237 
FEEDING CATTLE. 
fell ire, till six years old ; are then drawn off and sold to 
the graziers the ensuing summer or autumn ; when laid 
in lean, they often lay 13 months on the grazier's 
hands, and it is generally more satisfactory to buy them 
fresh or forward, and make a quicker dispatch. The 
prices, when lean, vary from 12l. to 30l. and upwards, 
according to size and condition; if bought lean in the 
spring, they must have the summer’s grass, and may 
he finished the ensuing winter in stalls; but if bought 
lean in autumn, they are wintered in the pastures, with 
the addition of hay and turnips, when necessary; must 
afterwards have a summer’s grass, and then remain to 
be finished in the stalls. No account is made of straw 
here for cattle, except as litter ; and even Mr. Knight, 
on his arable farm, thinks there is no advantage in feed¬ 
ing cattle with straw in any form ; it affords them lit¬ 
tle or no nutriment, and their eating it robs the dung¬ 
hill ; it is, therefore, either used for litter, or spread 
plentifully about the yard, where they pick a little of 
it, and trample the rest to manure. On the feeding- 
farms, straw is scarce even in quantity sufficient for lit¬ 
ter : respecting the prices the prime oxen are brought 
to by the grazier eventually, Mr. Lechmere shewed me 
particulars on paper, of 12 prime Hereford oxen, which 
he sent up to Smithfield previous to the show of cattle, 
December, 1807, and which were there sold, the paper 
was the salesman’s account, and nothing was said against 
making the result public, though he did not permit me 
to copy exact particulars. 
The highest price was 40l. the lowest 33l. tire total 
amount of 12 oxen, 4571. 10s. average price 38l. 2s. 
6d. each ; from this is to be deducted the expense of 
driving them up, as well as salesman, and keep; Mr. 
L. observed, that his neighbour Mr. Terret could shew 
me 
