22 THE CATTLE OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



being often desirable. Over this a mixture of several kinds of 

 food may be dusted, amongst which old beans should have a 

 prominent place, being particularly adapted to calves eating 

 green food, counteracting the too laxative effects of the latter, 

 and supplying a large amount of flesh-forming material ; we 

 have seen excellent results from the use of beans. A moderate 

 quantity of fine-ground oil-cake, and a little home-grown grain 

 will complete the mixture, unless we can buy bran cheap, in 

 which case it may be added. The quantity of such a mixture to 

 be used depends upon the age and condition of the calf — from 

 lib. to 21b. a day expresses about the range of quantity. With 

 this mixture, continually varied as to the green food, the calves 

 should be fed three times a day at early morning, noon, and 

 night, and clean water always placed within their reach. 

 Occasionally, every two or three weeks, some flowers of sulphur, 

 about half to three-quarters of an ounce per head, may be 

 given with the food ; this purifies the blood, and helps to pre- 

 serve a healthy condition of skin. Judgment and attention are 

 required in supplying the food. Some stockmen fancy that 

 too much cannot be given, and so they fill up the fresh food on 

 what remains from the last meal — a dirty, slovenly practice, 

 that cannot be too severely condemned. An hour or two before 

 feeding time the manger should be thoroughly cleaned out, 

 every particle of dirt removed, and, besides this, every now and 

 then thoroughly washed and scrubbed. Eating off a dirty plate 

 would not tend to improve our appetite, and though the 

 ruminant is not so particular, cleanliness is very desirable. 

 The refuse from the calves' mangers will be readily eaten by 

 the cows, and thus nothing need be lost, and the calves will 

 come to their food with an appetite. Should an animal hang 

 back, we must at once separate it, and carefully watch the 

 symptoms. 



There is one point upon which we would specially remark — 

 viz., the importance of keeping the skin healthy ; it has certain 

 functions to perform, its excretions relieve the system of waste 

 matters, and there is great sympathy between the skin and the 

 digestive organs ; indeed, the lining membrane of the stomach, 

 &c., is but a continuation of the skin. Now, if the pores 

 become choked up with dirt, or if parasites, such as lice, ticks, 



