Farming of Oxfordshire. 
223 
filled up by younger and smaller Herefords, which arc disposed 
of in April and May. All the cattle are fed on swedes (or 
mjingokls as the season advances), hay, and a mixture of meal ; 
this mixture is composed of equal portions of beans, barley, and 
linseed. The flax-seed is crushed and steeped, and this mucilage 
is mixed with the other meal, which is dry, and then given in 
hay-chaff for the cattle. The allowance to each ox per day 
is from half a peck at first to a peck. The cattle at Ascott are 
also Herefords. This year fifty superb animals were tied up : 
the first thirty that were sold averaged 34/. each, and were ex- 
cellent in every point ; being good for the feeder, the butcher, 
and the public. This successful grazier purchases his steers at 
the Hereford October fair, winters them in a dry grass field, with 
an allowance of hay, or in a yard with straw, hay-chaff, and a 
little oil-cake ; he then places them in some good pastures during 
the summer, and after Michaelmas they are tied up, fed on oil- 
cake, hay, and swedes, till Christmas, when they are all sold. 
At Overy farm, in the parish of Dorchester, the very com- 
mendable system of rearing stock and selling them fat at 2 years 
old is carried out with perseverance and success. Six cows are 
kept, and these cows annually rear forty calves : each cow, when 
fresh in milk, suckles two or three calves at a time, which are 
weaned at 10 or 12 weeks old. The calves are first supplied 
with hay, swedes, and green crop, and when they are being 
weaned are allowed a little meal, and not unfrequently old beans. 
The beans are given whole, and at first the calves nibble and 
play with them, and they improve rapidly while eating a few 
beans. The calves, all steers, are bought from the dealers, who 
furnish them when a week or ten days old, at from 25s. to 35*. 
each : if practicable, the calves are not turned out, but supplied 
with green food in the summer, and hay and roots in winter. 
There are three sheds, besides the pen for the calves. As they 
progress they are promoted to the upper shed, where alone meal 
is used, and then never more than a gallon to each steer per day. 
The meal is composed of two sacks of seconds barley and one of 
beans. This Christmas two very nice steers, 23 months old, 
realised 50/., and the others are sold at 2 years old, at prices 
varying from 16/. to 18/. each. 
The cattle maintained in the county are for the most part 
cows and young stock to replenish the dairies ; the cows are 
almost all short-horns. There is still a dairy of Alderneys at 
Wormsley, and herds of fine and well-bred Herefords at Water- 
perry and Middle Aston. At Blenheim there are a lot of Dutch, 
certainly no acquisition to any locality. There may be found a 
considerable dash of the old long-horns in some herds, while in 
other districts a good deal of Alderney blood is infused into the 
