264 



SEVEN BULLOCKS FATTENED BY THE AUTHOR. 



dealer, of Great Tudeiiham^ near East Dereham^ from which 

 time till October they were fed on grass and lucern cut into 

 chaff, w^ith a small allowance of linseed and grass^ or potato 

 compound ; flies excluded from the boxes by canvas blinds. 

 From October to the 14th of November the cattle were kept 

 upon a compound of pea-straw, w^hite turnip-tops, and linseed, 

 with as many turnips as they could eat besides ; afterwards, 

 Swedes were substituted for white turnips ; and instead of the 

 tops, a small quantity were sliced to form the compound. On 

 the 30th of December the two smallest bullocks were sold to 

 Mr. Doughty, butcher, North Walsham, for 24/. IO5. ; and on 

 the 13th of January he purchased three more, at 13Z. 13^. each; 

 leaving the two largest and least fat, which, in the course of 

 three weeks, will be w^orth 29Z. It will be seen that the aver- 

 age time was six months for every bullock, and the average 

 sum above the original cost, 7L \0s.; or, in other words, 

 realizing 52Z. 9^. in six months, for an outlay of 42/.; — a return 

 for native produce such as may fearlessly challenge compa- 

 rison ; and such as ought to stimulate the British farmer to 

 the cultivation of flax, the fattening of cattle upon native pro- 

 duce, box-feeding, and summer-grazing. 



The rate of expense for Unseed was ^s. 36?. per week for each 

 bullock. With respect to turnips and straw no minute estimate 

 can be formed ; but it will be acknowledged that if four acres 

 of pea-straw w^ere consumed in so short a time, by cattle so few 

 in number and so small in size, the quantity of turnips eaten 

 must be very limited. 



It is to the grand return for farm produce that I desire to 

 direct public attention, w^hether in the shape of meat, of corn, 

 or of flax ; and not to trifling calculations, that tend to obscure 

 rather than to elucidate truth. I repeat, of flax, for, although 

 my bullocks were fattened upon the seed, the fibre is being 

 sold at OS. and 55. Q>d. per stone, amounting to four or five 

 pounds per acre, clear of unavoidable expenses, as well as those 

 occasioned by inexperience. Nor must the rich manure be 

 forgotten, the efficacy of w^hich surpasses any derived from 

 other sources. 



It may be objected that the case described is a solitary 

 instance of successful grazing, arising from peculiar circum- 



