24 THE CATTLE OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



their having to be driven every night to the homestead. When 

 such a shed is available, by the middle of June the calves may 

 be left to go in or out as they like at night. Care must be 

 taken to have some ground to change them on occasionally, and 

 plenty of good water and a shelter hovel are indispensables. 

 Chalk and rock salt must be placed within reach, and a supply 

 given night and morning of artificial food and chaff — the latter 

 composed of a mixture of green hay and whatever forage crop 

 we are cutting at the time. Best linseed cake, at the rate of 

 lib. per head daily, will answer admirably, provided the grass 

 is not very watery, in which case we should prefer using either 

 a portion of beans or decorticated cake, say Jib. of linseed and 

 half a pint of beans, or |lb. of decorticated cotton cake. 

 Common cotton cake should never be used for this purpose, as 

 it cannot be properly digested. Later on in the autumn, 

 whatever the farmer intends to give them during the coming 

 winter in the way of corn, should be gradually introduced and 

 mixed with the oil cake, &c., so as to accustom them to the change, 

 violent transitions in the way of food are always productive of 

 loss of condition, and therefore, especially with young animals, 

 the change should be gradual. 



By such treatment carefully persevered in we shall gain a 

 year in point of bulk and maturity over the old starving 

 system, and have a good chance of ultimate size, which is out 

 of the question when growth has been checked. The advantage 

 of this system of management will be in proportion to the 

 quality of our stock ; badly-bred coarse animals do not repay 

 us for our care in the same way as the better sort. Whilst, 

 however, advocating liberal treatment, we must guard against 

 giving an excessive quantity of nutritious food. The young 

 animals should be placed under those conditions that favour 

 rapid growth rather than the accumulation of fat or a great 

 quantity of soft flesh. We like to feel a loose soft hide, with 

 plenty of room under ; we must have, in short, a well-covered 

 frame, with a skin that fits on the animal like a loose great 

 coat. 



It is not good policy to let calves lie out even during the 

 height of summer, but it is decidedly injurious late in autumn, 

 when heavy dews and frost indicate the chilly nature of the 



