76 
On Fatteninc/ Cattle. 
if you can help it, without seeing them. There is an old saying, 
which ought to be impressed on every farmer's memory — it has 
been of great service to me in the course of my life — it is " The 
master's eye grazeth the ox. ' A friend of mine has lately adopted 
a plan which, under the same circumstances, I should strongly 
recommend; it is that of giving a small quantity of oil-cake to 
animals grazing, for the sake of improving an ordinary pasture, 
and its eftects are astonishing. The pastures I allude to are small, 
and one or two bullocks more tlian they are calculated to carry 
are put into each ; the lot are then allowed 4 lbs. of cake per day 
per head ; this, at a cost of about '2s. per head per week — which, 
1 believe, the stock well paid for — has entirely altered the face of 
pastures from what they were three years ago, when the plan was 
first adopted by him ; and, I believe, without any loss to himself. 
I now come to the point of winter feeding. First, as to the places 
in which they are kept, I unhesitatingly give my opinion in favour 
of stall-feeding, for all the common purposes of grazing ; but not for 
young beasts that are to be summered again, or for prize oxen : 
the former should have small well-sheltered yards, with good 
sheds (if the fences are so high that they cannot see over, it is 
much better) ; and the latter, loose boxes, with plenty of room for 
them to walk about, because they have to be kept up for such a 
long period, that if no exercise were taken the health might sutler. 
It is the abuse of stall-feeding that has got it into disrepute with 
some people, and the not treading down straw enough with others. 
This last I hold to be an advantage, instead of a disadvantage; 
for, depend upon it, it is not the size of the dunghill, but the 
quality of the manure that causes the farmer's stack-yard to be 
well filled. If managed well, I contend that there is no plan so 
good as stall-feeding. The fattening-house may be of any size or 
shape, but it is necessary that there should be underground drains, 
with gratings, to carry off the urine into the liquid-manure tank; 
shutters behind the bullocks to regulate the heat, and a wide pas- 
sage at their heads to feed them and clean their mangers. The 
advantages I conceive to be the quantity of Utter required being 
smaller, therefore the muck being made better; the temperature 
being more easily regulated, and every bullock being allowed to 
eat his share in peace. The disadvantage of the animal not being 
able to rub himself so well, I consider fully done away with by the 
lough brush which you will observe I recommend using; and 
although theorists may lancy the health of the animal likely to 
suffer, I have never found it so in practice. 
Now, with respect to their food, so much does this vary (from 
the plan pursued by some people with an ox intended to be shown 
at SmithfieM, in a class restricted from corn, cake, pulse, &c. &c., 
which has tlic cream from several cotos given him, by \> ay of com- 
