Calf, in zoology, the young of a cow. On account of its great utility, the means of rearing, feeding and improving' this animal, have from its earliest existence. ercised all the ingenuity of mankind. There are two methods of feeding calves : the first is, to let them run about with their dam the whole of the first year; a plan which is generally acknowledged to be productive, of the best cattle, and is pursued in countres where fodder is cheap. The other mode is, to take them from the dam when about a fortnight old, from which period they are "brought up by hand."

Various plans have, with considerable success, been tried and recommended for the rearing of calves, with a small allowance of milk, and in some cases without any. In several counties of England, calves, on being taken from the cows, are taught to drink lukewarm flet, or skimmed milk ; it being dangerous to give it them too hot. The time selected for this

Purpose, is from the latter end of January to the beginning of May, about twelve weeks after which, for nearly a month, they are fed with milk diluted with water. Small wisps of hay are then placed round them on cleft sticks, in order to induce them to eat. About the latter end of May, they are turned out to grass, being only taken in a few times at first, during the night, when they have, milk and water given them; which is also continued, though in less proportion, during the last month, till they are able to feed themselves, and consequently disregard it. Care is also taken to wean them with short and sweet grass ; for, if hay and water be used, they become liable to swellings and the rot.

In other parts of England, a composition called linseed-milk is found to be of considerable utility for this purpose. The principal ingredients of which are, a small quantity of linseed-oil-cake finely pulverized, which may be increas-ed as occasion may require, in proportion as the calf becomes accustomed to it, and gradually mixed with some skimmed milk, sweetened with treacle. This must be made nearly as warm as new milk, when first taken from the cow. An infusion of hay, called indiscriminately hay-tea, or hay-water, mixed with linseed, and boiled down to the consistence of a jelly, has likewise been tried with success ; as also a species of water-gruel, consisting of nearly one-third barley, and the remainder of oats, ground very fine. A similar composition is used in the county of Cornwall; the only difference being the addition of scalded or skimmed milk. These are some of the principal modes adopted for the rearing and weaning of calves; from which, in general, the rest differ but little.

The fattening of calves, from the esteem in which their flesh is held, is an object of importance, especially in the vicinity of London, where the lands are not so profitable for breeding cattle, as in other parts of the country ; and the methods used for that purpose are as various as those for rearing them. Since the improvements which have taken place in rural economy, calves have a much greater variety of food than before. Grains, potatoes, malt-dust, pollard, and turnips, together with sweet hay, now constitute their common aliment. But, in order to make them fine and fat, the best and most eficacious way is, to keep them as clean as possible, by elevating the coops in such a manner that the sun may not have great power over them, and to* such a height above the level of the ground, that their urine may pass off; by giving them fresh litter every day, and suspending over the coop a large chalk-stone, so that they can easily lick it. Besides this, it is usual to bleed them when they are about a month old, and again just before they are slaughtered ; which practice contri-butes in a considerable decree to the beauty and whiteness of the flesh, and is therefore more frequently repeated by some persons; but this is not altogether necessary; twice bleeding being fully sufficient for that purpose, in the opinion of the most experienced breeders. It is, however, to be observed, that those calves which are intended for bulls, or to be gelt for oxen, should be selected as soon as possible ; as for the latter operation they should not be older than twenty days.

Distempers. From the first day of their birth, calves are subject to various distempers, which require great attention. The earliest is that generally called the scouring, for which an ingenious correspondent in the Annals of Agriculture (vol. xix. p. 43/) prescribes a mix-ture of powdered chalk and wheat-meal wrought into a ball with gin, as a medicine that may be given with safety. They are also liable to be hoven, in which case the thrusting of a penknife through that part of the swelling which rises highest near the hip-bone, and in-troducing a large quill into the orifice, have been attended with suc cess in relieving them. The shoote is another distemper which is particularly fatal to calves, and attacks them a few days after their birth.

The symptoms generally are, l. A colic more or less violent, which is often very severe and dangerous, especially when it is infectious.— This antecedent colic is terminated, and the animal relieved, by a discharge taking place from the bowels ; but this is sometimes fatal before the shoote appears. 2. A loathing, and refusing of food, even previous to the evacuation, which increases and decreases in proportion to the violence and du-duration of the distemper. In this disorder, the cheapest, and perhaps the best medicine which has generally been administered by several experienced breeders, is milk well mulled with eggs; or eggs and flour properly mixed with oil, melt-melted butter, and mucilaginous roots, or seeds, such as linseed, aniseed, etc. But the most fatal of the various diseases to which calves are subject, is that denominated in Herefordshire, the gut-tie, where it most commonly prevails; the symptoms of which are, a total stoppage in the bowels., except a copious discharge of blood and mucus, accompanied by a violent fever, that occasions the affected animal to kick at its belly, lie down, and groan. This is the effect, of an erroneous method of castration, which causes a stoppage in the bowels, and brings on mortification, and which in a few days proves fatal. The only safe mode of cure is, to make a perpendicular incision four inches under the third vertebra of the loins over the paunch, or stomach, and introduce the arm to find the part affected, the beast being kept, if possible, in an erect position, by the help of proper assistants. In order to remove the stoppage in the stomach occasioned by the tie, and to carry off the fever, four ounces of Glauber's salts, two ounces of cream of tartar, and one ounce of senna, infused in two pints of boiling water, are given, to which are added halt a pound of olive oil : the whole of this is worked off with gruel in which mallows and alder-bark have been infused. In order to avoid any farther detail of this and the preceding distempers, we must refer our readers to the third volume of Mr. Young's Annals of Agriculture, p. 200—210'; and to the second volume, p. 98—104, of the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures,