The Management of a Shorthorn Herd. 
385 
soil along the courses of the rivers ; and over the district gene- 
rally it consists of light loamy soil, abounding in small stones, 
and lying upon a hard stiff subsoil of boulder clay, or upon 
granite rock. It is very deficient in lime, and does not produce 
rich natural pasture. There is also an almost entire absence of 
phosphate of lime, and it is only by the application of large 
quantities of bones that good turnip-crops can be produced and 
the pastures made suitable for carrying heavy cattle. There 
are no extensive beds of limestone, chalk, or sandstone. The 
land has been drained, and is all under a regular course of 
cropping ; say, the first year, new grass ; the second and third 
years, grass ; fourth year, oats ; fifth year, turnips ; and sixth 
year, barley or oats sown with rye-grass and clover-seed, in the 
proportion of a bushel and a half, or oftener nearly two bushels, 
of rye-grass, say about 45 lbs. (taking the average at 24 lbs. to 
the bushel) to 7 or 8 lbs. of clover per acre, the clover mixed in 
the proportion of 4 lbs. red, 2 lbs. white, and 1 lb. alsike. 
The country is fenced with stone walls ; there aje few hedges, 
and very little wood or shelter of any kind is to be found. The 
farmyard-manure and most of the artificial manure is applied 
with the tui'nip-crop. Almost all the soil is suitable for growing 
yellow turnips of good quality, and most of it also produces 
good crops of swedes ; the oat-straw is good, and turnips and 
oat-straw form the basis of all cattle-feeding. No hay is grown, 
except sufficient to supply the horses in winter and spring, 
and there is no permanent pasture ; rye-grass, together with the 
small proportion of clover above stated, being the only seeds 
sown. 
The cattle are tied up in stalls for about thirty weeks of the 
year, and graze for about twenty-two weeks ; but, owing to cold 
and frequent frost at nights, part of even this time is of doubtful 
advantage for grazing, and cattle for feeding are generally taken 
in sooner. It is obvious that in such a climate good housing 
is of great importance. The breeding cows are tied up in byres 
and have everything brought to them, never being loosed, from 
autumn to spring, when in-calf. Where, as is commonly the 
case, there are double rows of cows, the animals stand with 
their heads to the wall, a " grip " behind separating the two rows. 
This is generally quite 4 feet wide, and the width of the whole 
building is from 23 to 24 feet ; the stalls measuring 7 ft. 6 in. 
from grip-stone to head, the trough 1 ft. 6 in., and the width 
of a stall designed to hold two full-sized cows is about 8 feet. 
Plenty of room overhead is a great point, with good light and 
ventilation without draughts. Doors, too, should always be of 
sufficient width to allow the cattle to pass in and out without 
injury. The floorings are generally paved with small stones set 
VOL. XVI. — S. S. 2 C 
