20 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: 



creased to as much as the calves can he made to drink. After the first two or 

 three weeks, by all means give them plenty of milk, warm from their mother; 

 and let it be that which is last drawn from the Cow, locally termed afterings, 

 which are much richer. Keep abundance of dry litter under them. Have them 

 in a place that is well aired, and of a uniform temperature, neither too hot nor too 

 cold ; let the apartment be quite dark, excepting whcA the door is opened to give 

 them food. If they enjoy the light, they become too sportive, and will not fatten. 

 Take care that they are fastened to the wall, in such a way, by " swivels," that 

 they cannot hang themselves. Never let them make their escape at the door, or, 

 by {heir running and jumping, they will do more injury to themselves in three 

 minutes than a week's feeding will make up. Don't keep them till they become 

 too old, because, when they begin to grow to the bone, they require more milk 

 than the manse can generally produce ; and whenever they cea»e to advance in 

 the fattening process, they begin to recede, and the milk for a week or two is lost. 

 They should be kept from four to seven weeks, according as milk may be abund- 

 ant and rich. If a calf be kept long, during the last two or three weeks, it will 

 require the richest part of the milk of at least two or three Cows to bring it to 

 the highest pitch of fatness. When the milk begins to fall short of the calPs ap- 

 petite, some mix eggs and others peas-meal into their food ; others try infusions 

 of hay, oil-cake, and linseed ; but none of .these additions are approved of by those 

 who feed calves to the greatest perfection. Meal is understood to darken the 

 iiesh, web, and lights of the animal ; but sago has of late years been almost, from 

 the first two or three weeks, boiled and mixed in its liquid state with the milk, 

 and to great advantage. Begin with a saucerful of it or so, and gradually in- 

 crease the quantity. Calves are very fond of chalk, and they also feel the want 

 of salt. 



Cow-House — Cleaning. 



The Cow-house should be airy, and well ventilated ; of moderate temperature, 

 and kept very clean. The stalls for the Cows should be paved with smooth 

 stones, slope gently toward the foot, where there should be a clear run of a gut- 

 ter to carry off the urine to a pit outside. The stalls must be daily scraped and 

 swept, and all refuse carried out to the dung-heap. In general, far too little litter 

 is allowed. The Cow should have plenty of straw bedding, kept in a cleanly con- 

 dition; and this, when soiled, is to be mixed with the dung for manure. The 

 only fastening for the Cow should be a chain to go round the neck, with the oth- 

 er end round an upright post, but easily movable up and down, and allowing 

 room for the animal shifting its positidn. The feeding manger or stone trough is 

 on the ground, and ought to be kept free of all impurities; for though the Cow 

 is not so nice as the horse, it has a disinclination for food not fresh and cleanly. 



Except in dairies of a high order, it is customary to keep Cows in a shamefully 

 unclean condition. The floor of their habitation is filthy, the walls ragged and 

 full of vermin, and the hides of the animals dusty or barkened with dirt. Per- 

 sons who keep Cows are not aware of the loss they incur from allowing them to 

 live in this uncleanly state. Some people seem to think that they do quite 

 enough for their Cows if they give them food and shelter ; but besides this, they 

 require to be kept very cleanly, though seldom indulged in that luxury. The Cow 

 should be curried daily like the Horse ; its hide should be freed from all impuri- 

 ties, and relieved from every thing that causes uneasiness. When, you see a Cow 

 rubbing itself against a post, you may depend on it that the animal is ill kept, 

 and requires a good scrubbing. Irritation of the skin from impurities also causes 

 them to lick themselves, a habit which is injurious, for the hairs taken into the 

 stomach form a compact round mass, which 'may destroy the animal. If well 

 curried, any danger from this catastrophe is avoided, the health is generally im- 

 proved, and this improves the quality of the milk, besides increasing the quan- 

 tity. A cottager might easily make two or three shilljngs more of his Qow 

 weekly by attention to this point ; and if he at the saraevtime took pains to pre- 

 serve all the liquid refuse of the cow-house, he might doAle that amount. How 

 strange to reflect that many decent and well-meaning, but ignorant and rather 

 lazily-disposed people, are suffering a loss of four or five shillings weekly from 

 no other cause than this ! It is long, however, before old habits are eradicated, 

 and new and better ones introduced. 



