06 
Relative Profits to the Farmer from 
scarcely suffice ; but there, rearing calves is out of the question. 
Both roots, hay, and grass, as well as milk, must be of less value 
to warrant breeding and rearing of young stock. Mr. Cowie 
saj's that a cow might foster three calves a year. No doubt she 
might, but the last one would be very late. If a cow brought 
up two calves a year, and did it well, the business would pay, 
provided proper bulls were got, and liberal feeding carefully 
bestowed on the calves after weaning. Supposing that a fairly 
good milker only nursed two calves, and bred one every year, 
what would be the farmer's profit? One of the calves and the 
milk for the two would be all that the farmer would have for 
the cow's keep for a year, already estimated at 12Z. Well, say 
the buying price of the second calf is 4/. ; to this 16/. let us add 
y/. for the keep of the two calves after weaning until they are 
one year old. Each animal at one year old would thus cost the 
breeder 121. 10s. Now in recent years, good cross-bred year- 
lings liberally fed from calfliood, have realised from 14/. to 18/. 
But suppose the breeder to keep the animals on, as is more 
common, until they are about two years old, would he not be 
paid for generous feeding with 24/. a head ? The fact is, well 
descended and attentively fed home-bred two-year-olds have been 
fetching from 25/. to 35/. a head for several years. Only last 
November, Mr. Walker, Altyre, whose report will be found 
among the others, sold Sir W. G. Gordon Cummings' " crop " 
of cross-bred six-quarter olds at 24/. 15*. a head. By the 
time these were two years old they could easily have been 
made worth from 30/. to 35/. They had been generously and 
regularly fed throughout, but got nothing of an extravagant 
nature, only turnips, grass, straw, and some cake. The sire was 
a good Shorthorn bull, and the cows mostly first cross from 
Shorthorn and Aberdeen. The soil is light, and the climate 
one of the driest in the kingdom. In short, the soil and climate 
at Altyre are such as many would consider specially suitable 
for sheep rearing and feeding. Yet the facts adduced show 
what the farm can do in the rearing of cattle. 
I doubt not many farmers may say, " Why should we trouble 
ourselves with a breeding-stock ? we can get as many yearlings 
as we want at less than 12/. lOs. each." Too many, alas ! can be 
bought under that figure. Hundreds can be purchased under it for 
one over it. But are they such a good bargain as the higher- 
priced, well-kept sorts? After all my experience and investiga- 
••tion, I cannot bring myself to the conclusion that, all things 
considered, they are. 
Even in the Border counties, where a tolerably good class of 
cross-bred cattle can be had, from either the English or Irish 
breeding districts, I lately had a good opportunity of judging of 
