REARING OF CALVES. 171 



that the average of milk during the twelve months was perhaps more 

 than it is now, but I believe it stimulated the cows too much, and the 

 effect was seen in the calves, which were not so strong and were more 

 difficult to raise. 



When the calf is dropped, our method is to take it at once from 

 the cow and rub it dry with straw or a cloth. Many farmers think 

 it necessary for the good of the cow that she should lick the calf dry. 

 I do not think so. It is the natural way, no doubt, but a cow is a 

 domesticated animal and we can do this work for her better than 

 she can, and it is more cleanly. The calf is then taken to a box stall 

 where it can be kept quiet and out of hearing of the cow. The milk is 

 taken from the cow and given to r the calf, it being necessary for a few 

 times to give it the finger to suck, but it can very soon be taught to 

 drink from the pail without this assistance. After about nine days 

 the milk from the cow is changed to skimmed milk, which is mixed 

 with oatmeal and ground flaxseed, boiled in water to a thin gruel, 

 and a little salt; when this is added to the milk it will be about blood 

 heat. My plan of taking the calf from the cow as soon as it is 

 dropped is, I know, in opposition to the usual method, which allows 

 the calf to suck its dam for a few days. But where this is done the 

 change of taking the calf away injures both it and the dam. She gets 

 acquainted with it, and when you take it away she becomes restless, 

 and gets into a fever; and the same with the calf, looking for her 

 mother. In addition to this, my plan of removing the calf at once 

 trains the calf, so that when she becomes a cow she never looks for 

 the calf, and does not fret and worry over it. This is quite important 

 in a dairy. If the cow's udder becomes inflamed, we bathe it in hot 

 water, as hot as the hand will bear, using a soft sponge, and after- 

 wards taking a portion of the cow's milk and rubbing it gently, care 

 being taken to dry off all milk clean from the udder, that none should 

 be left to curd. This artificial means we believe to be safer and 

 better than if the calf were allowed to nurse on the cow, as when it 

 does not get milk freely from the cow, it will punch with its head so 

 hard as to often ruin the cow for life. This, I believe, is the cause 

 of so many quarters of the udder being lost. No use is ever made 

 of the milk of the cow for the first nine days, except to feed the calf. 



The calves are fed twice a day, about seven in the morning and the 

 same hour at night. While young, great care is taken not to over- 

 feed them, which will cause indigestion and this stops the growth of 

 the calf at once. It also causes diarrhoea, which is the most fatal 

 disease among young calves. Three quarts of milk is enough for one 

 meal for a young calf, at first. The feed is gradually increased up to 

 four quarts at a meal and the calf should not be permitted to drink 



