104 
Relative Profits to the Farmer from 
As the cattle-trade is now carried on, a moment's reflection 
will show that there is a great loss of time, of flesh, and of beef- 
producing power. Just think of what many of the Irish cattle 
lose between their native pastures and their feeding quarters — 
perhaps in the more distant parts of England and Scotland ! 
Just think of how long they are in their feeding hammels some- 
times before they take on fat ! Consider for a little how much 
more valuable they would be to the feeder in their own country, 
or to any one, if freed from the painful treatment so common in 
transit ! Reflect deliberately on how much nearer his purpose 
the British farmer would be to breed and rear, keep con- 
stantly progressing, and turn off early ripe more of his own 
stock ! These are questions which call for the most careful con- 
sideration of the British and Irish farmers at the present time. 
Breeding, rearing, and feeding combined wherever possible — and 
a combination to a larger extent than now is not only possible, 
but prudent — is the safest, surest, and best system of farming. 
In my experience, the holdings on which this course has long 
been pursued have been clearly the most profitable. I have in 
my mind's eye several cases in point, but I have not the 
authority of the tenants to mention names. The statement, 
however, is none the less true, and I commend it to the favour- 
able consideration of every farmer whose land is not in the 
vicinity of a large town, is not of an unhealthy character for 
young stock, or is not almost all under cereals, root-crops, and 
hay. 
Sheep. — The preponderance of the evidence is in favour of 
sheep as the most profitable kind of stock to the British farmer. 
Most of the writers speak of a mixed system of husbandry — part 
cattle and part sheep — as the most successful. And so it is ; more 
especially if a considerable portion of the stock can be bred as 
well as fed. As a general rule, in recent years sheep have left 
more profit than cattle ; this is partly due to the double source 
of revenue yielded by mutton and wool. As Mr. ^Charles 
Howard says, a good clip of wool comes in very handy, adding 
very considerably to the farmer's annual revenue. Sheep manage- 
ment seems to be better understood and more heartily gone into 
in many parts of England and the south of Scotland, than either 
cattle- or horse-rearing ; and that helps the comparative profits of 
the fleecy tribe. The great rise in labourers' wages has also had 
something to do with the popularising of sheep. They involve 
less outlay in the form of agricultural labour than cattle .do. 
Besides, they need less house-accommodation, and so are more 
suitable for many holdings which are scantily provided with 
buildings. Fed on cake, sheep will enrich the land better than 
any other kind of stock. The returns from them on arable land, 
