322 CATTLE-BREEDING." 



stantly being secured by feeding such a ration, 

 but I cannot give up the good old-fashioned 

 way without a protest, and I would urge, espe- 

 cially on the breeders of blooded cattle, the 

 maintenance of the time-honored custom. 



In any case the calves should be taught to 

 eat as early as possible, for it is important to 

 supplement the milk ration both in quantity 

 and in variety as soon as practicable. By the 

 time the calves are two months old they will 

 nibble at the grass in the fields and pick at 

 hay which can be conveniently reached; and 

 very soon after that age they will begin to eat a 

 little corn-meal and bran very readily. When 

 once they have fairly begun to eat they make 

 rapid progress. By the time they are three 

 months old they should have two regular feeds 

 of dry food. Corn-meal is a good thing to begin 

 on, and the daily feeds should consist of as 

 much as they will eat up clean. As they pro- 

 gress both quantity and variety should increase ; 

 bran and oats, chopped hay, and any green food 

 or roots usually fed, that may be available. 

 It is generally a safe rule to feed the calves, 

 both before and after weaning, all the food 

 they will eat; but it should be carefully 

 looked to that they do eat all that is given 

 them and that none remains in the troughs 

 and feed-boxes to grow sour, when cooked or 

 other food that is likely to ferment is being 



