82 



treatment — it ducks its head to the bottom of the pail and jerks it up again, spouting 

 the milk all over you, don't swear and maul the innocent little strangei- with a 

 milking stool. Two or three lessons will usually be successful in teaching the most 

 obstinate calf to drink. It becomes more difficult to teach calves to drink as they 

 get older, but it can be done by persistence, patience and gentleness. After the first 

 week, one-half of the new milk may be replaced by sweet skim-milk, with the addi- 

 tion of half a teacupful of flax-seed jelly. Instead of fl*ax-seed, oil-cake, oil-meal, 

 oat-meal, middlings or pease-meal may be fed — the last named sparingly, as it is con- 

 stipating in tendency. The flax-seed may be gradually increased to half a pound a 

 day for a calf of three months. Keep some clean, bright hay and chopped grain 

 where the calf can i each it, and it will soon learn to eat. Don't be afraid that it will 

 eat too much of these things. 



In feeding calves there is a danger that the milk will be swallowed too rapidly, 

 and thus produce indigestion and scouring. For young calves a nipple is often used, 

 which obviates that difficulty. Half a teaspoonful of rennet-extract in the milk 

 will correct the tendency to scours, and will prove an excellent promoter of diges- 

 tion. If scouring be noticed, don't dose the calf with powerful astringents, but 

 decrease the ration of milk, and to it add a teacupful of boiled flour. 



Where two or more calves are fed together, keep them tied up while feeding, 

 and for a short time afterwards, so that they cannot suck each other. 



Feed regularly twice or three times a day, and have the milk at blood heat. 

 Kever feed cold milk to a young calf. It is better that the same person should 

 attend the calves regulai-ly. 



Calves should be allowed access to pure water and salt. Don't miss the effects 

 of good feeding, by allowing them to suffei- for these prime necessaries. 



After the calf is four months old, if milk be scarce, gradually lessen the quan- 

 tity fed, until at the age of six or seven months it may be dispensed with entirely. 



Exercise is beneficial, especially to calves intended for the dairy. The run of 

 a gi-ass plot should be given where convenient. The calf pen should be kept dry 

 and clean. 



Study the nature of the animal; respect its preferences; anticipate its wants; 

 treat it kindly; be a watchful, intelligent feeder; and verily thou shalt not fail to 

 raise good calves. 



PART II.— SWINE. 



Of thoroughbred swine there were purchased during the year: 



Berkshire. 

 One boar, from J\]r. Thomas Teasdale, Concord, Ont. 



Tamworths. 

 One boar and one sow, from Messrs. J". L. Grant & Co., Ingersoll, Ont. 



Poland Chinas. 



Two sows (pure bred, but not now eligible for registration), from Messrs. 

 W. M. & J. C. Smith, Fairfield Plains, Ont. 



A number of grade pigs were purchased, with which to carry on experiments, 

 of which some are still in progress. 



Provision has been made for crossing some of the longer and leaner breeds, 

 Buch as the Improved Large Yorkshires and Tamworths, on the shorter and more 

 hardy breeds, such as the Essex, Berkshire, &c. The ultimate object will bo to dis- 

 cover what cross or pure-bred swine will give the largest yield in weight, and the 

 best quality of meat fcr every pound of feed consumed. A few feeding tests for a 

 comparison of the cross-bred pigs are in progress at this writing. 



