CATTLE GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 773 



I know it is difficult in many neighborhoods, as the farmers are 

 wise in not selling their calves, but there are few neighbor- 

 hoods in which there is not a huckster route, and if not near a 

 city market, where you can buy them, an arrangement can 

 usually be made with a huckster to furnish what you want. 



To raise five calves from two cows I should want the cows 

 to come in fresh in early spring, so as to be at their greatest 

 flow of milk when the pasture was best, and I should want to 

 buy one calf as near as possible the same age. I always feed 

 new milk for about ten days or until the calf gets to eating 

 well and shows some growth. I then begin to use linseed meal, 

 beginning with a table-spoonful for each calf. Pour hot water 

 over it, and let it stand till it softens and forms a kind of jelly, 

 and then pour it into the skimmed milk, and make it as near 

 the temperature of new milk as you can. I would not change 

 at once from new to skimmed milk, but begin by mixing, and 

 be a week in making the change. The quantity of linseed meal 

 may be gradually increased up to a gill for each calf. I have 

 never experienced any bad effect from this feed, and think that 

 if given in regular quantities it makes up to a large extent for 

 the loss of the cream. I always recommend linseed meal for 

 calves. I wish to caution our readers against the use of 

 cotton-seed meal for this purpose, as I have known of the death 

 of many calves from its use. 



I want the calves to run on good grass by the time they 

 are three weeks old, and they will soon begin to graze. By the 

 time they are a month old begin to give some extra feed. 

 Shelled corn is good while they are on milk, but should be fed 

 in moderate quantities, and when weaned bran or a mixture of 

 bran and oats should be substituted. By the time calves are 

 ten weeks old they should be eating enough grass and bran or 

 other food so that the quantity of milk could be reduced and 

 another calf bought, and a month later still another. With 

 good grass and a little other food, after four months old the 

 calves can be made to thrive as well without milk. The calves 

 should have a little grain or bran every day till they go on 

 grass at a, year old, as hay or corn fodder is not a perfect 



