388 SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT. 



In reference to the reaving of calves, Mr Hannay 

 writes : — " I find that with highly-bred animals they 

 generally get into a frantic state when the calves are 

 suddenly taken off, and this has occasionally caused the 

 best of cows to slip calf. Now when weaning time 

 comes, I always tie up the calf in sight of the motlier for 

 about a week, by which time many of the cows are dry, 

 and all risk is avoided. Sometimes calves become dry in 

 the hair and hard in the skin after being weaned. In 

 such cases I cause warm oil to be rubbed well into the 

 skin. This I have found to answer well, and also in 

 most cases to be a complete cure for rheumatism." Mr 

 Hannay gives special attention to the cultivation of docility 

 and gentleness of temper, which have thus become a dis- 

 tinguishing feature in his herd. He says : " From the big 

 bulls down to the calves of two months old, the animals 

 are used to be fondled and fed by all of us — even by 

 quite young children, — and many of them come of 

 themselves to ' speak ' to us in the fields." 



Mr Alexander Smith, manager to Mr Tayler of 

 Glenbarry, says calves are dropped at Eothiemay from 

 December to May, the best calving months being 

 December, January, and February. The calves suckle 

 their dams, and are weaned at from six to ten months. 

 They get a full allowance of turnips and straw, with 1 lb. 

 of best linseed-cake daily for the first winter. Young 

 bulls are sold from ten to fourteen months old, and if calved 

 in December and January they are quite fit for use in 

 March of the following year. Mr. Smith gives young 

 heifers the first winter after being weaned a full allow- 

 ance of turnips, straw, and 1 lb. best cake daily. They 

 run on the grass in summer, and the following winter 

 they receive a limited quantity of turnips, straw, and 

 Avater, with a run in a grass field daily if the weather is 

 dry, as they are apt to lay on fat too quickly before the 

 season of being mated, which is done in the latter end of 



