162 



COST OF BULLOCK-BOXES. 



simple and feasible, — its greatest recommendation. Lofty and 

 incomprehensible theories have been too long obtruded upon 

 the agricultural community, to the exclusion of those benefits 

 which were absolutely within their grasp. The farmer's 

 attention has been directed to fattening his cattle upon foreign 

 food, and to the vain attempt of enriching his land by foreign 

 manure, instead of obtaining both from the resources of his 

 own farm. In attempting to point those out, I am sensible 

 that I shall again be subjected to the fate of a prophet in his 

 own country. 



The sketch, given in the Appendix, represents the elevation of 

 one angle of my boxes, and the ground-plan of the whole, in- 

 cluding passages, space for cribs, grinding, turnip, grass, and 

 straw houses. The angle in which the cooking department is 

 situated consists of buildings that were formerly used as stables, 

 &c. The whole is surrounded by a wall. The cost of erecting 

 similar boxes, with the same advantage of a wall, including such 

 materials and labour as could be fairly brought into the account, 

 would average about thirty shillings a box ; which will be repaid 

 in less than a year. For instance, if the erection of a box 

 costs 3O5., and the bullock fattened in it pays that sum 

 more than he would have done if grazed abroad, the money is, 

 of course, returned to the pocket, and the box remains for 

 future inhabitants. To be more explicit ; let twenty bullocks 

 be equally divided, and ten fattened in boxes, and ten in the 

 yard or field. I assert, that the former will pay 1 bl. more than 

 the latter. But, in justice to my own experiments, I must 

 add, that the advantage of box-feeding would be from two 

 to three pounds per head over the field or yard, and the extra 

 expense of attendance amply repaid by the economy of food. 



The description of these buildings is difficult, because, how- 

 ever clear and explicit, it must convey ideas of magnitude and 

 intricacy, while neither exists. To make ten boxes, a space 

 'will be required of ninety feet long and twelve and a half wide ; 

 then let a line be drawn from one end to the other three feet 

 and a half wide from the side most convenient for the passage. 

 Next let the mould, to the depth of one foot, be excavated from 

 the other part, and thrown on the side intended for the front, 

 and spread to the thickness of a foot deep. This will give two 



