Breeding, Rearing, and Feeding Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. 95 
From Lincolnshire we have the following statement from Mr. 
Henry Sharpley, Acthorpe : — " When the grass land belonging 
to a farm will fatten cattle without artificial food, or when a farm 
has scarcely any grass land upon it, it will then pay better to 
buy cattle, to feed in the one case, or to put them in the fold- 
yard in the other." Mr. George Hope, late of Fenton Barns, 
speaks of the Lothians as better adapted for feeding than rearing 
stock. Mr. Scot-Skirving, whose farming experience has been 
chiefly acquired in East Lothian, thinks there is very little 
profit on feeding cattle, but they are, he says, " necessary evils 
to make manure." When the bought animals take disease, and 
are purchased at high prices, the margin for feeding is often 
small. If the animals were bred on the farm or in the district, 
the profits would be steadier and greater. There are, however, 
several farms in the lower parts of such counties as the Lothians, 
more particularly East Lothian, where breeding is impracticable 
from want of summer keep. Moreover, sheep-feeding is pre- 
ferred there in summer on account of the dry climate ; also in 
Norfolk, for example, where there is very little grass and a great 
deal of root-crops, it would be impracticable to breed nearly as 
many cattle as would be required for winter feeding. Mr. 
George Mitchell, St. John's Wells, Aberdeenshire, gives some 
statistics showing that the practice of feeding, to which he has 
lately resorted, pays better than breeding and feeding together. 
I do not doubt his figures, but it has to be considered that he 
manages to get good home-bred crosses from Caithness and the 
north, which prove better than the mongrel-bred, hide-bound, 
half-starved creatures that reach the north of Scotland from 
Ireland or even England, after undergoing much privation at 
fairs and on railway journeys throughout the country. Instead of 
purchasing from the " Irish droves," Mr. Mitchell finds it more 
profitable to compete with the local butcher for the three-parts 
finished native cattle that may come into the district markets 
under the designation of fat. A few months' keep of such beasts 
generally leaves as many pounds to the feeder. They are easier 
sold than the rougher framed, bigger-boned, lighter-fleshed lots, 
and the great risk of disease is obviated. But the scarcity of 
the better class of home-bred lean beasts in the market, as well 
as of good half or three-parts finished lots, makes it impossible 
for many to work as Mr. Mitchell does. 
Mr. James Cowie says that fair keep to a breeding cow on 
grass, turnips, and hay or straw, would cost from lOZ. to 15/. 
a year. I have found that 12/. a year keeps ordinary farm 
cows on this fare tolerably well ; of course heavily milked cows 
cost more. In city dairies, or those that send sweet milk to 
towns where keep is dear, double the amount named would 
