1G6 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ting colts, we long since would have doubled the average 

 product of our dairy cattle. Taking the dairy calf at birth, 

 we find that it is unable to dio^est and assimilate coarse or 

 innutritions food. Its delicate digestive apparatus can only 

 take care of those forms of food which are easily broken 

 down and assimilated, such as new milk ; but, if the calf is 

 fed with new and rich milk, it is soon inclined to put on fat, 

 and this is just what the dairyman does not want. He 

 should teach his animal to put fat in the pail and not on the 

 ri])s ; and so the utmost care must be taken in so balancing 

 the quality of the food and the quantity as to produce vigor- 

 ous, healthy growth, and to extend to some extent the 

 al)domen without inducing the young animal to store up 

 tallow. Great care should l)e taken not to have the food 

 so concentrated as to dwarf the viscera and contract the 

 stomach, and neither should the food be so innutritions 

 as to distend the stomach to such an extent as to injure the 

 power of digestion and assimilation. We find calves can be 

 reared on whey or watered buttermilk ; but the results are 

 not satisfactory, because the calf must take into its stomach 

 so great a bulk that it cannot take care of it, and hence 

 bloating, colic and indigestion are sure to follow. The dairy 

 calves should never be fed largely on concentrated food, 

 such as corn meal, cotton-seed, etc. If they lay on some 

 little flesh and even some fat while on pasture, no evil re- 

 sults will follow ; but flesh and fat laid on l)y the feeding 

 of concentrated and heat-producing foods are sure to aflect 

 the usefulness of the future cow. 



The calf, like the trotting colt, should begin its life work 

 very young. At first thought it would appear that the calf 

 should be matured before it was allowed to produce young, 

 because it seems somewhat contrary to our theories, at least 

 of vigor and reproduction, to copulate immature animals; 

 but in practice it is found that the young heifer must be set 

 at her life work at a very early age, and, as she does not 

 give milk, or it is not practical to have her do so before she 

 drops a calf, it is the practice, and a very wise one, to have 

 her drop her first calf at not more than two years of age. 

 While this calf is in uterus she is of necessity if well fed 

 somewhat fleshy, but this flesh should rapidly disappear if 



