656 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



[November 



have been calved early in the year, they would, 

 when brought into the 3\ards, be twenty-one 

 months or thereabouts: instead of putting them 

 upon good food, they should be put upon a 

 straw diet for a month or six weeks, not sim- 

 ply that they may pick over the choicest por- 

 tions, but eat the greater part supplied to them. 

 The result is, that this diet leads to a loss of 

 condition, and a greater aptitude for breeding 

 immediately results ; for it is a law of nature, 

 that any check upon the animal which threat- 

 ens to endanger its permanency (disease ex- 

 cepted) diverts the energy of the body to a re- 

 production of its species. 



I have seen the end gained by sending stock 

 to another district, giving them change of 

 climate and herbage, but it must be to inferior 

 rather than superior keep. Heifers which have 

 been removed from rich land in consequence of 

 the unsuccessful endeavour to make them pro- 

 duce stock, and put upon the moors, have been 

 found to breed directly. Of course, judgment 

 must be used in the degree to which such a 

 check should be carried, for a remedy which in 

 itself is valuable may be rendered destructive 

 by injudicious use. 



My own experience and observation lead me 

 to the conclusion that, through the early stages 

 of life, a liberal system of feeding is most de- 

 sirable, and that it should be continued until 

 the animal has become well developed and | 

 ready for breeding. Then give a sudden change 

 from good keep to a straw diet, and after four 

 or six weeks commence using the bull. I 

 would strongly urge that the bull should not 

 be used until the heifers are thus prepared; for 

 when once an animal lias returned to the bull, 

 it has a greater tendency to do afterwards. I 

 therefore strongly recommend breeders not to 

 use the bull first, and having found it fail, then 

 to adopt the t above system. They should be 

 'carefully separated from other stock for some 

 hours after they take the bull each time, and 

 subsequently kept apart until all signs of heat 

 have passed away. Should any cases arise in 

 which the heifers fail to prove in calf by this 

 method, and the breed is of such value as to 

 render the additional expense but of little im- 

 portance, send them away to the nearest com- 

 mon or moor for the following season, and let 

 them be regularly brought to a good bull. I 

 need scarcely say that any which prove to be 

 in calf should gradually receive better food. 



The difficulties which breeders have to con- 

 tend are not confined to the female side; it is 

 therefore important to glance at the other part 

 of the question. In rearing a bull the princi- 

 ples I have named apply with equal force, but 

 I am bound to say are 'not equally disregarded. 

 In fact, the generally-received impression is, 

 that the young bull should have every oppor- 

 tunity for arriving at a perfect growth. I shall 

 not therefore occupy valuable space by a re- 

 capitulation, but rather state that the same 

 liberal system of feeding is of even greater im- 



portance in the case of the blul than I have 

 represented to be fur the heifers. Many allow 

 young bulls to commence serving cows when 

 twelve months old, but it is not to be recom- 

 mended. I should rather advise delay until 

 twenty or twenty-four months old. Up to this 

 time every inducement should be given to the 

 system to attain a perfect development by a 

 careful course of management. Afterwards, 

 however, whilst used as a breeding animal, it 

 it desirable to keep the bull in good condition, 

 but not as fat as is usually done. It is true 

 that "fat hides faults," but the breeder need 

 not thus blind himself, and add to any ex- 

 isting deficiency in the animal a want of 

 vigour and energy which it is so important 

 the bull should possess. 



We may safely take it as a rule that, after a 

 bull has attained, a full development, our ob- 

 ject should be to keep him in active working 

 condition., rather than as a fat bullock. It is 

 altogether a false idea that a tendency to this 

 excessive fatness is given to the stock. My 

 own conviction is, that the same bull, in good 

 working condition, would throw a more healthy 

 calf than he would when excessively fat, and 

 with at least an equal disposition for fatting. 

 In addition to this we must overlook the large 

 number of failures and disappointments which 

 arise from fat bulls. There is loss activity 

 and less power without any compensating ad- 

 vantage; and therefore I suggest that the bull 

 should be allowed to becom'e well developed 

 before being used, and subsequently, whilst 

 being fed liberally, the food ought rather to 

 have a tendency to form muscle *than fat. 



We may now refer to some other causes 

 which render bulls unproductive of stock. 

 There may be a natural incapacity to produce 

 stock from malformation ; but this, although 

 existing in some instances, is not frequent' 

 Sometimes, however, an animal having pro- 

 duced calves loses the power of reproduction 

 either for a time or permanently; this is gene- 

 rally the result of disease. It may arise fi/om. 

 over- exertion, or premature use, but more fre- 

 quently from inflammatory action, induced by 

 contact with cows which have bee/i driven far, 

 or which have been running about violently. 

 Many choice bulls are thus injured from cows 

 being sent considerable distances. Cows which 

 have been driven from a distance should al- 

 ways remain in some loose-box as long as may- 

 be prudent, so as to cool down before being- 

 put to the bull. If, however, the bull has 

 caught this disease, he should be kept from 

 breeding for a time, and the parts regularly 

 fomented, and cooling medicine given. Mis- 

 chief .generally happens from the early symp- 

 toms being neglected, and thus the bull often 

 becomes worthless. 



Close relationship of blood is another cause 

 of unproductive bulls; and they are often con- 

 demned, as incapable for producing calves, 

 when an entire change of blood disproves their 



