126 DOMESTIC AyTMALS. 



births to females was 90.6 per cent. ; when of equal age, 90 per cent. ; 

 but when the age of the father was greater than the mother, nine to 

 eighteen years, it was 143 per cent. 



Similar in principle was the experience of M. C. C. de Buzareurgnes, 

 who professed to have the power of controlling the sexes in sheep ; his 

 principle being the same as the above, viz, that vigor was favorable to 

 female, and the converse to male births. For females he proposed to 

 select young rams, and place them in a good pasture; for males, thi-ee 

 to five shear animals, and to place them in an inferior pasture. His 

 experiment was successful. In his female trial there were seventy-six 

 female lambs produced against thirty-five males ; and, in his male trial, 

 there were produced eighty males against fifty-five females. Another 

 trial was made by M. Cournuejouls. One section was put to young male 

 lambs, and on a good pasture ; the other on a poorer pasture, and with 

 old rams. The result was, that in the first experiment there were fifteen 

 males and twenty-five females, and, in the second, there were twenty-six 

 males and fourteen females. 



Buzareurgnes also showed that in several lots the approximations 

 to male or female births, were also in the ratio of the ages of the 

 animals on both sides. Thus, of the young ewes put to the young rams, 

 the two-year old ewes produced fourteen males and twenty-six females, 

 the three-year old gave sixteen males and twenty-nine females ; whereas 

 the four-year old ewes, to the aged rams, and on the poor pasture, pro- 

 duced thirty-three males and fourteen females. 



More than this is not known ; but there is quite sufficient to indicate 

 that the breeder possesses at least considerable power in controlling the 

 proportion of the sexes, and that the more vigor he has of frame and 

 food, the greater will be the proportion of females ; and that the con- 

 verse of this will hold equally good. There is enough in the principle to 

 deserve a trial. 



We now proceed wnth details descriptive of the management of ca'tle, 

 under the heads of rearing and fattening. The first object being to 

 secure a suitable breeding stock, and a provision for proper buildings for 

 their accommodation and shelter. 



Rearing. — It is most advantageous to have the calves drop in the early 

 part of the year, that the young grass may be ready for them about the 

 time of weaning. New milk is best for the young calf for the first 

 fortnight, when it may be trained to feed upon other food, such as lin- 

 seed-cake, or sweet hay ; and when it will eat these freely, its allowance 

 of milk niay be gradually reduced, and sliced Swedes or carrots added 

 to its food. The cribs should be kept clean, the food regularly supplied, 

 and the calves themselves should always receive kind and gentle treat- 

 ment. J Perseverance in such management will greatly aid the growth 

 of the young animals; when kindly treated, there will be no restless 

 excitement on the appi'oach of strangers, and they are easily managed 

 when surgical operations become necessary from disease or accident. 

 All graziers are fully alive to the importance of docility in all fatting 

 animals. 



After three or four weeks the male calves maybe castrated, an opera- 

 tion attended with less risk and pain when done at an early age. It is 



