422 
The Manage7ncnt of a Shortliorn Herd. 
122, so that the buildings can cover 13(3. The boxes have venti- 
lation at the top, and " day-doors " or gates to admit a plentiful 
supply of air during the warmer hours ; solid doors to close at 
night, if the weather should be cold enough to make the animals 
need that protection. In the case of the cows and bulk of the 
young stock, one side of the box is generally open to the weather. 
With the exception of the yearling heifers and young bulls, 
sorted in pairs, and the calves in what we may call the nursery, 
in threes, the animals, although together as regards the food — 
their boxes adjoining and the truck-line passing down the 
middle of the buildings — are separate as regards each other ; so 
that when one is removed no excitement is caused among the 
rest. The boxes are numbered, and the lines of boxes are dis- 
tinguished by alphabetical letters, for ready reference to the 
whereabouts of any particular animal. The first calving cow 
of the season is put in box No. 1, the second in No. 2, and so 
forth. The steading has a Turkish bath, very successfully used 
for any animals that happen to take cold. Concrete cisterns 
contain a plentiful supply of water. Besides the boxes for the 
Shorthorns, stable room for seven horses is provided. 
Tlie herd at the time of my visit, in the middle of June, 
consisted of 116 pedigree Shorthorns of both sexes and all ages, 
and, as no special causes of extra increase or diminution existed, 
this may be taken as about the usual number for the time of year. 
The service of the cows begins in February, and no cow sees the 
bull after October. Most of the calves are born in December, 
or early in January ; so that the period between January and 
the spring sale, about the end of March, would be the time 
when its number is strongest. The 116 may be divided thus : 
females, exclusive of sucking calves, 79 ; heifer-calves, 10 ; 
bull-calves, 24 ; and stock bulls, 3. Usually from 40 to 50 
of the cows and heifers calve within the year. The calves are 
suckled, and all run out with the cows as soon as they are turned 
out to grass, the heifer-calves, until weaned, remaining with 
them. The weaning of the heifers takes place when the cows 
are taken indoors in the autumn ; but this additional rule is 
also observed — that no calf is ever allowed to be with the cow 
after she is six months in-calf. The bull-calves are brought in 
as soon as they begin to be troublesome in the field, and are put, 
in pairs, into their boxes. Much stress is laid upon this system 
of pairing them, and keeping the same two always together until 
the sale. The dams are brought in to suckle them twice a-day 
until the weaning-time. The bulls get other food as soon as 
they are brought in ; the heifers not until taken indoors in 
the autumn, and very little then. The food of both is pulped 
turnips, plain hay and a mixture of linsecd-cake, decorticated 
