164 



[B.] 

 On Raising Calves. 



Braintree, January 13, 1838. 

 Rev. Mr. Colman : 



Dear Sir, — In answer to your inquiries respecting the mode vi?hich 

 I have adopted in raising cattle, I can merely say, that I have, for ten 

 or fifteen years past, preferred to raise calves that come in the fall of 

 the year, rather than those that come in the spring, for two important 

 reasons : the first, and equally important is, the great saving in ex- 

 pense. Those that I have raised within the above time, have not cost 

 me more than one quarter part so much as those that I formerly raised. 

 They used generally to be with the cow from eight to ten weeks. 

 The usual quantity of milk which they took, was about eight quarts 

 per day each ; the common price of milk has been twelve and one 

 half cents per gallon, and four cents per single quart, and more sold 

 by the quart than by the gallon. Upon a calculation, you will see, 

 that it would cost about seventeen dollars, upon the lowest price of 

 milk, to prepare a calf to go to pasture ; in addition, calves that are 

 raised in the spring, generally come in when two years old, which I 

 think too young; the cows are not so good nor so large, and will not 

 hold out so long, having come to maturity too soon. 



Another difficulty which arises from letting the calves take the milk from 

 the cow, is, when you turn them to pasture they are very uneasy, con- 

 tinually bawling after their mother, eat but little, and fall away in flesh, 

 and are often stinted. Those that are raised in the fall or winter, do 

 not generally come in until they are two and one half years old, are 

 much larger, and continue good cows much longer. The expense of 

 raising them in the old way, has been so much, that scarcely a single 

 calf is raised in this vicinity. Consequently our farmers have bought 

 their young cattle from droves from different parts of the country, and 

 have had no opportunity to select the breed, the result of which is a 

 miserable breed of cattle. Now sir, the mode which I have adopted, 

 (with great success) is : I take my calves (that come in the fall or win- 

 ter,) from the cow when three or four days old, (as the case may be;) 

 I take a small quantity of good English h<j,y, and make a tea from it; 

 I add a small quantity of milk, and a very little molasses to it. The 



