292 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition o/'1872. 
may be said to be in a state of transition. The seeds, though 
they were selected with great care, have, we suspect, been faulty, 
and it is now found necessary to top-dress this portion of the 
farm by consuming roots upon it with sheep during the winter 
and spring. In this way, too, the dry meadows are from time 
to time enriched, and made to bear the frequent mowings to 
which they are subjected. 
Horses. — The farm is worked by six useful horses, yoked abreast. 
Excepting during the summer, when, if grass be plentiful, they 
are turned out, they are kept in a large open yard, provided with 
a shed along one side. Into this, however, they are simply turned 
at night, and allowed uncut hay, being taken into the stable 
morning and evening to receive the bulk of their food. A 
liberal allowance of bran, pea-meal, pulp, and oats, mixed with 
chaff, keeps them in condition during the busy season, and 
with this treatment ]Mr. Parsons seldom has a horse off work. 
No colts being bred, the stables are replenished by the purchase, 
now and again, of a young improving animal to supply the 
place of the aged and worn out. 
Cattle. — Very useful Shorthorns are kept at Slough, but they 
are by no means a numerous lot. Butter and cheese being made 
for sale, milking properties are more valued than pedigree or 
faultless form. Eight, and sometimes nine, cows or heifers are 
annually sent to a neighbour's well-bred bull, and the produce 
reared, and, with the exception of one or two kept to fill up 
the cow stock, all fattened off at a trifle under ^three years old. 
The calves are mostly dropped in March, are suckled for the 
first 6 or 8 weeks, and then have milk from the pail, half new 
and half skimmed. By degrees they are reduced to the poorer 
description only, and, when this in its turn falls off, the calves 
are put in loose yards, and fed on cut mangolds, clover, vetches, 
and linseed cake, or crushed corn, until the close of summer. 
In the fall of the year the corn or linseed cake is discontinued, 
and a liberal supply of swedes and hay given through the winter 
and spring. In the summer the young stock are grazed on the 
rough meadows ; the older division, now turned 2 years of age, 
and therefore preparing for the butcher, having, commonly, 
2 lbs. of cotton cake, and 1 lb. of linseed cake per head daily. 
The fattening process, however, is seldom completed until the 
winter, when for this purpose the heifers are tied in stalls, 
and the steers are placed in a warm fold-yard. Their diet 
then consists of cut swedes (or mangolds in the spring) three 
times a day; 3 lbs. each of linseed (or cotton) cake and 
mixed meal (wheat, barley, and pea) once a day, given 
along with chopped clover. One feed daily of whole clover 
is also given. Last spring the best of eight fat beasts made. 
