Management of Cattle. 
437 
Utile more, they may easily be made to weigh from fifty to sixty 
stone. 
The Devonshire breeders sjencrally bull their heifers at from 
20 to 24 months old, and rejrulate their keep according to age. 
The dry cows are kept very badly in winter upon straw and a 
little rough grass, or upon indifferent hay, but even with such 
keeping they maintain themselves in very good condition. Those 
well in milk are allowed a few roots. From their naturally strong 
constitution they require little or no nursing after calving ; the 
calves are allowed to suck their dams a few days, after which a 
little new milk is generally allowed for a fortnight, this is gra- 
dually lessened and skim-milk substituted. A little oatmeal, 
carrots, and turnips are given as soon as the calves will eat them, 
and they are thus weaned by degrees. When turned on the 
pastures all nursing generally ceases. I believe the Devons from 
being more hardy are, generally speaking, worse kept than any 
other stock. 
The oxen are put to work at from two to three years old, 
according as they are wanted, and worked until five or six, when 
they are fed quickly. Four young and two old bullocks are 
required to plough an acre per day upon heavy land, but upon 
light soil they will do more. In Devonshire they are always 
worked in yoke. 
In Norfolk, Devon cattle are extensively used in the plough, 
but invariably two abreast, and with collars like horses. Four 
bullocks are generally allowed to work one plough, two being 
used in the forenoon from six o'clock to eleven, and the other 
from one o'clock to six. In this manner they plough generally 
li acre per day upon turnip soils. It is, however, no uncommon 
thing for three seasoned bullocks to work one plough, and if 
well kept they will do it without difficulty all through the spring. 
When the weather becomes hot, a bullock suffers very much if 
he is worked longer than five or six hours. In hoeing ridged 
turnips or mangold-wurtzel with a single hoe, two steady bullocks, 
one at a time, will walk over 5 acres per day ; but to do this 
they must worli rather longer than the usual time, namely about 
eleven hours instead of ten: for this work I prefer them to horses; 
after a little practice they are easily managed, turn at the ends 
without trouble, and scarcely injure a single root. 
The period at which the working Devons are fattened varies 
greatly. A favourite old bullock is frequently worked too long, 
and it then requires both additional time and quantity of food to 
make it fat; generally speakhig a certain number are fed off each 
year, and fresh ones are bought and broken in to supply their 
place. These old working oxen when well fed attain to a great 
weight, frequently from 84 to 90 stone ; they are, however, im- 
