relieve it, which may be done by bringing springs through it, or gather the violent falling of rain into a ditch on the other side of it, or by any other convenience, according to the situation of the ground on the ascending part, to overflow it so long that it sink deeper than the roots of the grass to continue its moisture for the nourishment of it for a considerable time. And note here, that the best season for watering of meadows is from the beginning of November to the end of April; and the more muddy or troubled the water is, the better, for then it brings a soil upon the ground, and this generally happens after hasty showers and great floods of rain. And if you have many fields lying together, especially in a descent, you may make a convenience in the uppermost to stop up the water till it is very well soaked; and then by a sluice, or breaking down of a dam, let it into the next, and so by a small addition of water, transmit it to many. THE PROGRESS OR INCREASE IN WEIGHT AND PROFIT IN PASTURE-FEEDING OR FATTENING NEAT-CATTLE STOCK THIS is evidently a matter which must depend upon a variety of different circumstances, such as the nature and state of the feeding pastures or keep; the breed or particular kind of the animals; their different dispositions to feed or take on flesh and become fat; and the habits they possess of being tame and quiet, or the contrary, as well as some other causes. From various statements, it appears that large stock of the ox kind, increase about three pounds in the day each beast, while in those of the smaller sorts, the increase is not more than about one and a half. It is of course very clear that such large sized stock is the most proper and beneficial for those rich feeding pastures on which they can be fattened, and also for being made fat on the more expensive kinds of dry food, as taking the price at only eightpence the pound, the former will pay two shillings a day for their keep, when the latter will only afford half of that amount; while the difference in the consumption is often very immaterial, and in few cases more than a fourth part less in the small than the large animals of this sort, which are equally good of their kinds, as many correct trials have fully demonstrated. Large oxen are in many cases known to increase on good feeding grounds in the summer months from four or five to nearly six hundred pounds each in the course of from twenty to twentyfive weeks; but as the last is an uncommon and extraordinary profit, it may be more properly stated that a beast of this sort, of a good kind, in the lean state, the live weight of which is about eighty-five stone, of fourteen pounds, taking the dead or carcase weight at one half, which is more than it is in such cases, and allowing the above price of eightpence the pound for the whole full or living weight, or which is the same thing, fourpence the pound for the dead or carcase weight, the animal will be worth about twenty pounds to buy in ; and to afford a fair average profit, it should increase in weight three hundred pounds, and be sold for about thirty pounds. The expense of fattening which, the first cost of the beast, the rent of the land on which it is fed, taking it at an acre and a half, (and it cannot probably be less), for taxes, and the interest of capital, will be about twenty-five pounds four shillings and fourpence, leaving a profit, with the under stock, of about five pounds fifteen shillings and sevenpence, supposing the beast to increase in the above manner, and to be sold at the prices stated. The usual profit is, however, somewhat less, as a fifth or more. But in the smaller sorts of neat-cattle stock, even admitting their increase in weight to be in the same proportion, they will not afford the same amount of profit; they have, however, other advantages; they take up less time in completing their fatness, and are capable of being made fat on poorer sorts of land; and, by their becoming fat more easily in the summer, they gain better prices in the markets. Their use and advantage, whatever they may be, and their increase in weight, will, however, most probably be the best shown by stating that an ox of this size, weighing about sixty stone, of fourteen pounds, bought in at fourpence the pound for the whole or living weight, or double that price for the dead or carcase weight, which will be about fourteen pounds; the increase in weight in four months keep, being about one hundred and eighty pounds, or about eleven pounds in the week, the animal will be worth twenty pounds, or thereabouts, and pay from seven to eight shillings the week for its keep. The charge of fattening, in this case, in the first cost of the beast, the rent of the land necessary for the purpose, allowing the same extent as before, the taxes, and the interest of capital, is about seventeen pounds ten shillings and threepence, leaving a profit with the under stock of about three pounds nine or ten shillings each beast In some districts, in times when the prices are moderate, and the sorts favourable in their dispositions for fattening, lean oxen are bought in at two shillings, or two and threepenee the stone, the weight which they will reach when they are fat, or from threepence to three-pence halfpenny the pound, it makes the profit of fattening on the lean weight of the beasts to be nearly three halfpence the pound, or about eighteenpence the stone of fourteen pounds, which is about equal to ninepence the stone living weight. In these statements, the great advantages of large sized stock, and rich full feeding or grazing grounds, are strongly shown and enforced, as well as the disadvantages and loss of small-sized animals, and the inferior sorts of feeding lands, pointed out; as it can scarcely be doubted, from the facts that have been brought forward, that in many cases such large beasts, where they possess ready dispositions for fattening, wil increase as much in weight as the whole of that of a small beast in the course of but a few months; but this is a profit or advantage that can only arise or take place on feeding lands of the best or very good qualities; as in raising such large stock in flesh and fat to such great weights, there requires much better and more abundant keep. They are also necessarily kept in many instances and situations for a great length of time before they become ready for being fattened, and consequently do not suit cases where lands are poor or capitals small. In the small-sized stock of this kind, the case is materially different in most circumstances; they can be raised to their proper weights on inferior keep, and the poorer sorts of feeding land, with less expense of food; they are ready for taking on flesh and fat in half the time of the others; but the increase in weight is less, and the produce or profit smaller; yet, under good management, two such beasts may be fattened in nearly the same length of time as one of the others, and with less danger of accidents; still, however, the whole of the amount of the produce or profit will only |