CATTLE. 



CATTLE. 



or 13 dollars per head. This was at a season [ gives the following information upon this sub- 



ject, derived from his observations in Massa- 

 chusetts. "A farmer of my acquaintance in 

 the interior raises all his calves from a large 

 stock of cows. His cows are known to be of 

 prime quality. His heifers are allowed to come 

 in at two years old, and are then sold with 

 their first calf generally for thirty-five doJlars, 

 which he deems a fair compensation for the 

 expense of raising. His calves are raised 

 mainly upon skim-milk and whey, until they 

 can support themselves on hay and grass. His 

 steers pay a proportional profit when sold at 

 three to four years old. 



" The English authorities say, that upon two 

 cows calving at different times, seven calves 

 may be fattened for the butcher in the course 

 of the year. More than this may be done if 

 the calves are to be reared for stock, and if 

 some little addition of meal or vegetables is 

 added to their feed. 



" Mr. Jaques remarks, on the subject of rais- 

 ing calves, that 'he generally lets them take a 

 portion of milk from the cows for about three 

 months, and prefers keeping them in the stall 

 until they are about a year old, thinking that 

 he gets better forms, rounder barrels, straighter 

 backs, greater broadness on the loin and hips, 

 by this management. Calves turned to grass at 

 two and three months old become pot-bellied, 

 their backs bent, acquire a narrowness in the 

 loins, and seldom get over the defect entirely.' 

 "I believe that it is decidedly better to raise 

 them in the stall or yard the first season, as 

 their feed is much more uniform, and their 

 growth not interrupted by sudden changes. 

 They soon learn to eat hay; and carrots or po- 

 tatoes cut fine for them will be found highly 

 beneficial. In all cases the calf should be 

 taken from the cow as soon after his birth as 

 the cow's udder is brought into good condition 

 and her milk fit for use, and then should be fed 

 by hand. 'In my opinion,' says a highly in- 

 telligent farmer of Stockbridge, 'calves rai-ed 

 for other purposes than veal should be early 

 weaned from the dam, and nursed at least one 

 year upon food adapted to give firmness and 

 expansion of muscle, rather than to fatten 

 them.' The observation of another farmer, a 

 plain man, but one of the most observing and 

 practical farmers in the state, is deserving of 

 attention. One of the most important points,' 

 says he, 'in the feeding of the calf, is to feed 

 him well when the grass first fails in the fall 

 by frost. If suffered to fall off then, he does not 

 recover, and suffers more by scanty food than 

 other animals.' " 



There are many able papers on subjects re- 

 ( lating to cattle dispersed in the best agricul- 



a year on such as are prematurely weaned or j tural periodicals, which the breeder may wish 

 fed on skimmed milk. He entirely disapproves i to refer to, such as " On Stall-feeding Cows in 

 of letting calves run three or four months with Summer," by Mr. Collett of Christiana in Nor- 

 valuable cows intended for breeding, and espe- way (Corn. Board of jigr. vol. vi. p. 60; "On 

 cially where milching properties are to be re- { Soiling," by Mr. Curwen (Ibid. p. 49); "On 



their Treatment in Winter," (Quart. Journ. of 

 -tfgr. vol. ii. p. 228; "On Fattening Cattle on 

 different Kinds of Food," by Mr. Brodie, (Ibid. 

 vol. viii. p. 327); "On Feeding Cattle on Su- 

 gar," by Mr. Ellis, (Com. Board of Agr. vol. vii. 



when the drovers could avail themselves of 

 pasturage. The price of corn is not recollect- 

 ed. They came in in good condition. 



" Store hogs or shoats, driven moderately in 

 the mild season and well fed on the road, will 

 gain in flesh, it is said by some, almost suffi- 

 ciently to pay the expenses of their drift." 



The number of cattle of all descriptions 

 brought to Brighton frequently exceeds 8,000 

 head on a market day. Many of these, and the 

 proportion increases, instead of being slaugh- 

 tered, are sold on the hoof. The mathematical 

 rules and tables, so much in use in England 

 for determining the live weight of animals, are 

 seldom resorted to in the United States, al- 

 though they arc said to give very exact results. 

 A diagram and table have been given in the 

 preceding part of this article, to show the mode 

 and facilitate the process of making estimates 

 of live weight. 



By the revised statutes of Massachusetts it 

 is declared that "All beef cattle, except bulls, 

 sold in market by weight, shall, when slaugh- 

 tered, be prepared for weighing in the follow- 

 ing manner: the legs shall be taken off at the 

 knee and gambrel joint, the skin shall be taken 

 from all other parts of the animal, the head 

 shall be taken off at the second joint of the 

 neck, the entrails taken out, and all the fat of 

 the same be taken off and weighed as rough 

 tallow; and every other part of the animal, in- 

 cluding the hide and rough tallow (the udder 

 of cows excepted), shall be weighed. 



"All beef shall be weighed upon the first 

 week-day succeeding that on which it* may be 

 slaughtered," &c. 



Rearing Calves. As so many different opi- 

 nions are entertained upon the subject of rear- 

 ing calves, some of the views derived from 

 high sources of intelligence will be stated. 



In Pennsylvania, heifers intended for milch 

 cows are generally put to the bull at fifteen to 

 eighteen months of age, in preference to leaving 

 them run to a greater age. Mr. Isaac W. Ro- 

 berts, of Montgomery county, has been very suc- 

 cessful in raising and fattening cattle, chiefly of 

 the Durham breed. It is his practice to take 

 the calves of this fine breed, and, when two or 

 three weeks old, put them with common native- 

 bred cows. He weans at three or four months 

 old, when the calf is able to thrive well on 

 grass alone, and the native cow, going dry, is 

 soon fit for the butcher, at a price that will 

 nearly, if not quite, pay for her first cost and a 

 fair allowance for pasturage. He thinks that 

 calves thus raised and entering the winter in 

 good condition, being properly housed and fed 

 during cold and inclement weather, gain nearly 



tained. 



With all those who desire to possess an im- 

 proved and select stock, it is deemed highly 

 important that they should raise their own 

 calves ; and this is rendered the more import- 

 ant from the high prices usually to be obtained 

 for calves of the best breeds. Mr. Colman 

 302 



p. 327) ; and "On Potatoes," by Sir C. Burrell 

 (Ibid. p. 323) ; " On House and Yard-feeding 



