122 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



"Calves reared for dairy stock are not allowed to suck their 

 dams, but are always fed by the hand from a dish. They are 

 generally fed on milk, only for the first four, five or six weeks, 

 and are then allowed from four to five quarts of new milk, twice 

 in the twenty-four hours. (Mr. Rankine says 'from 10 to 12 

 quarts.') Some never give them any other food when young, 

 except milk; and lessen the quantity when the calves begin to 

 eat grass or other food, which they will generally do at about 

 five weeks old; the milk is totally withdrawn about the seventh 

 or eighth week of the calf's age. If, however, the calf is reared 

 in the winter, or early in the spring before the grass rises, it 

 must be longer supplied with milk, for it will not so soon learn 

 to eat hay or straw. Some mix meal with the milk after the 

 third or fourth week; others add new whey to the milk, which 

 has been first mixed with meal; and when the calf gets two 

 months old they withdraw the milk, and feed it on whey and 

 porridge. Hay-tea, broths of peas, or of pea straw, linseed 

 beaten into powder, treacle, &c., have all been sometimes used 

 to advantage in feeding calves ; but milk, when it can be spared, 

 is the most natural food. 



"The dairy calves are generally fed on the best pasture during 

 the first summer, and have some preference over the other stock, 

 in food, during the next winter, or they are allowed to run loose 

 in a yard with a shed, and are supplied with green food in cribs. 

 When the green food is eaten, they get with straw as many 

 turnips as can be afforded them, and that is generally a very 

 small quantity. Mr. Rankine says that ' there is no reason to 

 doubt that this mode of feeding during the first season, is prefer- 

 able to pasturing. Besides the excellent dung produced, the 

 animals arrive, under this treatment, at a much greater size.' 

 From that time, until they drop their first calf, they are generally 

 turned on inferior pasture, and are no better fed in winter than 

 any other species of stock. They are allowed what oat straw 



