320 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



more completely the possibilities of its nature 

 than another which, with equal promise, was 

 suffered to get again and again out of condition 

 by unwise saving in the first months of its life. 

 Even six-months-old calves cannot always be 

 taken off of their milk, although the utmost 

 care be used, without showing the effects of it 

 in a bad way, which is certainly excellent evi- 

 dence of the very high character of this diet for 

 the calf. What has just been said, of course, 

 involves to a certain extent a condemnation 

 of a skim-milk ration. I must deprecate the 

 substitution of such a ration for the rnilk direct 

 from the teats wherever it is not an absolute 

 necessity. I can but regard it as a poor policy 

 which sacrifices the best good of a valuable 

 calf at the most critical time in its life to the 

 securing of a little cream or butter. A little 

 retarding of the growth at this period may 

 mean the difference between being able to 

 make a sale and not being able to do so. To 

 command the market the best cattle are neces- 

 sary. B.ut at the same time no doubt there 

 are occasions when this sacrifice is, or seems to 

 be, demanded, and in all such cases the best 

 that can be done is to yield to the apparent 

 necessity and find the best substitute. * It must 

 be distinctly borne in mind, however, that a 

 calf cannot thoroughly thrive on skim-milk 

 alone; it is not in technical parlance a "com- 



