GENERAL CARE OF CATTLE. 359 



females of the herd. The first crisis in the 

 young bull's life comes when he is between 

 nine and twelve months old. He is then pass- 

 ing from a calf into a bull and change is sure 

 to make him restless and inclined to charge 

 about, and if any cows or heifers are pastured 

 near, especially if they are allowed to run out 

 when in heat, the youngster will worry off all 

 his flesh and get himself thoroughly out of 

 condition. Let him be well secluded, then, 

 given a quiet grass lot and abundant food and 

 pushed along well in his growth, without over- 

 feeding. During this period the young bulls 

 are apt to get uneven and ragged. This is be- 

 cause they are passing from the round, plump, 

 comparatively formless period of calves, and 

 settling down into the well-fixed character of 

 the mature animal. Not a few seem to go 

 through what may perhaps be termed a pro- 

 gressive development. That is, some parts of 

 the body seem to outgrow others, getting their 

 final form first, the others developing more 

 slowly. This often makes a calf of this age 

 more faulty than at any time in his life before 

 or after. There is no reason to despair of 

 the calf of which this is true; good care and 

 time will even up his form. It is often surpris- 

 ing how a good calf will go to pieces at this 

 time and then recover and grow out into all 

 and more than he promised to be. This is not 



