284 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



moreover perfectly worthless, for two or three days, for any 

 other purpose except for swine. The calf will seldom take 

 all the milk at first, and whatever is left in the bag should be 

 thoroughly removed by the hand. If the calf is destined for 

 the butcher, he must have all the milk he wants for at least 

 six weeks, and eight or ten is better ; and if the cow does not 

 furnish enough, he ought to be fed gruel or linseed tea. He 

 must be closely confined in a snug, but clean and airy stable, 

 and the darker this is, and the more quiet he is kept, the more 

 readily he will fatten. If designed to be reared, the safest 

 and least troublesome method, is to keep the calf on new milk. 

 If saving the milk be an object, it is still doubtful whether it 

 is not better that he should have a part of it fresh from the 

 cow, and depend for his remaining food on a good grass or 

 clover pasture, meal or roots. Some farmers never iJlow the 

 calf to approach the dam, but take it when first dropped, and 

 put a handful of salt in its mouth, which is daily repeated till 

 he is put to grass. This has a purgative effect, similar to 

 the first milk. Flax-seed is then prepared by boiling a pint 

 in four to six quarts of water, and diluted with hay tea 

 till rather thicker than milk, and fed at blood heat. Hay tea 

 is made, by boiling a pound of sweet, well cured clover, in one 

 and a half gallons of clean water. As the calf becomes older, 

 oat, barley, rye or Indian meal may be scalded and added to 

 the flax seed. A better way when the skim milk is of little 

 consequence, is to withdraw him from the cow after three or 

 four days, then scald the milk, adding a little oat meal, and 

 cool to the natural temperature of the milk, and feed it. Oats, 

 either crushed or ground, is the best and safest grain for all 

 young stock. The milk should not stand more than half a 

 day before feeding to young calves. As they advance in age, 

 it may be fed rather older, but should never be allowed to 

 become sour ; nor should it ever be fed cold. Connected 

 with this feed, should be a good range of short, sweet pasture, 

 and shelter against both sun and storms. If expedient, at 

 about 10 weeks old, he may be safely weaned, but four 

 months nursing is better for the calf. If allowed too much 

 milk for several months, it is injurious to the future devel- 

 opment of the young. It does not distend the stomach pro- 

 perly, nor call into use its ruminating habits. Calves thus 

 brought up, have often proved light bellied, indifferent feed- 

 ers, and decidedly inferior animals. When the calf is remo- 

 ved from the cow, they should be effectually separated from 

 sight and hearing, as recognition create uneasiness, and is 



