Rearing of Calces. 
137 
display of any amount of taste or expense in fittin<i^ up, but we 
have named the cheapest plan which we have found fairly to 
answer the purpose. The hurdles have this advantajje, that they 
are easily removcable, for getting the floors flushed and the walls 
cleaned and whitewashed. A small beam, 4 inches X 3 inches, 
runs along the wall at a height of 2i feet from the floor, and into 
this the staples are driven, through which the halter-ropes are 
allowed to play. The small hods, or troughs, holding about 
\^ gallon each, are likewise fixed immediately under it. At the 
height of 3^ feet is the hayrack ; one of the common iron semi- 
circular fashion is probably the cleanest and best, one answering 
for each pair of calves. 
So mucli for the calf-house. But there is yet another point 
Worthy of attention before coining to deal with the young animal 
itself. The health and condition of the cow before calving 
greatly influence subsequent results. A late-milked, lean, 
raking, ill-cared-for beast has oftentimes an easier parturition 
than those that are better furnished in these respects. But her 
after milking has a tale to tell of neglect somewhere ; and the 
scraggv, " set" condition of the calf throughout its after course, 
often arises more fiom this cause than from any other. Hence, 
we would say, dry the cow fair time before calving, and see that 
she has something better than barley-straw to live on, else the calf 
and its owner will assuredly lose by it. But what is regarded as 
a fair amount of time for being dry ? If a cow brings her first 
calf when from two to three years old — which the majority pro- 
bably do, though all will admit that it is too early — we should 
not care to milk her more than five or six months after calving. 
By this means she will grow and increase in size and value 
before her second calf. But a cow from the fourth to the eighth 
year, if in good condition, need not be dry more than six weeks 
or two months before calving ; i.e. if fed with a thoroughly 
liberal hand throughout the year. If more sparingly fed, or if 
the cow exceeds the latter age, then we should prefer her being 
dry three months before calving. But, of course, there are 
exceptions to be met with, which cannot come under any general 
rule, such as the case of those animals whose flow of milk is so 
strong as to continue almost up to the time when the new lacteal 
secretion commences. It saves occasional trouble and annoy- 
ance, and is more satisfactory in every way, to have a clearly 
made out list of the dates of calving and other particulars hung 
up in the cowhouse, and accessible to the cowman as well as 
to the owner. The following form will meet the majority of 
cases : — 
