434 Management of Cattle. 
The Hereford breeders prefer their cows to calve in November 
and December, and g^enerally speaking; the calves are introduced 
to their dams both morning and evening, and in many instances 
they take all the milk. When the season arrives for turning out 
to grass, it is not unusual to allow the calves to accompany the 
cows. The calves thus wean themselves gradually, as they soon 
learn to eat grass, and are quite strong and able to pick for them- 
selves long before winter. From the time of weaning little or no 
difference may be said to exist in the treatment of the young 
stock, between the Short-horns and Herefords. Warm and well- 
sheltered paddocks with hovels, or yards with open sheds, form 
in both cases their winter quarters, in which they are supplied 
with hay, roots, and, generally speaking, a rather liberal allow- 
ance of cake or other artificial food. This treatment is often 
repeated to a certain extent the following winter, and amongst na 
description of cattle are the young steers kept in such high con- 
dition as the Herefords. At the Hereford October fair a great 
show of steers and oxen in almost every stage are exhibited for 
sale. They are purchased for all purposes, many being con- 
sidered fat enough for Smithfield market, others requiring six or 
eight weeks stall-feeding to top them up, whilst the youngest and 
those lowest in condition are purchased for straw-yard or grass 
wintering. 
There is a good deal of fashion observed amongst the Here- 
ford breeders ; some look very much to colour, others to symmetry 
and quality of flesh ; and I believe all are too much addicted to 
the system of close breeding, and too great adherence to their 
own stock. 
The graziers of our midland districts usually purchase their 
Hereford oxen either at the great Hereford, or subsequent local 
fairs, held in the autumn, for wintering upon their rich grass- 
lands, where they are liberally supplied with hay, and have open 
hovels to run under ; or they winter them in straw-yards, and give 
four or five pounds of linseed cake daily. 
In early spring the Hereford cattle again make their appear- 
ance at many large fairs in the Midlands (Northampton, Market- 
Harborough, Daventry, Lutterworth, &c.), the remainder of the 
stock required for the summer being then bought in. Those 
wintei-ed are generally the most forward in condition ; even if 
not, having entirely recovered from the effects of drift, &c., they 
are in a state to be put forward, and usually take precedence 
during the summer (according to the season and quality of the 
pastures) : these are fit for market towards the middle of July or 
the beginning of August. Thus, when the grass begins to 
shrink, the grazier is enabled to ease his pastures, and put his 
less forward bullocks into better keeping. These again make 
