oil THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



of its enterprising owner. There is no bad smell about the 

 place, a capital system of ventilation being established, which 

 not only contributes to the health of the stock, but also makes 

 it a pleasant place to visit. I recommend all persons in search 

 of valuable stock to visit the '•^Highland Stock Farm" 



CASTRATION. 



I labor under an impression that the husbandmen of this 

 country commit some awful mistakes in the theory and prac- 

 tice of castration. The usual practice is, to castrate the calf 

 from one to three months after birth. This is evidently done to 

 the manifest injury of form, size, and muscular development. 

 The operation may tend towards fattening the animal, and 

 improving the epicurean quality of its meat ; and it may ren- 

 der the animal docile, and thus increase his usefulness ; but his 

 strength, stamina, and endurance are compromised by early 

 castration. 



If animals are needed as. working oxen, they should not be 

 castrated until they have attained the age of three or four 

 years. At these periods, the muscles of the neck and chest 

 have undergone remarkable developments, and the animals have 

 strength and endurance to make really valuable oxen for work ; 

 whereas, if castrated at too early a period, the muscles of the 

 forward parts are always defective, lank, and lean. I am 

 aware that there are difficulties in the way of keeping bulls, up 

 to the age here indicated ; yet the experiment has been tried, 

 in this State and elsewhere, to the entire satisfaction of the 

 parties that made the experiments; therefore, I recommend 

 farmers not to castrate calves intended for work-oxen, until their 

 muscular system is well developed ; and even in view of obtain- 

 ing good beef, and developing the propensity to fatten, I should 

 let the calves remain uncastrated for six months or more. 



It has been urged, by some writers, that the danger of cas- 

 tration is less in young than adult animals. This may be correct, 

 yet I apprehend but little danger in castrating either a horse 

 or bull, at any age, provided the creature is in the enjoyment 

 of health, and the operation be properly performed. 



