506 'U DSBANDR Y. 
been in poffefTIon of the beft part of the vfland ; it is fug 
gefted that the Galloway cattle, and even the Scotch or 
Kyloes, might be bred with advantage in many fitu- 
tions, lo as to be more profitable than either the fiiort- 
horns-or the long-horns, as being true quick feeders and 
kindly-fiellied. It is likewife conceived that the latter 
©f thefe forts is better adapted to cold moory fituations 
than any other breed, and that particular breeds are pro¬ 
bably beft adapted to particular fituations; on which 
ground it is recommended to breeders of cattle to find out 
which breed is the molt profitable and belt fuited to their 
fituations, and to endeavour to improve that breed to the 
utmoft, rather than try to unite the particular. qualities 
of two or more diftinft breeds by crofling. 
The breeding and rearing of horned cattle may be ac- 
cornpliihed upon molt farms of any extent, but to the 
greatelt advantage on thole where the quantity of coarfe 
pafture is the molt confiderable, and where at the fame 
time there is the means of railing large crops of the green 
vegetable kind for winter ufie, as in Inch cafes the animals, 
while young, are capable of being kept in the beft man¬ 
ner; and at the leail expence. In whatever fituations 
the breeding and rearing of cattle is attempted, the young 
ltock fhould conftantly be kept in the beft manner the na¬ 
ture of the farm will admit of. This is of much greater 
confequence than is generally fuppofed ; for, where young 
animals are pinched for food at an early period of their 
growth, or fed with fuch as is not of a fufficiently good 
quality, they never thrive fo well afterwards, or make fuch 
good ltock. In the winter the yearlings fhould be fed 
with hay and roots, either turnips, carrots, or potatoes. 
If hay is not to be had, good ftraw mult be fubftituted ; 
but then the roots fhould be given in greater plenty, and 
with more attention. To fteers and heifers two years old, 
the proper food is hay, if cheap; or ftraw, with baits of 
turnips, cabbages, &c. 
The moll proper age at which cattle fhould be made to 
become produftive is a point of great importance, but 
which probably requires move experiments than have yet 
been inftituted to alcertain it. Much may depend upon 
climate, fituation, and the manner in which they have 
been reared and kept; as where the fituation is favour¬ 
able, and the keep rich and good, they may be put to the 
bull earlier than where it is more expofed, and the keep 
indifferent. This is fupported by the obfervation of Mr. 
Marfliall, that in Yorkfhire, while the lands were in the 
ftate of commonage, the heifers were frequently kept from 
the bull until they were three years old : now, in the ftate 
of inclofure and improvement, and at the prefent high 
rents, they are frequently fuffered to take the bull when 
vearlings, bringing calves at two years old. The argu¬ 
ments for bringing heifers in at two years old are, that 
they come fooner to profit; and that farmers cannot af¬ 
ford, at the prefent rate of rents, to let them run unpro- 
fitably until they be three years old. On the other hand, 
the argument in favour of bringing them in at three years 
old is,' that, not being Hinted in their growth, they make 
■larger and finer cows than thofe which are fuffered to 
bear calves at a more early age. It is now generally 
agreed, however, that the moll advantageous time of put¬ 
ting the young ltock to the bull, is at two years old, fo 
as to bring their calves when three years old. It is laid 
that, if the bufinels of geftation is longer protrafted, the 
young heifers become more liable to mifs having calves, 
and turn' barreners.. 
Where the dairy is extenfivC, an account Ihould always 
he kept of the time when each cow takes the bull, that fhe 
may be dried off at a reafonable diftance of time before 
the expected term of' geftation be completed. The molt 
proper time for the cow to be dried off, is about two months 
before her calving ; Under good keep, however, (he may be 
milked fome weeks longer. It has, indeed, been ftated by Dr. 
Dickfon as probable, that much in this bufinefs mult de¬ 
pend on the manner in which they are kept; as, where they 
are well fed, they may be continued in milk till within a 
week or two of their calving, without faltering any In¬ 
jury whatever from it; but, in the contrary circum- 
ftances, it may be better to let them run dry for a month, 
or fix weeks, according to their condition, in order to 
their more fully recruiting their ftrength. It appears, 
too, that the longer the milking is continued, the more 
free the cows will be from indurations and other affec¬ 
tions of the udder ; which is a circumftance deferring of 
attention. When a cow is four months gone with calf, 
the fa ft may eafily be afeertained by preffing upon her 
off-flank, where the calf will be felt to kick againft the 
hand. They may be known to be near the time of calv¬ 
ing by fpringing at the udder, onat the bearing. By the 
term Jpringing at the udder, is meant the colleftion of li¬ 
quid in the bag ; which, a few weeks before the time of 
geftation is accomplished, alfumes the appearance of milk, 
and may be drawn from the teats. To fpring at the bear¬ 
ing, is when this part is more than ordinarily large and 
diftendea. Heifers are laid to fpring fooneft at the bear¬ 
ing, and old cows at the udder. 
In the bufinefs of improving different kinds of live- 
ftock, two different fyftems have been chiefly purfued. 
The firft, or that which has prevailed for the greateft length 
of time, is by means of crofting the various breeds, fo as 
to fupply the faults or defefts of the one by the merits or 
perfeftions of the other; the latter; or that which has been 
more recently introduced and brought to the attention of 
the farmer, is by uniting the perfeftions of the fame 
kind, by continuing to breed from the beft and moft per- 
feft animals in the fame line, family, or blood. It was 
fuppofed for a great iength of time, and is ftill by fome,. 
that the former of thefe methods, beiides its fuperiority 
in other refpefts, poffeli’ed confiderable advantages in pre¬ 
venting the animals from becoming fmall, tender, and li¬ 
able to difeafe, in confequence of their being too near a.- 
kin. This notion has however been Ihown to have little 
foundation in truth, by the great fuccefs which has at¬ 
tended the contrary method, in the praftice of Mr. Bake- 
well ; as his beft ltock has been railed by the neareft af¬ 
finities, not only without either diminifhing in fize, be¬ 
coming lefs hardy, or being more fubjeft to difeafe; but, 
on the contrary, with a continued amelioration. And a 
ftill more conclufive proof is, perhaps, afforded in fuch 
breeds of cattle as have remained for many centuries in. 
the ftate of nature, in particular fituations, without any 
mixture' of others ; as in fuch cafes, though from their 
unreftrained condition they muff, without doubt, have 
bred in all the different poffible degrees of affinity, they 
have been found to continue without any diminution ei¬ 
ther in their fize, hardinefs, or health, and without un¬ 
dergoing any injurious alteration in their form, or change 
in their colour, or other peculiarities. But, in anfwer to 
thefe ftrong proofs, it is ftill contended by others, that in. 
this method young ltock decreafe rapidly in fize on the 
lame pafture, without any other ill or good eft'eft taking 
place in confequence of it. It is likewife farther obferved, 
in contradiftion of the fame opinion, that, in proportion 
as an animal decreafes in fize, it may be reafonably fup¬ 
pofed to decreafe in vigour and aftivity ; but that how 
far this may render it capable of feeding or living on 
lefs food is not afeertained. There is no doubt, however, 
it is laid, but that very beautiful animals may be pro¬ 
duced by breeding in-and-in, as the young animal comes 
into the world on a fmall fcale; but, by- keeping it fat 
from the firft moment of its exiftence, it is made to attain 
a greater fize than nature intended, and its weight will in 
confequence be very great in proportion to the iize of its 
bones. But this is far from proving that the praftice is eli¬ 
gible. And it is ftill further contended, in regard to horned 
cattle, that, as in this fyftem of breeding no expence is 
fpared in feeding the young ftock, the breed Ihould of 
courie have attained a larger fize; yet they are not only 
lefs, but, it is afferted, carry lefs fat on their beft points 
than the Herefordlliire cattle, which from the firft year 
are kept in a much inferior manner. In this ltate of the; 
queftion 3 
