AGRICULTURE. 
creasing every day. Yorkshire is the most 
distinguished part of England for the breed 
of horses, particularly for the saddle, and the 
black cart horse of the middle counties has 
been long celebrated. In the north of Eng- 
land, a very valuable breed from Lanarkshire 
in Scotland has lately been encouraged, of 
extreme activity, though not fit for particu- 
larly heavy draught, passing over a vast sur- 
face of land in a sliort time, and highly useful, 
therefore, not only in ploughing, but in the 
general work of afarm. The Norfolk manage- 
ment of horses, as instruments of agriculture, 
is considered by many as the cheapest that 
can be practised. In the winter months their 
sole rack meat is barley straw. In the most 
busy season a bushel of corn is thought an 
ample allowance, and the chaff of oats, 
which is far preferable to that of barley, is 
universally mixed with it. They are in sum- 
mer kept out all night, and their feed is ge- 
nerally clover only. A great saving in the 
maintenance of horses has been obtained by 
the substitution of roots for grain. Turnips 
and potatoes have been given them in a raw 
state, in which case, if hard labour is requir- 
ed of them, some corn in addition may be 
expedient. If these roots are boiled, how- 
ever, the com may without injuiy be dis- 
pensed with. Carrots are better for horses 
than potatoes, and both are thought ex- 
tremely serviceable in preventing various 
disorders to which they are subject, particu- 
larly the grease. Carrots are deemed an 
effectual cure for what is denominated thick 
wind' in horses, and to broken winded ones, 
are of admirable use in palliating the com- 
plaint. 
The practice of soiling horses, instead of 
turning them to grass in summer, is by many 
experienced men thought by far the superior 
method. The produce thus managed goes 
three times as far as if consumed in the 
field. The injury done by feeding pastures 
with horses instead of sheep or oxen, an in- 
jury veiy material and obvious, is avoided; 
and the dunghill, which, in all situations at a 
distance from towns and cities, is an invalu- 
able object, especially if plentiful littering 
be allowed, is sufficiently benefited to com- 
pensate for this expense of their keeping. 
Black cattle, intended for feeding, should 
be chosen for their being short legged, which 
quality is almost uniformly connected with 
a general good make. Straightness of back is 
another important recommendation, and the 
more perfectly straight they are, while at the 
same time they are very broad and flat on 
the loins, the more readily experienced 
judges will decide on their^ worth. Small- 
ness of dewlap, and the barrel form of car- 
case, both in the fore and hind quarters, are 
also justly insisted upon as points of excel- 
lence. A curled hide is indicative of a 
thriving beast, and worthy of observation in 
the choice of these animals. A still more 
favourable symptom is a softness or sleekness 
of skin. Indeed the nice touch of the hand 
is requisite in the judge of cattle, perhaps 
nearly as much as the keen observation of 
the eye. Oxen that have been worked are 
more valuable to graziers than others, as not 
only fattening with greater rapidity, but fur- 
nishing more excellent beef. After working 
till the age of fourteen years, which is within 
two of the usual extent of their natural life, 
they have often supplied most tender and 
admirable meat. 
It is a consideration of great importance 
to the grazier, that he should always secure 
such a stock of winter food for his cattle, as 
will maintain them during that season, re- 
serving them for the spring market, which 
is always superior to that of autumn. From 
the beginning of March to that of June, the 
change of prices will be completely in his 
favour ; and in order to avail himself of this, 
he must so arrange his affairs as to procure 
an adequate stock of winter maintenance. 
Whatever food is used for this purpose be- 
sides hay, the latter is always to be implied, 
and from seven to fourteen pounds a day 
should always be allowed to each beast. 
For hastening the process of fattening an ox, 
linseed cake has been found superior to every 
other article. Its price, however, of late 
years has been more than proportional to 
this advantage. Carrots complete their fat- 
ting with a nearly equal degree, of celerity ; 
and an ox will eat a sixth part of his weight 
of this root every day ; at which rate an ox 
of sixty stone may be supported by the 
produce of an acre of these roots, for up- 
wards of five months. Two beasts, of the 
weight just mentioned, if half fat when put 
to carrots, might become completely so by 
consuming the produce of an acre. Cab- 
bages are but little inferior for the purpose 
to carrots and oil cake. An ox will eat of 
them nearly one fifth of his weight. Turnips 
are the most common description of winter 
food, but possess not the same fattening 
quality with the substances enumerated ; 
and being a crop susceptible of various in- 
juries, are much less to be relied on than 
many others. Of these the consumption of 
twenty-five ton is deemed necessary to fat- 
ten a beast of about sixty stone. 
