224 THE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



The calf will begin to eat a little sweet hay at an early age ; 

 and at about eight weeks old will take daily small quantities of 

 bean and pea-meal ground coarse, damped, and mixed with 

 chaffed hay. At tw§lve weeks old the milk may be gradually 

 diluted to clear water. The main point to be borne in mind 

 in connection with weaned calves — say, four to six months 

 old — is that their food must be easily digestible, and must be 

 sufficient to maintain healthy growth. A mixture of linseed 

 cake two parts, bean-meal, pea-meal, and lentils one part each, 

 will be found to answer, regulating the quantity by the age and 

 capacity of the calf. After nine months old the lentils, bean 

 and pea-meal may be replaced by a mixture of equal parts 

 decorticated cotton cake and maize-meal, being careful to 

 gradually change the food. If the calf feeds badly, a little 

 locust bean-meal sprinkled over the chaff and meal often stimu- 

 lates the appetite. In fine weather calves may be let out to 

 grass from about six months old, but their feed should be 

 maintained for six months longer. At fourteen months (some 

 breeders advise earlier) heifers can be taken to the bull, and 

 during succeeding summer months, if grass be plentiful, will 

 need no extra food. During autumn and winter they will be 

 better for receiving two to four pounds daily of ground oats and 

 bran, mixed with their chaff and roots. 



Cows and heifers in milk, — Summer. If, in addition to grass, 

 any artificial food is given, about four pounds daily will suffice, 

 which may consist of equal parts of decorticated cotton cake and 

 maize-meal. In autumn and winter the daily ration should be 

 gradually increased to seven pounds— say, decorticated cotton 

 cake, linseed cake, and maize-meal, two pounds each ; ground 

 oats or bran, one pound. Cotton cake must be of good quality, 

 and should be ground to the size of peas to facilitate digestion. 

 This artificial food may, of course, be varied in composition, 

 regard being had to feeding value ; its use should be altogether 

 discontinued six weeks before calving, when the cow is dried off. 



Silage. — If part of the grass crop is converted into silage, it 

 will improve the colour of the butter in the autumn and winter 

 months. Twenty-five pounds daily is an ample allowance for a 

 cow. 



Boots. — Parsnips and carrots are the best for butter produc- 



