308 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



4. Avoid gorging the calfs stomach with milk or 



giving it any milk substitutes for at least two 

 weeks; and after that, any change in the diet 

 should be made very gradually. 



5. Give calf a tablespoonful of castor oil in milk as 



soon as it shows signs of sickening or scouring. 



Black Leg. There is considerable difference of 

 opinion with regard to the best preventive means for 

 black leg. Those who blame the water for carrying the 

 organism into the system of the young cattle believe 

 in fencing off stagnant pools, purifying the streams and 

 the ponds by throwing a few cobs or clots of lime into 

 the water. Others consider it enters with the grass or 

 the hay from certain fields which are favourable to the 

 existence of this organism ; hence the grass and hay 

 from these fields should be consumed by older stock. 

 It is generally considered advisable to move young 

 cattle from low-lying fields to higher ground in autumn 

 when fogs are common. 



Some pastures which have for many years been 

 considered " hot-beds " for this disease have ceased to 

 be dangerous since the land has been dressed with basic 

 slag, doubtless due indirectly to the improvement of 

 quality in the herbage. Naturally, draining should 

 precede the dressing of basic slag if the land is wet. 



Another preventive which is widely used, is a 

 teaspoonful of flowers of sulphur in the concentrated 

 food at weekly intervals during the autumn and winter ; 

 while last, but not least, linseed cake is said to be an 

 effectual preventive against this malady. 



There is nothing impracticable about any of these 

 preventive measures. It must be wise policy to provide 

 water for the cattle free from contamination, to give 



