Report on the A(/riciiltnre of Sweden and Norway. 215 
sold to neighbouring farmers. The preceding tabular statement 
•of the quantity of food given to calves for the first twenty weeks 
after birth is instructive, both for the actual information it con- 
tains and as another illustration of the precision with which such 
matters are dealt with not only in Sweden but also generally 
throughout Northern Europe. I must confess, however, that 
although such returns excite my admiration as supplying precise 
xlata for statistical calculations, I am somewhat sceptical as to 
whether the method which they represent, supposing it to be 
rigorously followed in practice, enables the stock-breeder to obtain 
the best result from his animals — whether, in fact, the appetite 
and the assimilating power of every calf are exactly the same at 
the same age, on the principle that tubs or steam-boilers of the 
same dimensions must have the same capacity ! 
Cost of rearing Calves. — The almost universal practice in 
Sweden of killing, generally for home consumption, nine-tenths 
of the calves as soon as they are born, prompted me frequently 
to ask the reason. The answer invariably was, that " it did not 
pay to rear them." It was urged that the milk was wanted either 
for sale or for making into butter or cheese — commodities that 
are always marketable, and that could be sent long distances at 
an expense small in proportion to the value of the article, with 
little or no risk of loss from damage, detention, &c. In the 
north of Sweden, also, the long winter renders the winter fat- 
tening of cattle very costly, and there is thus little demand for 
young stock to be reared with that object ; but were it otherwise, 
the cost of transport would bear too large a proportion to the 
value of the animal, while, owing to the paucity of itinerant 
dealers, the risk of loss by deterioration of value, or by death, 
would be too great to make the venture sufficiently attractive. 
It must be admitted that there is a great deal of force in these 
arguments; and until the present movements in favour of im- 
proved breeds of cattle and improved means of communication 
have had more time for their development, no great difference 
in the methods of stock-farming at present pursued in Sweden 
and Norway can be expected. Another obstacle, in addition to 
those in course of removal, is the want of a certain demand 
for store stock at remunerative prices ; and this cannot be over- 
come until the common cattle of these countries have been exten- 
sively crossed with Shorthorn blood, or superseded by animals 
better adapted for feeding purposes. At the same time, it may 
also be remarked that, in districts which are in direct r^iilway 
'Communication with the larger towns and the principal ports, 
* One-fourth of a kanna, and so on. 
t One-fourth of a Swedish lb., and so on. 
