Best Means of Increasing the Home-Production of Beef. 3-57 
and, secondly, the value of the pasture to a stock farmer from 
September to February is very considerable. 
Having arranged the cropping, the next and most impor- 
tant consideration is the number, age, and variety of stock 
the farm will keep, and which will in all probability produce 
the best financial results. On the customary Lady-day entry 
we would commence with thirty good dairy cows, and if within 
reach of a butter-dairy we would sell the new milk to the 
dairy, and bring back the separated milk for use on the 
farm. If there were no dairy within reach, or no adjacent 
occupiers who would join us, we would set up a separator, 
sell what new cream we could, and make the remainder into 
butter ; and we would rear not less than one calf to each 
cow. For the first two years it would be necessary to purchase 
young stock to tide over until such time as the farm could be 
made self-supportiug. Once the system was fairly organised, 
there would be thirty head of cattle to go out each year ; five or 
six cows would be drafted from the dairy yearly, and their places 
filled by an equal number of home-bred heifers. The draft 
cows would either pass direct to the butcher ; or, probably, under 
present circumstances, they would pay better to sell as down- 
calvers to the town dairymen. 
There is another old practice I should much like to see 
revived — that is, spaying all the heifers not required for breed- 
ing purposes. I believe the operation is neither difficult to 
perform nor attended with much danger, whilst it is obvious 
that the quality of the beef must be better. It is unnecessary 
to point out to those who are practically acquainted with 
the management of cattle the check to the progress of the 
animal through the periodic recurrence of natural causes. With 
the exception of those retained for breeding purposes, all the 
young stock would go to the butcher at a little over two years 
of age ; the best time to bring them out is between the first of 
April and the end of June. If the bulls have been selected 
with judgment, each generation would improve for along series 
of years. What an interesting and profitable opportunity for 
an intelligent young man to build up a herd of superior 
milkers ! 
The old-fashioned practice of dairy-farmers as to the period 
of calving cannot be recommended. There were no winter dairies 
in the old days ; calving rarely commenced before the middle of 
March or beginning of April ; yet it cannot be disputed that the 
best time for rearing calves is from October to February. The 
price of dairy-produce rules higher in the winter than in the 
summer months ; and there is the further advantage that the gross 
