Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-07-18
Essay on Rearing and Management of
CATTLE

cattle to be good and profitable feeders or
mixers should be mild in temper, and as
quietly disposed ss possible; and these quail
lues depend In measure upon the condition
OIL the parents at the time of impregnstion;
hence 1t Is better that the male be near at
hand, so that the two may be brought together
with as little excitement as pOssible-without
CHASING with horse or dog or being other
wise scared.
L would use good native cOws-as good as
could be had at reasonable prices and n good
bull ut all events, one of an improved breed
three or tour neighbors might club together
10 ge' sucn an one; and keep him at a central
point In their neighborhoOd. He should not
De allowed to run on the prairie, and should
not be used too much; which think is an
error common in breeding
Caives can generally be bought cheaply in
villages, and of dairymcn, who estimate milk
Mighty and when such is the case il is de- sir
aoIe and economical to raise two calves TO
each COW, which should be done by letting
them SUCK regularly, morning and evening
A little milk may also be taken from each of
the best cows for family use
Ine caves should have good pasture lot
and the COWS may run on the prairie: but the
calves should never be permitted to run with
the cows. For this there are many reasons
the COWS will feed better when not aunoved
by the calves, and the calves will form a babit
COWS to resort to at pleasure, which they will
DO eight or ten times day when they have
the privilege; and this would DESTROY the milk
ing qualities OF the COW, because the uIder
would not be developed, and would never
have the capacity to hold much milk.
when the calves suck twice a day only. the
cows udder is expanded as though she was
MIXED, and she may be used as a milch COW
only, any season when it NAV be desirable.
not only this, but the calf having formed bet
.er habits Of eating, can be weaned without
any serious loss of flesh. which is not the case
when calf has the whole milk Of a COW. or
has free access to her.
When the calves suck, the cows are sure 10
come nome regularly, which is quite an item
when they run on the prairie: and il il mnch
less trouble to let the calves suck, than to
milk the cows, TO say nothing of feeding the
calves, which is the practice with some. but
In that way could never raise a first rate
cali 10 prevent an undue proportion of head
and neck the male calves should be castrated
WnIe young; even before weaving, unless they
are wanted for oxen, in which case il is well
to let them 90 until a year old.
The weaving should be done gradually, let
ung the calves suck once day for few days
and then once In two days; milking the cows
at the time the calves don't suck: and now
feeding the calves and cows both sboul COM
mence, so as to keep the calves in good
Z
winter use OF market from the cows A good
meadow of clover, timothy and red top. from
which crop of hay was taken Just before
harvest, or timothy patch cut for seed only.
will now be serviceable in the absence of this
stubble field plOwed Immediately after har-
vest, and soWn with rye, will make good feed
The grain left in harvesting grows, and is
turned to good account, and the blowing and
pasturiug leaves the ground clean. and by
deep-p!owing is in admirable condition for a
crop Of corn the next spring.
When the land is not fenced so Is TO admit
OF pasturage, strip Of corn may lie sown lust
before harvest and fed daily when it is large
enough. Or turnips may be sown on stubble
ground. Plowed Immediately after harvest,
they will be first rate feed if they do we'll, but
Tor TINS our seasons are generally too dry:
pumpkins also are very good feed; but deem
cabbage the surest of all, and not at all un-
economical, particularly where land is scarce,
and labor plenty, tremendous quantity of
feed can be grown on an acre proporIy pre-
pared, and planted with cabbage
This feed must be grown adjoining the pas
ture, or all around ii, or between the lot for
calves and that for cows; otherwise the feed
ing would be too much work; have il so near
that the casting can all bo done with the
Wheel-barrow.
Continue to feed both COWS ind calves, at
milking time; and If they have not free access
TO water, give IL at noon every day-this feed
Ing should be attended TO more strictly, and
varied somewhat with the severity Of the
weather, from the first heavy frost, till the
commencement Of winter, and will apply TO
other stock, as well as cow and calves This
is tie time when our stock IS most neglected,
and consequently runs dOS in flesh most
rapidly; could all Of our stock be properly
cared for, during this part of the season, even
SO as not to lose flesh it would add hundreds
Of thousands annually to the wealth of llli-
uois.
When winter fairly commences dry fe.d
must be resOrted TO, but let the change be
somewhat gradual. Calves should be kept up
with access to good shed, and feed plenty Of
good hay, with corn meal and bran. Cows
and other cattle, should have good sheds also
with hay or acsess to a straw stack and corn
field, and in either case n little soft corn if it
Ia a soft corn season, and if not sound corn
may be fed, but il in large quantity, stock
hogs shOuld follow; they will do we'll on the
droppings of the cattle.
The feeding Of grain should be done in the
evening, and if watered but once day, do it
at noon On grain farms straw and corn stall 5
may form the greater part of the course food;
in fact young stock can be wintered on straw
alone; but this will prove Improbable, for the
animal can but barely live and not thrive;
but straw may be used largely if properly
taken care of; and in the absence of better
ing, let the Chaf Of the first settling secumu-
late near the tail of the machine, and stack
the straw Of the next setting on the top of it,
and 50 on to the end; in this way most of the
chat may be saved, and L think it is equally
as good, pound for pound, as the best hay.
And again, the comfort of the cattle may
be very much promoted by having plenty of
straw for bedding during cold weather; in fact
straw should never be burned merely to get it
out of the way; if it is blesched and spoiled
for feed, stack the grain near some land too
wet to cultivate, and when threshing haul the
straw on this wet land, and let it lay till after
the next harvest; and il it has been spread
evcnly and thckly, il may now be burned off
the prairie grass and weeds will be subdued,
snd cultivated grass may with little trouble
take its place.
If all the straw that is now burnei to mere
ly get it out Of the way, was burned for this
purpose, the capacity of the country to keep
stock would rapidly increase; and then straw
can be largely used for sheds, instead of let
ting the cattle on q cold day stand and shivsr
on the north side Of a wire fence, as heard
one man say was his practice. II is not so
much what we earn that makes US rich, but
what We save; hence, / urge turning to good
account whatever we find available, and let
IA to aafa and vuil