THE CORDS. 549 



serve the utmost regularity in the hours of feeding, and not 

 to give too much at a meal. It has been found better to 

 feed thrice a day instead of twice. 



When calves are not intended for breeding from, it is the 

 practice to castrate the males, and spay the females. These 

 operations should be performed v^hen the animal is fifteen 

 or twenty days old. After the operation great care is ne- 

 cessary to prevent the wounded parts from being exposed to 

 the action of the air. They must be kept quiet and warm 

 for the first three or four days afterwards, and not allowed 

 much drink. 



The time when cows should be put to the bull is not 

 until they are three years old, although it is not unusual for 

 farmers to commence breeding from them at two years. 

 But this latter has a tendency to weaken the system, as 

 cows can hardly be expected to have attained their full 

 strength at two years. 



There are many other methods adopted in feeding and 

 fattening calves and cattle, but these come more within tlie 

 scope of a work on agriculture than of one on farrierj-. 



THE CORDS. 



Symptoms. — This disease is so rapid in its effects, that 

 the animal is frequently dead before it is discovered that it 

 is labouring under the malady. It is seized with spasmodic 

 contractions, and dies in convulsive fits. 



Calves that die of the cords are found, upon dissection, 

 to be very red in the flesh, with all their small ligaments 

 hard and stringy in their appearance ; and hence the name 

 of the malady. All the symptoms strongly indicate a con- 

 siderable degree of plethora. 



Cause. — It has been found that most calves which are 

 attacked by this complaint, are those which arc closely con- 



