready to be fold ofF about April, or in 

 the fucceeding month, a period at which they ufually fetch 

 high prices in tlie markets. It has been obferved, that " in 

 this fyitem, with large oxen or oth::r forts of beatts, it is 

 fomelimes the prattice to keep them through two winters, 

 giving them only one rummer's grafs ; being in the firft win- 

 ter not fully fed, but kept in good grafs in the fummer-fea- 

 fon, and forced on with the beft feeding in the fecond ; but 

 with the fmaller forts of (lock, one fmnmer's grafs and a 

 winter's ftalling is the ufual mode ; the cattle being bought 

 in as foon in the fpring as the grafs is rifen to a good bite." 

 It ds in very fe\v inllances that the animals can pay for this 

 length of keepit^g. And, " in fome diftricls, lieifers are pre 



for being converted into manure. Under other circun> 

 ftances, the fecond mode of management will be much more 

 profitable. The two laft methods are the leaft convenient, 

 and, probably, on the whole, except in very favourable cir- 

 cumftances, the leaft profitable, efpecially tlie former of them, 

 as, from the great length of time which they are kept, much 

 management and attention to food becomes neceflary to ren- 

 der them advantageous ; which, with common fervants, is 

 feldom fufficiently regarded." 



But in addition to thefe feveral modes or plans of fatten- 

 ing neat-cattle, there is a practice followed in fome rich hay- 

 diltrlcls near large towns, and particularly by the hay-farmers 

 in Middlefex, which is, that " of buying in fmall cattle in 

 tolerable condition in the autumn, as foon as the afler-grafs 

 is ready, in order to their being fattened out on the rouens, 

 and difpofed of towards the latter end of October, or begin- 

 ninc: of the following; month." 



And, regarding fheep ftock, the fame difference of fyftem 

 takes place ; as, in fome cafes, where the lands are in a ftate 

 of inclofure, it is the " practice to buy ewes in lamb in the 

 latter end of fummer or beginning of autumn, keeping them 

 on the inferior forts of grais-l.inds, ftubbles, or fallows, till 

 the beginning of January ; and then, by giving them tur- 

 nips or cabbages, to keep them in good condition through 

 the period of their lambing, and afterwards in the bell man- 

 ner that can be contrived, in m-der that the lambs may be- 

 come fit for the butcher fufficiently earl)- to admit of the 

 ewes being afterwards fattened, and difpofed of in the begin- 

 ning of the autumn." This, in many cafes, is found a pro- 

 fitable fyftem of management, but which requires much care 

 and attention in direfting it. 



Another practice in this bufincfs is, to pwchafe wether 

 ftock about the beginning of May, at the age of two or 

 three years, keeping them fparingly till fome weeks after 

 the grounds have been cleared from hay ; then bringing them 

 to good keep in the rouen, afterwards fattening them by- 

 means of turnips or cabbages, fo as not to have them ready 

 fooner than the beginning of March, which is commonly the 

 feafon ui which they fetch the higlieft prices. In this fyf- 

 tem of grazing management, a good profit is moftly afford- 

 ed by farmers who piiriuc it in a judicious and fteady man- 

 ner, i 



And a- further pratlice in fattening fheep is purfued in 

 fome cafe 5 with great profit and luccefs, which is that oi 

 buying in lambs of tiic wether, or other kinds, about the 

 beginning of SepteTr.ber, which are kept in different methods 

 by different gra/iers, being by fome brought forward with 

 the greateft pof'ihle expedition by the beft keep, fo as to be 

 ready to be fold off as foon as poflible. But others have 

 recourfe to the contrary method, keeping them only in a 

 middling way during the winter, till about the beginning of 

 A])ril, and then forcing them forward by good keep, fo as 

 to have them ready for the butcher in Auguft, or continu- 

 ing tliLin in the following month ; and then clearing the 

 whole of the ftock from the land. In this practice, large 

 profits are often made by judicious graziers, efpecially when 



ferred to oxen ; in Which cafe, they buy them in about fituated near large towns where the population is great. 

 March or ^Vpril, and, after keeping them through the fum- Another fyftem of fattening, which can only be purfued 

 jner, fell in October and November.' This method is thought, to advantage in fituations near large populous towns, is that 

 by fome, a profitable fyitem of management." By the au- of providing grafs-lambs for the markets as early as pofTible 

 thor of the Modern iiyftem of Praftical Agriculture, on in the fpring months, which pays the grazier well in many 

 thefe ditfwent fyftems, it is noticed that they may all " pro- cafes. With this view, it is the prattice to procure the 

 bably be praCtifed wiih advantage under different circiim- more forward ewes, luch as thofe of the Dorfct breed, 

 ftances ; tut it is obvious that the firft can only be had re- which drop their lambs in the beginning of January, if not 

 courfe to with propriety, where green winter food is raifed before. In Middlefex, where this management is much at- 

 '» fiiftkient abundance, and tic -grazier has a ftore of litter tended to, in coufequence of the great demand, it is the cuf- 



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