34 JOUENAL or THE DEPARTMENT OP AgKICULTUEK. JuLY, 1922. 



air, and animals should he ke])t in condition on pastures, supple- 

 mented Avith just that amount of additional feed whirli will main- 

 tain good breeding condition. 



The great aim of stud breeders should he to secure continued 

 growth rather than high condition, and this applies more, to young 

 stock that fatten more rapidly and readily, because thej^ have only 

 their own bodies to provide for, whereas the cow may be feeding a 

 foetus, while she yields much milk or suckles another calf, and the 

 bull is used in breeding; however, even these older breeding animals 

 should always be in fit breeding condition. 



The judges at live stock shows can also do much to point tlie 

 way to greater vitality and fitness in breeding animals exhibited 

 by paying less attention to the amount of fat and more to the general 

 form and natural vigour of the animal when ]naking awards. 



Calving and Calf Diseases. — Where winter calving is proceeding 

 duiing July p]'ecautions sliould be taken against outbreaks of white 

 scour, joint ill, and contagious calf pneumonia. As far as calves 

 of dairy cows go, this is applicable to calving all the year round. 

 Allow the calving to take place in the open and for some time 

 ])revious to the act allow the dam access to soft green stuff. If a calf 

 is seen to be presented normally, do not interfere, as the straining 

 M-ill assist in getting rid of the calf's membranes (afterbirth). The 

 best means of prevention of the three foiementioned diseases is 

 good hygienic conditions, a clean pen, and clean bedding. If the 

 floor of the calf pen is ground, lather allow the young animal to 

 I'emain out. A pen, of which the ground is the flooi', that is ke])i 

 solely for calving, acts as an absolute hot-bed for the causative 

 organisms of the three calf diseases. Another method of prevention 

 is the tying of the navel cord of the new-born calf with silk or other 

 substance that has been soaked in tincture of iodine, and then after 

 cutting the cord 5 inch below where it is tied, paint the stump, the 

 cord, and round the entrance to the body cavity. 



Good hygienic surroundings and cleanliness for calves will go 

 a long way in minimizing the risk of hair ball. Lice or other skin 

 ])arasites cause the youiig animals to bite and lick themselves, with 

 llie result that hair is taken in, and so forms a beginning for this 

 condition. Indigestion caused by overgorging with milk also gives 

 rise to it. Scouring may appear in young calves from overgorging. 

 A tablespoon or two of castor oil is usually sufHcient to rectify this 

 state. If not, powders containing bicarbonate of soda, grains 3.0 

 (enough to just cover a 3d. piece), and bismuth salicylate, grains 15, 

 are very effective. For scouring that does not answer to these, 

 dried blood, an oggspooiiful, will be found useful. Castrations can 

 be carried out with inuch less risk from tiles at this time of the year. 



July in the Orchards—Planting. — This month is generally 

 accei)ted as the correct time for planiing all deciduous fruit trees. 

 When the trees are received from tlie nursery, especially aftei- a 

 long journey by rail, the roots should be placed in water to enable 

 them to swell out before planting. The holes for planting should 

 be broad and sufficiently deep to prevent cramping of the roots. 

 Do not mix manure in the holes unless the soil is known to be very 

 poor. If manure is necessai-y, add a double handful of fine bone- 

 meal or superphosphate, and mix it thoroughly with the soil. The 



