el,
made in the following manner, is strongly recommended. Put a handful or
two of oatmeal into some boiling water, and after it has thickened a
little, leave it to cool till it is lukewarm; mix with it two or three
pints of skim-milk, and give it to the calf to drink. At first it may be
necessary to make the calf drink by presenting the fingers to it; but it
will soon learn to drink of itself, and will grow much faster than by
any other method. According to the old custom, a calf intended to be
reared is allowed to suck for six or eight weeks; and if the cow give
only a moderate quantity of milk, the value of it will amount to the
price of the calf in half that time. By the method now recommended, only
a little oatmeal or ground barley is consumed, and a small quantity of
skim-milk. The calf is also more healthy and strong, and less subject to
disease. Small whisps of hay should be placed round them on cleft
sticks, to induce the calves to eat; and when they are weaned, they
should be turned into short sweet grass; for if hay and water only are
used, they are liable to swellings and the rot. The fatting of calves
being an object of great importance, a greater variety of food is now
provided for this purpose than formerly, and great improvements have
been made in this part of rural economy. Grains, potatoes, malt dust,
pollard, and turnips now constitute their common aliment. But in order
to make them fine and fat, they must be kept as clean as possible, with
fresh litter every day. Bleeding them twice before they are slaughtered,
improves the beauty and whiteness of the flesh, but it may be doubted
whether the meat is equally good and nutricious. If calves be taken with
the scouring, which often happens in a few days after being cast, make a
medicine of powdered chalk and wheat meal, wrought into a ball with some
gin; and it will afford relief. The shoote is another distemper to which
they are liable, and is attended with a violent cholic and the loathing
of food. The general remedy in this case is milk, well mulled with eggs;
or eggs and flour mixed with oil, melted butter, linseed or anniseed. To
prevent the sickness which commonly attends calves about Michaelmas
time, take newly-churned butter, without salt, and form it into a cup
the size of an egg; into this cup put three or four cloves of bruised
garlic, and fill it up with tar. Having put the cup down the calf's
throat, pour into its nostrils half a spoonful of th