190 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



stunted crops will not bring on young animals ; and especially must 

 we have plenty of lime and phosphates in the soil for the development 

 of bone and muscle. Then the climate must be temperate, although 

 this is of less importance than the other factors we have named, 

 because much can be done in the way of shelter. Lastly, the judicious 

 use of artificial food to supplement the natural produce. 



" Now let us consider the treatment of calves on a dairy farm ; and 

 the management we indicate is such as we have seen carried out with 

 most successful results. The calves are dropped in the spring pro* 

 babl} 7 in March, on the average and are removed at birth, and not 

 allowed to suck the cow. For a few days their food consists of new 

 milk ; after about ten days or a fortnight, warm skim-milk is intro- 

 duced, with calf-meal, boiled linseed, &c., and by degrees the new milk 

 is entirely replaced by old milk, and such easily digested nutritious 

 materials as experience shows to answer. When the calf is one month 

 old, a little sweet green hay is supplied, with rock salt and chalk. As 

 the spring comes on, there are two plans open to us we may either 

 keep them in well-ventilated covered yards, supplying a mixture of 

 green and dry food, which has some advantages, especially in the 

 selection and preparation of suitable food, and protection from irrita- 

 tion by insects, from which serious loss of condition often occurs ; or 

 they may be turned out during the day into a home paddock, being 

 brought in at night. In either ease, they should still have any skim- 

 milk we can spare, in which ground linseed cake or linseed meal may 

 be soaked, and a small quantity of pulped mangel, with carefully- 

 prepared chaff (principally made from hay and a little oat straw) and 

 a little oatmeal, may also be used ; indeed, the greater the mixture of 

 nourishing material, the better. It is not the quantity of food that 

 will be consumed, but the quality, as developing frame and flesh, that 

 is important." 



The following appeared in the " Live Stock Journal," 24th January, 

 1908 : 



"A COMPARISON OF SMITHFIELD SHOW CARCASSES. 



" The information obtained by the ' Live Stock Journal ' from the 

 purchasers of cattle exhibited at the Smithneld Show, in respect to 

 carcass weight of the animals, &c., affords opportunity to make some 

 interesting comparisons with similar stock exhibited in the classes for 

 carcass competition at the same show. In the calculations made for 

 use in the comparisons referred to below the Highland oxen, &c., over 

 three years of age, and the cross-bred heifers not exceeding two years, 

 which were included in the butchers' reports, have not been taken into 

 consideration, as there were none of the corresponding character included 

 in the carcass competition. 



The class for steers not exceeding two years of age in the carcass 

 competition secured an entry of ten present, the aggregate age amounting 

 to 6,640 days, giving the aggregate live weight of 12,684 lb., and a 

 carcass weight of 8,252 lb., the percentage of carcass to live weight 

 working out at 65'05 per cent., and the average daily gain alive 1 lb. 



