604 
June  5,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  rise  in  the  price  of  beef  has  had  its  natural  effect 
on  the  value  of  store  cattle,  which  are  now  very  difiicult  to 
obtain  at  any  price.  There  is  a  speculative  spirit  abroad. 
Those  who  have  few  cattle  are  -arixious  to  buy,  whilst  those 
who  have  many  are  loth  to  sell  at  a  price  which  leaves  any 
prospect  of  profit  to  the  buyer.  There  is  the  same  boom 
in  the  young  calf  trade  that  there  is  in  the  bullock  market, 
and  farmers  are  preparing  to  rear  calves  extensively. 
A  reference  to  statistics  shows  that  this  is  not  the  first 
time  that  farmers  have  set  about  increasing  their  herds, 
for  between  1868  and  1892  the  number  of  cattle  in  Great 
Britain  increased  from  5,423,981  to  6,944,783.  The  nuiuber 
in  1882  was  5,807,491,  and  in  1887  6,441,783.  The  increase 
was  steady  and  continuous,  but  appeared  to  gain  in  force 
after  1882,  which  would  seem  to  show  that  it  had  its  origin 
to  a  great  extent  in  the  widespread  laying  down  of  arable 
land  to  grass  which  occurred  about  that  time.  Some  of 
that  increase  might  be  put  down  to  a  decrease  in  the 
number  of  sheep  during  those  periods  ;  but  both  would  be 
really  affected  by  the  same  cause,  the  increased  acreage  of 
grass,  for  the  latter  is  distinctly  favourable  to  cattle  raising, 
whilst  arable  land  and  rotation  cropping  favour  sheep. 
Before  farmers  rush  to  extremes  in  buying  up  and  rearing 
calves,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  it  would  be  well  for  them 
to  ask  themselves  what  they  are  going  to  do  with  all  these 
animals  in  two  years’  time.  Will  they  feed  them,  or  find 
customers  wdio  will  do  so?  What  are  the  prospects  for 
beasts  being  dear  two  years  hence  ?  We  are  likely  to  see 
grain  all  round  dearer  in  the  imnrediate  future,  and  that 
will  tend  to  increase  arable  cultivation,  and,  consequently, 
sheep  breeding.  There  is  only  one  thing — dear  beef  for  at 
least  three  years — which  can  at  all  justifj'^  reckless  rearing 
of  second  and  third-class  calves.  The  best  are  nearly  all 
reared  by  their  breeders. 
The  statistics  for  1897  show  that  since  1892  cattle  had 
decreased  in  number  to  6,500,497,  or  by  nearly  half  a  million, 
and  from  this  we  may  fairly  infer  that  seven  millions  were 
more  cattle  than  Great  Britain  could  profitably  maintain  ; 
and,  just  as  water  finds  its  level,  so  over-rearing  had  brought 
about  the  inevitable  reaction.  We  see  these  ups  and  downs 
frequently  irr  connection  with  pigs,  but  the  sow  breeds 
twice  as  quickly  as  the  cow,  and  is  also  immeasurably 
more  prolific,  so  that  there  can  be  no  fair  comparison. 
There  is  no  reason,  however,  why  cattle  raisers  should  not 
act  on  the  same  principle  as  many  shrewd  pig  breeders,  and 
rear  calves  when  they  are  cheap.  As  a  rule,  although  there 
has  lately  been  a  notable  exception,  cheap  sows  produce 
dea,r  porkers,  and  the  same  might  very  w'ell  apply  to  cattle. 
We  have  always  contended  that  .calf  rearing 'consistently 
carried  on  is  a  profitable  business,  but  we  should  lay  great 
stress  on  consistency,  and  not  allow  fluctuations  in  the 
beef  market  to  disturb  the  even  tenor  of  our  practice. 
As  this  is  the  time  of  year  when  milk  is  most  plentiful 
and  cheap,  it  is  the  best  time  for  calf  rearing.  There  is 
little  need  to  resort  to  the  use  of  milk  substitutes.  There 
is  nothing  like  the  real  mother’s  milk,  and  especially  if  the 
calf  draws  it  direct  from  the  cow.  The  natural  and,  we 
think,  the  best  way  is' to  let  the  calves  suck,  but  care 
must  be  taken  against  gluttony.  Excess  of  milk  is 
responsible  for  a  great  part  of  the  mortality  amongst  calves, 
and  as  there  is  rarely  much  difficulty  in  inducing  cows  to 
act  as  foster-mothers,  most  of  them  adopting  readily  as 
many  as  we  require  them  to  do.  the  healthy,  by  which  is 
meant  the  moderate  allowance  of  milk,  is  easily  arranged. 
We  have  had  deep  milking  heifers  which,  being  awkward 
customers  to  milk,  were  allotted  to  calf  rearing.  Having 
milk  enough  for  two  calves,  these  heifers,  if  restricted  to 
one,  either  killed  it  with  indigestion  or  made  veal  of  it. 
But  we  want  to  rear  calves,  not  let  them  die,  even  at  the 
hands  of  the  butcher ;  therefore  we  give  the  heifer  two 
calves,  feed  her  well,  and  we  rear  two  thrifty  animals.  ’The 
heifers  must  have  fully  adopted  the'  youngsters  before  they 
are  allowed  to  go  out  to  grass  with  her.  Until  that  time 
they  must  be  kept  in  the  shed,  and  she  must  be  brought  in 
to  suckle  them  twice  a  day  at  strictly  regular  hours,  and  as 
near  a  twelve  hours’  interval  as  possible.  The  sooner,  how¬ 
ever,  that  they  can  be  allowed  to  run  out  with  her  the  better. 
When  the  calves  are  three  months  old  they  may  be 
Aveaned,  and  neAvly-born  ones  given  to  the  cows  in  their 
place.  But  there  are  disadvantages  about  this.  If  the 
AA’eaned  calves  are  not  to  lose  ground  they  must  have  a  little 
skim  milk  in  a  bucket  at  least  once  a  day,  and  this  should 
be  gradually  reduced  in  quantity.  They  will  do  \vell  on 
cloA'er  amongst  sheep  if  the  field  be  near  home  to  alloAv  of 
constant  attention.  They  must  have  a  feed  of  linseed  gruel 
after  the  skim  milk  is  Avithdrawn,  if  not  before  ;  and  they 
must  have  2lb  per  day  of  crushed  oats  and  bran  mixed  from 
the  time  they  are  Aveaned.  All  this  food  and  attention 
AYpuld  not  be  needed  if  they  Avere  left  Avith  the  cows,  so 
it  is  plain  the  extra  calves  are  not  reared  for  nothing. 
We  had  a  cow  which  regularly  reared  eight  calves  in  a 
season — tAvo  threes  and  a  two.  She  Avas  a  temble  kicker, 
but  Avould  alloAv  any  calf  to  suck,  and  Avas  most  useful  as 
a  foster-mother.  Sometimes  coavs  are  not  due  to  calve  until 
autumn,  having  already  been  in  milk  a  long  time,  and  giving 
but  a  small  quantity.  It  is  hardly  Avorth  the  trouble  to 
milk  such  a  one,  but  she  will  rear  a  calf  out  at  grass,  and 
thus  pay  for  her  keep.  Scour  is  practically  the  only  enemy 
calves  have.  As  a  rule  it  is  caused  by  indigestion  from 
over-feeding,  but  sometimes  from  a  chill.  A  dose  or  two  of 
castor  oil  is  the  best  remedy  ;  but  if  it  is  not  taken  in 
time,  and  the  scour  is  severe,  a  tablespoonful  or  two  of  the 
ordinary  cholera  mixture,  given  tAvo  or  three  times  a  day 
in  gruel,  is  the  best  medicine  to  give.  A  fresh  egg  occa¬ 
sionally  is  also  a  good  thing.  It  can  be  broken  in  the 
mouth  and  SAA^allowed,  shell  and  all  together.  When  giving 
the  cholera  mixture  Ave  should  continue  the  course  of 
castor  oil. 
As  cattle  groAV  older  there  is  another  disease  to  guard 
against,  and  that  is  blackleg.  It  is  caused  by  the  animal 
thriving  too  rapidly.  On  some  pastures  young  cattle  are 
very  liable  to  blackleg.  Such  pastures  should  not  be  stocked 
Avith  any  cattle  under  two  years  of  age,  the  grass  being  too 
strong  for  younger  ones.  Young  cattle  in  boxes  or  close 
yards  are  also  liable  to  this  complaint  in  February  and 
March  if  they  are  highly  fed  and  kept  too  closely  confined. 
As  the  days  lengthen,  and  the  sun  gains  in  poAver,  food  must 
be  reduced  a  little,  and  ventilation  attended  to.  Flour  of 
sulphur,  given  once  a  Aveek  in  the  food,  Avould  also  reduce 
the  danger  to  a  minimum. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
The  Avished-for  change  to  AA'armer  conditions  has  been  realised, 
and  the  AA’eather  is  now  favourable  both  to  the  growth  of  vegeta¬ 
tion  and  the  carrying  on  of  farm  Avork.  Briglit  sunshine,  almost 
uninterrupted  by  shoAvers,  lias  Avarmed  the  land  to  a  seasonable 
point,  and  the  effect  on  all  crops  is  great.  Wheat  is  greatly 
improved,  and  even  the  thin  pieces  may  possibly  make  fair  crops. 
Barley,  Avhich  had  been  more  affected  by  the  cold  Avinds  and 
frosts  than  Ave  thought,  is  noAV  groAving  Avell,  and  promises  to  be 
the  crop  of  the  season.  Another  nice  rain  AAOuld  do  it  good. 
Oats  also  look  aa'cII — better  than  for  some  years. 
With  the  return  of  AA'arm  Aveather  Ave  can  get  on  Avith  SAvede 
and  Turnip  drilling.  There  is  a  splendid  mould,  neither  too  AA’et 
nor  too  dry,  and  Ave  expect  to  see  the  seed  up  vmry  quickly. 
YelloAA’-fleshed  Turnips  have  done  so  much  better  than  SAA-edes 
last  season,  that  on  chalky  and  other  cool  .soils  Avhich  are  .suitable 
for  them  they  threaten  to  almo.st  displace  Sivedes.  They  are 
A'ery  useful  for  sheep  feeding,  but  do  not  take  the  place  of 
SAvede,s  for  cattle,  and  Ave  think  the  latter  Avorth  trying  again. 
If  there  should  be  a  failure,  Avhich  seems  very  unlikely,  there 
Avould  be  time  to  redrill  the  ground  Avith  Achilles  Hybrid  before 
haiwest.  This  AAas  done  Avitli  much  .success,  to  our  knoAvledge, 
last  year. 
The  Scotch  Up-to-Date  seed  is  beating  all  the  neAv  kinds,  as 
Ave  rather  expected  it  Avould.  Xoav  varieties  often  get  more 
credit  the  first  season  than  they  deserve.  Farmers  do  not  alloAv 
for  the  influence  of  the  cliange  of  soil  Avhen  comparing  their  ucaa' 
highly  puffed  kinds  Avith  the  older,  but’  perhaps  really  more 
reliable,  ones. 
Beef  keeps  scarce  and  A-erjydear.  as  also  store  cattle;  but  the 
sheep  markets  are  very  full,  and  there  is  a  decided  slump.  At 
a  local  market  good  killable  lambs,  AA’liich  Avere  expected  to  make 
40.S.  or  thereabouts,  AA'ere  bought  in  by  their  oAvners  in 
preference  to  letting  them  go  at  23.s.  and  24s.  There  Avere  prac¬ 
tically  no  cu.stomers  for  the  OA'er-large  .supply.  We  suppose  the 
inajcrit.y  of  farmers  Avill  prefer  to  ^ell  their  sheep  because  they 
are  cheap  and  keep  their  beasts  because  they  are  dear.  That  is 
generally  the  kind  cf  course  they  pursue. 
