420 
The Management of a Shorthoini Herd. 
rivers, and from this he has enlarged an excellent watering- 
place, invaluable to him for his herd. 
Balljvvater, near Castletovvnroche, lies about three miles to 
the north, or right of the line of railway, as the route already 
specified is continued. Mr. Welsted's herd was founded more than 
thirty years ago, and retains direct descendants of some of the 
animals originally purchased. For many years specimens of 
his cattle were successfully exhibited ; but the practice of show- 
ing has been long discontinued, and the whole herd is now kept 
in very moderate breeding condition. For the last eighteen 
years the young bulls, any surplus heifers from the old pedigree 
families, and sometimes a few heifers bred up from good, useful 
stock, imported from England, crossed with the pedigree bulls, 
have been sold annually by auction. The object, therefore, is 
to make the herd increase as much as possible, while keeping it 
up to a standard of breeding and of excellence high enough 
for practical purposes, to insure a demand for the produce. 
For upwards of twenty years the bulls used as sires have been 
hired from England. The calves are suckled until about twenty- 
four hours old, but are not left with their dams. They are then 
hand-fed, a moderate quantity of new milk being given, and this 
is gradually reduced as they take other food. They have then 
grass in the day and hay and roots at night, the roots are cut 
into finger-slices, and each calf has about a handful of crushed, 
roughly-ground, or bruised — never fine-ground — oats, thrown 
over the sliced roots. There are occasional exceptions to the 
hand-rearing system. Late calves, for instance, are often 
suckled, and there are sometimes other circumstances in which 
it is found best to let the cow rear her calf; but, as a rule, 
where reasons for the contrary do not exist, the cow after the 
first full day is hand-milked, and the calf fed from the pail ; 
afterwards from the rack and manger, until of age to go out to 
grass. The heifers often lie out during the second winter, and 
the programme for the rest of their time is plain and hardy 
living, with constant discharge of the duties of motherhood, or 
the butcher's poleaxe. Fertility, like dairy and grazing pro- 
perties, may be promoted by judicious management; but the 
importance of selection, as a part of management, should never 
be overlooked. Here, again, we are on border-land. The 
subjects of breeding and management are so joined together, 
that it is impossible to traverse either without entering upon 
the confines of the other. 
Mr. W. Talbot Crosbie's herd at Ardfert Abbey, county Kerry, 
was founded in the year 1841. For the last twenty-eight years 
the young bulls have been sold by annual auction, and females 
have been sold privately or by auction, whenever the herd has out- 
