74§ Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [dec, 



being dear in the spring, and half-fat cows being in demand 

 for slaughter, heifers are put to the bull instead of being fed, 

 and more heifer calves are reared with a view to selling them 

 later as calving heifers should the price of milking cows be 

 maintained; otherwise they are fed. 



At present heifer calves are fetching good prices in many 

 districts, and when exposed in the markets are usually bought 

 by farmers for rearing as cows, rather than for fattening. At 

 the same time there is room for improvement in the general 

 practice. On milk farms especially, calf-rearing is frequently 

 entirely neglected as interfering with the main business — the 

 production of milk — and the calves are either killed soon after 

 birth or sold at a small price shortly afterwards. This is 

 obviously a very wasteful system, and an effort should at least 

 be made to rear the heifer calves of good cows. 



The Board have issued a leaflet (No. 142) on the subject of 

 Calf-Rearing, copies of which can be obtained on application. 

 This leaflet contains advice as to feeding with separated milk 

 and various cream substitutes, and also gives directions for 

 making calf meals or milk substitutes, to be used with a small 

 quantity of new milk. 



It is recognised that a difficulty arises on milk-selling and 

 cheese-making farms where separated milk is not available; 

 but as is shown in the leaflet referred to calves can be reared by 

 using a small proportion of new milk, and a carefully com- 

 pounded milk substitute. With several calves the quantity 

 of milk used becomes an appreciable item, and in such cases 

 it would often be worth while to separate some of the milk 

 and sell the cream, or convert it into cream cheese (see leaflet 

 No.- 179) in order to provide a supply of separated milk for the 

 calves. 



SUMMARY OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS* 



Miscellaneous Experiments. 



Rotation Experiments (Northumberland C.C. Educ. Com., Bull 14, 

 Guide to Experiments at Cockle Park for 1910). — In the Back House 

 Field rotation experiment the fourth rotation was begun in 1909 with 



* The summaries of agricultural experiments which have appeared in the present 

 volume have been as follows : — Cereals, April ; Cereals and Root Crops, May ; 

 Root Crop-,, June; Root Crops and Potatoes, July; Grass and Clover, August; 

 Cereals, September ; and Miscellaneous Experiments, October and November. The 

 Board would be glad to receive for inclusion copies of reports on inquiries, whether 

 carried out by agricultural colleges, societies, or private persons. 



