The Nursery 117 



stage to the next. The above quantities are well 

 mixed with the milk at feeding. There is no need 

 for any increase over I Ib. a day until weaning, but 

 here comes another matter of great importance. 

 From the fourth week, I keep a meal mixture, dry, 

 in the trough ; at first, the same stuff as in the 

 milk, gradually changed to a cheaper one about the 

 eighth week. Begin with only a little dusting 

 that they may learn to lick. Then let them have 

 as much as they can clean up. Some preferring 

 their solids quite dry, and having got enough of 

 them from the trough, will begin to refuse them 

 in the milk, and suck it from among them. So 

 much the better. They are the best feeders that 

 prefer their solids dry ; but take care not to 

 mistake their good sense for bad digestion and 

 inflict them with medicine which they do not need. 

 Their behaviour and appearance ought to settle 

 that, not to mention the necessary observation of 

 their attention to the trough. I give them, 

 through the milk, less than they would have, 

 rather than more, because I want them to go to 

 the trough and to know their business at it long 

 before they are weaned. I have never given a calf 

 what they call a " mash," at any age, and I never 

 will, though it is the general rule, an extremely 

 bad rule, because generally overloading the unfor- 

 tunate calf with water beyond his needs and 

 depriving him of his solids on any other terms. 

 Give the calf his solids dry, and never a liquid but 

 his milk. He knows better than you what 

 quantity of water to add. The only calf of mine 



