CATTLE, HEAVY WEIGHTS, ETC, 
189 
insurance, etc., it will, if carefully managed, show figures on the right 
side of the ledger. Unfortunately there is no data to show, but our best 
feeders for early maturity seem perfectly satisfied with the outcome on 
steel's of from two to three years of age, and probably might be so with 
younger ones if it were not the fact that animals do so well until three 
years of age that they dislike to kill them younger ; besides, in the West it 
is found cheaper to grow the cattle rather slowly aud give them somewhat 
longer time. It is a question of cheap food as against labor in the care 
of cattle in stables, in Winter, and soiling ; that is, feeding in stables on 
grass and other food, artificially prepared, in Summer. 
From what we have shown, the reader will come to the conclusion that 
we are a firm believer in shelter and humane treatment. The facts we 
have given will, we think, fully substantiate the correctness of these 
premises. No sensible person will, wo think, doubt the soundness of 
tho proposition that the animal should be kept growing during the cold 
season, when both feeding and shelter are necessary. The object with 
any feeder is to get the greatest net gain for the food consumed, and in 
the shortest time. 
Under this system of feeding the profit was seen. The humanity lies 
in the fact that the animals had during their lives the greatest enjoyment 
that brutes are capablo of — that of feeding and quiet rest. The owner 
has his reward both in a pecuniary aud conscientious sense. 
Summer Feeding. 
It is only within the last few years that our best feeders have supple- 
mented pasturage in Summer with grain. In England this has been done 
for years. The rational - ' the matter is this. To keep animals in tho 
highest possible condition, the pastures must be flush, that is, they must 
produce full feed at all times. Every master-feeder knows this is not 
practicable during some of the Summer months. The July and August 
pastures will not carry what the May and June pastures will. Gradually 
they began to adopt the practice of fully stocking the pastures and giving 
tho animals what grain they would eat in connection with grass. At times 
they will eat very little, especially when pastures are in their full succulence 
of young greenness ; but a little meal will bo eaten every day. The sys- 
tems of the cattle thus remain in better average condition than when fed 
on grass only, in Summer, and on hay and grain in Winter. Animals 
when on succulent pastures require some dry food ; they will often eat 
hay at such times. The meal or soaked corn, if animals are used to it, 
modifies the suoculence of the grass and clover, containing as they do 
from seventy to eighty per cent, of water. Full grain feeding, with hay 
44 
