514 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



lNo.9 



attended with less trouble, and an experienced 

 cowman will soon be ublrt to judije of the proper 

 quantity to be allowed them. From January to 

 June is the proper time for weaning— early calves 

 maintaining a decided superiority unless greater 

 encouragement be afterwards afforded to ilie hiter 

 ones. In situations where fattening |br veal is 

 Ibund profitable, both weaning and fattening go 

 on together ; and even where cheese and batter 

 are manufactured, all the three may be easily man- 

 aged, by allotting a number of cows lor suckling 

 and a number to'be milked for the dairy. Calves 

 fed for veal must not be restricted in the quantUy 

 of milk ; for weaning, they must be allowed such 

 a quantity as will keep them always in a sleek 

 and thriving condition, without fatting them, for 

 any fat produced at that time would be lost. An 

 ordinary cow will itJed four calves for veal, or make 

 veal of two and wean three, much depending on 

 the milky nature of the cow, and on the quality of 

 the pasture. The various substitutes for milk 

 that have been puffed abroad among farmers have 

 all proved an utter fallacy, only supplying the far- 

 mer with a i'ew pounds of butter and cheese at ihe 

 expense of the animal. They never fiul in produ-^ 

 cing a large belly and offal, an infallible mark of 

 degeneracy and bad keep, in any animal, and in 

 no^case have we been yet able to improve upon 

 what nature has provided the mother with in nur- 

 eino- her offspring. During that time the mother 

 should lorm the diief objecLof our attention. 



In the month of JNlay, when the weather has 

 become warm, and the'young grass has sprung, 

 the earliest calves Aviil be turned out into a grass 

 paddock of fine pasture, provided with water and 

 Bhclter, and convenient to the homestead, ^and 

 where they can be suckled twice a day. The 

 cow's pasture should be adjacent if possible, and 

 also well provided with water and shelter, 

 and laid down or improved for the purpose. 

 The paddock for the calves may consist of one or 

 two acres, and an orchard suits very well, the fruit 

 trees affordingshelterfrom the heat, and amusemeni 

 in rubbing. A shelter shed is indispensable, wiiha 

 dry well Htiered bottom, and may be so contrived, 

 as to suit for lambing the ewes in the spring, which 

 business will be concluded before the calves are 

 turned out. The ewes lying all night in the pad- 

 dock, will bestow a good top dressing, which must 

 be attended to by rolling. At the age of 16 weeks 

 the calves will be ready to go to the pasture field, 

 the quantity of milk having been gradually reduced 

 as the calves learned to eat the grass. As they 

 are removed from the paddock the next oldest ones 

 are turned out from the call-pens, and when the 

 weaning season is near a close, as many of the 

 latest calves as the paddock can maintain may 

 remain in it lor the season, to be near ai hand for 

 receiving some better encouragement to raise them 

 to an equality with the oldest. Nothing more dis- 

 figures a herd of cattle as to see them of different 

 sizes and qualities, and colors, and in many cases 

 of different breeds, showing a great want ofskill in 

 the breeding;and ofcare and attention in the nursing 

 and rearing. After the weaning season is over, 

 the milk tor thp remainder of the season may be 

 applied to suckling for veal, or to making butter 

 and cheese, as situation may direct. In places 

 where these articles are the staple, produce, ihe 

 weaning of calves will be on a smaller scale ; but 

 on these fin-ms some are weaned, to which the 

 above observations will equally apply. 



When the calves are removed from the home 

 paddock, the best pasture on the farm will be given 

 ihem, well watered and sheltered if possilile ; in 

 many cases the latterniaih of a hay cro[) answers 

 well. When fields lie in permanent grass, a shed 

 with a view to permanency may be erected in 

 each field at a very trifling cost, and may be so 

 contrived as to suit both cattle and sheep. Where 

 the alternate system of farming prevails, a corner 

 where the plough does not strike, may be got, and 

 a very useful shelter erected. Cuttle of an age 

 should pasture together, and ihe smaller the lota 

 the belter. 



Ijy the tnd of October, the approach of cold 

 weather will render necessary the removal of the 

 cattle to the home yard. Every farm is, or ought 

 to be, provided with a number of yards suited to 

 its size and to the quality of the soil, the bottoms 

 level with that of the shelter-shed, raised above 

 that of the yard, to throw the moisture outwards, 

 that the cattle may lie dry ; cribs for holding the 

 roots given to the cattle are ranged along the sub- 

 division walls, and sometimes placed in the shel- 

 ter-shed undercover; the most approved are of a 

 square shape with a latticed bottom, which allows 

 all moisture, to escape.. Buildings of stone and 

 lime have been erected along the walls, but they 

 hold water and sludge very much ; wood is clean- 

 er, and where used, the bottom planks should be 

 perforated with holes to discharge the water. 

 Troughs of stone, of wood, or of cast iron, are pla- 

 ced across the division walls, so as to supply two 

 yards ; and the water is conveyed in pipes from a 

 pump, or supplied by ball cocks and pipes from a 

 cistern placed aloft for that purpose, in some house 

 of the farmery, and to which the water is raised 

 by a forcing valve in the yard pump. Turnips 

 are now mostly given in a cut state, and where 

 straw is rank and abundant, it may be cut to shorlef 

 lengths, which will render it more manageable and 

 easier of reduction. 



Into these yards properly furnished, the cattle 

 are put in lots of ages and sizes, varying in num- 

 ber from 3 10 7 when feeding : young cattle may 

 be kept in greater numbers. Most leeders now 

 prefer the open yard to housing, though on turnip 

 larms, a fiieding'irouse is very necessary where a 

 few choice animals may be fattened, or a few in- 

 ferior ones may be brought more quickly to perfec- 

 tion. Fresh straw should be put frequently into 

 the racks, and cabbages are a very proper article 

 to begin the leediiig of young stock for the first 

 winter. These and turnip tops are given once^ 

 and better if twice a day, and continued through 

 the winter— if they fail, potatoes and beets are gi- 

 ven in moderate quantities, so as to keep the young 

 animals in a sleek and thriving condition, without 

 any tendency to gorge them, or induce them to 

 nauseate their food. They should always show 

 a keen appetite, and seem able to eat more than is 

 rriven. The yards are frequently litkved, thinly 

 at a time, so as to keep them dry and comfortable, 

 and also mix the manure properly. The straw 

 racks are shifted' often, that the straw may not lie 

 dry around them, and the yards are of such a size 

 as will admit of tiie cattle treading, dunging, and 

 watering on every part. A very common error 

 prevails'^on this point, the yards are much too 

 iarce, the straw lies dry and unmixed in many 

 pans, and the good dung lies huddled together in 

 the other places. Space sufficient lor the cattle to 



