The Agriculture of Pembrokeshire. 
77 
the various cakes. Usually the dairy is looked upon as the 
department of the farm which pays current expenses. 
As to the number of cows kept, it is not, as a rule, large. 
Take a farm of 250 acres, with about one-third arable, and 
the cows will number about 20. Most of the calves will be 
reared, and in some instances some additional calves will be 
bought for rearing. The calves are fed on skim-milk, and 
encouraged to eat hay and straw ; as soon as possible they are 
turned out on grass, and left to feed themselves till about 
Michaelmas, when they are housed every evening and shut in 
a shed all night, with straw to eat. During late winter and 
spring, when there is little grass, a few swedes are spread in 
the field for them in the day-time. In the second winter they 
usually get very little shelter, and, excepting those intended for 
the butcher, will be given straw, whole turnips, &c., in the field. 
Those for feeding are kept in a yard, and given plenty of straw and 
cut swedes. Generally those fed are sold in March and April, and 
all heifers not required will go to market as opportunities offer. 
Thus it can be seen that a farmer with twenty milking cows 
will have from 50 to 70 head of cattle on his farm at any par- 
ticular time. The young cattle sold in the spring ought to 
"put the half year's rent right." Feeding is not extensively 
practised, more especially what is understood as stall feeding ; 
though there can be little question that in the Black Cattle 
farmers have one of the best breeds for this purpose, as well as for 
fatting on grass ; and to show the quality of their meat, I will 
quote some remarks on the " Block Test " in the ' Mark Lane 
Express,' * alter a recent Smithfield Show. In referring to a 
Welsh ox the writer says: "The fore quarters of this animal 
were cut up, and for thickness of flesh, and total absence of 
wasteful fat, he surpassed by a long way any other animal seen in 
connection with the Show. The chuck ribs were of great thick- 
ness, with not more than about one inch of fat on the outside, 
the whole being profitable meat, fat interlaid with lean. The 
hind quarters were not cut up, but they were of the same useful 
character. Alive he appeared to be a ripe beast, full of flesh ; 
as a dressed carcase he was not only the best butcher's beast, 
but far and away the best consumer's beast which came under our 
notice." Until recent years the Black Cattle were neglected : 
but there is probably a great future before the breed now, as it 
is already evident that, combined with their extreme hardi- 
ness, they possess the points of early maturity and aptitude to 
fatten ; the only conditions necessary to obtain these being, 
that they should be supplied with plenty of wholesome food, 
* January 12th, 1885, p. 34. 
