Fattiug Bullocks on Arable Farms. 
481 
As to the 20 lbs. of oat-straw fodder, lie had never yet seen 
the bullock that gave a profit by being fed upon hay ; but he had 
ibeen informed of numerous instances to the contrary. The reasons 
were, first, that the hay was too costly a material ; and next, that the 
animal would not continue to eat his other food so heartily as when 
he was supplied with straw. \Vhen he ate straw he came to his 
food with the greatest zest and appetite ; but when he ate hay, he 
often refused his food, the hay having a cloying effect upon thtv 
stomach, particularly when given with roots in large quantities. 
He never grew hay, therefore, but cut up his clover, and used it to 
•feed his beasts under cover, in tlie preparatory state of summer 
feeding, believing that they thereby made as much meat again, as 
well as produced a valuable mamire. Physiologically, ruminating 
animals require a large amount of straw to distend the stomach and 
carry out their peculiar process of digestion. The allowance of 
20 lbs. of straw-litter per day during the winter feeding is also 
desirable. 
He might be told that the sum of lO;.'. %d., at which he estimated 
the increased value of the bullock, was too large, consfdering the 
actual number of pounds' weight that can be gained in a week ; 
but he must repeat once more that he was only now giving them 
the actual results of tliree years' feeding of stock of varions ages, 
from which it appeared that his younger stock paid better than 
stock of full age. 
One point under the head " economy of feeding," is the sort of 
animals to be kept ; and he thoughl that the old established breeds, 
recognised by the Eoj'al Agricultural Society at their annual shows 
— the Shorthorns, Hereford s, Devons, and Scots — must also be 
recognised and preferred by the farmer. Crosses are, however, not 
to be despised if derived from a pure breed. For rearing he liked 
the Shorthorns best ; and always brought up his calves under cover 
from the time of calving up to their being 22 or 24 weeks' old. 
The best age at which to commence fatting he took to be from 
18 to 20 months. Some of his stock, which he sold in April last, 
had commenced feeding on the 1st of November preceding, at which 
time two of them were 17 months old, and the average weight of 
the beasts when sold was 98 stone, odd pounds. It was not reason- 
able to suppose that animals that had been purchased after being 
driven about the country or taken from roaming about their own 
pastuies, would get immediately used to their new life upon being 
placed in boxes, and at once do full justice to the amount of food 
supplied to them. Such animals should not be put on high feeding 
at once : he therefore adopted what he termed a preparatory state of 
feeding, for the animal should always be fleshy before it is put to 
high diet. Six or eight weeks weie sufficient to detect the bad- 
doers among purchased animals. He was feeding at this time (in 
June) his calves, yearlings, and older stock, on clover. Mangold 
would succeed, and after that was gone he commenced with tri- 
folium, clover, and the tops of carrots and turnips. He fed only 
twice a-day with roots, and had the mangold cut with a Gardiner's 
VOL. XXIII. 2 I 
