REARING CATTLE. 
413 
its milk, as it will then suck greedily at any thing it can get hold 
of. By repeating this a few times, and placing a few pieces in 
its trough, it will usually take to this food freely, and, whenever 
this is the case, it should have as much as it can eat, that its allow- 
ance of milk may be diminished, to meet the necessities of the 
younger calves that are coming in succession. It is always most 
advisable to avoid mixing any thing with their milk by way of help- 
ing the quantity. When a substitute must be resorted to, oatmeal 
porridge mixed with the new milk is perhaps the best. An egg 
stirred into each calf’s allowance is a good help ; but with this 
exception, it is best to give the milk warm and unadulterated, and 
along with this, dry farinaceous food, turnips, and hay. If more 
liquid is needed, a pail with water may be put within their reach : 
some breeders are of opinion that this should never be omitted, it 
being a preventive of the scours. The diet of the cows at this 
season is a matter of some consequence. Swedish turnips yield 
the richest milk; but it is too scanty, and calves fed on it are liable 
to inflammatory attacks. Globe turnips should, therefore, form 
their principal food during the spring months. Care must also be 
taken that they do not get too low in condition in the autumn and 
winter, and for this end it is well to put them dry at least three 
months before calving. The cows, w'hen dry, are kept at less 
expense, and, by this period of rest, their constitution is invigo- 
rated, greater justice done to the calf, and so much more milk ob- 
tained after calving, when it is really valuable. When the calves 
are from four to six weeks old, they are removed from their sepa- 
rate cribs to a house where several can be accommodated together, 
and have room to frisk about. So soon as the feeding yards are 
cleared of the fat cattle, the calves are put into the most sheltered 
one, where they have still more room, and are gradually prepared 
for being turned to grass, and, when this is done, they are still 
brought in at night for some time. At six weeks old, the mid-day 
allowance of milk is discontinued, and at about fourteen weeks 
they are weaned altogether. When this is done, their allowance 
of linseed cake is increased ; and, as they have been trained to its 
use, they readily eat enough to improve in condition at this crisis, 
instead of having their growth checked, and acquiring the large 
belly and unsightly appearance which used to be considered an 
unavoidable consequence of weaning. The cake is continued until 
they have so evidently taken with the grass as to be able to dis- 
pense with it. They are not allowed to be out very late in autumn, 
but as the nights begin to lengthen and get chilly, are brought in 
during the night, and receive a foddering. When put on turnips, 
the daily allowance of cake (say 1 lb. each) is resumed, and con- 
tinued steadily through the winter and spring, until they are again 
VOL. xx. . 3 i 
