602 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ December so, isso. 
proportion of the stock fattened will be required to supply the 
requirements of the establishment. 
We will take it for granted that on visiting a well-conducted 
cattle show a lesson may be learnt in almost every class. We ask 
the home farmer to do as we have done for more than fifty years 
—not only to take particular notice of the animals which are dis¬ 
tinguished by the award of a prize, but to satisfy himself of the 
reason why such an animal should have obtained the prize. This 
cannot always be done, except by reference to some experienced 
man, when it will be often explained without much hesitation, 
and must be remembered by the home farmer to serve him in his 
future transactions. One circumstance serves to confuse the 
mind of the novice—namely, the judges themselves do not always 
agree. Instances of this occurred in the awards at Birmingham 
and the metropolitan shows held lately, for the same animals 
exhibited at both exhibitions were differently placed by different 
judges. This has always been the case, owing in a great 
measure to the difference of the experience and tastes of 
the persons entrusted with the duties of judging. We will 
endeavour to show the home farmer the advantages to be obtained 
in viewing a cattle show at the present day as compared with 
former periods. We remember when the Smithfield Club Cattle 
Show was held in the Baker Street Bazaar, and we have reported 
upon their meetings under great difficulties compared with the 
present facilities. The stock, too, has greatly improved, for 
instead of the old animals of enormous bulk and weight we have 
now specimens with the flesh as even as possible, so that the 
animals not only look even to the eye, but when dead are found 
to have the lean and fat so well mingled as to constitute meat of 
the finest quality. 
There is another great and distinguishing feature in oar present 
exhibitions-—namely, early maturity, which is a point of great im¬ 
portance. It began first to receive special attention about 25 
years ago, and now cattle at two years old compete as fat animals ; 
also in the sheep classes lambs born in the year are in a class by 
themselves. In the pig classes, too, early maturity is also en¬ 
couraged. At Islington this year the Devons steers under two 
years old averaged about 71 stones of S lbs. dead weight, the 
Herefords 83 stones, the Shorthorns 97 stones, the Sussex also 
97 stones. In these weights we have felt some disappointment, 
because in referring to our own list of Shorthorns of the same age 
we find that twenty years ago stock was sold at nineteen and 
twenty months old weighing from 98 to 100 stones of 8 lbs. car¬ 
case weight, besides large amounts of internal fat ; the animals 
alluded to being ordinary Shorthorns without pedigree, but were 
very carefully box-fed, and were never off the straw during their 
life either in summer or winter. In making up our cattle for 
early maturity we never resorted to large allowances of cake, 
hay, &c., and during the second year of their life they received no 
more than 4 lbs. of cake and 2 lbs. of bean meal daily mixed with 
cut roots, no hay being used, only good sweet straw ad libitum. 
Our experience has taught us that young cattle are best made out 
at an early age by moderate feeding, and always under cover, so as 
to insure health as well as gradual increase of weight and condition. 
If we require a perfect fat animal it must be fat as a calf, and 
also at any other age to which it may be kept, to insure with the 
greatest certainty the greatest weight for age of the choicest 
quality. We cannot recommend any particular breed for fatting, 
because this must have reference to various circumstances. It 
must, however, be noted here that the crossbred cattle, say the 
first cross, such as the Shorthorn and Aberdeen, and others, have 
been successful at various times in carrying off the champion 
prizes at the Smithfield Club Show, and probably quite as often 
as any one of the pure breeds. To have the pure-bred animals is 
essential to producing a successful cross. It appears that it is 
not necessary to take pedigree stock for fattening for profit, but 
often the reverse, as the butcher only requires weight and 
quality. From all that we can glean after many years’ observa¬ 
tion we think it will prove very difficult to maintain the present 
pure breeds in their native excellence without deprivation, not¬ 
withstanding they may be reared within the lines of pedigree. 
In referring to sheep at the fat stock shows lately held we 
cannot notice any improvement in the various breeds; still, the 
Hants Downs must not pass unnoticed, but even these have 
obtained more observation from the fact of lambs being intro¬ 
duced into the prize list at Islington. Mr. Morrison’s lambs are 
worth the attention of the home farmer upon the lines of early 
maturity. We noted that the dead weight of these amounted to 
from 28 to 30 lbs. per quarter, or from 14 to 15 stones of 8 lbs., 
the probable age being about eleven months, and will be sold as 
ripe mutton. We do not notice that any lambs of other breeds or 
crosses are quite so heavy as the Hants Down, yet, as they usually 
fall later in the spring, those exhibited were no doubt younger 
animals. These Hants Down lambs attract more notice than any 
other stock, and there is no doubt that they are better adapted 
for early maturity than any other pure breed ; still we cannot 
forget the crossbred Iambs exhibited at Easter for prizes in a 
southern county, which have frequently reached a dead weight of 
10j to 11^ stones of 8 lbs. at the age of five and a half to six 
months old, but raised from various crosses, such as down and 
Somerset horned stock, also Devon and Cotswold crosses. It is 
fair to infer that had these lambs been carried forward by good 
feeding until eleven months old they would have quite equalled 
anything yet exhibited, and probably surpassed it, both in weight 
for age and quality of meat. Swine will always be useful on the 
home farm, and it is of consequence for the home farmer again to 
notice those breeds which will yield the greatest weight for age 
of (he best meat. Instead of adhering to any particular breed, 
whether of Berkshire, Sussex, Essex, Middlesex, Small White, or 
Large Yorkshire White, we should use the first cross, such as a 
Berkshire sow and a large Yorkshire boar, and a cross in the same 
way by the other smaller breeds, taking care, however, always to 
breed from stock having plenty of long soft hair, this being the 
best indication of a tendency to yield a good proportion of lean 
meat. 
WORK OH THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour. —Fallow-ploughing must still be continued until it 
is completed, and the sooner this is done the better, so that the soil 
may receive the usual benefit from frost. All strong flat-lying land 
should be ploughed a good depth, and have deep cross furrows, to be 
afterwards made with the spade somewhat deeper than the land 
furrows, in order that heavy rains may escape readily. When water 
is allowed to he about on the fallows it hinders the work of early 
ploughing and cultivation in the spring. Carting ought now to be 
continued, in order that the farm horses may not be idle, which is 
sure to injure their health, because when they have been accustomed 
to severe labour during the summer and latter seedtime, if not exer¬ 
cised their legs often become swollen. Carting has reference to 
various necessities on the home farm, varying in different parts of 
the country. On farms with parkland and pastures attached all odd 
times should be occupied by collecting and carting earth and vege¬ 
table matter, as anything that will readily decay in heap will not 
only be found useful for application to grass land, but collecting tlu-m 
will tend to keep the roads, dykes, yards, and fann premises clean, 
and save an outlay for artificial manures in dressing the pastures. 
The depth of the fallow-ploughing is a matter of more importance 
than some persons admit, and farmers are often advised to plough 
deeply without reference to the nature of the subsoil. If we have to 
contend with a clay subsoil not rich in potash it is lost labour to 
plough deeply ; in fact, every farmer should have an analysis of his 
subsoil before he decides what depth to plough the land. Again, in 
some instances, without reference to analysis, the subsoil is charged 
with weed seeds, or it may require a dressing of chalk or lime. We 
recommend that those soils which have a hard subsoil should be 
ploughed the usual depth only, but be followed in each furrow by 
the subsoiling implement, so that the crust below should be loosened 
without being brought to the top. 
Hand Labour .— Some little assistance will be required by the 
shepherd and cattle man in cutting out hay and straw, preparing 
roots for the cutter, trenching in the meadows, hedging, and banking. 
Roadside work also should now be done, in order that the work of 
spring may not be displaced, because every period brings its work ou 
the farm, and if any labour peculiar to it be omitted it will disturb 
the arrangements and cause extra expense. The old scourge, the foot- 
and-mouth disease, is now prevalent in various districts, and is daily 
spreading. It will be well to avoid purchasing fresh stock from the 
markets at present, for although the cattle may not show symptoms 
of disease yet they may be infected, and this disease is of such a 
nature that the men in charge of infected stock will often carry it in 
their clothes from one district to another. Extreme care is therefore 
necessary in all transactions where cattle and sheep drovers are 
passing to and from the markets. It appears from the veterinary 
reports that sheep and pigs are likewise infected ; this makes the 
matter still more complicated and difficult to avoid. Severe losses 
occur through this disease ; for although with careful treatment very 
few animals die, yet it often ruins a whole dairy of cows indirectly 
for years after it has disappeared. Foot-rot lameness is also in¬ 
creasing, especially where the sheep are being fed with roots upon 
wet flat-lying soils or on pastures. This, too, is a disease which 
spreads by infection, and sheep fed in troughs more often break down 
with foot-rot in consequence, and they should therefore be selected 
and kept separate if only a few are affected. If, however, the attack 
is general the animals should be driven to coop every day, and the 
diseased feet should be dressed as fast as they occur. This is the 
only way to keep it under. It is no use for the home farmer to say 
that the outbreak is too extensive to be treated with success, for 
unless it is met with good remedies and determined and careful 
dressings daily, it will very soon destroy the whole of the profit on 
the flock. Let us suppose with a flock of several hundred sheep that 
it is necessary to employ two men who understand the treatment 
every day for three months, what is the cost of the labour compared 
with the loss of the sheep if the disease is allowed to run its course 
