Irish Afjrimlture. 
33 
sokl vvlicni a few clays, or even a few hours old, going in that 
state under the name of " slink veal," or " staggering bob." 
Those calves vvhicli are reared, are fed at the least possible 
expense — sour-milk, hay-tea, and other articles being generally 
substituted for the food which nature intended that they should 
receive. A mixture of linseed meal and bean meal, equal parts 
of each, made into gruel, is occasionally used by some persons 
who pay more than ordinary attention to rearing calves, the 
allowance being about three-fourths of a pound of the mixture 
to each calf per day ; and it is found to suit the purpose very 
well, when the linseed meal is made from the pure seed. When 
it consists merely of cake ground fine, it is of much less value 
for feeding purposes. 
Of the 421,000 calves reared by farmers holding under 50 
acres, 120,000 are sold by them in autumn as weanling calves, 
or early next spring, previous to the period — June — at which the 
agricultural census for the year is taken. Those young animals 
are bought by graziers in certain districts, who do not rear 
enough to suit their requirements, and a considerable proportion 
of them are exported to England and Scotland. When wintered 
at home, the calves are for the most part poorly kept. On farms 
which are wholly or chiefly in grass, the calves, as well as cattle 
of other ages, are run in the open fields, generally without any 
shelter, night or day, beyond that which is afforded by a fence 
or bush, and only getting hay in case of a storm. Even on 
tillage farms the young stock frequently do not receive the care 
which ought to be bestowed upon them. The stinting and 
starving system of rearing leaves its effects behind it, because 
the animal which has undergone it is never so valuable when 
older as one that has been well and regularly fed from the first. 
So far, therefore, from the stinting system being an economical 
mode of rearing cattle, it is quite the reverse, being both 
wasteful and expensive ; and the evil is rendered worse when 
the animals are inferior in point of breeding. Upon a badly 
bred, half-starved animal, good keep is thrown away. 
The principal remedy is, evidently, a more extensive cultiva- 
tion of root and forage crops by farmers who already contribute 
so much to the cattle supplies of the country. This would 
enable them to keep the stock already reared by them in better 
condition than at present ; and, if fully carried into operation, it 
would also enable them to rear a larger number of animals, as a 
result of the increased supplies of food thereby obtained. 
Great difficulty has invariably been experienced by those who 
have attempted to introduce an improved system of cultiva- 
tion among the ordinary small holders. Small holdings form 
a predominating feature in Irish agriculture ; and although there 
VOL. VIII.— S. S. D 
