The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-07-01
TERMS $3.50 PER ANNUM.
RAISE THE CALVES.


The present high prices of beef in all
the cattle markets of the country have
not been realized before in long se-
ries of years, and the fact that the mar
ket for cattle has continued to advance
I in the face of the decline in gold. from
week to week, goes to confirm the state
ment of the drovers, that the present high
rates have not been produced by any con.
cert of spectators, but by the actual fall
ing off in the supply of animals.
This fact ought to be suggestive to the
farmers of the country, as the facts in
connection with the wool and sheep mar
ket at this time last year; and should
prompt every farmer, whose farm is not
already stocked to its full capacity, to in.
cresae the number and quality of his
herds, by raising the hkeliest calves he
can obtain either from his own stock, or
from other sources of supply. We know
that many farmers who sell their milk
will hesitate to do this, and will declare
that "it will not pay;" and we should
agree with them, if there were no other
and better modes of raising them, than
the old method of permitting calves to
take the milk of COW through the best
Of the season.
Such system is both wasteful and
extravagant, and ought not to be pursued
upon milk farm, or any other; for there
is not the slightest difficulty in rearing
good calves by other and less expensive
means.
| Our method has been to take the calf
from its dam on the third or fourth day;
and learn it to drink from pail in the
usual way; that is by inserting finger
into the mouth of the calf, and holding
its lips below the surface of the liquid.
/ For the first day we feed new milk fresh
/ from the COW; after that we give skim-
med milk, of blood warmth, and N day
or two, as soon as the animal has acqur-
ed the habit of drinking readily, we make
/ a Cruel, composed of pint of linseed oil;
meal and two quarts of boiling water to
each calf We stir the whole thoroughly
together, and then add SKINNED milk
sufficient to reduces the temperature to
that of just drawn new milk, and let the
calf drink all be desires IF the mixture
is little unpalatable at first, and The an
Iimai refuses it, we are not alarmed, but
let it 90 over a single meal, and when the
next feeding time comes round, 1t is de-
lightful to see the avidity with which he
will imblbe this wholesome and nutr-
tlous food and no further trouble is ex-
perienced:
la connection with this mode of feed
| ing young calves, another simple fact is
to be borne in mird The instinct of the
calf prompts it to seek its food in a par
! ticula' place, viz, the udder of its dam
and il will not voluntarily put its mouth
to the ground in search 'of something to-
eat" But by suspending basket filed
with sweet hay or rouen, about fifteen
inches from the floor within the animals
reach, it will begin to partake of it at
the age Of two weeks, and will pro6tably
employ the intervening time between
meals in selecting and eating the choicest
portions.
BY this simple practice calves can be-
learned to ca: hay number of weeks
earlier than they would learn to eat anva
thing if placed upon the ground, or upon
level with the foor If pasturage is
ever so good and abundant, we would
never permit them to eat grass until they
have passed the sixth week Then turn
them out in a convenient enclosure near
home, and for few weeks continue the
oil meal Cruel once day. They will very
soon be able to supply all their wants,
and Go themselves and their owners il the
autumn equal credit with those which
have been more tenderly and expeusiveIy
brought up, by consuming (where the
milk is marketable commodity,) the
whole value of their carcasses in the frss
three months of their existence
We have tried the system fully. satis-
factorily, and always with the most com:
plete success. It is kind of work iu
which the children of the house can be
most pleasantly engaged, and with their
assistance, from three to half a dozen
young heifers or steers may be added to
the stock at an almost imperceptible
amount of expense and trouble. We.
therefore commend it to the attention of
our readers at this time, when for so
many reasons it is desirable to increase
the number of beef animals in order to-
meet the present aud future wants of tho
people, and at the same time put money
into the farmers purse. Haas. PlOw-
nun.