Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 203 
end of October, when they go in at night ; but they get no food 
except that afforded by the fields until after Martinmas, or even 
the end of November. About this time, or the beginning of 
December, the most forward of the feeding beasts go off, and the 
breeding cows take their places in the stalls ; but their food is 
still kept down, consisting merely of straw, and once a day a 
barrowful of turnips divided between three or four of them ; 
and, except in very bad weather, they still go out two or three 
hours every day. The only difficulty is to keep the breeding 
stock from becoming too fat. 
After calving, the feeding regulations are very much relaxed in 
favour of turnips, so that the cows may give enough milk for their 
calves, which remain with their mothers for several months. The 
older calves are weaned about the end of October, no matter how 
early they drop ; and the late calves remain with their dams 
throughout the winter. The latter lie behind their mothers at 
night; during the day, they get the run of the steading, and 
sometimes are given a turn in the yard ; they also get from 1 to 
2 lbs of oil-cake daily, with a little meal, the trough being 
placed in the stall behind the dam. By this method, Mr. 
M'Combie has made some of his best beasts from late calves ; 
it enables them always to retain a good coat and to withstand the 
cold and ungenial climate in spring. 
When the older calves are weaned, they are put into a straw- 
yard, and given as much as they can eat of straw and sliced 
turnips, with from 14 to 2 lbs. of oil-cake each per day. After 
the first winter, and when the young breeding stock are rising 
two and three years old, they are kept upon turnips and straw, 
without any allowance of cake. The calves are all carefully 
setoned, a good hold of the dewlap being considered necessary, as 
well as the renewal of any seton that may slip. These measures 
have been so effectual that not more than one case of black- 
leg has occurred amongst the high-bred stock at Tillyfour. 
Weaning-time, however, is not quite so simple a matter for 
the cows, as some will not allow themselves to be milked. 
In these cases, the practice is to let their calves suckle once 
a day at first, then once in two or three days, and thus, in 
the course of a fortnight, the cow gradually becomes dry ; but 
unless these precautions are taken, the cow may lose two or three 
of her teats, and be ever afterwards useless as a milker. The 
younger calves are treated in precisely the same manner. 
The calves are kept regularly growing on until the earliest grass 
IS ready for them, after which time it is considered that there is 
little or no further risk from quarter-ill or other diseases incidental 
to young stock. 
The after treatment of heifer calves is a matter which requires 
