REARING CALVES. 435 



quality set before them ; they take very little at first, but they soon 

 get accustomed to it, and at weaning time it commonly suffices for 

 their support. It may happen, however, that at this period they fall 

 off a little, but they soon recover again ; still, if any of them appear 

 delicate, it will be prudent to allow about a couple of quarts of milk 

 a day mixed with water, for some little time, which is gradually 

 withdrawn as the animal becomes accustomed to its new food. 



Calves grow with great rapidity during the suckling time. The 

 only experimental data with which I am acquainted in regard to the 

 increase of weight of calves during the first period of their lives, are 

 those of M. Perrault de Jotemps. These observations I shall asso- 

 ciate w^ith those which I have myself made at Bechelbronn, where, 

 by a happy coincidence, we have the same Swiss race of cattle as 

 Messrs. Perrault at Feuillasse. The weight of three calves at birth 

 was found by JNI. Perrault to be : 



No. 1 70.4 lbs, 



No. 2 83.8 



No. 3 80.8 



Average 78.0 



At Bechelbronn the weight of six calves at birth was : 



No. 1, born in May 108.9 lbs 



February 88.0 



Ditto 90.2 



April 100.1 



June 88.8 



May 101.2 



Average 96.2 



M. Ernest Perrault found that a calf. No. 1, during the first 

 eighteen days of its life increased on an average 2.8 lbs. per diem ; 

 No. 2 increased at the rate of 1.8 lbs. per day ; and No. 3 at the 

 rate of 2.7 lbs. per day ; average increase 2.4 lbs. per day. An- 

 other calf, born at Feuillasse, which weighed 101.2 lbs., when nine- 

 teen days old weighed 151.2 lbs. ; so that it had gained 50 lbs., or at 

 the rate of 2.6 lbs. per diem ; a rate which corresponded precisely 

 with what was observed in the case of nine other calves fed for the 

 butcher, the average increase of which per diem was 2.7 lbs., during 

 which each has had about 19.3 pints of milk daily. 



The conclusions come to at Bechelbronn bear a close resemblance 

 to those of Feuillasse : 



A calf wbich at birth weighed 108.9 lbs. 



Weighed 13 days afterwards 139.0 



Increase in 12 days 30.1 Increase per day, 2.5 lbs. 



A calf born 12th of Feb. weiehed. . 88.0 lbs 

 On the 30th of March it weighed. .171.6 



Increase in 46 days 83.6 Increase per day, l.S 



The same calf, weaned the 21st of 

 April, weighed 198.6 lbs. 



Increase in 21 days 22.0 Increase per day, 1.08. 



It is obvious, therefore, that from the time of weaning, the growth 

 ceases to be so rapid ; the transition from the milk diet to one of 



