A considerable part of the stock of a farmer must always consist of cattle ; and the maintenance and management of these, therefore, must ever be an object of great consequence ; and in proportion to the number of them which he keeps for sale, in addition to those which he employs on account of their immediate service and labour, the importance of the subject is increased to him, Whether, in the latter point of view, oxen or horses are the more advantageous, has been along agitated question. In situations in which there is a breed of cattle particularly adapted to work, and such situations do occur, the employment of the ox may probably be most beneficial. And when a farm is of so great extent, that a con siderable number of beasts may be annu ally bought at a small expense, and no inconvenience may be incurredbyturning out those to fatten which are ill qualified for labour, the same preference may be wisely made. 'lulls are on some accounts to be preferred to-oxen, being procured at a cheaper rate, and more active and persevering, in labour. In other cases than those just mentioned, the question will be decided differently. The activity of the horse is extremely superior to that of oxen, and it is more applicable to differ ent species of employment. Its hoof is less susceptible of injitry; and, with re spect to well managed farms, in which dispatch is more required than absolute strength in the operation of ploughing, the quickness with which the horse com pletes the business, in comparison with t lie ox, will, it may be presumed, at length generally diffuse that preference of the one to the other, which is obviously in ereasingevoyday. Yorkshire is the most distinguished part of England for the breed of horses, particularly for the sad dle, and the black cart horse of the mid dle counties has been long celebrated. In the north of England, a very valuable breed from Lanarkshire in Scotland has lately been encouraged, of extreme acti vity, though not tit for particularly heavy draught, passing over a vast surface of land in a short time,- and highly useful, therefore, not only in ploughing, but in the general work of a fann. The Not folk management of horses, as instru ments of agriculture, is considered by many as the cheapest that can be practis ed. In the winter months their sole nick meat is barley straw. In the most busy season a bushel of corn is thought an ample allowance, and the chaff of oats, which is far preferable to that of barley, is universally mixed with it. They are 111 summer kept out all night, and their feed is generally' clover only. A great saving in the niaintenance of horses has been obtained by the substitotion of roots for grain. Turnips and potatoes have been given them in a raw state, in svhich case, if hard labour is required of them, some con' in addition may he ex pedient. If these roots are boiled, how ever, the corn may without injury be dis pensed with. Carrots are better for horses than potatoes. and both are thought ex tremely serviceable in preventing various disorders to which they are subject, par ticularly the grease. Carrots are deemed an effectual cure for what is denomi nated thick wind in horses ; and to broken winded ones, are of admirable use in pal liating the complaint.
The practice of soiling litirses, instead of turning them to grass in summer, is hy many experienced men thought by far the superior method. The produce thus managed goes three times as far as if consumed in the field. The injury done by feeding pastures with horses in stead of sheep or oxen, an injury very material and obvious, is avoided; and the dunghill, which, in all situations at a distance from towns and cities, is an in.
valuable object, especially if plentiful littering be allowed, is sufficiently bene fited to compensate for this expense of their keeping.
Black cattle, intended for feeding, should be chosen for their being short-legged, which quality is almost uniformly con nected with a gener.d good make. Straightness of back is another import ant recommendation, and the more per fectly straight they are, while at the same time they are very broad and flat on the loins, the more readily experienced judg es will decide on their worth. Smallness of' dewlap, and the barrel form of carcase, both in the tore and hind quarters, are also justly insisted upon as points of ex cellence. A curled hide is indicative of 2 thriving beast, and worthy of obsers-a tion in the choice of these animals. A still more favourable symptom is a soft ness or sleekness of skin. Indeed, the nice touch of the hand is requisite in the judge of cattle, perhaps nearly as much as the keen observation of the eye. Oxen that have been worked are more valuable to graziers than others, as not only fat tening with greater rapidity, but flurnish ing more excellent beef. After working till the age of fourteen years, which is within two of the usual extent of their natural life, they have often supplied most tender and admirable meat.
It is a consideration of great importance to the g-razier, that he should always secure such a stock of winter food tor his cattle as will maintain them during that season, reserving them for the spring market, which is always superior to that of autumn. From the beginning of March to that of June, the change of prices will be completely in his favour ; and in order to avail himself of this, he must so arrange his affairs-, a.s. to pro cure an adequate stock of winter main tenance. Whatever food is used for this purpose besides hay, the latter is always to be implied, and from seven to fourteen pounds a day should always be allowed to each beast. For hastening the process of fattening an ox, linseed cake has been found superior to every other article. Its price, however, of late years has been more than proportional to this advantage. Carrots complete their fattening with a nearly equal degree of celerity ; and an ox will eat a sixth part of his weight of this root every day; -at which rate an ox of sixty stone may be supported by the produce of an acre of these roots for up wards of five months. Two beasts, of the weight just mentioned, if half fat when put to carrots, might become com pletely so by consuming the produce of an acre. Cabbages are but little inferior for the purpose to carrots and oil cake. An ox will eat of them nearly one fifth of his weight. Turnips are the most common description of winter food, but possess not the same fattening quality with the substances enumerated; and, being a crop susceptible of various injuries, arc much less to be relied on than many others. Of these the consumption of twenty-five ton is deemed necessary to fatten a beast of about sixty stone.
In consequence of eating succulent plants, and particularly clover, beasts are apt to swell greatly and very dangerous ly, in which case driving them about with great rapidity is often practised with success, though a still more effectual method is to stab them between the ribs and hip bone, to the depth of about four inches. A flexible tube has also been frequently passed through the mouth into the gullet, by which the air, which causes this disease, is easily discha,rged.