and well swept, washed, scrubbed, and cleaned out daily, or oftener if needful: and with respect to their water, the beasts should take it while loose in the yards, at the ponds or other places.

The divisions for the stalls in such buildings should be rather roomy, about ten or more feet in width, not being closed in the upper parts, in which two beasts may take their food while fastened up for the purpose, the floors or bottoms being formed so as to slope gently backwards to the heels of the cattle, where there should be a step six or eight inches high, with paved gutter, two feet or more in width, for receiving and conveying off the urine, and other liquid matters, as they drain from the stalls.

In connexion with these feeding-houses and stalls, there should be proper and convenient littered yards, with ponds, or other watering places in them, for receiving and conveying the fattening cattle when not tied up in the night-time and bad weather. The best manner of constructing such yards has been already stated, and their utility and benefit in such sorts of feeding sufficiently shown; though they have been objected to by some, on account of the great waste of food where used without such houses and stalls for giving the cattle their food in, and for protecting them in cases of cold and bad seasons. The waste, when fed loose in such cases, has been stated to be prodigious; nine beasts in this way having been found to eat and destroy as much hay as twelve tied up; it must be noticed, however, that there is not the least doubt that cattle eat more when loose in such yards, than when tied up in close stalls, and fed in the usual manner, so that the real waste is less than it first appears to be. But the utility and convenience of such yards is obvious in connexion with the feeding-houses for turning the cattle into oc

casionally in the daytime for the purpose of air aud exercise, whilst their stalls and houses may also be more completely aired and sweetened, as well as more thoroughly cleaned out.

It has been well observed, that in or near such feeding-stalls and yards, the weighing machine is always a necessary and useful apparatus in this method of fattening cattle, in order that it may be almost instantly known what is the state and progress of the animals, and that the improvement in them and the expense may be compared, or the flesh and the food necessary to produce it. By this means, a neglected inquiry of the greatest importance has been laid open, which is that of finding out the breed of or variety of neat-cattle which gives the greatest quantity of flesh with the smallest quantity of food. No complete building and yard of this sort, on any considerable scale, should ever, of course, be without such a contrivance, as without this sort of assistance there are but few able to decide correctly whether the cattle go on profitably or the contrary; while by the use of it, at short intervals of time, when the beasts are the most empty, this point may be perfectly determined, and the management of the animals in all respects be regulated in the best way for effecting their fattening.

Principles on which the Fattening process depends. In the process of fattening animals, a somewhat larger proportion of food than that which is exactly necessary and proper for supporting them and keeping them in good condition, is constantly required, in order that a greater quantity of the nourishing material may be prepared from it, and converted into blood, and the substances are to be laid on or added to their several parts in the form of flesh and fat; which is a circumstance that would seem to depend materially upon

regularly and steadily keeping up the stimulus and action of their bodies to that high state, by proper rich fodder and keep, which has a tendency to cause a sort of dulness, weariness, and inactivity in them, these being the states most favourable for rest, sleep, and quietness, which numerous facts and long experience have fully shown to be the most suitable and proper for depositing or laying on flesh and fat in those parts of their bodies which are destined for them. Of course, it follows, that the manner of giving and distributing the food in such cases, must have great influence and effect in promoting or delaying the feeding or fattening process; for if the greatest nicety and attention be not had recourse to in such matters, much loss may easily take place, particularly when the richer and more costly sorts of keep of whatever kind, are employed. As in consequence of the very large proportion of fluid matter, which is produced and collected in it, from so much juicy and rich food being consumed, a very great mass of such littery substances are speedily collected, and capable of being decomposed and brought into a state of manure by the constant operation of such moisture with the heat which mostly prevails. Therefore, in cases where proper supplies of straw for this use cannot be had as they may be wanted, it becomes highly necessary to provide sufficient quantities of other suitable matters in the winter season, or at other times. Many different substances are capable of being used in this way, such as the stubble of tillage ground; fern from heaths, commons, and other places; seaware or tangle from the banks of coasts; aquatic weeds, of various kinds, from the sides of rivers and ponds; and a variety of other such matters should be collected, and cut together in their dry state, when abundant, in order to be stacked up near the yards for this use at a

future period. Besides these vegetable substances, several earthy matters may sometimes be employed with much benefit under the litter, such as reduced peat earth, mould of the loamy kind from fresh banks, different sandy materials, and other such bodies, all of which are very powerfully acted upon and decomposed by the various gaseous and other matters which are formed and set at liberty during the decomposition and reduction of the several littery substances deposited in such feeding-yards.

Application, Utility, and Particular Benefits of the Practice. This method of management is useful and well suited for the keeping of neat cattle in general; but it is more particularly beneficial and better adapted to some cases and circumstances than others. It is quite suitable and convenient where the grass pasture lands are of the more soft and poachy kind, and the stock of the large and more heavy sorts, as tending to such pasture grounds in that condition which is the most desirable and advantageous, while at the same time the cattle are well brought forward, kept, and supported. The same is also the case where the extent of pasture is small, while that of the tillage is large, and the quantity of neat cattle stock considerable, as such stock can in this way be well supplied with food from the arable part without having recourse to the grass portion. Indeed, in cases where the lands are wholly arable, this is probably the only practice from which such great and extensive benefits and improvements can result, as furnishing the means of further amelioration, and a more full and abundant produce, at the same time that the cattle stock are fed in the best manner and kept in the most perfect condition.

In cow-keeping, or dairying, whether for the pro

viding of milk in general, or for its different products, or for its sale in different situations and places, it is a practice also of prodigious utility and advantage, especially near large towns, where proper pasturelands are scarce and of high value, as more supplies of milk are perhaps afforded in this method of keeping milch cows in the summer months, than in any other. It has been applied in this way in many parts of the country with very great convenience and advantage, both in increasing the quantity of milk and in keeping up the condition of the cows.

In the summer fattening of cows, as well as other beasts, there has been much benefit also derived from this practice in different cases, where the several plants and roots noticed already have been used in the manner directed above. With many of such substances, as well as with plants of the cauliflower and early spring cabbage kinds, where they can be well grown, beasts have been fattened in a very speedy manner, and the finest and best flavoured beef produced from such food, other suitable matters being combined and given at the same time with them.

MOST BENEFICIAL MEANS OF GRAZING.

In grazing cattle with a view to profit, three points or circumstances should be particularly attended to; which are, first, to raise a full quantity of artificial grass for hay and aftermaths: secondly, to turn a large quantity of ground into rich pasture by feeding it, dunging it, and laying on it other proper sorts of manure, to bring it into suitable order and fit for raising the