AND FEEDING OF CATTLE. 13 



useful lot of cows — g'ood "well- formed sliort-liorns (not too 

 liig'li-bved), witli plenty of substance, g-ood sound consti- 

 tution, plenty of soft hair, and of g'ood quality ; above all, 

 g-ood milkers, as tlie number of calves reared will depend 

 much upon the cpiantity of milk produced. The next most 

 important object is a first-rate bull, whose substance, consti- 

 tution, and Cjuality must, if possible, excel that of 3'our cows; 

 for it is now an admitted and well-authenticated fact, that 

 the sire has more to do with the progeny than the dam, and 

 that, as "like begets like," so you ought to be the more 

 careful in selecting a good sire, with a good frame and great 

 inclination to fatten. And I would strongly urge upon the 

 breeder whose yearly cast of stock is an object to him, 

 never to use a bull from his own herd, but, if possible, to 

 procure a yearling from some well-known stock when need 

 requires. 



Secondly, I should recommend, where a herd of from eight 

 to twelve cows are kept, that not less than three or four 

 should drop their calves in the latter part of November or 

 beginning of December. Calves are, with proper care, 

 easily brought through the winter, and with less milk, it 

 being supposed that you have by you a supply of hay, cakes, 

 and turnips ; the latter of which they are soon taught to eat, 

 if cut into small slices, and put into their mouths to suck, 

 two or three days running, b}^ their attendant; this, with 

 the addition of one or two poiinds of cake per day, and 

 plenty of good seed hay, will quickly bring them forward to 

 do without luilk. And here I will take the liberty of im- 

 pressing upon the breeders of stock the absolute necessity of 

 proper ventilation and cleanliness in their calf pens, which 

 ought all to be boarded with slabs, and raised about ten or 

 twelve inches from the ground, either leaving a space of an 

 inch and a half between each slab, or perforating the slabs 

 with a number of holes to allow their water to pass otT into 

 a gutter or drain, which will not only keep the pens dry, but 

 prevent all unpleasant smells. Each pen should be lai-ge 

 enough to contain two milk calves, with a larger one to 

 remove them to as they get older, and are taken off milk ; 

 each pen should be furnished with a small rack and troug'h, 

 and a place to fix in either a piece of chalk or rock-salt for the 

 calves to lick, which will add very materially to their general 

 health. With three or four cows, you will easily rear six or 

 eight calves through the winter, which 3'ou Avould be able to 

 put to grass nearly as good as yearlings ; and as you can 



