60 
Irish Agriculture. 
by hay-tea and by gruel made of Indian corn ground into flour, 
which is far preferable to the same grain ground roughly into 
meal, as it becomes more digestible. Some wean their calves in 
August, but others continue to give them milk and gruel up to 
October, which is much to the advantage of the calves. Those 
calves which are weaned in August seldom fetch more than \l. 
or 4/. 10s. per head, while those fed up to October realise from 
6Z. to 11. per head at the October fairs. When the calves are 
weaned they are turned upon after-grass until winter, when they 
get hay in the fields. Farmers who till extensively are able to 
allow them some pulped turnips in addition, but, as a general 
rule, they are wintered solely on grass and hay. They are found 
to winter much better on newly laid down land than on old 
pastures. In the case of calves, as well as of dairy cows, it 
is desirable that they should get cak& or other artificial food, as 
there is little doubt the money so expended would be found 
a profitable investment, now that the demand for yearlings is 
steady and good. The climate of the county of Cork is for 
the most part very mild, and hence the calves are out-fed during 
winter ; and it is held by the Cork farmers that they thrive better 
in consequence than if they were house-fed, that is, if they get 
nothing more nutritious than hay. But, while fully sensible of 
the advantage of exercise for young animals, I am of opinion 
that calves kept in open yards, with sufficient shed accommoda- 
tion attached, and an occasional run out on the grass, thrive well, 
while there is certainly not that waste of food which attends out- 
feeding, where the hay is merely thrown down on the surface of 
the ground, to be blown about and trampled upon. 
In other districts, dairy farming is conducted in a much more 
primitive manner than in the county of Cork. The cows are 
seldom housed even in winter ; and the hay they get is simply 
laid down to them on the surface of the pasture. It is not 
a pleasant sight to see a lot of in-calf cows standing during 
a bitter shower of sleet in March, with their backs arched, and 
crouching under the shelter afforded by a low fence j but so 
prejudiced are many of those farnvers against housing their 
cattle, that they frequently assert it is " unlucky " to do so, and 
that housing causes their cows to slip their calves. There is this 
much to be said in favour of the outlyii g versus the housing 
system, that in many instances where the latter is practised to 
some extent, the cows will frequently be found standing up 
to their hocks in filth ; and I have no doubt that cows so kept 
will be apt to cast their calves. Where there is little or no 
cultivation, and no properly organized staff of labour, out- 
fetid ing all tin; year through is on the whole, perhaps, best 
suited to meet the special circumstances of the case; and in the 
