504 Cultivation of Grafs Land. Weaning of Cakes -Time for. 



There is another mode that may fometimes be adopted, which is that of facri- 

 ficing the milk for the benefit of the calves, by letting one or more run with the 

 cows in full milk till they are capable of providing for themfelves ; but this is a 

 method that has been objected to, as not letting the cows take the bull ; which is 

 .probably a miftake. The more rapid growth of the calves, and the great con 

 venience of the method, are however greatly in its favour. 



When the cslf is fuffered to fuck the mother, it mould have the firft of the milk, 

 the reft being afterwards milked. It will thus have the thinned part, which is 

 the leaft liable to injure it by producing a fcouring. As calves are frequently 

 fubject to be affected with loofenefs from a fort of indigeftion being produced in 

 their flomachs, which, when it proceeds to any great length, is termed the Jkif.t 

 great care mould be taken, efpecially where they fuck ftale milched cows, or when 

 taken from fucking and put upon other food, to guard againft this effect ; which 

 may in moft cafes be accomplifhed by not letting them have too much at once, 

 and gradually accuftoming them to the change. When this effect rifes to the 

 jftate of difeafe, the beft remedy is probably that of boiling pounded chalk, in the 

 proportion of half a pound or more to four quarts of water, adding a couple of 

 ounces of -.the -{havings of hartmorn, with a quarter of an ounce of bruifed caflia, 

 for a few minutes, and then ftraining off the liquid, which may be given with the 

 milk or other food fuitably warm, to the quantity of from half a pint to a pint, 

 once or twice a day, according to circumftances. In thefe cafes the calves mould 

 always be kept dry and warm under fhelter from wet. If other materials be necef- 

 fary to be mixed with the milk, wheaten flour will probably be found the beft. 



Weaning of Calves. It is better in general to wean early than late, as calves that 

 are weaned late in the feafon feldom rife to any great fize. In January or February, 

 and till the beginning of March, may anfwer very well, but, except where the large- 

 nefs of growth is of no confequcnce, it mould not be attempted later; however, 

 under fuch circumftances it may be continued till the early part of May. The beft 

 .mode of doing this is to let the calves have new milk at the beginning, afterwards 

 a mixture of new and fkimmed milk, then fimply fkimmed milk, and ultimately a 

 mixture of water and fkimmed milk with a little barley or oat meal, or flour ftirred 

 into it. A fmall lock of fweet hay is alfo to be kept tied up within their reach, 

 to induce them to eat that fort of food as foon as poffible. The calves are fooneft 

 learned to drink their milk or other liquid food by the dairy-maid putting her 

 finger in the pail .that contains thefe fubftances while they are feeding. When they 

 are once taught in this way to drink, no further trouble will be neceflary. 



