226 
Farminr/ of Oxfordshire. 
Calves are generally kept in loose pens till May, the early 
ones turned out then, the weaker ones as soon as they are strong 
enough. Some well-informed men prefer tying the calves up 
to leaving them loose ; they cannot then suck each other, which 
they invariably do when at liberty ; more can be kept in the 
same space, and each calf has its proper sliare of food. Late 
calves should never be turned out in the sunmier, but fed with 
grass and under cover : they are seldom quiet in the field during 
the day, and are so worried by flies and exhausted by their 
playful gambols, that they soon become miserably thin. Good 
farmers who have the requisite accommodation take up their 
calves between Michaelmas and Christmas, and feed them on 
roots and hay during the Avinter. Others let them pick up what 
they can in the grass-fields, and there throw them a little hay. 
Heifers are generally bulled at 18 months old. 
On some of the grazing lands steers and oxen are fed, but 
barren cows are more common. Tliese are purchased from 
January to May, and at four or five years old cost about 12/. each. 
They are sold out of the grass-grounds from July to October, 
and have this last year sold at from 16/. to 20/. per head. 
It is the duty as well as the interest of every large proprietor 
to improve the breeds of stock on his estate : he can easily do 
this by keeping a well-bred bull, a superior boar, and a good 
entire cart-horse. Tlie charge for the use of these animals to 
tenants and neighbours should be moderate. On the Sarsden 
property the liberal landlord allows each tenant (free of costj to 
send two cows to his best bull, which is a thorough bred and 
most beautiful creature. But in some instances, when a land- 
lord has a first-class male animal, he fixes too high a price on 
liis services : this does not only curtail the benefit to the neigh- 
bourhood, but too frequently defeats its own ends. The use of a 
bull at 2.>. 6f/. and a boar at Is., in this county, where breed is 
little cared for, would yield a larger return than where a charge 
is made of 1/. for one, and 5s. for the other. 
When Arthur Young made his report the county was cele- 
brated for the prodiiction of veal. Suckling is now confined to 
a few farmers, as the manufacture of butter, though more trouble- 
some, has of late years been found more profitable. The calves 
for suckling are bought in at a week old, at from 20s. to 30s. 
each, and in 10 or 12 weeks will weigh from 20 to 25 stone (of 
8 lbs,). The calves are always tied up in little stalls, and fed 
early in the morning and about 5 o'cloc k at night. A man can 
attend to the suckling of 15 or 16 calves, and then go to plough 
or other work during the rest of the day ; so that the trouble and 
expense of labour is not great. A cow will fatten 3 calves in a 
year, and will furnish plenty of milk for one when fresh ; but 
