THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 467, 22 May 1912, Page 6

THE RURAL WORLD.

FEEDING THE CALF

VIEW OF AN AMERICAN EXPERT

The following extract is taken from an address given by F. H. Scribner, Wisconsin, before tha eightenth annual meeting of the Washington State Dairymen's Association:— "Nature has provided something in the first milk that is very essential in getting the calf's digestive machinery started right and I think it should be permitted to have it. We usually leave the calf with the cow a couple vf days, until it is nicely straightened up; then comes the most important time in the life of the calf, when we take upon ourselves its feed and care; and here is where we want to exercise a lot of kindness and gentleness for if you are impatient and rough in your treatment wich them, they will distrust and fear you, and the chances are they never will forgec those first lessons and impressions. A cow never will do her best unless she has perfect confidence in you. "It is an old saying that you can catch more flies with molasses than with vinegar; so you :can do more by coaxing than driving. When teaching the calf to drink, ""don't push its head into the pail; wet your fingers In the milk and let it suck, and coax its head into the pail, and usually the second or third time it will drink of its own accord, "These are three essentials at this time—the quantity of milk, the temperature, and quality. Calves are injured more by not observing carefully these rules for the first few weeks of their lives than any other way. A fc this agu their little stomachs are not strong, and a little care exercised at this time often means the difference between an unprofitable and a profitable animal.

"The amount of feed at this time will depend largely on the calf and somewhat on the nature of the milk. This amount must be determined by the feeder, but this precaution is always advinahle better to begin carefully and work up to what they can handle, rather than to begin with a large amount and get them off their feet and then have to commence all over again. "The amount to be fed should not be determined by guesswork, but by actual weighing or measuring, for I find it so easy to overestimate. "No artificial heating of milk is so good as the natural animal heat, which is about 100 degrees, and try to retain this temperature as near as possible. The mother also furnishes the milk, in a sanitary condition, and we should try to follow her example in this respect, and see that the pails are kept in a cleanly condition."

THE DOG AND THE SHEEP. The dog is, without doubt, the most intelligent of all the domestic animals, and he shows a capacity for understanding what he is expected to do by his master, which is aatoniahing tu those who are not well acquainted with his ways. Those who have watched the sheep dog trials at ring and elsewhere arranged, it ia true, largely with a view of the spectacular, but including nothing which is not part of the work ordinarily carried out by the shepherd's four-rooted assistant in his task I —have noted with admiration how skilfully he will guide his charges through an intricate labyrinth or "puzzle arrangement" of hurdles, and bring them eventually to the desired spot, and this without any better guide than the signs of his master. On the farm the clog is invaluable and we should be the last to deprecate the services of the animal who is the constant companion of man and who has the knack of worming himself into the affection of his owner to an extent that is sometimes embarrassing. But it is well to point out that the dog, while an excellent servant if well trained, may, if badly trained, or not trained at all, which conies to the same thing, be not only a nuisance but a source of positive danger to the animals of the farm. And it is a common experience that on many a holding there is "too much dog," particularly among the sheep. Sheep are Very timid animals, provided with a very little in the way of defensive weapons, and when a dog is used to round them up they are often in a frenzy of excitement, and rush about in all directions, knocking against each other, and, in the case of in-lamb ewes, a vast amount of damage is done in what may be only a few minutes' pleasurable excitement to the canine animal. Far too often the dog accompanying his master or some member of the family, runs about the fields, and indulges in a litie scamper en his own account, and the mischief done in these journeys, may be incalculable. We remember an old farmer of experience declaring that he would never allow a strange dog near his in-lamb ewes, and that he restricted the use of even the shepherd's dog. And it is hardly necessary to state that the shepherd's animal, which is probably well known to the fluck, and is, in the majority of cases, trained for bis work, is much less harmful than the chancs and irrepressible dog who takes a delight in barking and yelping at the heels of the frightened sheep not biting them perhaps but putting them into a fever of excitement which in the special case referred to may result in a loss of many pounds to the owner of the flock. A demonstrative clog may give a serious f.ight to a child or even to an adult before his playfulness becomes manifest and naturally this is true in a greater degree where puch a timid animal as the sheep is concerned.

The dog found guilty of chasing sheep on its own account should be immeditely banished. Great losses have been reported from time to time to have been caused by the "driving" of ewes, who in their fr : t have ruhed hither and thither

each other have been smothered. A heavy ewe is particularly prone to accidents of this kind and has very little power to extricate herself when turned over in a ditch or stream; and whatever good points such a dog may have he is out of his place near a flock and should be removed from temptation." What may be merely sportiveness to him is death to the ewe. There are dogs of course who hunt sheep for the purpose of worrying them and sharp measures of expression are needed in their case. — Farmers' Gazette.