while, on the other hand,
the calving of those served at a year old will always be attended with
difficulty; the parts will often be injured and lacerated, and
mortification of the womb and the death of the animal may follow.

I need not tell my readers that the bull should not be allowed to go
with the breeding cows or heifers, as the almost universal practice now
is to keep them separate. The advantages of this must be manifest to
every one. The symptoms of coition are so well known, that I shall not
enlarge upon them; but if cows are confined to the house, there are
some shy animals that require the greatest attention to detect them,
while the majority are easily observed by their lowing and agitated
appearance. In the former case the animal will not blare, neither will
there be much difference in her general appearance; but her external
parts will be red, and a transparent liquor will be discharged from the
vagina. Let her be put out with another, which will prove her at once.
In some seasons, although the cows and heifers are in a breeding state,
it is, even with the best management, difficult to get them in calf.
This becomes a source of great annoyance and loss to the breeder. A cow
should never be allowed the bull sooner than five or six weeks after
calving; to do otherwise will prove a failure, and will be detrimental
to the animal. If a cow or heifer should miss to stand to the bull
before the end of May, and the weather get warm, it is difficult to get
them in calf; they may run on for months every two or three weeks. Many
a good breeding animal has been lost in this way, and gone to the
butcher, their owner having despaired of getting them in calf; whereas,
if he had had patience until September or October, when the cold
weather sets in, in all likelihood they would have been got in calf. I
had three cows out of four, that had run on the whole summer, got in
calf in one day. An early spring calf is preferable to a late one, and
most desirable; but my doctrine is, that a good calf never can come
wrong. It is trying to the breeder to see his fine cows running on, but
we must not despair; we must not lose a chance, for we will generally
catch them, and sometimes when we least expect it. When a cow assumes
the appearance of what we term a regular buller--when she is running
every day, or every second or third day, or when one or more retire
from the herd and assume the habits of the male--then, and not till
then