560 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



seventh it is usually altogether suspended.* As the ordinary 

 kinds of food, if given in sufficient quantity, can hardly fail to 

 supply the requisite amount of flesh-formers and heat-givers, 

 the principal point to be attended to is, that the sum of the 

 diet shall contain enough of the earthy salts required for the 

 bones of the foetal calf, and of such other saline matters as 

 are contained in its fluids and in the other solids. 



The food in the later period of pregnancy should also have 

 reference to her after milk-giving. " The health and condition 

 of the cow before calving greatly influence subsequent results. 

 A late-milked, lean, raking, ill-cared-for beast, has oftentimes 

 an easier parturition than those that are better furnished in 

 these respects. But her after-milking has a tale to tell of 

 neglect somewhere ; and a scraggy ' set ' condition of the calf 

 throughout its course often arises more from this cause than 

 from any other. Hence we would say, dry the cows a fair 

 time before calving, and see that she has something better 

 than barley-straw to live on, else the calf and its owner will 

 assuredly lose by it. But what is regarded as a fair amount of 

 time for being dry? If a cow brings her first calf when from 

 two to three years old which the majority probably do, 

 though all will admit that it is too early we should not care 

 to milk her more than five or six months after calving. By 

 this means she will grow and increase in size and value before 

 her second calf. But a cow from the fourth to the eighth 

 year, if in good condition, need not be dry more than six 

 weeks or two months before calving i. e., if fed with a 

 thoroughly liberal hand throughout the year. If more spar- 

 ingly fed, or if the cow exceeds the latter age, then we should 

 prefer her being dry three months before calving." f 



* Barlow, 'Journal of Agriculture,' 1843 to 1845, p. 444. 

 t Prize Essay on 'The Rearing of Calves,' by Thomas Bo wick : 'Eng- 

 lish Journal of Agriculture,' vol. xxii. p. 139. 



