$4 
Raising Calves* 
and delivered a very sound and interesting ad¬ 
dress, which will soon appear from the press. 
Mr. Callan acted as Secretary. The principal 
business done was the appointment of two com¬ 
mittees—to report on the advisableness of a pub¬ 
lication in the service of the Society, and the 
expediency of instituting an annual cattle and 
agricultural exhibition in Washington. The 
Chair nominated on the first committee, Hon. 
H. L. Ellsworth, Rev. J. O. Ghoules of New- 
York, and Dr. Ives of New-Haven, Conn. 
They reported in favor of such a publication to 
be issued under the patronage of the Society, 
but to subject it to no expense. The other com¬ 
mittee recommended the call of a committee of 
gentlemen from the various States, to meet in 
Philadelphia, the second Tuesday in July, to 
determine upon the arrangements for a great 
National exhibition to take place in Washington. 
The delegates from New-York were Messrs. 
Nott, Prentiss, Rotch, Bergen, Johnston,Tucker, 
Choules and Wakeman—and Mr. Homer from 
New-Jersey. The Hon. Mr. Woodbury, Mr. 
Elisha Whittlesey, Mr. Warren of Georgia, 
and some other public men were present during 
the session. 
Mr. Garnet was re-chosen President. 
Very respectfully, G. P. T. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
RAISING- CALVES. 
Black-Rock, May, 1842. 
We have frequently heard the question moot¬ 
ed, What is the best manner of raising calves ? 
To this, several answers may be given, ac¬ 
cording to the use and purpose for which they 
are destined. But to make the subject familiar 
and illustrate it fully, we will answer seriatim. 
1st. For veal. Fatted calves, if the circum¬ 
stances of the farmer, and the price of the article 
will warrant, should be kept till five or six 
weeks old. From their birth they should draw 
all the milk fresh from the cow that they re¬ 
quire; or at any rate all she will yield, if it be 
not more than the calf will drink. To the 
milk, if not enough is yielded by the cow, a 
light boiled gruel of any sort of meal may be 
added, with a trifle of salt. This gives a fine 
flavor to the veal, and assists in the fattening. 
It is a very simple operation, and attended with 
little trouble. If the dam be a great milker, it 
may suck thrice a day. Many people give 
their veal calves only part of the milk when 
they require more. This practice may make 
veal after 'the fashion , but it will not be good 
veal. The best can only be made by giving 
the calf all it will eat. 
2d. For making fine blood stock, and acqui¬ 
ring early maturity. Let the calf have all the 
milk the cow yields, if he will take it. As 
soon as he will eat roots, meal, hay, or grass, 
let it be fed all it wants of these, or either of 
them. The animal will pay in price and ap¬ 
pearance for extra attention, and its early devel¬ 
opment will amply recompense the cost. No 
first rate animals can be produced without full 
and regular feed. In this practice, the calf may 
either run with the dam, or be enclosed by itself 
in a stable, pasture or yard. All such, how¬ 
ever, should be early broke into control by the 
halter, and made entirely manageable. They 
are, besides, least troublesome, reared in this 
method. 
3d. Those intended for store cattle, and for 
working oxen, beeves, and milch cows for com¬ 
mon purposes. 
For such uses, calves may be reared in dif¬ 
ferent ways. Milk is always the first and in¬ 
dispensable food for young animals, and of this 
the calf in its early days should not be deprived. 
It is absolutely necessary for its existence, how¬ 
ever, but a few weeks after birth. In those sec¬ 
tions of the country where cows are kept for 
the sole purpose of breeding and raising their 
progeny, and the dairy or milk forms no part 
of their profit, no better plan than to let them 
run with the calf, can be adopted, care being 
taken that the surplus milk, if any, be daily 
drawn from the udder, to keep it in a healthy 
condition. But where the milk is required for 
dairy purposes, the calf should, after the second 
day, be entirely taken from the cow, and learned 
to drink by the finger. This need only be com 
tinued for a day or two in most cases. After a 
fortnight, skimmed milk, or whey, or a light 
porridge, or gruel of boiled meal (raw meal at 
first is injurious to the calf, causing them to 
scour,) may be added according to circumstan¬ 
ces. The condition of the calf should be 
watched, and the food regulated, enriched, or 
reduced, as its appearance may require, and in 
a short time it will eat grass, meal, roots, or 
hay. The animal, however, requires continual 
attention, and a woman after all is the best nurse 
for a young calf. We have indeed often known 
fine stocks of calves raised with very little milk, 
the principal early food being hay tea, and the 
docile, petting care of the faithful nurse. Good 
nursing is almost every things for icithout it 
calves , with a scarcity of milk, will not thrive. 
Salt should be used freely and placed where 
they can get it when they like, and if at all in¬ 
clined to scour, a lump of chalk should be 
placed within their reach, or a small quantity 
pulverized with their food. Young stock, to 
be sure, raised in this way, will not so readily 
attain their growth to two years, as if raised at 
the foot of the cow; but, ultimately, will reach 
their full size and good qualities. Such need 
a little more care, and keep better the first win¬ 
ter than the latter, but after that, are equally 
1 hardy and thrifty. They require good shelter, 
