518 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



of their doing so, but it is against general experience. Bulls, 

 twinned with them, almost always are productive, and no objec- 

 tion n,eed be urged against them, on that score. 



Heifers, so bred, usually grow up with a steer-like look, and 

 we have known them broken and worked with the steers they 

 were twinned with, making serviceable work animals, though 

 they hardly ever grew to the size of the steer. The cause of 

 their barrenness is found in the want of development, or expan- 

 sion in their maternal organs. They seldom ever come in heat, 

 or desire copulation. We have had many instances of the kind 

 in our own herds, and the heifers always proved barren. Such 

 heifers had, therefore, better be treated as steers, and fed for 

 slaughter at the proper age. 



Youatt details some processes of examination into the breeding 

 organs of free-martins, but only to show the utter impossibility of 

 their power of conception. Twin heifers are as productive as 

 single ones, but we do not know that they arc more likely to 

 produce twin calves than they. Indeed, one good calf is quite 

 enough for a cow to produce at a time, and with it, the breeder 

 should strive to be content. 



DRINKING WATER. 



We have often spoken of pure water for cattle. As a rule, 

 their drinking water should be so. Yet there are certain medici- 

 nal, mineral, or impure waters, of which they are remarkably fond, 

 as springs slightly saline, sulphury, or tinctured with iron, such 

 being the most common of the mineral water. Sometimes, cattle 

 incline to partake of stagnant and filthy waters, and will, if 

 opportunity offers, gorge themselves almost to bursting with 

 them, even to the neglect of the purest springs, or streams to 

 which they have daily access. 



Why this apparently vitiated taste exists, we do not always 

 know, for healthy cattle most generally indulge it, nor do we 



