Breeding, Rearing, and Feeding Horses, Cattle, and Sheep. 101 
'barely realising 3/., they would fetch 5/., and prove better bar- 
gains. If dairymen could only realise it, they would, or at least 
should, have more profit by securing a pure-bred bull than by 
resorting to almost any sort of animal that would bring the cows 
into milking form. In this direction we must look for some of 
the desired improvement in British feeding-stock ; and if proper 
steps were taken, we should not long have to look in vain. 
Division of labour is in certain circumstances a good thing ; 
but hitherto, and particularly within the last five or six years, 
the labour of breeding, rearing, and fattening cattle, has been 
divided to an unprofitable extent. Many of the occupants of 
good breeding and rearing farms are carried away by the unfor- 
tunate notion that " we could not breed and rear them so big at 
the money as we can buy them." Very likely not. Size, how- 
ever, is but one thing ; quality, ready feeding properties, and 
symmetry, should be the principal aim. That being so, my 
reply is, " if you cannot breed them so big at the money, you can 
easily bring them to even greater size and of infinitely superior 
quality at the same age, and with a better balance at the year's 
end." Another view of the matter is, that the breeder and rearer 
would in all probability have a better return if he bred fewer, 
and fattened some, or all of those he sold, " big for the money." 
These remarks naturally bring the Irish cattle trade into view. 
Store cattle from that country, to the value of about 10,000,000/., 
are annually imported into England and Scotland. They are 
bred and, so far, reared cheaply in Ireland, some of the correspon- 
dents say. No doubt of it ; but what sort of rearing is it ? Is 
it not half-starving in many cases ? and do not large numbers of 
those ill-conditioned animals — walking evidences of a somewhat 
slovenly and unsatisfactory system of husbandry — form the most 
fruitful source of disease in this country ? Moreover, on hundreds 
of them how much good food is comparatively wasted on this 
side the Channel ! It is not because they are Irish that these beasts 
•spread disease, and in many instances thrive unsatisfactorily, but 
owing to the treatment they receive. The cattle of any country 
exposed to similar usage would be quite as bad. It is well known 
that on board the Irish steamers, on railways (both on this and 
the other side of the Channel), and at fairs, the Irish cattle are 
neither well fed, gently treated, nor supplied with comfortable 
accommodation. Then if disease is in the country, it is a wonder 
if they do not come in contact with it. 
Both English and Scotch farmers would profit by the intro- 
duction of fewer Irish beasts, and Irish farmers would ultimately 
benefit by feeding more of their stock at home. Just as easily 
and as expediently as the British farmer could breed more stock, 
»his Irish brother could feed more. Of course, more feeding in 
