546 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



Some times washing the parts with spirit-and- water will an- 

 swer the same purpose. 



REARING OF CALVES. 



Some cows will disown their progeny soon after birth ; to 

 prevent this, let a little salt be thrown over the back of the 

 calf, and the mother will speedily take to licking it, and 

 afterwards allow it to suck her. 



About an hour after birth, we would recommend that the 

 calf should be given about a pint of lukewarm oatmeal- 

 gruel, which is better than the first milk of the cow. And 

 when it is designed to wean calves, for the sake of the cow's 

 milk, the operation is commenced when they are about a 

 fortnight old, in which cases the best substitute for the milk 

 is that recommended by the late Duke of Northumberland, 

 who was a zealous agriculturist. The following is the mode 

 of preparing it : — Take one gallon of skimmed-milk, and 

 to about a pint of it, add a tablespoonfull of treacle, or 

 golden syrup, and after mixing them well, take an ounce of 

 iintseed-oil cake, finely beaten down, and strew it slowly 

 into the milk, stirring it all the while with a spoon, until it 

 is thoroughly incorporated ; and when it is so, add to it the 

 other portion of milk, and place it on the fire until it is the 

 warmth of new milk, when it may be given to the calf. 

 Sometimes water is substituted for milk ; when that is the 

 case, let four ounces of lintseed-meal be well boiled in a 

 gallon of water, and afterwards add half-a-pound of treacle, 

 which must be added when the lintseed-meal has been 

 slowly and thoroughly boiled. 



To secure health and strength to the calves, the surest plan 

 is to allow them to continue with their dam, and be suckled 

 by her, until they have acquired sufficient energy to pro- 

 vide for themselves. Therefore, they should be permitted 



