tow and tar. If
animals are not slaughtered, I would recommend soiling in all cases, if
possible. But "prevention is better than cure;" and all this can be
avoided if we will only take proper precautions. I shall state the
method I adopt in my practice, and I have paid dearly for my
experience. I generally buy a good many beasts in spring in Morayshire,
and sometimes winter a lot or two there. Until within a few years we
had no railway conveyance, and the cattle all came by road. Before the
time appointed for lifting the cattle, I sent across three or four
able-bodied men who were acquainted with the dressing of the feet.
Beginning their operations at the most northern point of the county,
and going from one farm to another where the cattle were wintered, they
dressed every hoof of every bullock that required it. By dressing, and
by the proper training of the cattle before starting, I have brought
home thousands of them safe and sound. Proper attention was no doubt
paid to the droving, the men who had charge of them being trained to
the occupation. Short stages and plenty of food are indispensable to
their safe arrival. It is of great importance, in order to cattle
thriving upon grass, to have their feet properly dressed; and many of
our careful farmers have their cattle's feet dressed every year before
they are put out to grass, even although they are not sent from the
farm. The general method adopted in dressing is to take up the leg with
a rope run from the couple; this, however, must be a severe strain on
the beasts. The method I adopted when I was in the lean-cattle trade
was different: the bullock was driven to a wall; a man, or two men,
secured him by the nose and the back of the neck. The fore feet were
easy to hold up--one man could generally manage them; but the hind feet
were not so easy a matter, and it always required two, and sometimes
three, strong men to hold them up. It is done entirely by method: not
allowing the beast to stretch out his legs is the whole secret. The
bullock has no power if his legs are kept close to his hind quarters;
but if he is allowed to stretch them out, he will throw off any number
of men. Two men, one on each side, put their backs close to the hind
quarters of the bullock, and keep in his leg, not allowing him to
strike it out. There he is fixed; and the topsman, who is generally an
adept at the business, dresses the foot.

Before the introduction of railways shoeing was somet