,illustration3 ,,the ,,famous ,,jersey ,,cow 8,,eurotas0 7#b4ded74 7,frontispiece47 ,,keeping ,,one ,,cow4 ,,being ,,the ,,experience ,,of ,a ,,number ,,of ,,practical ,,writers1 ,,in ,a ,,clear ,,and ,,condensed ,,form1 ,,upon ,,the ,,management ,,of ,a ,,single ,,milch ,,cow4 ,,illustrated4 ,illustration ,,new ,,york3 ,,orange ,,judd ,,company1 #gea ,,broadway4 #ahhd4 ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahhj1 by the ,,orange ,,judd ,,company1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,absorbents in the ,stable1 #ad1 #ag1 #ai1 #bf1 #ee1 #ge1 #hj1 #id1 #ii1 #abg ,accounts1 ,dr4 and ,cr41 #aa1 #ca1 #ch1 #de1 #aaa1 #aac1 #aca ,ailments1 #bh1 #hi1 #aae ,alfalfa ,clover1 #ig ,cut six times1 #ih ,artichokes1 ,jerusalem1 #fd-gg ,feeding1 #fi1 #ge ,nutritive ,value of1 #ge1 #gf ,barley as an ,autumn ,crop1 #ajg ,barn--,see ,stable ,barre ,system of ,feeding1 #aje ,butter1 #ad ,buying ,feed1 #gh1 #ic ,brewer's ,grains1 #i1 #aji1 #acj ,calf1 ,care and ,disposal of the1 #ab1 #ba1 #bg1 #bh1 #eg1 #fb1 #ga1 #hi1 #aai ,rations for1 #ba1 #bh ,scours in1 #bh ,teaching to ,drink1 #ab1 #bb1 #bh ,clover1 ,white and ,red1 compared1 #ajd ,corn 7,indian7 for ,fodder1 #ab1 #ag1 #bj1 #be1 #bi1 #ca1 #dd1 #fj ,compost ,heap1 #ai1 #ha ,cow1 ,care at ,calving ,time1 #ba1 #bg1 #da1 #ej1 #gb1 #hc1 #hg1 #aad ,carding1 #cg1 #ef1 #hd ,drying ,off1 #ad1 #cg1 #hg ,fat at ,calving1 #aaj1 #aad ,general ,treatment1 #i1 #ag1 #cj1 #cg1 #ej1 #if1 #ih1 #aai ,how to ,select a1 #hj ,kept in the ,north1 #i ,kept in ,new ,york1 #gh1 #ii1 #abc ,kept in the ,south1 #be ,kept in the ,eastern ,states1 #ce1 #ib1 #ajc1 #aaj ,kept in the ,town1 #ajh1 #acj ,kept in ,ohio1 #ec ,kept in ,pennsylvania1 #af1 #fd ,kept in ,indiana1 #aai ,kept on ,cape ,cod1 #ib ,kept in ,california1 #ig ,kept in ,connecticut1 #aaj ,points of a ,good1 #i ,rations for1 #bi1 #cj1 #cg1 #dc ,stabled in ,town1 #ajh ,yield of ,milk1 #ae1 #db1 #eg1 #gb1 #aad1 #acb ,cow ,doctors1 #hi ,diseases--,see ,ailments ,draining ,land1 #abe ,drouth1 ,effects of1 on ,milk1 #ci ,dry ,fodder for ,winter1 #hg1 #ajh ,dung ,heap1 the1 #abe ,ellsworth's1 ,system of ,feeding1 #aje ,exercise1 ,need of1 #ha1 #aji ,fastening for the ,stable1 #fc ,feeding1 ,system of1 #ah1 #bg1 #bi1 #cg1 #dc1 #hc1 #ajc ,fertilizers1 ,commercial1 #dg1 #ei1 #aag1 #aah ,food1 ,am't ,required for a ,year1 #aj1 #fd ,daily1 #ajf ,garget 7,inflamed ,udder71 #hi1 #aae ,grasses1 ,mixed1 as ,soiling ,crops1 #ajc ,grass ,seed ,mixtures1 #ajc ,ground ,feed1 ,bran1 #cg1 #hg ,cotton-seed ,oil ,cake ,meal1 #bi1 #dd1 #hg ,corn ,meal1 #cg1 #eg1 #ei ,ground ,feed1 ,oats and ,peas1 #aj ,hay1 #cj1 #hb1 #ajj ,hay ,tea1 #bh ,hungarian ,grass1 #ajh ,land1 ,area ,required1 #i1 #aa1 #af1 #bb1 #dg1 #fd-fe1 #gh1 #hb1 #ic1 #ii1 #ajf1 #aag-aah1 #abe ,land1 ,none ,absolutely ,required1 #acj ,sloping to the ,south and ,east1 #abe ,leaves as ,bedding1 #ah1 #id ,litter for ,bedding1 #ah1 #ee1 #hj ,manure1 #aa1 #ajj1 #abe ,care of1 #ai1 #bf1 #fb1 #gd1 #hj1 #abf ,liquid1 #abh ,supply ,increased by ,soiling1 #ch ,milk ,flavored by ,turnips1 #ad ,weeds1 #ajc ,in the ,family1 #aa1 #ad1 #eh1 #ij1 #acj ,milking1 #ac1 #fb1 #hc ,three ,times a ,day1 #gb1 #ajb1 #ajd ,prior to ,calving1 #bg1 #da1 #aae ,milk-,pail1 #ej ,muck1 ,value as an ,absorbent1 #hj ,parturition1 #ej1 #gb1 #hg ,pasturing1 #ci1 #hb ,peas1 ,canada ,field1 #ib ,cow1 #cj ,pea-,vine ,hay1 #cj ,pearl ,millet1 #ba1 #ca1 #aaf ,pigs to ,work ,over ,manure1 #id1 #abg to ,consume ,sour ,milk1 #eh1 #gi1 #ij ,profits of ,keeping ,one ,cow1 #aa1 #ce1 #de1 #eh1 #ij1 #aae1 #acj ,rotation1 #fe-ff1 #hc1 #ia ,roots1 ,culture of1 #ai1 #da1 #ih1 #ajg ,cutting ,up1 #ah ,storing in ,pits1 #ab1 #bj1 #cg1 #ie1 #ajh ,storing in ,barrels1 #ie ,root ,crops1 ,artichokes1 #fd1 #gj1 #ge ,carrots1 #bj1 #dc ,mangels1 #ab ,parsnips1 #cg ,sugar-,beets1 #af1 #ai1 #fj ,turnips1 #db1 #ic ,root ,cellar1 #abh ,salting1 #abb ,sea-,weed as an ,absorbent1 #id ,shade in the ,yard1 #ha ,soiling ,crops1 #ba1 #be1 #ib ,alfalfa1 #ig ,artichokes1 #fd ,cabbages1 #cb1 #id ,canada ,peas1 #ib ,cow ,peas1 #cj ,golden ,millet1 #be1 #ca ,hungarian ,grass1 #ib1 #ajh ,minnesota ,corn1 #ib ,mixed ,grasses1 #ajc ,oats and ,peas1 #ib ,peas1 #aa ,rye1 #bj1 #ajh ,stables1 ,plans1 etc41 #aj1 #ag1 #be1 #dh1 #di1 #gb-gc1 #gh-gi1 #id1 #aba1 #abf-abg-abh ,stable ,requisites1 #aa1 #fc ,stable-,tie1 #fc ,tethering1 #aaf1 #aai ,tank for ,liquid ,manure1 #abh ,udder1 ,inflammation of1 #hi1 #aae ,vermin1 #cf ,water1 #aj1 #bf1 #dd1 #hd1 #ajc ,weeds ,flavoring ,milk1 #ajc ,,publishers' ,,announcement4 ,we have now1 according to the last census1 a population pressing close upon fifty ,millions4 ,every one of this vast number is individually interested in the milk question4 ,what is true of perhaps no other element of food and nourishment1 milk is consumed in some form by all1 old and young4 ,it is because of this necessarily universal personal interest in milk that the publishers offer this volume which aims to show all how to obtain the best milk1 plenty of it1 and at the cheapest rates4 ,the book embraces the experience and advice of able1 well known writers--such1 for example1 as ,professor ,slade1 of ,harvard ,college1 and ,henry ,e4 ,alvord--elicited in response to propositions presented by the ,publishers for articles upon the subject4 ,the editorial supervision of the work has been in the hands of ,col4 ,mason ,c4 ,weld and ,professor ,manly ,miles--recognized authorities on ,dairy ,matters--who would have included many other valuable and interesting papers submitted1 were it not that they would have made the volume too bulky4 ,mr4 ,orange ,judd has added a leaf from his personal experience4 ,the topics treated are only those legitimately connected with the subject1 yet they cover a wide field1 and will prove of great interest to all occupied in the culture of the soil1 while as a handbook and guide to those who keep one or more family cows it must be of almost daily practical use4 ,the prominent subjects1 such as soiling1 stabling1 care of manure1 the tillage of the soil1 the cultivation of various crops1 care of the cow and of the calf1 are each treated in detail1 and yet there is so great a variety and such genuine personal experience and sincere conviction on the part of each writer1 that his or her way is the best way--as indeed it may be1 under the circumstances--that there is little or nothing of sameness or repetition in the book1 but the reader's interest is sustained to the last4 ,,introduction4 ,every farmer is ordinarily supposed to keep several cows1 and there is no reason why most families in villages and very many in cities should not possess at least one4 ,good milk affords the best of nourishment for young children1 and goes a long way in saving butchers' bills1 and in the preparation of palatable nourishing food of many varieties4 ,two to five families1 according to age and number1 can readily unite in having one cow kept1 dividing the milk and expenses1 and thus always have good1 pure1 rich milk at very moderate cost4 ,the suitable refuse from the kitchens of three or four families would very much reduce the cost of purchased food4 ,in rural villages1 summer pasturage can be obtained near at hand1 which1 with a daily feed of good meal will furnish a large supply of rich milk at a low cost4 ,a boy can be secured at a small price to drive the cow to the pasture in the morning1 and return her at night to the stable4 ,a stable or stall can always be obtained at a trifling rent1 and be kept clean4 ,there are plenty of gardeners or farmers who will gladly take the manure away so frequently as to prevent it being a nuisance1 or disagreeable4 ,we have no doubt that all residents of villages1 manufacturing towns1 etc41 can1 by arrangements like the above1 secure an abundant supply of pure1 rich1 fresh1 healthful milk at less than three cents per quart1 and at the same time add greatly to their home comforts1 and preserve the health if not the lives of their little ones4 ,in ,february1 #ahhj1 the publishers of this volume offered prizes for three essays on keeping one cow1 indicating at the same time their scope4 ,some extracts from the explanatory remarks accompanying this offer may fitly outline an introduction to the work4 ,the number of persons who possess but one cow is far larger than those who have ten or more4 ,no doubt many others1 living outside of closely built cities1 would gladly lessen the cost of supporting their families1 and at the same time add to their comforts1 and even luxuries1 by keeping a cow1 did they know how to keep one4 ,there is a general notion that keeping a cow requires a pasture4 ,if a pasture is not necessary1 they do not know how to get along without one4 ,dairymen and farmers learn how to treat herds as a part of general farm management1 or in books on the subject4 ,there are books on cows1 but none on one cow4 ,it is not a question of dairy farming1 but of dairy gardening4 ,the offer was made to elicit information to enable one to keep a single cow with the best possible results4 ,the main points to be considered are3 the stabling or housing of the cow2 the yard room she requires1 and the storage or disposal of her manure2 the least area of land that can be safely set apart for the support of the cow1 and how can that land be best managed4 ,it is to be assumed that the land will be made to produce all that it will profitably yield1 which will bring up the question of manure and fertilizers1 of course considering that produced by the cow herself4 ,what proportion of the produce of the land is to be cured for winter8 ,how much food must be bought1 and what8 ,how is the cow to be fed1 and in every respect how treated so as to give the best returns to her owner8 ,what should be done at calving time and afterwards8 milking1 etc4 ,in short1 the problem is--given a good cow1 how to get the best possible returns from the least possible portion of the land through the agency of the cow4 ,this1 we think1 is satisfactorily answered1 if not by any one writer1 certainly by several combined4 ,we place as a frontispiece the portrait of a most famous and excellent cow--not so much for her beauty or on account of her breed1 but as a model of a dairy cow1 and one which may be carried in the mind when purchasing4 ,illustration ,,keeping ,,one ,,cow4 ,,the ,,family ,,cow ,,at ,,the ,,north4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,g4 ,,bourinot1 ,,ottawa1 ,,canada4 ,she's broad in her hips and long in her rump1 ,a straight and flat back without ever a hump1 ,she's wide in her lips and calm in her eyes1 ,she's fine in her shoulders and thin in her thighs1 ,she's sleight in her neck and small in her tail1 ,she's wide in her breast and good at the pail2 ,she's fine in her bone and silky of skin1 ,she's a grazier without and a butcher within4 --,,milburn4 ,there are several ways of providing for the wants of a cow1 but in all cases it is absolutely necessary1 in order to obtain the best results1 that certain rules be followed with regard to the treatment the cow receives4 ,she must be fed and milked at regular times1 be kept thoroughly clean1 have plenty of fresh air and water1 and her food composed of those substances that will keep her always in good condition1 do away with the milk bill1 reduce the grocer's account1 and contribute greatly to the health and comfort of the family4 ,i have tried various things1 and have found fresh grass or fodder1 provender1 bran1 oil-cake1 mangels1 and hay1 the best bill of fare for 8,daisy0 or 8,buttercup40 ,avoid brewer's slops or grains as you would poison1 for although they increase the flow of milk1 it is thin and blue1 the butter white and tasteless1 and after a time the cow's teeth will blacken and decay4 ,i was told the other day by a very intelligent dairyman that after feeding his cows one season on brewer's grains he was obliged to sell his whole herd4 ,,yard1 ,,stable1 ,,and ,,rations4 ,mr4 ,geo4 ,e4 ,waring1 ,jr41 in his 8,ogden ,farm ,papers10 says he expects to be able to feed a cow from ,may fifteenth to ,november fifteenth from half an acre of ground1 but the average citizen had better not attempt it1 but keep his half acre to raise vegetables and fruit1 buying the food required to keep his cow4 ,a cow can be made very profitable if kept in the following way2 ,first1 as to the accommodation required1 a yard fifteen feet by fifteen1 and a stable or cow-shed arranged as in the following plan4 ,a1 manure shed2 ,b1 bin for dried earth2 ,c1 cow2 ,d1 store-room2 ,e1 window for putting in hay2 ,f1 door2 ,g1 trap to loft2 ,h1 feeding trough4 ,have her food provided as follows3 into a common pail put one quart of provender 78provender0 is oats and peas ground together1 and can be purchased at any feed store71 one-quarter pound of oil-cake1 then fill the pail nearly full of bran and pour boiling water over the whole2 stir well with a stick1 and put it away covered with an old bit of carpet until feeding time2 give her that mess twice a day4 ,have her dinner from ,june to ,november consist of grass or fodder cut and brought in twice a week by some farmer or market gardener in exchange for her manure and sour milk4 ,in ,montreal1 grass and fodder are brought to market by the 8,habatants10 and sold in bundles4 ,as to quantity1 a good big armful will be sufficient1 and it is more healthful for the cow if it is a little wilted4 ,in the winter hay and mangels are to be fed in place of the grass and fodder4 ,she should also have salt where she can take a lick when so minded1 and fresh water three times a day4 ,the yard should be kept clean by scraping up the manure every morning into the little shed at the end of the stable4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4--,,stable ,,and ,,yard4 ,the following table shows the food required to keep one cow through the entire year3 ,hay1 the best1 two tons1 at #aj per ton #bj4jj #bjj pounds of ,oil-cake1 at #d per #ajj pounds #h4jj #hjj pounds of ,provender1 at #a per #ajj pounds #h4jj ,half a ton of ,bran1 at #ab per ton #f4jj ,one ton of ,mangels #e4jj ----- #dg4jj ,your cow will require the following 8trousseau03 ,one five-gallon stone churn #a4be ,one and a half dozen milk pans1 at #b #c4jj ,one milk pail and strainer 4#fj ,one butter bowl 7wooden7 4#ej ,one paddle and print 4#bj ,two wooden pails for feed 4#dj ,one card 4#be ----- #f4bj ,cost of a good cow #dj4jj ----- ,interest at #f per cent #c4fi ,any ordinary family will take from a milkman at least one quart a day4 ,we in ,ottawa pay eight cents per quart1 making per year 7#cfe #h17 #bi4bj4 ,it is a very poor cow that will not average five pounds of butter a week for forty weeks1 and that at twenty-five cents per pound1 that is #dj 7weeks7 #e 7pounds71 #be 7cents71 equals #ej 7dollars74 ,so the account stands thus3 ,butter #ej4jj ,milk #bi4bj ------ #gi4bj ,cost of food for one year #dg4jj ,interest on cow and trousseau #c4fi #ej4fi ------ ,profit #bh4ea ,,land ,,and ,,crops4 ,i have found that two acres of land is the least possible area that will provide cow-food for the entire year1 and that should be divided thus3 ,one acre for hay1 the other for fodder and mangels4 ,if you have no land already seeded down1 plow up your acre1 sow clover and timothy1 six pounds1 of each4 ,in ,may1 when the grass has fairly started1 top-dress it with two bushels of land plaster2 if you can apply it just before a rain it is the best time4 ,the first year you will have all clover hay1 and it must be cut before the second blossom comes2 if not cut early enough1 the stalks become tough and woody1 and are wasted by the cow4 ,the second year1 if top-dressed in the fall with the manure collected during the summer1 you will have a fine crop of timothy1 and if the land was good for anything you can cut hay from it for three years by giving it a little manure every fall4 ,as early as the ground will admit1 sow some peas and oats2 one bushel of each will plant one-third of an acre4 ,peas do well on old sod1 and are the best crop to plant on new ground4 ,in about six weeks you can commence cutting it for fodder1 and it should give the cow two good meals a day until corn comes in4 ,l4 ,b4 ,arnold1 in 8,american ,dairying10 says of corn3 8,when too thickly planted its stems and leaves are soft and pale1 its juices thin and poor4 ,if sown thin or in drills1 so that the air and light and heat of the sun can reach it1 and not fed until nearly its full size1 it is a valuable soiling plant40 ,now ,mr4 ,waring1 in 8,farming for ,profit10 says3 8,it is a common mistake when the corn is planted in drills to put in so little seed that the stalks grow large and strong1 when they are neglected by the cattle1 the leaves only being consumed4 ,there should be forty grains at least to the foot of row1 which will take from four to six bushels to the acre1 but the result will fully justify the outlay1 as the corn standing so close in the row will grow fine and thick40 ,my experience tells me that ,mr4 ,waring is right2 any way1 my cow will not eat the coarse stalks which will grow when the corn is planted too thin4 ,the one-third acre reserved for mangels1 must be the perfection of richness1 well drained1 and manured4 ,if the soil is deep1 you can plant them on the flat1 but if the soil is shallow1 plant them on ridges1 the ridges thirty inches apart 7,i always plant them in that way72 then thin out the plants to fifteen inches apart4 ,ten to twelve hundred bushels may be grown on an acre1 but the ground must be properly prepared4 ,in storing them1 they require to be very carefully handled1 as the least bruise hastens decay1 and we want to keep them fresh and good until ,april1 when our cow ought to give us a calf4 ,,weaning ,,the ,,calf4 ,i thought ,i had tried almost everything relating to the care of cows1 but when ,i undertook to wean a five-weeks'-old calf1 ,i found my education in that respect sadly neglected4 ,i asked a farmer's wife how ,i was to manage4 8,oh10 she said1 8just dip your fingers in the milk1 and let the calf suck them a few times1 and it will soon learn to put its nose in the pail and drink40 ,it sounded simple enough1 so ,i took my pail and started for the barn1 where that wretched animal slopped me all over with milk1 bunted me round and round the pen1 until ,i was black and blue1 sucked the skin off my finger1 and wouldn't drink4 ,after trying at intervals for two days1 the calf was getting thin1 and so was ,i4 ,in despair1 ,i left the pail of milk1 giving that calf a few words of wholesome advice4 ,when ,i went back two hours after1 the calf was standing over the empty pail1 with an expression on its face1 that ,i translated into an inquiry1 as to why ,i hadn't left that pail there before4 ,i have weaned several calves since then1 but have never had any trouble4 ,leave them with the cow three or four days1 then take a little milk and hold the calf's nose in the pail2 it must open its mouth or smother1 and when once it tastes the milk1 will soon learn to drink4#a ,when it is a week old1 commence feeding with oil-cake1 skim-milk and molasses4 ,into an old two-pound peach can1 ,i put one tablespoonful of oil-cake and one of molasses1 fill up the can with boiling water1 and set it on the stove until thoroughly cooked4 ,that quantity will be its allowance for one day1 mixed with skim-milk4 ,the next week1 give it that quantity at each meal1 and the next week1 twice that4 ,the calf will then be four weeks old1 and the butcher ought to give you a price for it that will pay for all trouble and the family milk bill while the cow was dry4 ,it does not pay to raise calves where you only keep one cow4 7,mr4 ,cochrane1 the owner of the celebrated cow 8,duchess of ,airdrie10 told me the other morning that last year he sold a calf of her's to an ,english gentleman for four thousand guineas 7twenty thousand dollars74 ,i think it would pay to have a wet nurse if one had a calf like that74 ,a tablespoonful of lime-water put in the milk now and then will prevent the calf from 8scouring10 a complaint very common among calves brought up by hand4 ,i believe that winter rye makes a valuable soiling plant1 but ,i have never tried it4 #a ,it is better1 as a rule1 not to allow the calf to suck at all4 ,aptness in learning to drink is influenced by heredity4 ,calves from ancestors that have not been allowed to suck1 learn to drink more readily than those which have been allowed to run with the dam4 ,a ,,few ,,words ,,as ,,to ,,general ,,management4 ,i think it cruel to keep cows tied up all summer4 ,they do not require much exercise1 but fresh air they must have1 and it is a great comfort to them to lick themselves1 although they ought to be well curried every day4 ,it is better to milk after feeding1 as they stand more quietly4 ,don't allow your milk-maid to wash the cow's teats in the milk pail1 a filthy habit much in vogue4 ,insist on her taking a wet cloth and wiping the cow's bag thoroughly before she commences to milk4 ,a cow ought to be milked in ten minutes1 although the first time ,i undertook to milk alone1 ,i tugged away for an hour4 ,i knew how much milk ,i ought to have1 and ,i was bound to get it4 ,an old cow will eat more than a young one1 but will give richer milk4 ,if you can get a cow with her second calf1 you can keep her profitably for five years1 when she should be sold to the butcher4 ,there is nothing that will keep your cow-shed so neat1 and add so much to the value of your manure pile1 as a few shovelfuls of dry earth or muck thrown under the cow4 ,it will absorb the liquid manure better than anything else4 ,don't allow your milk pans to be appropriated for all sorts of household uses2 you cannot make sweet1 firm butter if the milk is put into rusty old tin4 ,skim the milk twice a day into the stone churn2 add a little salt1 and stir it well every time you put in fresh cream4 ,use spring water1 but don't allow ice to come in contact with the butter2 it destroys both color and flavor4 ,if your cream is too warm1 the butter will come more quickly1 but it will be white and soft4 ,when the cream is so cold that it takes me half an hour to churn1 ,i always have the best butter4 ,don't put your hands to it1 work out the buttermilk with a wooden paddle1 and work in the salt with the same thing4 ,there is an old saying that one quart of milk a day gives one pound of butter a week1 and ,i think it's a pretty fair rule1 but don't expect to buy a cow that will give you thirty quarts of milk a day4 ,there are such cows ,i know1 but they are not for sale4 ,be quite satisfied if your cow gives half that quantity4 ,place the cow's food where she cannot step on it1 but don't put it high up2 ,it is natural for them to eat with their heads down4 ,i think it is better that the family cow should have a calf every year1 provided you can have them come early in the spring or late in the autumn4 ,as to the time that a cow should be dry1 that depends much upon the way the cow was brought up4 ,if she was allowed to go dry early in the season with her first calf1 she will always do it4 ,a cow being a very conservative animal1 she should be milked as long as her milk is good4 ,when she is dry1 stop feeding the provender1 bran1 and oil-cake1 and give her plenty of good hay1 with some roots1 until after she calves4 ,the provender and oil-cake being strong food1 are apt to produce inflammation and other troubles at calving time4 ,you can feed turnips when she is dry1 at the rate of two pails a day1 cut up fine1 of course1 but don't feed turnips when she is milking4 ,i have tried every way to destroy the flavor of turnips in milk1 but without success4 ,i have boiled it1 put soda in it1 fed the cow after milking1 but it was all the same--turnip flavor unmistakable--and as we don't like our butter so flavored1 ,i only feed turnips when the cow is dry4 ,the ,rev4 ,e4 ,p4 ,roe in his delightful book called 8,play and ,profit in ,my ,garden10 says3 8,if a family in ordinary good circumstances1 kept a separate account of the fruit and vegetables bought and used during the year1 they would1 doubtless1 be surprised at the sum total4 ,but if they could see the amount they could and would consume if they didn't have to buy1 surprise would be a very mild way of putting it40 ,the same rule applies to the keeping of a cow4 ,we buy one quart a day and manage to get along with it4 ,our cow gives us ten to twenty quarts a day and we make way with the greater part of it4 ,i think with a cow and a garden1 one may manage to live1 but life without either1 according to my ways of thinking1 would be shorn of many of its pleasures4 ,illustration ,,the ,,cow ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,states4 ,,by ,w4 ,l4 ,,battles1 ,,girard1 ,,pa4 ,instead of writing on how a cow might be kept1 ,i propose simply to tell just how we manage our cow1 what we feed her1 how we procure that food2 in fact everything relating to her care1 so that any one can go and do likewise4 8,spot10 we call her1 for she has a beautiful white spot in her forehead1 is not a ,jersey1 for we can not afford to buy one at the prices at which they are held with us2 nor is she a thorough-bred of any kind2 yet she is a good cow1 of medium size1 fills a twelve-quart pail each night and morning1 when her milk is in good flow1 that raises a thick coat of rich cream1 which1 after been churned1 furnishes all the butter needed for a family of six1 and some to spare4 ,our place is small1 only two acres1 and a portion of this is covered by the dwelling1 barn1 poultry-house1 etc4 ,the fruit garden occupies about one-fourth of an acre1 and from this portion nothing is grown to furnish food for 8,spot40 ,adjoining the barn there is half an acre of the land in good grass1 or mostly clover1 and every spring a quart of clover seed is sown1 so as fast as the old plants die out1 young ones take their places4 ,a bushel of land plaster is sown on this when the grass begins to start in the spring4 ,this plot produces a very heavy growth of grass and clover1 enabling us to cut it three times each season2 about the first of ,june1 ,august1 and of ,october4 ,a coat of fine manure is always spread over the ground immediately after each mowing4 ,the grass is mostly cured1 and makes fine hay for winter feeding4 ,occasionally a small portion of the crop is used green for soiling4 ,besides the land occupied by buildings1 fruit garden1 and clover plot1 there remains about one acre1 which we call the garden4 ,here are grown all the vegetables for the family's use1 besides some to sell4 ,about one-fourth of it is planted to ,early ,rose potatoes1 and as soon as these are sufficiently ripe for use or market1 they are dug1 and sweet corn1 in drills1 for fodder1 is sown upon the land4 ,another fourth of an acre is planted to sugar beets2 the ground being very rich1 the yield is always large2 this last season 7#ahgi71 though very dry1 ,i harvested one hundred and seventy-eight bushels4 ,our cow is very fond of the beets1 and ,i think there is nothing better to keep up a flow of milk1 and they give it no bad flavor1 as do turnips4 ,an additional fourth of an acre is planted to sweet1 or evergreen1 corn2 as fast as the corn is picked for use or market1 the green stalks are cut up1 run through the cutting-box1 and every particle of them consumed4 ,as soon as the corn is all harvested1 the ground it occupied is thoroughly fitted and manured1 and then sown to winter rye1 to be used for soiling the next spring1 after which the ground is again prepared for corn4 ,the remaining fourth acre is devoted to early peas1 beans1 cabbages and other garden vegetables4 ,as soon as one crop is off1 the ground is prepared1 and something else is almost always planted or sown2 consequently1 on the most of this acre1 two crops are produced each season1 except where sugar-beets are grown1 or late cabbages1 which require the whole season to mature4 ,with the clover on the half acre1 and the forage crop and roots on the acre1 we have not only had sufficient food for the cow the entire season1 but have also kept our family horse1 with the exception of one load of oat-straw purchased for three dollars1 to mix in with the fodder corn2 this is hard to cure sufficiently to keep bright and sweet through the winter1 but by mixing a layer of corn-fodder1 and a layer of straw1 it all comes out nice and bright4 ,besides keeping both horse and cow1 we have marketed from this little farm1 in berries1 vegetables1 butter1 eggs1 poultry1 and one fat hog1 weighing1 dressed1 over three hundred pounds1 four hundred and sixty-eight dollars' worth of the above produce1 keeping enough for our own use1 and salting down one barrel of pork4 ,,the ,,barn4 ,the barn is twenty-five by thirty feet1 with the stable on the south side4 ,the stall for 8,spot0 is five feet wide1 and the floor on which she stands is five feet long1 with a manger two feet wide in front1 one and a half high next to the cow1 and three feet next to the barn floor4 ,she is fastened with a wide strap around her neck1 attached to a chain eighteen inches long1 which is fastened to a staple driven into a post at the corner of the stall adjoining the manger2 this gives her room to turn her head so as to lick any portion of her body4 ,the floor is made of two-inch plank1 battened on the under side with thin boards1 raised from the ground ten inches in rear and one foot in front2 all the droppings and urine fall into the four-foot alley behind4 ,this alley has a clay floor beaten perfectly solid and level4 ,next to the stable door is a large bin1 ten by seven feet1 for storing road-dust or muck2 at the other end of the stable is another bin1 ten by eleven feet1 for storing leaves for bedding4 ,my great object is not only to make 8,spot0 comfortable1 and have her stable free from all bad odors1 but to save all the manure1 both liquid and solid4 ,the best absorbent is dried muck1 pulverized1 or road-dust from clayey roads4 ,as it is easier to procure the latter1 ,i generally make use of that1 and always keep from two to three inches of it in the alley2 this effectually absorbs all the liquid portions and all offensive odors4 ,twice each day1 this is thrown out through a window closed by a sliding shutter in the rear of the stall1 under a shed1 where it remains until wanted for use4 ,in the fall1 ,i go to the woods and procure a sufficient quantity of leaves to last until spring2 a liberal use of these not only makes a nice1 soft1 clean bed1 but largely increases the quantity of manure4 ,the stable opens into a small yard1 across one corner of which runs a small brook4 ,each morning1 the cow is permitted to go out and drink2 if the weather is pleasant1 she is allowed to remain out an hour for exercise4 ,she is let out the same at night1 after sunset in warm weather1 so that she will not be annoyed by flies4 ,the barn is well-battened1 and is warm in winter2 it is well ventilated by two windows1 but these1 in summer1 are darkened by blinds1 with wide slats1 to keep out flies4 ,,system ,,of ,,feeding4 ,each morning1 while 8,spot0 is eating her breakfast1 she is well curried with a curry comb or card1 and if any filth is observed on her bag or teats 7which is very seldom71 they are carefully washed off1 if in winter1 with warm water4 ,she is never scolded nor whipped2 consequently she never kicks over the pail1 or holds up her milk4 ,she is fed in winter with a peck of sugar-beets cut up1 both morning1 noon1 and night2 also1 a bushel of cut feed1 either corn-stalks or clover hay1 wet with a pailful of hot water1 with two quarts of 8sugar meal10 or bran1 thoroughly mixed together1 with a little salt sprinkled over it4 ,i generally use what is known here as 8sugar meal0 to mix with her feed2 it is corn meal from the factory after the sugar or glucose has been extracted2 it costs from ten cents to twelve and a half cents per bushel1 and ,i prefer it to bran1 and 8,spot0 likes it very much4 ,we consider her a machine for converting the food we give her into milk1 and the more we can get her to eat and digest1 the more milk is obtained1 and the greater the profit4 ,it is a good plan to change the food occasionally1 substituting carrots for beets1 clover hay for corn fodder1 for brutes1 like mankind1 are fond of a variety4 ,there are root-cutters that can be procured for cutting up roots1 but ,i have always used a common spade1 ground sharp1 and an empty flour barrel to hold the beets4 ,it takes but a few minutes to cut up a mess of beets in that way4 ,,manure4 ,with a bin of road-dust1 and one of leaves1 a winter's supply of litter is secured1 and it is surprising what a pile of manure we have in the spring4 ,another valuable source of manure is the pigsty1 with plenty of leaves for a warm bed1 and sufficient road-dust to absorb all the liquids1 it is astonishing how clean our pigs are1 and the sty is free from all bad odors2 the big potatoes and mammoth beets1 show the richness of the pig-pen fertilizer4 ,i think our fifty hens pay for all their food with the droppings the poultry-house furnishes4 ,the roosts are over a slanting platform1 which is kept covered with road-dust both summer and winter2 the droppings fall on this floor1 and roll down into a large box twelve feet long1 three feet wide1 and three feet deep4 ,the dust the chickens work down with the droppings is sufficient to absorb all the ammonia and preserve all the fertilizing qualities of this most valuable guano4 ,a large box of road-dust is always kept in the water-closet1 a liberal use of which furnishes a quantity of most valuable fertilizer1 besides freeing the closets from all noxious smells4 ,the wash water and slops from the kitchen are utilized by being thrown on a pile of sods and other rubbish1 which are forked over1 and as soon as decayed1 carted to the manure pile4 ,from so many sources we are enabled to give our small farm a most liberal supply of manure each spring and fall1 so that even with the double cropping most of it gets1 it continues to improve1 and yields more bountifully each succeeding season4 ,,crops ,,and ,,tillage4 ,in the cultivation of sugar beets1 the ground is first manured heavily1 plowed deep1 and thoroughly pulverized with the cultivator1 then marked out in rows with a garden plow1 two feet apart4 ,manure from the poultry-house is scattered in each furrow1 which should be lightly covered with soil1 so the seed will not come in contact with it2 drop the seeds about six inches apart1 covering lightly with the garden rake4 ,when the leaves are about four inches long1 thin out to one plant in a place1 and fill any vacancies with the plants pulled out4 ,hoe them thoroughly1 destroying all weeds1 which can easily be done by cultivating each time before hoeing1 with an arrow cultivator4 ,keep the ground mellow1 and cultivate three or four times1 after which they will take care of themselves and soon cover the ground4 ,with ground in good condition1 and a fair season1 six hundred to eight hundred bushels per acre can be easily produced4 ,let them grow until frost comes1 when they should be dug with a garden fork1 the tops cut off1 and stored for winter4 ,those to be used before the first of ,march1 are stored in the cellar1 the others are buried in a long pit1 digging out a shallow place1 piling up the roots about three feet high1 and three feet wide1 covering well with straw and sufficient soil to keep them from freezing1 putting in a drain-tile about every four feet in the top of the pile1 with one end to project a little through the covering1 for ventilation4 ,if the weather becomes very cold1 lay a turf over the tile1 and remove when pleasant4 ,i grow carrots after the same plan1 and store in like manner4 ,i prefer beets1 as they are so much larger1 it is less trouble to gather and take care of them1 and the crop is generally larger1 still ,i always grow some carrots for a change4 ,i plant sweet corn in drills1 always put some fertilizer along the furrow1 dropping the kernels about eight inches apart1 with the rows three feet wide1 ,i commence planting soon after ,may first1 and continue at intervals until about ,july first1 so ,i can have a fresh supply for use1 and market1 all the season4 ,the sweet corn being grown on the plot sown to winter rye1 for soiling1 enables us to cut some portions of it twice1 before the ground is needed for corn4 ,when sowing corn for fodder1 which is done as soon as we commence digging the early potatoes1 ,i sow it in drills two feet apart1 and drop the kernels about one inch apart in the drills1 manure from the pigsty is first dropped in the furrow1 and covered with soil at least two inches deep1 or the corn will not come up4 ,this fertilizer is so strong1 if properly used it causes a most extraordinary growth of stalks4 ,while the corn is small1 cultivate it two or three times with a narrow cultivator1 when it will take care of itself1 and there will be a surprising growth of stalks2 ,i have them often six feet high4 ,just before time for frosts1 cut with a scythe1 and set up in small bunches bound around the top1 and leave to cure until cold weather4 ,when it is to be put in the mow1 spread alternately a layer of stalks1 and a layer of straw1 and it will keep bright and sweet until wanted4 ,the rye for spring soiling is sown when the sweet corn is picked1 and stalks removed1 in drills about ten inches apart4 ,fine manure is spread on the ground after plowing1 and thoroughly mixed with the surface soil2 one or two hoeings being given to keep the ground mellow2 to destroy any weeds that may make their appearance4 ,by ,may first1 the early sown rye will cover the ground with a dense growth1 at least four feet high1 furnishing a large quantity of most nutritious green food4 ,on those portions of the plot where the latest corn is to be planted1 two or three cuttings are made2 this gives most excellent food for the cow1 and the quantity grown on this fourth of an acre will surprise any one who has never tried it4 ,there is quite a plot of early peas1 and as soon as the last picking occurs1 while the vines are green1 they are pulled and fed to 8,spot10 who relishes them very much4 ,turnips1 or corn1 are at once sown on the ground where the peas were4 ,when our early cabbages are taken up1 all the leaves1 and much of the stalks1 are turned into milk by taking them to the cow's manger1 and the ground at once planted1 or sown1 to something that will make more food4 ,the beet1 carrot1 and turnip tops1 and late cabbage leaves1 make quite a quantity of feed late in the fall1 if care is taken in saving and preserving them4 ,possibly there may be some better forage crop than 8evergreen10 or sugar corn2 ,i think another fall ,i will try the ,minnesota ,amber ,sugar ,cane1 in a small way4 ,i tried ,pearl ,millet1 in one row1 this season2 it tillered1 or spread wonderfully1 but did not do so well as the corn1 as the stalks were small1 and the millet makes such a feeble growth1 at first1 it requires the whole season to produce as much fodder as ,i get from corn sowed the fourth of ,july4 ,,calving4 ,i generally manage to have the cow come in about the first of ,september2 by that means the six weeks time she is allowed to go dry1 occurs during the warmest portion of the summer1 viz41 in ,july and ,august1 when1 with the facilities the person who keeps but one cow possesses1 it is difficult to make good butter4 ,this is also the season when butter most generally sells the lowest4 ,the calf is taught to drink after it is a week or ten days old1 and fed on a porridge made from skim-milk and wheat middlings1 or shorts2 by the time it is six weeks or two months old it will be well fattened1 and can be sold to the butcher for veal1 at a good price1 for at that season of the year veal is scarce and in demand4 ,the cow being in full flow of milk all winter1 when butter is most always high1 will pay a good profit for her feed and care4 ,a couple of weeks prior to the time the calf should be born1 ,i make a box stall on the barn floor1 and permit the cow to run loose in it until the calf is taken away to learn to drink4 ,during this time she should have a good bed of leaves1 and the stall be cleaned each night and morning4 ,so far at such times ,i have experienced no difficulty1 or trouble2 should any occur1 it is better to apply to an experienced person1 than to try and 8doctor0 her yourself4 ,after the calf is born1 ,i feed the cow on warm slops a day or two1 permitting the calf to suck until the swelling has gone from her bag1 and it has assumed its natural condition4 ,then1 as before stated1 teach it to drink1 which can easily be done by inserting the finger in its mouth1 and putting its head in the dish1 cautiously withdrawing the finger a few times1 and in a short time you will have no difficulty1 as it will help itself4 ,in conclusion1 ,i can say ,i have tried to state just how our cow is managed and kept4 ,i presume there can be improvements made on our system4 ,i shall be glad to take advantage of the experience of others1 at any and all times4 ,no record is kept of the milk obtained1 or of the butter made4 ,we know we always have plenty for the family's use1 and considerable to spare4 ,bread and milk furnish the children half their food a portion of the time4 ,pure milk and plenty of fresh fruits1 in abundance1 we consider afford one of the principal reasons why our family is so healthy1 and we have so few doctor's bills to pay4 ,from our acre and a half1 all the food has been grown for both cow and horse1 except the three dollars expended for straw4 ,the 8sugar meal0 given the cow has not cost five dollars during the past year4 ,it is safe to say1 that one half1 and probably more1 of the clover1 corn fodder1 green rye1 etc41 has been fed to the horse4 ,consequently the keeping of the cow can all be credited to the small area of about three-fourths of an acre of land1 in addition to an outlay of not exceeding seven dollars for meal1 bran1 and straw4 ,this land1 about one half of it1 has also produced1 in addition1 full crops for the use of the family1 or market1 while the sour milk and buttermilk have largely assisted in making six hundred pounds of pork4 ,the calf1 at less than two months of age1 was sold for eight dollars1 which more than paid for the extra feed bought for the cow4 ,the family which has never kept a cow can hardly realize the satisfaction and benefits derived from such a source4 ,children1 whose appetites are often capricious1 will almost always relish a cup of cool milk4 ,cream1 for our coffee at breakfast1 is much enjoyed by all1 but realized by few1 and what can be more delicious than a nice dish of strawberries smothered in rich yellow cream4 ,when we consider the small expense1 the little trouble and care1 contrasted with the great benefits derived1 it is1 so to speak1 surprising that any family should rest satisfied without possessing a cow4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4--,,the ,,ayrshire ,,cow 8,,old ,,creamer40 ,,the ,,cow ,,in ,,the ,,gulf ,,states4 ,,by ,,george ,g4 ,,duffee1 ,,mobile1 ,,ala4 ,for several years ,i had been experimenting on a small scale in soiling cattle4 ,my area of land1 however1 was exceedingly limited1 being only a portion of the kitchen garden of a city residence1 but my success was1 even in this small way1 so satisfactory1 that ,i determined at some future day to try it on a more extensive scale4 ,my reading and experience convinced me1 that in our favored southern climate1 a half acre of land1 intelligently cultivated1 would produce a supply of food amply sufficient to support one cow through the year1 and circumstances favoring1 ,i determined to try the experiment4 ,in ,april1 #ahgf1 ,i became owner of a lot two hundred and fifty feet long by one hundred and twenty wide in the rear of my premises--the greater portion having been used as a grass plot for a horse4 ,i immediately began by fencing off a portion one hundred and twenty feet by two hundred1 running a wagon-way eight feet wide down the center1 which1 with the space occupied by the stable 7say twenty by thirty feet71 left nearly twenty-two thousand feet1 or within a fraction of half an acre1 for actual cultivation4 ,the land was a sandy loam1 covered with a thick sod of ,bermuda and other grasses4 ,years before it had been cultivated as a market garden1 but latterly given up to grass2 it sloped to the south sufficiently to favor good drainage4 ,in and around the stable was a goodly lot of manure1 which1 during ,april1 was spread upon the land--some forty cart loads4 ,on ,april twentieth the land was thoroughly plowed with a two-horse turning-plow1 and harrowed until finely pulverized4 ,on ,may first1 ,i planted one half of the land in ,southern field corn1 in drills two feet apart1 with the grains about one inch apart4 ,the rows were lengthwise1 to render after cultivation more convenient4 ,on ,may fourth1 sugar corn was put in one half of the remainder1 planting at the same distance as the larger variety4 ,may sixth1 the remaining fourth was sown heavily with ,german or 8,golden0 ,millet1 in drills twelve inches apart4 ,seasonable showers1 followed by warm sunny days1 soon produced a vigorous and rapid growth4 ,on ,may fifteenth1 a ,thomas' harrow was run over the first planted corn1 and six days later over the second planting1 and over the millet4 ,on ,may thirtieth1 the corn was plowed1 followed by a good hoeing4 ,a fortnight later1 a second and last hoeing was given4 ,the millet was also hoed twice1 after which the growth effectually shaded the ground1 and thus prevented the growth of weeds4 ,in the meantime ,i had repaired the stable1 and had a large door cut into the side next to the original lot1 and made a stall for our pet ,jersey cow4 ,the floor was cypress1 three inches thick1 and sloped slightly from the manger4 ,by actual measurement of the space occupied by the cow--giving just room for her hind feet to clear the same1 a trough1 eight inches deep1 and fifteen wide1 was made to receive the urine and droppings4 ,the stall was four and one half feet wide1 the sides coming only half the length of the cow1 and just her hight4 ,the manger extended entirely across the stall1 was twelve inches wide at the bottom1 and eighteen at the top1 and twelve deep1 the bottom being twelve inches above the floor4 ,the fastening consisted of a five-eighths iron rod1 passing from one side of the stall to the other1 along the center of the manger1 and one inch from it4 ,on this rod was a ring1 to which was attached a short chain that ended in a snap-catch1 to attach to a ring fastened to the head-stall--the head-stall being made of good1 broad leather4 ,usually1 in turning the cow out in the morning1 the head-stall was unbuckled and left in the stable2 to fasten again was but a moment's work4 ,by this arrangement the cow had full liberty to move her head1 without any possibility of getting fastened by the halter4 ,the bottom of this manger was made of slats1 one half inch apart1 so that no dirt could collect4 ,for feeding wet messes1 there was a box made to fit one end of the manger1 which could be removed to be washed without trouble4 ,with plenty of sawdust1 costing only the hauling1 perfect comfort and perfect cleanliness were matters of course4 ,attached to the stable was a lot fifty by fifty feet1 where1 in pleasant weather1 the cow was turned1 but free to go in and out of her stall at pleasure4 ,in this lot was a trough1 connected with the pump1 where a supply of clean and fresh water was always kept4 ,daily this trough was emptied and thoroughly cleaned4 ,a cow may eat dirty feed occasionally1 but see to it that the water she drinks is pure4 ,unless this is attended to her milk is unfit for human food4 ,the manure trough being supplied with sawdust1 the urine1 as well as the droppings1 were saved and removed daily to a covered shed located in one corner of the lot1 where it was kept moist1 and worked over occasionally4 ,our ,jersey was due with her second calf about ,june twentieth1 but was still giving milk in ,april and ,may4 ,her feed from ,may first to ,june fifteenth1 was the run of a common pasture1 with a mess twice daily of wheat bran and corn meal1 with hay4 ,on ,june first she was dried up for a brief resting spell4 ,june fifteenth we began cutting the sugar corn1 now waist high4 ,this was run through a cutter 7making cuts three-quarters of an inch71 and fed to her three times a day1 first sprinkling two quarts of wheat bran over the corn1 and continuing the hay feed twice a day4 ,at the same time she was taken from the pasture1 not to go on again until this experiment was finished4 ,june twenty-second her udder was so distended1 it was deemed prudent to relieve it by milking4 ,this was done twice a day for three days4 ,here1 at the ,south1 there is a foolish prejudice against doing this1 the belief being strong among the ignorant classes that it will cause the death of the coming calf4 ,in some instances ,i have found it necessary to relieve the udder daily for a week before calving2 ,i never knew any evil to result4 ,at dawn ,june twenty-fifth there was a fine heifer calf beside her4 ,as soon as convenient the cow was thoroughly milked1 and a bucket of water1 with one quart each of corn meal and wheat bran stirred in1 and a pinch of salt1 was given her1 and nothing else except water for twenty-four hours4 ,at evening she was again milked to the last drop1 and the calf left with her during the night4 ,next morning a small feed of three quarts of wheat bran1 and one quart of corn meal1 made pretty wet1 was given her1 and her udder again thoroughly emptied4 ,after milking1 a small feed of hay was given1 and a pail of water placed near4 ,the calf was separated from her1 but within sight4 ,at mid-day the calf was allowed to take her fill1 and afterwards the udder stripped4 ,at evening1 as the cow seemed to be free from any indications of fever1 or inflamed bag1 she was given a full mess of corn meal1 wheat bran1 cotton-seed meal1 and hay4 ,her calf took her supper1 and the udder was again stripped2 that night the calf was taken from her1 never to suck again1 as fresh milk in a city was too valuable to feed to even a registered ,jersey4 ,having1 in years past1 lost several very fine cows from over-feeding and under-milking1 at calving time1 ,i cannot urge too strongly what ,col4 ,geo4 ,e4 ,waring calls 8high starvation0 at this critical period in a cow's life4 ,if a cow has been decently cared for up to the day of calving1 she needs nothing but rest1 quiet1 and a light mash1--warm in cold weather--for twenty-four hours1 and then but light feeding for two or three days4 ,but be sure to empty her udder completely at least twice every twenty-four hours1 and if the cow is a deep milker1 then three times2 with this treatment1 the feed can be gradually increased to all that she will eat up clean4 ,,teaching ,,the ,,calf ,,to ,,drink4 ,it is a very easy matter to teach a calf to drink milk1 when one has seen the thing done4 ,next morning this calf was impatient for her mess of warm milk1 so1 after milking her dam1 ,i took a shallow pan1 and putting two quarts of milk into it proceeded to give the first lesson in a calf's life1 of doing without a mother4 ,the process is very simple2 you merely wet the first and second fingers of the left hand with milk1 and place them in the calf's mouth1 to give her a taste of what is in store4 ,repeat this a few times1 then gradually draw the pan near her mouth with the right hand1 using your left as above4 ,when the calf permits your two fingers to enter her mouth1 raise the pan so that your left hand will be immersed1 and the calf1 by suction1 will draw the milk up between the fingers4 ,at mid-day1 another mess of milk1 and a second lesson was given2 at evening a third4 ,next morning the process was repeated1 but in this instance she did not need the fingers to guide her to what was good for her2 she readily accepted the situation1 and stuck her pretty nose into the warm milk1 which rapidly disappeared to where it would do the most good4 ,but with milk worth ten cents per quart1 and cream seven times as much1 it did not 8pay0 to use six quarts daily of rich ,jersey milk in this way1 so1 after a fortnight's supply of the raw material1 the feed was gradually changed to sweet skim-milk for two weeks1 and then substituting hay-tea1 the milk ration was cut down to two quarts daily4 ,beginning with a tablespoonful of cotton-seed meal1 thoroughly mixed with the feed1 the quantity was increased in ten days to one pint daily4 ,at one month old1 she was gradually taught to eat bran by stirring it into her food4 ,the preparation of hay-tea is very simple4 ,nice hay is run through a cutter1 and taking an ordinary two-gallon pailful1 boiling water is poured upon it2 it is then covered and allowed to steep for twelve hours4 ,this makes a most excellent food1 and calves thrive upon it4 ,the most stylish and vigorous calf ,i ever saw1 was raised upon hay-tea1 with bran and cotton-seed meal as here described4 ,i enter thus fully into the best manner of raising a calf without its mother1 for the especial benefit of my southern readers1 where the thriftless habit of allowing the calf to suck its dam1 oftentimes until a year old1 so generally prevails4 ,in this instance the little heifer got along nicely until two months old1 when an aggravated attack of scours set in1 but by timely doses of laudanum in a mess of warm gruel1 poured down her throat twice a day1 for three days1 a cure was effected4 ,in ordinary cases of scours1 a change to dry food will correct it1 but it is well to watch and not to permit the disease to become seated4 ,a few years ago1 a very valuable young ,jersey heifer1 received from the vicinity of ,philadelphia1 was taken in this way1 while undergoing the usual course of acclimation incident to northern cattle brought south1 and the simpler treatment proving of no effect1 ,i gave injections twice a day of rice-water and laudanum1 besides drenching her with corn-gruel and laudanum4 ,this was kept up for ten days2 we carried her safely through1 and her present value amply compensates for the time and trouble expended4 ,,food ,,of ,,the ,,cow4 ,but let us return to the cow4 ,on the morning of ,june twenty-ninth1 we began giving her a fair feed of green corn1 adding to it wheat bran1 and cotton-seed meal4 ,july second we fed her all the corn stalks she would eat1 continuing to add bran and cotton meal1 giving four quarts of the former and two of the latter2 and this was her daily food1 including the ,german ,millet1 treated in the same way1 until ,september4 ,the green food was given three times a day1 but the bran and cotton meal added only morning and night4 ,occasionally a day's supply was cut early in the morning1 and allowed to wilt before feeding1 but in this1 as well as in many other matters1 my man-of-all-work did as circumstances permitted4 ,his various duties about the place gave him but little time to reduce to an exact system the care and feed of a cow4 ,she had a good stable1 and plenty to eat1 received daily a good brushing1 and was treated kindly4 ,yet1 she was our servant 7and a most faithful one she was71 and we were not her's1 or slaves to any arbitrary clock-work regularity4 ,she was fed and milked at regular intervals1 but beyond this it was not always convenient to have regular hours at her stable4 ,we did not keep her as an exhibition of a model cow in a model stable1 and to exemplify a model system of care and keep4 ,like thousands all over the land1 we kept her simply for the profit she yielded1 in the way of milk and butter4 ,it has often struck me1 in reading the many suggestions and hints about how to keep a cow1 to be found in some agricultural and live-stock journals1 that were they all carried into practical operation1 it would take the entire time of two able-bodied men to attend one animal--one to be always on hand during the day1 the other to serve at night4 ,now common sense is a good thing1 even when applied to the management of cows1 and my experience convinces me that the average man wishes only to know the cheapest and easiest way to have an abundant supply of rich1 wholesome1 and clean milk1 and with pride enough in the possession of a good cow to furnish a good shelter and comfortable quarters4 ,beyond these1 breeders of fancy and high-priced stock may go to any extreme1 and find a paying business in doing so1 but the village or city owner of one or two cows1 kept solely for his own use1 can not afford to indulge in any of this 8upper-tendom0 style of cow life2 it won't pay him4 ,as a row of corn was cut and fed1 the land was plowed1 manured1 and more corn 7common field7 drilled in thick1 so that the ground for the whole summer presented the appearance of an experimental corn field1 with corn at every stage of its growth4 ,this was kept up through the months of ,july1 ,august1 ,september1 and ,october4 ,indeed1 the half of this yield was more than sufficient for keeping the cow in superb condition1 so that much the greater portion was cut in the tasselling stage and cured for winter feed4 ,after ,september begins1 it will not do to sow corn2 the worms destroy it1 but in our southern ,bean1 or 8cow pea10 we have one of the very best of soiling crops4 ,sown either broadcast1 or in drills1 it does equally well1 makes a rapid growth1 and affords a tempting and nutritious food for cattle4 ,it grows until checked by frost1 and ,i know of no plant1 save ,indian corn1 that produces more weight to a given quantity of land4 ,in this instance we fed it daily during ,october and late into ,november1 before a frost put an end to its use in its green state4 ,anticipating a frost1 it was cut and cured for winter feed4 ,properly cured1 no hay equals it for cattle4 ,november twenty-fourth our cow went into winter quarters1 and for her winter feed there were over four thousand eight hundred pounds of well cured corn-fodder1 and one thousand five hundred pounds of good pea-vine hay--far more than she could consume4 ,early in ,december1 after spreading over the land all the manure on hand1 it was plowed again with a two-horse turning plow1 and sowed thickly to oats1 harrowing them in4 ,a seasonable rain gave them a good start1 so they were well prepared for the vicissitudes of winter--a good stand and vigorous growth4 ,the cow now received a daily ration of corn fodder and pea hay1 run through the cutter1 and after mixing thoroughly three quarts of wheat bran and one quart of cotton-seed meal1 were wet with water 7warm in cold weather74 ,this was given her in the morning1 and the same quantity at evening4 ,the corn fodder and pea-hay for a day's feed were fifteen pounds of each1 more or less4 ,on this food she was kept through the winter1 giving milk of excellent quality1 and in good quantity4 ,in ,february1 she was tethered every fair day in the oats1 and in ,march1 we fed her a good mess of fresh cut oats1 still1 however1 keeping up the winter feed of corn fodder1 pea-hay1 wheat bran1 and cotton meal4 ,about ,april first1 the feed of green oats was increased to all she would eat1 feeding three times daily1 and the excellence of this diet was shown by a marked increase in the quantity of her milk4 ,though due to calve again in ,july1 she continued to supply a family of ten persons with an abundance of milk4 ,late in ,april1 when the oats were in the milk state1 they were cut and cured for hay1 making a little over a ton of good food4 ,upon summing up the result1 the following dollar and cents view of the experiment of sustaining a cow on a half acre is submitted4 ,the labor expended in cultivation is not put down as an item of expense1 as the carriage horse was used in plowing1 and the hired man did the rest4 ,dr4 ,to #a1ejj pounds ,wheat ,bran1 at #ij;c4 #ac4ej 0 #bjj pounds ,corn ,meal1 at #gj;c4 #a4dj 0 #hjj pounds ,cotton-seed ,meal1 at #a #h4jj 0 #cjj pounds ,hay1 at #ge;c4 #b4be ------ ,total #be4ae ,cr4 ,by sale of #b1bjj pounds of ,corn-fodder1 at #fj;c4 #ac4bj 0 #b1ajj pounds of ,oats1 at #ge;c4 #ae4ge ------ #bh4ie ,profit #c4hj ,but the profit above shown does not express the real profit4 ,a year's continuous supply of rich milk in abundance1 for a large household1 cream for special occasions1 and that best of luxuries1 delicious home-made butter1 and one hundred dollars for the little heifer when six months old1 aggregate the chief results of the experiment4 ,for the best results in soiling1 no crop compares1 as far as my experience goes1 with our ,southern variety of ,indian corn2 on rich land it produces marvellously4 ,i have raised it at the rate of one hundred thousand pounds 7or fifty tons7 per acre4 ,there is no difficulty in producing three crops in one season on the same land4 ,but cattle need a variety of food in soiling1 as in other forms of feeding4 ,oats are excellent1 and come in early4 ,cat-tail ,millet 78,pearl ,millet07 is a rapid grower1 but cattle are not specially fond of it2 they like ,german ,millet better4 ,garden 7or ,english7 ,peas make an excellent food1 coming into use in ,march1 and lasting to ,june4 ,i remember one year ,i produced five crops for soiling1 on the same land1 in one year1 namely3 oats1 three of corn1 and one of cow-peas4 ,the last named is a superb food late in the year1 after corn has gone4 ,i have never experimented with roots1 nor am ,i aware of any being cultivated in the ,south as a soiling crop4 ,cabbages set out in ,september and ,october will be ready for feeding in ,december1 and will1 next to corn1 produce the largest weight of green food4 ,one year ,i fed them to a considerable extent1 and found my cows were very partial to them4 ,by beginning with cabbages in ,december1 to be succeeded by oats in ,march1 then peas1 corn1 and millet1 to wind up in ,november with cow-pea1 a cow in our climate can be soiled every day in the year4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4--,,the ,,jersey ,,cow 8,,rosalee40 ,,the ,,village ,,cow ,,in ,,new ,,england4 ,,being ,,the ,,journal ,,of ,,the ,,keeper4 ,,by ,,henry ,e4 ,,alvord1 ,,easthampton1 ,,mass4 ,in writing upon this subject the narrative form is convenient1 and while it cannot be claimed that this is entirely a 8true story10 it may be said to be founded on fact4 ,personal experience is my basis1 and whatever of fancy may be interwoven with the facts would have been quite practicable1 and all ought to have occurred as narrated1 if all did not4 ,let me premise by saying that ,i own a comfortable little home in a village of a few thousand inhabitants1 not a thousand miles from ,new ,york1 supporting my family by a moderate income earned from day to day1 and my occupation is such as to enable me to spend an average of three hours of daylight on my place1 from the middle of ,march to the middle of ,october1 and occasionally a whole day besides4 ,thus ,i can make and care for my garden1 which for some years has uniformly been an excellent one1 quite a model1 though ,i say it4 ,of this sort of work ,i have always been very fond1 as well as of domestic animals1 all kinds of which were familiar to me when a boy4 ,,may #a,,st1 #ahge4--;,for several years ,i have kept more or less poultry1 and sometimes a pig2 there is so much from a good garden that is otherwise wasted4 ,the ambition of the family is to own a horse and a cow4 ,it has been talked about a good deal1 but we are agreed that the horse would be a pure luxury1 in our circumstances1 and must wait4 ,the cow ,i have felt would be a luxury too1 that is1 cost more than it would produce1 but on this point the good wife has differed with me1 claiming that it would be a real economy4 ,it has been a part of our domestic policy to use milk and butter liberally1 thereby keeping down the butcher's bill and buying very little lard4 ,of the value of milk as an article of food1 in its natural state1 and in the many ways which it can be used in cooking1 there can be no doubt1 especially where there are young and growing members of the family4 ,still1 ,i have been skeptical on the economy of keeping a cow1 and to convince me1 the help-meet recently proved1 from well kept accounts1 that during the last two years there have been consumed by our family of five persons1 one thousand five hundred and forty-five quarts of milk1 averaging seven cents a quart1 and three hundred and sixty-one pounds of butter1 average price thirty-three cents a pound4 ,these have amounted to a cash expenditure of one hundred and thirteen dollars and sixty-four cents a year1 which was a decided surprise to me1 and feeling pretty sure the expense need not exceed two dollars a week1 ,i yielded to the argument2 am the owner of a cow1 and here record the result of my experiment4 ,one of the pleasant spring days of last week1 we took a drive among the farms of the vicinity1 and selected a good looking cow which had just dropped her second calf4 ,the price paid was sixty-five dollars1 to be delivered to me to-day1 without the calf4 ,the man ,i bought of called her 8pure ,alderney10 but she looks large of her age for that race1 weighing somewhat over seven hundred pounds1 and if1 two or three generations back there was a cross of ,ayrshire1 or of ,guernsey1 it is all the better4 ,my belief is that she has a streak of ,ayrshire blood1 and that she will make a fine cow4 ,being three years old next month 7exact date unknown71 it has been decided that our cow is to be known as 8,june40 ,,may #a,,st1 #ahgf4--,when 8,june0 was bought1 it was in the full expectation that pasturage could be hired in a small lot adjoining the rear of mine4 ,i supposed it was fixed1 but the spring had been favorable1 the grass on the meadow promised well1 and the owner concluded he would mow it1 so that arrangement fell through4 ,by that time ,i was too late to secure room in the only pasture convenient to the village1 and ,i have been forced to keep her in the stable and a small stable yard1 the whole year4 ,the result is more than satisfactory1 considering the disadvantageous circumstances4 ,a year ago to-day 8,june0 arrived1 in fair condition1 save that her coat looked a little rough1 and with a good bag of milk2 her daily yield that month was about twelve quarts4 ,in a day or two ,i noticed that when in the yard1 she rubbed her neck vigorously against the corner of the stable and sometimes backed up to a building or fence for the purpose4 ,an examination proved that she had vermin upon her2 so ,i made a pail full of strong suds1 with soft soap1 and put into it an ounce of sulphuric acid1 and with this ,i sponged the parts infested1 twice daily1 for a few days4 ,this seemed efficient and there has been no such trouble since4 ,for long forage 8,june0 had only dry food1 good fine hay1 until late in ,may1 and then ,i began to give her a green bite whenever ,i could1 clippings from the yard1 trimmings of early vegetables and whatever there was to spare from the garden4 ,besides this1 everything she ate had to be bought1 except a few roots used since ,february4 ,a little bran was fed for the first few days1 and gradually increased1 so that during the summer she received four pounds daily1 fed in two parts1 morning and night4 ,later in the season corn-meal was added to the ration1 and at times oats were substituted for the bran4 ,in the winter1 eight pounds of meal and bran1 half and half1 mixed1 was the daily allowance4 ,buying hay in small quantities ,i managed to keep both rowen and clover hay on hand1 some of it very fresh1 and could thus vary the dry food4 ,also1 for variety1 ,i frequently gave one cut feed a day1 moistened4 ,besides this1 ,i obtained and worked in1 during the summer1 a lot of half-ripe oats1 in the straw1 which had lodged and were cured like hay4 ,the food1 although thus often changed1 was changed carefully4 ,in my garden ,i made a large parsnip bed1 and followed my earliest peas with carrots1 so that in the fall there were several bushels of these roots4 ,the carrots were buried in the garden1 a mellow loam1 and the parsnips left in the ground4 ,the former were opened during a thaw in ,february1 and a few fed to 8,june0 each day1 lasting until the end of ,march2 by that time ,i could get the parsnips and they have just given out4 ,when ,i began the roots the grain was gradually withheld and she has had none since ,february4 ,these roots have had a most apparent effect1 giving her coat a bright1 thrifty look1 and she is in fine condition for calving1 which is expected in ten days4 ,but the roots made it hard to dry off the cow4 ,she was shrinking in milk fast when we began on the carrots1 then started up again and was giving about three quarts a day in ,march1 when the milk 7and especially the cream7 began to have a sharp1 unpleasant1 bitter taste1 and we soon had to give up using it4 ,it then took a fortnight to dry her off1 which was done by lessening the roots1 milking not quite dry1 then only once a day1 and once in two days4 ,water has been offered three times a day1 through the year1 all she would drink1 salt has always been within her reach4 ,all summer1 and every mild1 dry day in winter1 8,june0 has passed some hours in the stable yard4 ,a large amount of bedding has been necessary1 and for this ,i have used the waste hay1 the rakings of the yard last autumn1 the scrapings of the garden walks1 garden litter1 and the leaves from a row of maple trees in front of the house1 carefully saved for the purpose4 ,so much in the stall1 8,june0 has required more personal care1 and it has been made a rule to rub and brush her body enough to keep it clean and free from dead skin4 ,but ,i never use a harsh card2 nothing is better for rubbing than a piece of old seine or very coarse bagging4 ,everything about the cow1 too1 is kept clean and sweet4 ,the result of this continuous stabling has been a rapid accumulation of manure1 and this having been mixed with all the suitable refuse of the place1 and forked over several times1 ,i this spring have on hand a huge pile of rich compost4 ,it is more than can be used on the garden1 and the newer part has been corded up under a temporary shed for sale or future use4 ,this alone well pays for all my extra work in keeping the cow1 as ,i have yearly been obliged to buy for the garden4 ,our plan during the year has been to sell a little milk to neighbors1 set aside two quarts daily for family use1 cream and all4 ,the cream from the remainder has been made into butter1 and an accurate account kept of the butter produced4 ,the following is the result of this first year keeping one cow3 ,,expenses3 ,interest #g per cent on cost of cow #d4ee #d tons of ,hay1 av4 #bj #hj4jj #ejj lbs ,oats in straw #d4be #ifj lbs4 ,wheat ,bran1 #a4bj #aa4eb #cej lbs4 ,corn-,meal #a4aj #c4he #d bus4 ,oats #ee;c4 #b4bj ------ ,expended #ajf4cg ,less #djj lbs4 ,hay on hand #c4jj ------ ,year's expense #ajc4cg ,,returns3 #aee qts4 ,milk sold #g;c4 #aj4he #caa qts4 ,skim-milk1 #c;c4 #i4cc ------ ,sales #bj4ah #fbj qts4 ,milk for family1 #g;c4 #dc4dj #abc lbs4 ,butter made1 #ce;c4 #dc4je ------ ,year's return #ajf4fc ,memorandum--,cost #ajc4cg ,less sales #bj4ah ------ #hc4ai ,plus purchases-- #hh qts4 ,milk #f4af #eb lbs4 ,butter #af4fd ------ ,cow products cost family #aje4ii ,here is a net balance of three dollars and twenty-six cents in favor of the cow1 without allowing anything for the abundant supply of skim-milk and butter-milk which has been profitably used in the poultry yard as well as at the house--or for the big compost heap1 which could readily be sold4 ,the figures also show that the family has had a better supply of cow products than last year1 at seven dollars and sixty-five cents less expense4 ,no labor is charged1 for ,i am not so much keeping an exact account of the maintenance of the cow1 as of the profit of my keeping one1 taking care of her myself4 ,and no credit is given for manure1 as ,i mean to apply that to reducing the cost of keeping in the future4 ,the cow might have been fed at less cost1 but ,i intended to have her improve on my hands1 and she has done so4 8,june0 now weighs seven hundred and sixty-two pounds1 is about to have her third calf1 and is certainly worth more than was paid for her4 ,altogether1 in spite of unfavorable conditions there is no occasion to complain of the result of the year4 ,,may #a,,st1 #ahgg4--,last spring1 my neighbor1 north1 was willing to let me have his acre and a half of meadow for pasturage1 but wanted thirty-five dollars for the season4 ,i would not pay that1 and1 instead1 hired a place for 8,june0 in a large pasture half a mile or more distant1 paying twenty dollars for the season1 ,may fifteenth1 to ,october fifteenth1 and four dollars to a boy for driving4 ,on the ninth of ,may1 the cow dropped a bull calf without difficulty1 and ,i gave it away the next day4 ,no special care was needed or given1 except a little caution as to feeding1 and on the fifteenth the cow went to pasture4 ,she did remarkably well until early in ,july1 being in pasture during the day1 and at the stable at night4 ,then the weather grew very hot1 the pasture dry1 and 8,june0 began to fail rapidly in her milk2 so ,i commenced feeding a little bran1 and offered hay when she came up at night4 ,later1 a friend recommended cotton-seed meal1 and a hundred weight of that was obtained and fed with good results1 two or three pounds a day4 ,august was a month of intense dry heat1 and the pasture became of little use except for the exercise1 shade1 and water4 ,in spite of meal and hay fed at night1 8,june's0 yield of milk shrank to three quarts a day1 and we feared she would go dry4 ,august fifth1 ,i made the change of sending her to pasture just before six o'clock in the evening1 as the boy went after the other cows1 and bringing her up to the stable in the morning1 where ,i kept her during the day4 ,this was an improvement1 and also gave better opportunity of feeding sweet corn stalks1 vegetable trimmings and the like1 fresh from the garden4 ,the grain was continued through ,august1 and she ate more or less hay4 ,at the end of the month she was giving over a gallon of milk a day4 ,rains came early in ,september1 the pasturage soon became good again1 and the daily mess of milk steadily increased until ,november4 ,by that time she was in the stable for the winter1 and the treatment since has been practically a repetition of last year4 ,my root patch in the garden was enlarged1 as the result of last year's experience1 and accordingly ,i put eight or ten bushels of carrots into my cellar in ,october1 covering them with sand1 and left a fine lot of parsnips in the ground4 ,i began feeding the carrots in ,january1 two or three a day1 just for a relish2 gradually increased them1 until in ,february the cow received half a peck or more1 and thus they lasted into ,march4 ,then ,i dried her off1 getting the last milk to use ,march twenty-eighth4 ,grain feeding was stopped the first of ,march1 and she has had none since4 ,after the cow was fully dry1 ,i began on the parsnips1 and she is now getting half a peck daily1 with all the hay she will eat4 8,june0 will be fresh again on the twentieth of this month4 ,the season has not satisfied me4 ,not only has the weather been unfavorable1 7we must expect severe summers occasionally17 but ,i don't like sending the cow to a distant pasture which ,i can know very little about1 and where nobody knows how the other animals treat her4 ,i shall never do this again if any other arrangement can be made4 ,the account for the year is as follows3 ,,expenses4 ,interest at #g per cent4 on cost of cow #d4ee ,hay from last year #c4jj #b tons ,timothy ,hay #ah #de4jj ,pasturage and driving #bd4jj #gej lbs4 ,wheat ,bran #a4aj #h4be #dej lbs4 ,corn-,meal #a #d4ej #ajj lbs4 ,cotton-seed ,meal #b4jj ------ ,expended #ia4cj ,less hay on hand #b4jj ------ ,year's expense #hi4cj ,,returns4 #db qts ,milk sold at #f;c4 #b4gc #bhf qts4 ,skim-milk sold at #c;c4 #h4eh ------ ,sales #aa4ca #fdj qts4 ,milk for family1 at #f;c4 #da4fj #aji lbs4 ,butter made #cb;c4 #cd4hh ------ ,year's returns #hg4gi ,memorandum--,cost #hi4cj ,less sales #aa4ca ------ #gg4ii ,plus purchases-- #hf qts4 ,milk #f;c4 #e4ei #gj lbs4 ,butter #cj;c4 #ba4jj ------ ,cow products cost family #ajd4eh ,comparing this with last year's statement1 it will be seen that although there is a small balance against the cow1 she is still1 all things considered1 a profitable part of the domestic establishment4 ,,may #a,,st1 #ahgh4--;,dissatisfied with the last year's management1 and seeing that there would last spring be a large surplus of fine compost on hand1 more profitable to use than to sell1 ,i planned a new arrangement in the autumn of #ahgf for keeping my one cow4 ,first1 ,i secured the meadow west of my lot1 renting it from the owner from ,october first1 #ahgf1 until ,april first1 this year1 for thirty dollars4 ,the acre and a half yielded about two tons of hay in #ahgf1 but no rowen2 the aftermath was good1 however1 when ,i came in possession4 ,the south end of it1 although in good heart1 was weedy and uneven4 ,i drove some strong stakes1 and ran a wire fence across1 in continuation of my southern boundary1 thus cutting off just about a quarter of an acre in rear of my neighbor1 south4 ,this piece ,i dressed with compost made the summer just preceding1 and had it plowed and cross-plowed before the ground froze1 in preparation for a root crop4 ,the soil is a deep1 mellow1 sandy loam1 but rich4 ,last spring the new root patch was plowed once1 well dressed from the compost pile of #ahge-f1 and that harrowed in4 7,there was enough of the same compost for my garden1 and to spare1 so last ,june there was still on hand the manure of about a year's collection put up in good shape47 ,the rest of the work ,i was able to do myself4 ,my root-garden1 laid out in rows running north and south1 was divided as follows3 eight square rods of parsnips next to neighbor1 south1 on the slope1 where they caught the wash from his garden2 twelve square rods of carrots and ten rods of mangolds2 in the point west to the stream ,i put sweet corn at first1 and followed it with strap-leafed turnips1 ten square rods4 ,without going into the details of root-culture1 which any one who has made a good garden knows all about1 ,i put into my house cellar last fall fifty-two bushels of ,long ,orange ,carrots1 and over forty bushels of ,long ,yellow ,mangel ,wurzels 7these monstrous1 twisted1 forked roots are awkward things to measure1 but there must have been a ton or more in weight71 left in the ground from twenty to twenty-five bushels of ,hollow-crowned ,parsnips1 and harvested thirty-six bushels of ,english ,turnips4 ,this was more than ,i had bargained for4 ,i see now that roots enough might have been raised in my old garden1 and the parsnips would have done much better there1 but ,i sold twenty bushels each of carrots and turnips for more than enough to cover all expenditures for seed and hired labor4 ,a year ago to-day1 ,i turned 8,june0 into her new pasture of an acre and a quarter2 the grass was then starting well1 and ,i preferred to have the change gradual4 ,she ate more or less hay until the end of the month4 ,doors and gates were so fixed that she could be in stall1 yard1 or pasture at pleasure1 and could drink at the stream bordering the meadow4 ,,calving ,,and ,,after-,,treatment4 ,on the eighteenth of ,may1 her bag began to swell1 and became feverish4 ,a quart or two of watery milk was drawn at intervals of eight hours for the next three days1 and the udder was bathed as often in tepid water1 and gently but thoroughly rubbed with goose oil1 in which camphor-gum had been dissolved4 ,each day1 also1 she was given a quarter of a pound of ,epsom ,salts1 dissolved in a quart of 8tea0 made from poke-weed root 7,phytolacca decandra71 which all druggists now keep in store2 this was administered as a 8drench10 from a bottle1 her head being held up while she swallowed it4 ,on the morning of the twenty-second1 being two days overdue1 she calved1 having a hard time1 but producing without help a fine large heifer4 ,very soon after1 ,i gave her a bucket of cool 7not cold7 water1 in which was stirred a quart of wheat bran1 a half pound of linseed-meal1 previously scalded1 and a handful of pulverized poke or garget root4 ,this mess was repeated at noon1 and the bag milked dry4 ,a little later1 the after-birth naturally passed off and was removed4 ,the udder remained hot1 knotty1 and so tender that when the calf sucked ,i had to protect it from the mother's kicks1 and also to prevent it from taking one teat which was extremely sore4 ,from this quarter ,i carefully drew the milk with one of a set of four 8milking-tubes10 which ,i bought two years ago to do my milking1 but soon discarded2 here they came in use1 just the thing wanted1 but one as good as four4 ,at night ,i milked dry1 gave a dose of half a pound of ,salts1 with one ounce of ,nitre1 and a warm ,bran-mash4 ,the bag was well rubbed as before4 ,the cow ate some hay during the night1 and a few cabbage sprouts in the morning4 ,that day 7twenty-third71 she was on the pasture a little while1 and had a full bag of milk1 but still hot and tender4 ,the calf was separated from the cow at daylight1 and allowed to suck four times during the day1 the bag being milked dry1 and then oiled and well rubbed every time4 ,the bowels appearing to be in a sufficiently active state1 appetite improving1 and her eyes natural1 the physic was discontinued1 the cow allowed to eat grass and hay at will1 and for several days the calf sucked at daylight1 noon1 and dark1 the milk left by it being all drawn4 ,the bag was rubbed and anointed two or three times a day1 and a little extract of ,belladonna added to the oil used4 ,under this treatment the inflammation gradually subsided4 ,as soon as the cow would allow her calf to take the tenderest teat1 ,i kept it on that side as much as possible while sucking4 ,at the end of a week after calving1 the udder was again in sound condition4 ,the calf was kept until the first of ,june1 and then the owner of its sire took it in full for service of bull three seasons4 ,we then began to get the full flow of milk1 and the pasture being good1 it was a fine mess daily4 ,at that time1 ,i began to measure the milk1 and have done so ever since4 8,june0 gave four hundred and eighty-two quarts the month she was five years old1 an average of sixteen quarts a day4 ,until the last of ,july1 the cow got all her food from the pasture1 and one acre would have done as well as one and a quarter4 ,for the next five or six weeks1 the grass was hardly sufficient2 it was1 for this period1 based upon the experience of ,august1 #ahgf1 that the corn had been provided4 ,the ten rods of ,mammoth ,sweet1 three hundred and fifty to four hundred hills1 had been put in at five different plantings1 a week apart1 and the earliest was just forming ears the last of ,july when ,i began using it1 at first once a day1 then twice4 ,for each feed1 the whole plants of three or four hills were taken1 and chopped in a straw-cutter1 ears and all1 into two-inch lengths4 ,this was eaten with great relish1 and during ,august the cow spent most of the daytime standing in the stream where shaded by trees and grazed at night4 ,the pasturage improved again before the corn gave out1 so quite a nice piece of winter fodder was saved from the piece4 ,then all through ,september there was every day more or less of green-corn husks1 carrot and beet tops1 other vegetable and fruit trimmings1 clean refuse from house and garden1 good food for the cow1 so that again one acre of pasture would have sufficed4 ,during ,october1 the carrots and mangolds were harvested1 and their tops gave the cow more than she could manage4 ,i also began feeding turnips the last of ,october1 a few with mangel tops at first1 increasing until she ate more than half a bushel a day1 tops and all4 ,before the ground froze1 the turnips were piled in the barn1 without trimming1 and covered with hay2 were kept safely until the last were fed1 ,november twenty-eighth4 ,the problem of winter feeding really came up the first of ,november4 ,i had a large supply of roots on hand of my own raising1 and the hay and grain to buy4 ,so ,i went to the books1 and after studying both practice and science1 decided upon the following daily rations for the next six months3 ,november first to ,may first1 fifteen pounds of meadow rowen and clover hay1 in about equal parts2 one pound each of coarse wheat bran and corn-meal1 mixed4 ,during ,november1 one-half bushel turnips and two pounds cotton-seed meal2 ,december and ,january1 one-half bushel carrots and one and one-half pound cotton-seed meal2 ,february and ,march1 one-half bushel 7or more7 of mangels and one pound cotton-seed meal2 ,april1 one-half bushel parsnips and one and one-half pounds cotton-seed meal2 also1 one hundred pounds additional hay1 and my corn-stalks1 for ,february and ,march4 ,this plan has been carried out with little variation4 ,of course the food has not been accurately weighed daily4 ,the grain portions1 kept in barrels1 have been dipped out with tin cups1 but have held out just about as expected2 the quantity of hay and roots has been guessed at4 ,,the ,,method ,,of ,,feeding and other work at the stable during the winter has been this3 ,between six and seven o'clock ,a4 ,m4 stall cleaned1 cow brushed off1 bedding and absorbents fixed1 the milking done1 and then a feed of six or seven pounds of chaffed hay1 slightly moistened1 and the bran and meal mixed with it4 ,after this1 a bucket of water left in the stall1 except in the coldest weather4 ,the bucket is fixed near the feed-box1 so it can not be tipped over1 and it has generally been found empty at noon4 ,at that hour1 the regular watering1 two or three pailfuls1 and then a small bunch of hay thrown in the box2 the stall cleaned also4 ,between six and seven at night1 the milking done and bedding fixed1 the roots fed1 chopped up pretty fine with a spade1 and the cotton-seed meal sprinkled over them4 ,hay then given1 and the cow left for the night4 ,it was my intention to feed the roots in two parts1 morning and night1 and ,i should have preferred this1 but my time in the morning was limited4 ,preparing the roots over night1 they sometimes froze1 but ,i could cut the hay at evening1 ready for the morning chop-feed4 ,as one kind of root was about to give out1 some of the next to be fed were mixed in1 and thus sudden changes avoided4 ,the extra hay and stalks calculated for ,february and ,march were not used exactly in those months1 but consumed during severely cold and windy spells1 being added to the usual noon and night portions4 ,at all times1 the cow had1 under this plan1 full as much as she was ready to eat up clean4 ,the hay left on hand a year ago was all used last summer1 and before ,november a full load each of the best rowen and clover hay were put into the barn1 one thousand six hundred and one thousand four hundred pounds respectively1 and there is a little left4 ,it ought also to be mentioned that while the cow was mainly fed on sweet corn1 last ,july and ,august1 ,i was obliged to add about two pounds of cotton-seed meal a day1 to give quality to the milk2 it was fed dry1 at noon4 ,as soon as the feeding of carrot tops began1 this meal was omitted1 but it was again needed when turnips were substituted for carrot and beet tops4 ,the ration of mangolds was increased to about two bushels in three days1 because there were plenty of them1 and my house cellar being rather warm1 they commenced to rot4 ,i was very careful to give the cow only sound roots4 ,this extra food in ,february and ,march resulted in a better milk record by 8,june0 than in the two months next preceding4 ,i shall feed more roots the coming year4 ,there were more parsnips than could be well used2 they were not needed until ,april1 and ,i sold five dollars' worth1 as an offset to what the cow got from last year's kitchen garden4 ,the cow goes on to pasture to-day4 ,therefore1 in review1 the cow has been carried through the year with the one and one-half acres rented for thirty dollars1 and forty-five dollars expended for hay and grain4 ,against the manure taken for my garden may be placed the cleanings of the poultry house1 the contents of the earth-closet1 and the garden refuse and bedding1 all of which go into the compost heap4 ,the item of labor alone remains1 and as all that has been hired 7including the plowing of the garden7 was paid from sales of surplus roots1 no further account is taken of that2 my own time was well spent1 as the balance sheet shows4 ,last ,august1 we fully determined that it would be better for the family cow to be fresh in ,september than in the spring4 ,the heat of summer is the time when it is most difficult to keep a cow properly fed for a good flow of rich milk on a little place like this4 ,it is the time when milk is plenty and cheap1 if one wants to buy1 and most difficult to manage or dispose of if one has much on hand4 ,it is almost impossible to make good butter in dog-days1 living as we do1 with no special appliances1 and it is not worth while for us to get a patent creamer and a supply of ice4 ,in the spring1 we don't want a dry cow1 but are willing to have one in ,august4 ,july1 with its increasing heat and decreasing pasturage1 is a favorable time to dry off a cow4 ,the keeper of one cow can not afford to have her dry more than six weeks in the year1 and may manage to have this period four weeks1 or even less4 ,accordingly1 ,i have arranged for 8,june0 to come in next ,september1 and shall in future practice 8winter-dairying40 ,indeed1 we have done so the past season1 for with liberal feeding of a succulent character1 the cow has held out well in her milk4 ,she is now giving between five and six quarts a day1 while not yet on grass1 and her total yield for eleven months1 since ,june first 7or rather for the year71 is found to be two thousand seven hundred and forty-six quarts4 ,here is my third year's annual account with 8,june30 ,,expenses4 ,interest at #g per cent4 on cost of cow #d4ee ,rent of #a acres of land #cj4jj ,hay left from last year #b4jj #a tons of ,hay bought #bh4ej #cej lbs4 of ,cotton-seed ,meal and freight #f4hj #aei lbs4 ,corn-,meal #a4ej #bjj lbs4 ,bran #a4ae per cwt #b4cj ------ ,year's expense #ge4fe ,,returns4 #fhe qts4 ,milk sold at #f;c4 #da4aj #dfd qts4 ,skim-milk sold at #b;c4 #aa4fj ------ ,sales #eb4gj #fgj qts4 ,milk used #f;c4 #dj4bj #abg lbs4 ,butter made #cj;c4 #ch4aj ------ ,year's return #aca4jj ,memorandum--,cost keeping #ge4fe ,less sales #eb4gj ------ #bb4ie ,plus purchases-- #ee qts4 ,milk #f;c4 #c4cj #ec lbs4 ,butter #cj;c4 #ae4ij ------ ,cow products cost family #db4ae ,an absolute profit of fifty-five dollars from the cow is shown1 and a still larger saving in family expenses1 besides nine hundred quarts of skim-milk and butter-milk used in the house and poultry-yard and given away4 ,the yield of the cow shows 8,june0 to be a superior animal1 and that is what the keeper of one cow should have1 for it costs little more in food and care than an ordinary one4 ,but if the cow had been only of medium quality and no new milk could be sold1 it would have been a profitable operation4 ,and if1 instead of selling new milk1 as much butter had been made as possible1 there would still have resulted a balance of over twenty dollars in favor of the cow4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4--,,plan ,,of ,,village ,,lot ,,and ,,surroundings4 ,,may #a,,st1 #ahhj4--7,to come within the required limits of this paper the journal of the last two years must be condensed4 ,therefore1 omitting detailed descriptions1 the general facts are given1 and some opinions derived from the five years recorded47 ,for the year ending ,may1 #ahgi1 the method of keeping 8,june0 was much the same as in that last described1 but more roots were raised and fed2 some hay was made1 and only straw and grain food purchased4 ,the result was even better than that shown by the last account4 ,during the year just ended1 the fifth since 8,june0 was bought1 ,i tried soiling1 keeping the cow in stall and yard almost all the time1 and have actually got through without buying hay or straw1 using only one acre and a quarter to produce all the long forage needed4 ,there is so much left over that ,i am satisfied one acre well managed1 the preparation beginning the previous fall1 can be made to support my cow1 with the exception of the grain food and part of the roots4 ,but this requires more time for labor than ,i can give1 and more manure than one cow makes4 ,i have had to buy fertilizers during the last two years1 and although they were good1 ,i prefer hereafter to buy food and make manure1 rather than buy manures to make food4 ,for one situated as ,i am1 a semi-soiling system1 or limited pasturage helped out with other food1 is better1 even if more food is bought4 ,i can be surer of what ,i purchase1 and thus use the one cow to better advantage4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4--;,,east ,,end ,,of ,,stable ,,in #ahgj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4--,,plan ,,of ,,stable ,,in #ahgj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g4--,,south ,,side ,,of ,,stable ,,as ,,adapted ,,for ,,poultry ,,in #ahga-e4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h4--,,plan ,,of ,,stable1 #ahga-e4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #i and #aj4--;,,east ,,and ,,south ,,elevations ,,of ,,stable1 ,,as ,,changed ,,for ,,poultry ,,and ,,cow ,,in #ahge4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4--,,main ,,floor ,,plan ,,as ,,changed ,,for ,,cow ,,in #ahge4 ,the only secret of home-made manure is to save everything1 especially all liquids1 mix everything as already explained1 fork over and keep compact1 to make a homogenous compost1 and keep all under cover until used4 ,a very slight and cheap protecting shed will suffice4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4--;,,front ,,elevation ,,as ,,changed ,,in #ahgh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4--,,plan ,,of ,,barn ,,basement ,,with ,,new ,,stone ,,foundations1 #ahgh4 ,as to housing1 ,i began with a plain frame stable found upon the place1 made originally for one horse and a buggy1 and have gradually changed and added to it1 doing most of the work myself1 until a very satisfactory building has resulted4 ,it contains room enough for a year's forage1 including root-cellar1 a warm1 dry stall1 conveniently arranged for saving labor1 ample shed-room for compost1 and a sheltered yard containing five or six square rods1 which is as good as more4 ,there is running water in the yard4 ,the plans accompanying this article1 figs4 #e to #ac inclusive1 show these arrangements better than any description in writing4 8,june0 had her fifth calf ,september sixth1 #ahgh1 and her sixth exactly a year later4 ,at the fifth calving there was a 8false presentation10 and a very serious time4 ,no competent veterinarian was within reach1 or else one would have been called4 ,as it was1 ,i looked up the subject in back volumes of agricultural papers and other publications1 went to work myself1 and getting the calf into proper position1 succeeded in effecting a delivery without serious consequences4 ,last ,september's calf was a heifer1 and by a fine sire1 so1 as 8,june0 has reached her prime1 if not passed it1 ,i am raising this calf to make a new cow to succeed the worthy dam4 ,most keepers of one cow1 however1 are so situated that they had better dispose of calves at once4 ,making veal is not as profitable as making butter1 and feeding skim-milk to children and chickens4 ,in order to have the products of the cow perfectly satisfactory1 ,i lay great stress upon the utmost care and cleanliness in milking4 ,first1 see that the stall and all about it is in order1 pure air1 and no dust flying1 and the udder and flank of the cow quite clean4 ,except in the coldest weather1 the udder is sponged off with tepid water1 and wiped dry1 just before milking4 ,then ,i trust no one to milk for me1 but do it myself1 quietly1 quickly1 and completely1 milking into a funnel1 which carries the fluid to a covered pail1 which serves also a seat4 ,this new and truly 8,perfect0 milking-pail1 which ,i first saw described in the ,,american ,,agriculturist1 is a great improvement on all open vessels4 ,i prefer not to have the cow eating while ,i milk2 she should give her whole attention to the operation1 as well as the milker4 ,this certainty that my milk reaches the house absolutely pure1 not only satisfies us as to our own cream and butter1 but makes 8,june's0 milk in great demand in the neighborhood4 ,our neighbors so much prefer it to milkmen's milk that they are willing to send to the house for it1 and pay more than the usual village price4 ,this adds materially to the profit of keeping one cow4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad4--,,the ,,guernsey ,,cow 8,,lady ,,jane0 ,,and ,,heifer4 ,,joseph ,,earnest ,,and ,,his ,,cow 8,,comfort40 ,a ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,western ,,reserve4 ,,by ,s4 ,b4 ,,morris1 ,,charlestown1 ,,portage ,,co41 ,o4 ,the luxury of having fresh milk1 cream1 and butter1 may be enjoyed by every family in city1 town1 or hamlet1 that can provide a cow with the necessaries expressed in one word--comfort4 ,to show what may be done in this respect1 allow me to give somewhat of the history of ,joseph ,earnest4 ,joseph's father was a carpenter1 and never kept a horse or cow4 ,after giving his son the best education he could receive at the common school1 he kept him at work with himself until ,joseph also became a master carpenter4 ,at the time our story commences1 he is married and has a family of three children1 a girl of eight1 a boy of six years1 and a baby4 ,by industry1 economy1 and good habits1 he had accumulated sufficient means to purchase a half-acre lot in the outskirts of a flourishing manufacturing town4 ,upon this lot he had built a small but comfortable house4 ,his wife1 the daughter of a well-to-do farmer1 having a little property of her own1 invested it in the vacant lot adjoining them4 ,the winter previous ,joseph had put up a building which was to serve the double purpose of barn and workshop4 ,the barn for his visiting friends1 the workshop for himself4 ,back of this building1 and adjacent to it1 was a small hennery in which were kept a few fowls2 at one side was a shed for his gardening implements4 ,everything about the premises showed the owner was neat and orderly1 as well as thrifty1 while within the snug cottage the same virtues reigned supreme4 ,many a time did ,mary look back to the old home-life on the farm1 and think of the plentiful products of the dairy4 ,then she would say to ,joseph1 8,how ,i wish we could keep a cow4 ,it seems as though ,i cannot half cook with only one quart of milk a day1 and the children would be so much healthier if they could have what milk they want40 ,joseph agreed with her1 and would add1 8,but you know ,mary we cannot raise our own vegetables and fruit1 and keep a cow1 with only one acre of land40 ,imagine her surprise1 when1 after a short absence one morning1 ,joseph returned leading a cow4 ,he was soon surrounded by his family and plied with questions1 such as3 ,whose is she8 ,where did you get her8 ,what will you do with her8 ,in answer to these questions ,joseph replied1 8,i went over to ,mr4 ,durham's this morning1 to see if he could pay me what was back on the work ,i did for him last fall4 ,i found him feeding his cattle and made known my errand4 ,he said he had no money at present1 but was wanting to sell a cow1 and as soon as he could would pay me4 ,i asked him which cow he wanted to sell2 he pointed out this one1 which was smaller than the others and seemed driven by them4 ,not a very large cow1 he said1 but young1 with some ,jersey blood in her--better for a family cow than for a factory cow4 ,i say ,earnest1 she is just what you need1 with your family4 ,but ,i've no place to put her1 said ,i1 and ,i don't know how to take care of a cow4 ,nonsense1 said he1 put her in your stable for the present1 and you'll learn how to take care of her fast enough4 ,but what shall ,i feed her8 ,why the money you pay ,churchill for milk1 with what you can raise on your lot1 will keep your cow right along1 and instead of one quart a day1 you'll have all the milk and cream and butter you want to use1 and some to spare1 and1 ,mary1 ,i thought it wouldn't break us up if it didn't prove a success1 so ,i took the cow on what he was owing me--twenty five dollars--and here she is40 8,oh1 ,joseph1 ,i am so glad you bought her1 ,i do believe we can keep her10 said ,mary1 8how gentle she seems10--for during the talk the children had been petting the cow1 who appeared well pleased with her new acquaintances4 ,the baby partaking of the general animation1 crowed with delight1 as though already anticipating the good time coming4 8,she has behaved like a baby coming over here10 said ,joseph1 8and ,i declare ,i begin to love her already4 ,i have always wished we could live where we could have animals around us1 and perhaps we will some day40 ,mary said she hoped they could1 for she felt lonesome for them4 8,but what shall we name our cow8 ,for my part ,i would like to call her #8,comfort1' and while she contributes to our comfort we will endeavor to do the same for her40 ,joseph agreed to the name1 saying he needed plenty to eat and drink1 a good bed and pleasant home1 and he believed that animals did too1 so he would give her one of his nice roomy stalls in his barn1 make her a bed of shavings from the shop until he could do better4 8,we have pure water for her to drink1 with hay and vegetables to eat1 and that will keep her alive until we learn what she will thrive on best40 ,as this was a 8broken0 day1 he thought they had better get neighbor ,manning's horse and carry-all1 and drive out to father ,granger's4 ,he had always been a good farmer and could tell him just how to care for the cow4 ,all were delighted with this plan and were soon enjoying a six-mile drive into the country4 ,he learned that a cow would eat almost anything that grows1 but that judgment and experience was needed in feeding to produce the best results4 ,father ,granger said they could keep a cow as well as not1 and better too1 and ,joseph began to believe it4 ,at the suggestion of father ,g4 he borrowed a bag1 and on his way home stopped at the grist mill and had it filled with bran1 which the old gentleman said was about the best feed for a cow just before coming in4 ,after arriving home 8,comfort0 received a feed of hay and a quart of bran--had a drink of fresh water1 her stable cleaned1 some fresh shavings given her for a bedding1 and with kind pats and words was left for the night4 ,in the evening bedding was talked over4 ,joseph thought he would get the privilege of gathering leaves from a wood lot about one half mile distant1 but ,mary thought they would be too wet at this season1 then sawdust was suggested1 but that was not quite the thing they concluded1 that is1 if they could think of anything better4 ,to be perfect it must be comfortable for the cow to stand or lie upon1 it must be an absorbent of liquid manure1 and something that would add to the value of the compost heap1 and would easily decompose4 ,suddenly ,joseph exclaimed1 8,i have it1 just the thing4 ,you remember ,i went out to ,n4 last fall to do a job of work for ,charlie ,curtiss's brother1 and when he came to bring me home1 with my tools1 he put a large top box on his wagon box1 and also put in a number of sacks4 ,i asked him what he was going to bring home and he said #8oat shucks' to bed his cows with--that the shucks were dry and bulky1 and for fifty cents you could get all you could draw at a load4 ,he said it was the best and cheapest bedding he could get1 and much more than paid for itself in the value of the manure4 ,that is just what we want1 and ,i will get ,charlie to draw me a load to-morrow40 ,so the next night 8,comfort0 laid down for the first time in her life on a 8first-class0 bed of oat shucks1 while the adjoining stall was filled full for future use4 8,joseph1 what are you going to do with that lumber ,charlie left here to-day80 said ,mary1 a few evenings later4 8,well ,i have been thinking #8,comfort' ought to have a little yard where she can walk around and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air4 ,i am going to build a fence from the farther corner of the hennery to the fence on the back side of the lot1 and one from the corner of the shed back1 and that will make her a good yard4 ,those two ,english cherry trees will come in it and furnish shade for her in the hottest weather40 ,another evening1 as ,joseph came home from work1 ,mary asked1 8,what in the world are you going to do with these10 as she drew from the bundle a card and brush4 8,which of the family are you going to use these on80--8,oh1 ,i thought they would be good things to have in the house10 said ,joseph1 laughing4 8,you know ,i started out early this morning to go around by ,mason's1 to see about repairing his house this next summer4 ,he is one of the best of farmers1 all his stock look thrifty--everything is up in order1 and he makes farming pay4 ,i found him in the stable carding and brushing his cows4 ,that was a new idea to me1 and ,i asked him if he thought it really paid him to spend so much time and labor on his cows4 ,well1 said he1 ,i've had the care of cattle nigh on to thirty years1 and ,i think my carding and brushing pay as well as anything ,i can do1 and there is nothing an animal enjoys more than having its coat combed40 8,what did ,mr4 ,mason say about the work40--8,he is going to have his house thoroughly repaired1 and ,i am glad to say your husband has the job1 and he is going to keep his eyes and ears open and learn what he can about farming40 ,joseph had bought a load of fine hay a farmer was taking into town to market1 and 8,comfort0 was now fed hay three times a day1 with two quarts of bran night and morning4 ,at noon there was something from the house also1 like potato and apple peelings1 small potatoes1 wilted turnips or beets1 cut up cabbage leaves1 etc4 ,the children thought it nice fun to feed her at noon4 ,some loose bars had been put up to her stall which was quite roomy1 and she did not have to be driven into it by some of the men and all of the boys in the neighborhood1 but when the gate of the yard was opened she walked briskly to her stall1 knowing she would find a good supper waiting for her4 ,humane care1 the plenty of food and drink1 given regularly1 have wrought in a month's time a great change in the appearance of 8,comfort40 ,from being a poorly fed 8whipped0 cow in a dairy1 suffering all the discomfort of stanchions for eighteen out of twenty-four hours1 with no bed but a bare floor--she has come to be a thrifty1 happy animal1 giving good promise of rewarding her owners well for their care4 ,one morning the first week in ,april1 ,joseph came in from the barn looking pleased1 but a little anxious4 8,children10 he said1 8what do you think ,i found at the barn this morning80--8,oh1 a bossy10 they said1 delighted with the idea4--8,yes1 #8,comfort' has a little #8comfort1' and she is very proud of it2 but now comes the rub1 who is to milk1 and what is to be done with the calf80--8,oh10 said ,mary1 8,i guess ,i have not quite forgotten how to milk yet1 and you can soon learn--#8never too old to learn1' you know4 ,i will go out after breakfast and milk out what the calf does not take1 and you can go around by ,mr4 ,mason's and ask him what we had better do with the calf40 ,joseph felt these were good suggestions1 and after standing by ,mary1 in more than one sense1 while she performed her part of the programme--which was successfully accomplished--he started for work by way of farmer ,mason's4 ,arriving there he made known his errand4 8,well10 said ,mr4 ,m41 8you can #8deacon' it or veal it4 ,don't many but dairymen follow the first way1 and ,i should advise you to let it have all the milk it wants for four or five weeks1 and the butcher will take it and pay you five or six dollars4 ,put the calf by itself1 and night and morning let it go to the cow and get its own milk40 ,when ,joseph arrived home that evening1 he partitioned off a corner of the barn with some barrels and boxes1 put in some bedding1 and put the calf in his new quarters4 ,then he tried his hand at milking1 ,mary standing by him this time1 telling him what to do1 and laughing a little at his awkward efforts1 yet encouraging him by saying he did splendidly for the first trial4 8,comfort0 rewarded him for his kindness to her1 by being very patient with his awkwardness1 and he daily improved in the art of milking1 so that while vealy was getting his fill1 he would get about two or three quarts as his share4 ,the latter part of ,april ,joseph commenced work for ,mr4 ,mason1 and as his work-bench was at one end of the barn floor1 he had a good opportunity for observation4 ,he noticed ,mr4 ,m4 fed his cows corn meal1 and asked him what feed he considered best for cows giving milk at this time of the year4 ,mr4 ,m4 said1 in his experience he had found there were three things to be considered in the care of cows4 ,health of the cow1 quantity and quality of the milk4 ,plenty of wholesome food and pure water 7also a little salt each day71 given regularly1 out of door exercise in pleasant weather1 and general good care will give the first4 8,clover hay1 corn fodder1 wheat bran or ground oats1 with some roots1 will keep up the flow of milk10 said he1 8but if you want thick cream1 and plenty of golden butter1 feed your cow corn meal4 ,when my cows are in milk and kept on dry feed1 ,i give each cow daily1 morning and evening1 four quarts of mixed feed1 one part1 by weight1 of wheat bran and two parts of corn meal1 with about one tablespoonful of salt4 ,we make more and better butter on this feed than when the cows have grass only40 ,joseph1 having no experience of his own1 was glad to use that of others in regard to his cow1 so from this time he began feeding 8,comfort0 corn meal1 beginning with a pint and increasing gradually to one quart2 the result being plainly seen in the improved quality of the milk and condition of the calf4 ,when this was five weeks old the butcher took it away giving five dollars for it1 and seemed much pleased with his bargain4 ,that evening ,joseph figured a little4 ,he found his bran and corn meal had cost three dollars and fifty-five cents1 so there was a balance of one dollar and forty-five cents from the calf to pay on the hay4 ,they had had from three to four quarts of milk per day1 of better quality than that they could have bought for six cents a quart4 ,thirty days1 three and one-half quarts a day1 at six cents a quart1 is six dollars and thirty cents4 ,by stabling and bedding the cow1 quite a quantity of good manure had accumulated1 and ,joseph felt very well satisfied1 so far1 with his experiment1 and most of all for the luxury of having good sweet milk for the family use4 ,it was now the middle of ,may1 grass was well started1 and as there were farms near them1 it was thought best to hire pasture for the summer4 ,by inquiry they found she could be pastured one-fourth mile from home4 ,this seemed too far to carry the milk1 and would take too much time to drive back and forth twice a day4 8,why not keep her at home nights1 and feed her something as we do now10 said ,mary2 8she will be glad to come home then4 ,father always feeds his cows bran in the summer2 he says it pays in their #8coming up' if in nothing else4 ,he goes to the gate and calls #8come boss1' and they all start as quickly as if he had said1 #8come to supper1' and it is that to them40 ,so it was decided to keep 8,comfort0 home nights4 ,in a few days 8,comfort0 was introduced to her summer range1 and quickly learned the way to and from the pasture1 and the children thought it a great pleasure to drive her to and fro4 8,joseph10 said ,mary1 about this time1 8what shall we do with the sour milk8 ,the neighbors will take some of it at two cents a quart1 but the demand is irregular1 and it don't seem right to throw it away4 ,don't you think we better get a pig80--8,perhaps so2 as we are in for experiments this year we might try that also4 ,mason has some nice pigs--two kinds4 ,one kind make large growthy animals1 the other kind are smaller but finer1 and would be best for us1 ,i think40 ,soon a pig was added to their farm stock4 ,joseph declared he would not try to live without a cow again if it cost twice as much to take care of her4 8,why we didn't know what good living was until #8,comfort' came to live with us1 did we1 children80--8,no1 indeed1 only when we went to grand-pa's40--8,look at this baby10 said ,mary1 8she never was so well before1 and she is getting as rosy and round as a ,maidenblush apple4 ,you can't think what a help the milk is to me in cooking4 ,i can always have something fresh and nice now1 and it will lessen our meat bill too40 ,some of the neighbors wanted to buy milk2 8,comfort0 was giving sixteen quarts a day4 ,so four neighboring families were supplied each with one quart of milk a day1 and after a week's trial ,mary reported she had made five pounds of butter that was worth twenty cents per pound1 grocery price4 ,they had sold twenty-eight quarts of milk at six cents a quart1 butter and milk amounting to two dollars and sixty-eight cents1 and they had used all the sweet milk1 cream1 sour milk and butter-milk they needed1 and the pig had been kept on the surplus of the last two4 ,joseph was now feeding 8,comfort0 as ,mr4 ,mason advised1 with corn meal and bran1 two-thirds of the former and one-third of the latter by weight1 giving three quarts of the mixture night and morning4 ,corn meal cost one cent per pound1 bran cost two-thirds of a cent a pound1 the cost of the feed per day being a fraction over seven cents4 ,he also gave her a little hay--to the value of say ten cents a week--pasture cost twenty-five cents a week1 so the expense of her keeping was eighty-five cents a week1 the work offsetting the milk used1 left a profit of one dollar and eighty-three cents4 ,there was another item not to be overlooked4 ,the manure that was accumulating1 the value of which was largely increased by the ground feed given the cow1 and the oat shuck bedding4 ,of the acre of land about one-quarter was occupied with buildings1 walks1 shrubbery1 a small lawn in front1 and flower garden at the side of the house1 but every foot of intervening space was well seeded to grass1 so it really made quite a little mowing4 ,another quarter had been set out to fruit trees five years1 and was now well stocked with red clover1 the remaining one-half acre had been used as a garden and potato patch4 ,with the exception of a few loads of manure1 obtained at different places1 no fertilizer had been used on this acre of land4 ,but now having gone into the stock business1 ,joseph began to read and think about such things4 ,he frequently brought home an agricultural paper from ,mr4 ,mason's to read in the evening1 and began also to feel he must have one of his own4 ,he found considerable in the papers about commercial fertilizers1 so he asked ,mr4 ,mason if he had ever used any of them4 ,he said he had experimented with them considerably1 and thought them excellent helps4 8,i have never10 said he1 8paid out money for anything that came back as quickly with as good profit1 as superphosphates4 ,these and other fertilizers must be used with judgment to get the best returns1 but on gravelly soil1 with a clay subsoil like ours here1 it pays well40 ,joseph also asked ,mr4 ,m4 what he could raise on his lot to the best advantage for his cow4 8,i should say sowed corn and mangel wurzels4 ,you see this little lot at the back of the barn1 it is ten square rods1 and very rich ground4 ,,corn ,,fodder4 8,i sow this to corn in drills about this time 7the last of ,may71 so that it gets well tasseled by the time pastures begin to get rather dry1 as they usually do after the middle of summer1 then ,i begin to feed1 and it helps keep up the flow of milk amazingly4 ,it is a sweet1 juicy and nutritious feed1 just the thing for cows4 ,let me calculate a little4 ,why ,earnest1 if your land could be made to produce like this piece1 you can raise coarse fodder enough for your cow for six months1 on thirty square rods of ground4 ,i like some roots for cows--we like a variety of food1 so do animals4 ,the best roots ,i know of to raise for stock are sugar beets or the mangels40 ,very soon after this conversation ,joseph had his half acre of land plowed deep and in narrow furrows1 as he had seen recommended in agricultural papers4 ,the manure that had accumulated from the cow was used for a top-dressing for one half of the plowed portion4 ,this was well harrowed1 and three-fourths of it lightly furrowed with the plow1 two and one half feet apart4 ,the remaining one-fourth was turned into ridges as close as the furrows could be turned together4 ,his team work was now done for the present on this part of his lot especially set apart for his cow4 7,the other half of the plowed lot was to be used for his main family garden1 he having spaded up some beds for early vegetables47 ,he had provided himself with seed corn from farmer ,mason's1 some mangel wurzel seed from the seed store1 and also a bag of two hundred pounds of phosphate1 of a brand recommended by ,mr4 ,m4 ,the phosphate was sprinkled in the plow marks1 at the rate of three hundred pounds to the acre1 as near as could be judged1 the soil in the bottom of the furrow was lightly stirred with a four pronged potato hook1 the corn was sprinkled in1 about eight kernels to the foot sixteen to twenty is better--,ed41 and covered about two inches deep4 ,one half of the piece designed for corn was planted1 and the other half left to be treated in the same way some two weeks later4 ,the top was raked off the ridges designed for the mangels4 ,a furrow was made on each with a hand hoe1 and phosphate sprinkled in rather more liberally than for the corn4 ,this was thoroughly mixed with the soil1 the furrow becoming nearly level with the surface4 ,a line was drawn by which a light mark was made with the end of the hoe handle1 in which the mangel seeds were sown and covered about one inch deep1 the soil being pressed down lightly with the hoe4 ,after saving enough phosphate for the balance of the corn1 and a little to experiment with on some late potatoes1 the remainder was sown broadcast on the clover4 ,it fell a little short of covering the whole1 and ,joseph thought that would make a good opportunity to test its virtues4 ,his seeds came up well1 and1 as he had all he could attend to nights and mornings1 he hired a neighbor to do his farm work1 and he determined no weeds should have the benefit of his fertilizers or soil2 and this part of his programme was thoroughly carried out during the growing season4 ,,summer ,,quarters4 ,in 8,comfort's0 yard was a corner formed by the barn on one side1 the hennery on another1 and the board fence on a third side4 ,joseph put a roof over this corner1 and about a foot deep of oatshucks on the ground1 and fastened a box to the side of the barn for her to eat out of2 and here were her summer quarters4 ,every morning before milking the droppings were cleaned up and piled in one corner of the yard4 ,as soon as the clover began to blossom1 an armful was cut each evening and fed to 8,comfort0 after her ration of dry feed1 and the morning feed was discontinued4 ,after the corn was large enough1 that took the place of clover until frost threatened2 then it was cut up and bound in small bundles1 which were set up in large stooks1 to cure for winter use4 ,no difference was observed in the first crop of clover in favor of the phosphate1 but the second cutting was largely benefited by its use4 ,over one-half of the first and second cuttings were cured and stored in the barn1 with all of the grass around the yard1 which1 with fully two-thirds of the stalks1 would be nearly1 if not quite enough coarse feed to last 8,comfort0 through the winter4 ,the mangels yielded about twenty-five bushels1 not a very large yield1 but quite satisfactory1 considering the soil had not really been farmed but one year4 ,the roots were pitted near the barn for spring use4 ,some of the corn stalks were set so as to form a slanting roof over them2 three or four inches of dirt thrown over this2 afterwards enough to keep them from freezing4 ,about the first of ,november1 8,comfort0 was established in winter quarters in the stall1 at night and during stormy days1 and in the yard on pleasant days4 ,she continued in milk until the middle of ,february1 and was in fresh milk ,march eighteenth1 was hearty and contented--a comfort to look at as well as to own4 ,joseph ,earnest was well pleased with his year's experiment4 ,,conclusions4 ,it is now three years since he brought comfort to his home in more ways than one4 ,his little farm is improving every year in fertility and value1 and even now blossoms like a thing of beauty4 ,some of his neighbors have followed his example1 for he tells them3 8,any one who has a place to put a cow can keep one with profit1 if he will make her comfortable2 that it matters not whether protection from the weather is secured by logs1 straw1 sods1 rough boards1 or planed boards well painted4 ,she must have exercise1 sunshine1 and fresh air4 ,these can be obtained in a small dry yard1 kept clean1 as well as in #8,uncle ,sam's' pasture1 the open prairie4 ,she must have something of a variety of wholesome food1 and a plentiful supply of pure water4 ,no domestic animal1 in proportion to its weight1 needs as much water as a milch cow4 ,she must be kept clean by litter1 card1 and brush4 ,if these rules are observed with judgment and kindness1 very seldom will any help be needed at time of calving4 ,if anything goes wrong there is no better rule than to use one's common sense1 taking the advice of experienced neighbors4 8,to economize manure1 an abundance of good litter should be used1 and the compost heap kept under cover1 if possible2 at any rate1 not under the eaves of the barn4 ,if1 with this home-made manure1 your land does not produce all it can1 and you wish to buy some fertilizing material1 your first choice should be good stable manure2 if you cannot get that reasonably1 use some reliable brand of commercial fertilizer4 ,have your cow #8come in' when it will be most for your profit or convenience1 avoiding hot weather4 ,the calf may be killed when one to three days old1 saving its hide and rennet2 it may be kept until five or six weeks old1 fed on new milk1 and #8vealed1' or sold for that purpose1 or it may be raised on skim-milk 7after it is three or four weeks old71 and sold in the fall to some farmer4 8,milking should be done gently but quickly1 as near twelve hours apart as possible4 ,milk clean but do not 8strip20 use the whole hand1 and not the thumb and finger only2 sing or whistle1 if you want to while milking2 if you are good friends with your cow1 she will enjoy it4 8,since the first year ,i have not bought any coarse feed1 and only a little fertilizer for grass and clover1 the cow and pig furnishing all that is needed for the plowed ground1 and this last year ,i have a surplus of feed4 ,i tell you1 friends1 my cow is the best savings bank ,i ever knew40 ,this and much more said ,joseph ,earnest to his neighbors4 ,a ,,good ,,stable 8,,tie40 ,mr4 ,d4 ,c4 ,kenyon1 of ,carbondale1 ,pa41 describes a convenient home-made ,stable ,tie as follows3 ,our tie1 of which we send you a miniature sample1 is made of three-eighths inch rope1 which is braided into an iron ring sliding freely up and down a post set close to the manger or feed-box4 ,there is a knot or frog on one end1 and a loop on the other4 ,the ends pass on each side of the cow's neck1 and the knot is slipped through the loop which may be made tighter by twisting4 ,similar fastenings made of chains with snap hooks may be bought at the hardware stores1 but such an one as is here described will last a long time and answer every purpose4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae4 ,,jerusalem ,,artichokes ,,as ,,cow-,,feed4 ,,by ,,christopher ,,shearer1 ,,tuckerton1 ,,pa4 ,butter and milk are not only luxuries1 but in many families they are indispensable necessaries of life4 ,in this article my principal purpose is to show how a cow can be kept with the greatest economy of land and labor4 ,i consider these the essential points in the discussion4 ,where hay is dear and pasture scarce1 a man who lives by the labor of his hands1 cannot ordinarily afford to purchase the necessary food for a cow2 and if he has only an acre or two of land at his disposal1 he finds it more profitable to raise other products4 ,ordinarily it requires the yield of several acres of land to support a cow4 ,but ,i propose to show that this can be done on less than one acre1 by raising the proper crops1 and treating the soil to the best advantage4 ,a cow of ordinary size will consume about eleven thousand pounds of hay1 or its equivalent1 in a year4 ,the equivalent of this amount of hay is--in potatoes1 thirty thousand eight hundred pounds1 or five hundred and thirteen bushels1 and in ,indian corn1 seven thousand seven hundred pounds1 or one hundred and thirty-seven bushels4 ,these quantities cannot be raised on one acre1 and if we examine the tables of equivalents of food1 we find that most of the grasses1 grains1 and roots1 are objectionable on account of unproductiveness1 want of sufficient nutritive qualities1 or of the labor that the cultivation of them requires4 ,,value ,,of ,,artichokes4 ,there is1 however1 a root1 or tuber1 an acre of which affords enough nourishment to sustain two cows1 with less labor than is employed in raising an acre of potatoes--and that root is the ,jerusalem ,artichoke 7,helianthus tuberosus74 ,we can depend upon an average yield of from one thousand to one thousand two hundred bushels of these tubers from an acre of land rich enough to produce fifty bushels of corn4 ,pound for pound they are equal in nutritive qualities to potatoes4 ,one cow can therefore be subsisted a year on five hundred or six hundred bushels of the tubers1 a quantity that can be raised on half an acre of land4 ,but since these roots do not keep over summer1 and as the cow will not thrive on them alone1 it is necessary to supplement them with dry fodder during winter1 and to subsist her on other forage during summer4 ,with the aid of this plant1 three-quarters of an acre of land under high cultivation1 will nourish a cow during the whole year1 and the soil will become rich without any other manure than that derived from the cow4 ,this can be done with little expense1 and with no more labor than is involved in ordinary farm culture4 ,it is necessary to begin operations on the farm in most sections of the ,middle ,states1 a little earlier than the first of ,may4 ,a cow can be subsisted to the best advantage on a small patch of land1 by feeding her ,jerusalem ,artichokes and a little hay or other dry fodder through the winter and part of spring1 and soiling her with green rye1 clover1 and green-corn fodder1 the rest of the year4 ,three-quarters of an acre will1 under judicious treatment1 yield enough of these products to maintain a cow during the year4 ,if the soil be not in good condition to begin with1 that quantity of land may1 for a year or two1 be insufficient for the purpose1 and it will then be necessary to supply the deficiency from other sources2 but by proper management the land will1 in a few years1 be converted into a garden that will afford abundant nourishment for the cow1 without pasture or outside aid either in food or manure4 ,suppose that a man owns a cow of medium size1 or a little larger1 that he has three-quarters of an acre of land1 that one-third of it1 namely1 one-quarter of an acre1 is in clover1 that the remainder is ready for the plow1 and that it is early spring-time of the year1 he should go to work at once and manure the land liberally1 for he will be well repaid for the expense1 in the superior productiveness of the soil4 ,all the land1 excepting the clover1 should be plowed1 and one-sixth of the land1 that is one-eighth of an acre1 should be sowed with oats1 with about one-half bushel of seed4 ,one quart of clover seed1 and one pint of timothy seed should be sown on the oats4 ,the oats are raised only during the first year1 rye being substituted in after years1 and the timothy is added for the purpose of increasing the hay-crop in the second year4 ,one-third of the land 7one-quarter of an acre7 should be planted in ,jerusalem ,artichokes1 early in the season4 ,this root should be planted in hills1 three feet apart each way1 and cultivated flat1 both ways4 ,as the land increases in fertility in future years1 the hills may be set a little farther apart4 ,the patch should be stirred two or three times with the cultivator while the plants are young1 and afterwards kept clear of weeds with the hoe4 ,the weeds require but little attention after the plant has attained a fair growth4 ,one tuber1 or piece of tuber1 of about the size of a hen's egg1 is sufficient for a hill1 the seed being covered to the depth of two or three inches with earth4 ,as soon as the season is far enough advanced1 one-sixth of the plot 7one-eighth of an acre7 should be planted in sweet corn4 ,one half of the corn should be set out very early1 and the rest about four weeks later1 so as to extend its growth1 and consequently its availability as green fodder1 over a longer period4 ,the furrows should be three feet apart1 and the corn planted in drills1 sixteen to twenty kernels to the foot--,,ed4 ,afterwards the corn should be cultivated two or three times1 and kept clear of weeds4 ,when the corn fodder is all disposed of1 the corn patch should be plowed1 and seeded with about a peck of rye1 and a pint of timothy seed1 and in the following spring a quart of clover seed should be sown upon the rye4 ,these crops will give the land a complete rotation every six years4 ,the following diagram indicates the proper succession of the crops and shows the plot of land divided into six equal parts1 containing one-eighth of an acre each3 ,illustration ,clover occupies two parts1 rye one part1 and ,jerusalem ,artichokes two parts every year4 ,clover follows rye2 rye follows corn2 corn follows artichokes2 and artichokes follow clover4 ,every year one-half of the clover1 namely1 the two-year-old clover patch1 is plowed1 and planted in artichokes4 ,the latter must be planted anew1 and not be allowed to grow as a 8volunteer crop10 but must be regularly cultivated1 and all the plants that come up between the hills destroyed4 ,the manure derived from the cow during the winter1 should be spread in spring on the land intended for corn and artichokes1 and plowed down1 and that made in summer should be applied to the rye and clover patches in fall4 ,ashes and a moderate quantity of lime1 spread on the clover patch early in spring1 will be beneficial1 and a peck of gypsum scattered on the young and growing clover1 will answer an excellent purpose as a healthy stimulant of its growth4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #af4--,,swiss ,,cow 8,,geneva40 ,the spring time of the first year must be tided over with hay until the clover is large enough for soiling4 ,green clover is then fed to the cow until the oats are sufficiently advanced4 ,the oats are then used as long as they are fit for the purpose1 cutting them a second time as far as practicable1 and the residue1 if any1 is cured for hay before it gets too ripe for that purpose4 ,the same course is pursued with the rye in the following years4 ,the clover should be cut for hay rather early1 in order to get it in the best possible condition1 and to insure a good second1 and perhaps a third crop4 ,all the aftermath not used in soiling1 should be converted into hay4 ,when the oats are exhausted1 clover is fed until the corn fodder is large enough for use4 ,this is fed until the ears make their appearance1 and what is then left is cut and cured for dry fodder during winter4 ,after the green corn fodder is all consumed1 there will be a growth of new clover in the oats stubble the first year1 and in the rye stubble in after years1 with which the cow is soiled until the artichokes are ready to feed1 and if any of the new clover is left by that time1 it is made into hay4 ,the artichokes are fed raw2 in winter1 with hay and other dry fodder1 and as long as they last in spring4 ,in the second year soiling begins with rye1 and continues afterwards through the season the same as the first year1 and a like course is followed in succeeding years4 ,,feeding ,,artichokes4 ,the artichokes will grow until frost kills the stalks1 and a patch of one-quarter of an acre1 when the soil is in good condition1 will yield a yearly average of between two hundred and fifty and three hundred bushels of them4 ,they can be fed before they are quite ripe1 in which case the cow will eat up the whole plant--root1 stalk1 and branch4 ,she must not have access to a heap of the tubers1 lest she surfeit and seriously injure herself4 ,as long as the whole plant is fed1 she should not be allowed more at a time than she will eat up clean1 for if she gets more she will eat the tubers1 and refuse the stalks4 ,in fact she will prefer these tubers at all times to any other food4 ,she should therefore receive a certain allowance1 say a peck or a little more1 three times a day1 so that she will eat up the stalks1 and also a small portion of other forage with them4 ,in winter and spring she will consume a bushel or more of the raw tubers a day1 together with eight or ten pounds of hay or other dry food4 ,her ration of artichokes should never be so large that she will reject other food4 ,artichokes can be fed for about eight months of the year1 say from the first of ,october to the first of ,june1 during which time the cow will consume two hundred and forty bushels1 or more1 of them4 ,these1 with the hay and other dry fodder1 will keep her in excellent condition1 and produce an abundance of good milk without additional food4 ,one ton of hay or other dry fodder1 in connection with the artichokes1 will last during the said eight months1 affording the cow eight or nine pounds a day4 ,three quarters of a ton may suffice1 but she should not have less than this4 ,if the crop of hay and other dry fodder exceeds a ton1 it may all be fed during the first year1 or a part of it may be kept over for the ensuing year4 ,in stowing away the hay1 ten or twelve quarts of salt should be scattered through a ton of it1 to impart a relish4 ,in addition to this1 the cow should receive two or three ounces of salt daily1 and plenty of pure fresh water4 ,,harvesting ,,artichokes4 ,the artichokes should remain in the ground in autumn as long as the weather permits1 and be fed out of the field during that time1 and just before the earth is permanently frost-bound1 enough of them should be dug up to last over winter2 and1 since frost does not injure them1 the rest should be left in the ground until the following spring4 ,a good way to keep them in winter1 is to place them on the ground in the field in shallow layers1 covering them lightly with the stalks of the artichoke1 or with straw1 and then with a little earth4 ,if the rain wets them it will not injure them4 ,it is advisable always to keep a considerable quantity of them in the stable or cellar for convenience of feeding4 ,in the ensuing spring1 they are again fed out of the field until it is time to plow the land1 when all the tubers not yet disposed of1 are taken up and kept in the cellar or stable4 ,,the ,,stalks of the ,jerusalem ,artichoke furnish excellent material for litter for the cow4 ,they grow to a hight of from eight to ten feet1 are composed almost entirely of pith1 and are so fragile that they can easily be broken into fragments4 ,as many of them should be stowed in the stable as it will contain1 and the rest1 if any1 should be stacked outside4 ,before bedding the cow with them1 it is advisable to crush them with a mallet on a block prepared for the purpose4 ,this labor will require but a few minutes daily to provide sufficient litter1 and will make a comfortable bed for the cow1 absorbing and retaining the liquid manure4 ,the stalks cannot be used for fodder after being frost-killed4 ,if the food of the cow should at any time run short the deficiency must be supplied1 for it will not do to stint her1 and if it is ever found necessary to change or modify her diet1 it should be done4 ,i have allowed three-quarters of an acre for the sustenance of the cow1 and this will be sufficient1 but only on condition that the land is in good heart4 ,if the land is poor at the start1 it will be safer to begin with more1 and afterwards to reduce the quantity to three-quarters of an acre1 as the soil increases in fertility4 ,the value of clover as a renovator of the soil is well known1 but the ,jerusalem ,artichoke is equally efficacious1 if fed on the farm1 for it attracts its nitrogen to a great extent from the atmosphere4 ,the dairy-farm now under discussion possesses all the advantages that can be derived from these plants as fertilizers1 and as the other crops raised on it do not injuriously exhaust the soil1 being cut before they produce their seed1 the land will improve indefinitely in fertility4 ,,the ,,calf ,,and ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,it4 ,since the plants here recommended for the nourishment of the cow1 afford the best milk-producing food the whole year round1 the time of calving may be left to the option of the owner1 for it will not affect the quantity of milk that the cow gives4 ,if the milk is mostly needed in summer1 the cow should calve in spring1 and if it be desirable to have more milk in winter1 she should calve in autumn4 ,i might add1 that if the butter1 or a part of it1 is to be sold1 it will be more profitable to have the calf in fall than in any other season1 because butter brings the highest prices in winter4 ,the disposal of the calf depends on circumstances1 of which the owner is the best judge4 ,if he concludes to keep it on account of the value of the breed1 or for any other reason1 he should raise it by hand1 not allowing it to suck more than three days at furthest4 ,for the first few days it should receive only the fresh milk of the cow2 afterwards it may be fed on warm fresh milk1 skim-milk1 buttermilk1 whey1 and hay-tea1 until it is old enough to subsist on solid food4 ,fresh milk should be the leading diet in the beginning1 and should be gradually diminished in quantity as the calf increases in strength4 ,hay-tea is made by pouring boiling water on hay1 and letting it steep for about two hours4 ,if the calf is not to be raised1 it ought to be sold before it is a week old1 because the milk that it drinks before it is ready for the shambles1 is worth more than the price it will bring4 ,if a purchaser for the calf cannot be found while it is so young1 it is most profitable to kill it1 and bury it in the compost heap1 as soon as the milk of the cow is fit to use4 ,i simply state this as a fact1 without recommending it to be done1 for it is cruel work2 but so is any butchering1 and if the calf is to be killed1 it really matters not how soon it is done4 ,the sooner it is removed from the cow the less she will grieve for its loss4 ,,calving4 ,the cow should be milked as long as her milk is good1 or until she runs dry1 which may in some cases be six or eight weeks of calving 7in others not at all47 ,her rations should be curtailed a little for a short time before that period1 in order to carry her safely through the crisis4 ,after she has the calf1 she may receive warm bran-mashes for a day or two1 containing a little of her own milk1 and should not be fully fed for the first few days4 ,this treatment is all that is required before and after the period of calving4 ,the cow will generally pass through this event in safety1 without assistance4 ,should there1 however1 be a false presentation1 or other difficulty of parturition1 the best thing the owner can do1 if he has no experience in the matter1 is to call to his aid a veterinary surgeon1 or a neighbor who knows what course to pursue in such cases4 ,as long as the cow is fresh1 and yields a large flow of milk1 she should be milked three times a day1 early in the morning1 at noon1 and late in the evening2 afterwards two milkings daily1 will be sufficient4 ,she should be fed1 watered1 milked1 carded1 and led out of and into the stable1 at the same hours every day4 ,she should not be beaten1 or pelted1 or harshly spoken to or dealt with in any manner4 ,kind and considerate treatment inspires her with confidence and contentment1 makes her the pet and delight of the household1 and is rewarded by an abundance of wholesome milk4 ,but there are many matters of detail in keeping a cow1 which it is impossible to notice in a limited essay like this4 ,if the owner desires to be fully informed on the subject1 he will do well to purchase a few books that treat upon the subject4 ,the stable for the cow should be warm1 dry1 well ventilated1 and large enough to contain two or three tons of hay and litter1 together with other material to be described hereafter1 besides a stall for the cow1 and room for the calf4 ,if the owner of the cow has a stable that fulfils these requirements1 it will answer his purpose if he makes a proper stall in it4 ,if he has no stable1 and cannot afford the expense of building a good one1 he must at least have a proper stall to save the manure of the cow1 and to shelter her from the inclemency of the weather4 ,a stable that will fully answer this purpose1 should be at least fourteen feet square1 and about twelve feet high to the eaves1 and should have a loft for storing hay4 ,the annexed figures represent such a structure in outline3 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ag4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ah4 ,figure #ag is a ground plan1 and shows that the lower story is divided into two parts1 ,s1 representing the stall1 and ,r1 all the remaining portion below4 ,the stall is ten feet long1 and should be five1 or nearly five feet wide2 ,m1 represents the manger1 which is about two feet deep1 eighteen inches wide1 and in length equal to the width of the stall4 ,the cow is tied to the manger with a halter or chain2 ,t1 is a trough in the manger for feeding roots1 salt1 etc41 and is about one foot wide1 eight inches deep1 and in length equal to the width of the manger4 ,the floor of the stall should slope a little to the rear1 and must be water-tight1 so as to conduct the urine of the cow into the brine-pit1 ,b4 ,the floor may be composed of cement1 or of two-inch plank closely fitted together4 ,the brine-pit1 ,b1 consists of a water-tight box made of plank1 and should be about one foot wide1 six inches deep1 and in length equal to the width of the stall4 ,this pit is sunk into the ground so that its top is on a level with the floor1 in order that it may receive all the liquid discharges of the cow that are not absorbed by the litter4 ,if the floor is laid in cement the pit may be made of the same material4 ,the object of the brine-pit is to save the liquid manure2 to accomplish which the latter must be retained by some absorbent4 ,dry earth is used for this purpose4 ,at first the bottom of the pit is covered with dry earth1 and as soon as this is moist1 more earth is added until the pit is full of the saturated substance1 when the latter is thrown upon the compost heap1 and the same process repeated4 ,a door is placed at e1 for admitting the cow1 and carrying away the manure4 ,the partition between ,s and ,r may be made of boards or rails1 and need not be over four feet high4 ,the division1 ,r1 is used for keeping litter1 dry earth1 artichoke roots1 green fodder1 and the calf4 ,it should have a door at some convenient place for entrance from the outside1 and a window with a glass-frame1 preferably on the south side4 ,it is in communication with the stall by means of a gate at d4 ,figure #ah is a view of the gable-end1 ,l1 representing the loft for storing hay and other dry fodder4 ,the loft has a shutter in one of the gable-ends or sides1 and a ladder or steps running up to it from within1 for convenience of feeding4 ,p1 is a post in the corner of the manger4 ,the other letters in figure #ah indicate the same parts as in figure #ag4 ,the cow-yard will be large enough if it contains an area of two square rods2 but it can be made somewhat larger with advantage4 ,it ought to adjoin the stable so as to give the cow direct access to the stall2 and ought to be shaded by trees in order to afford shelter to the cow from the direct rays of the sun in summer4 ,the cow should be kept in the yard only a part of the day1 and the rest of the time she should be in the stall4 ,the stall-door should be left open when she is in the yard1 so that she can enter the stable at will4 ,some manure will be lost by suffering her to run in the yard2 but the benefit that she will derive from it1 in health and contentment1 will more than compensate for the loss4 ,,making ,,and ,,saving ,,manure4 ,the compost heap may be kept in the cow-yard1 and must be in the shade4 ,it should1 therefore1 be placed on the north side of the stable1 and trees should be planted east and west of it4 ,it must not be under cover nor washed by running water1 nor receive the water from the roof of the stable2 but the rain should fall on it directly from the skies to promote decomposition1 and to prevent the escape of its volatile constituents4 ,the manure of the stall1 and the saturated earth of the brine pit1 are mixed together to form the compost heap1 and all the refuse material of the farm1 garden1 and yard1 should be thrown on it4 ,it ought to be kept in a compact body1 level on top1 and protected by boards on the sides to prevent it from spreading4 ,no ashes or lime should ever be applied to it4 ,regarding the material for absorbing the liquid excretions of the cow1 nothing better can be found than prepared muck2 but as this is seldom obtainable1 the scrapings of the streets of a city1 or even of a public road1 may be used instead4 ,if these cannot be had1 the surface soil of the dairy farm answer the purpose4 ,whatever substance is employed must be thoroughly dried4 ,the middle of summer is the proper time to prepare it4 ,about four cart loads of it1 as dry as they can be made1 should be kept in the stable1 or in some other place where it is not liable to attract moisture2 and that amount will last the year round4 ,,conclusions ,,about ,,artichokes4 ,i have now given my instructions for keeping a cow1 and it is evident from what ,i have written1 that the ,jerusalem ,artichoke is my main dependence for her support4 ,the other points that ,i have touched upon1 are of minor importance1 when compared with the value that ,i have attached to this plant4 ,my own experience with the plant satisfies me that ,i have not overstated its merits4 ,on rich land a single stalk will produce from a peck to half a bushel of the tubers4 ,last year was an exceptionably unfavorable one in this locality1 on account of drouth in summer and fall2 and yet the artichokes that ,i planted between the trees in my peach orchard yielded abundantly4 ,i have fattened cattle on them without any additional food excepting a little hay1 until they were fit for the butcher2 and my horses thrive on them when fed in connection with hay1 doing full work without grain4 ,a brother of mine planted artichokes in a field that had been in cultivation for more than a century1 and yet in spite of the drouth1 of indifferent culture without manure1 and of an early frost that prematurely killed the plants1 the yield amounted to between five hundred and six hundred bushels to the acre4 ,,rural ,,economy4 ,boussingault in his 8,rural ,economy10 pp4 #aei-afj says3 8,the ,jerusalem ,artichoke rises to a hight of from nine to ten feet2 it flowers late1 and ,i have not yet seen it ripen its seeds4 ,it is propagated by the tubers which it produces1 and which are regarded1 for good reason1 a most excellent food for cattle4444 ,there are few plants more hardy and so little nice about the soil as the ,jerusalem ,artichoke2 it succeeds everywhere with the single condition that the ground be not wet4444 ,of all the plants that engage the husbandman1 the ,jerusalem ,artichoke is that which produces the most at the least expense of manure and manual labor4 ,kade states that a square patch of ,jerusalem ,artichokes in a garden was still in full productive vigor at the end of thirty-three years1 throwing out stems from seven to ten feet in length1 although for a very long time the plant had neither received any care or any manure4 ,i could quote many examples of the great reproductive power of the ,helianthus2 ,i can affirm1 nevertheless1 that in order to obtain abundant crops1 it is necessary to afford a little manure4444 ,schwertz estimates the mean quantity of dry leaves and stems at three tons1 one cwt41 one quarter and fifteen pounds per acre40 ,again1 p4 #dja--8;,experiment with horses4--,jerusalem potatoes are held excellent food for the horse2 they are eaten greedily1 and he thrives on them4 ,in this second experiment #cj4h pounds of ,jerusalems cut into slices were substituted for eleven pounds of hay1 the same theoretical equivalents being assumed for them as for the common potato4 ,the ration now consisted of hay1 eleven pounds2 straw1 five and a half pounds2 oats1 seven and a half pounds1 and ,jerusalem potatoes1 #cj4h pounds4 ,having been accustomed to this regimen for some days1 the teams were weighed1 and having gone on for eleven days1 they were weighed again3 ,team ,no4 #a4 ,no4 #b4 ,both ,teams4 ,mean per horse4 ,in eleven days1 gain #ee loss #cc gain #bb gain 4#i 8,a result which leads to the conclusion that the equivalent assumed for the ,jerusalem potato was correct2 the animals had done their work1 and gained one with another nine-tenths of a pound in weight40 ,again1 p4 #djf4--8,one hundred pounds of good meadow-hay may be taken1 as ascertained by experiment1 to be equivalent to #bhj of ,potatoes1 by analysis equal to #cae #bhj of ,jerusalems1 0 0 #caa #djj of ,beets1 0 0 #edh #djj of ,swedes 7too little71 0 0 #fgf #djj of ,carrots1 0 0 #chb ,again1 p4 #dae4--8,one thousand parts 7by weight7 of the forage gathered at ,bechelbroun in its ordinary state contained3 ,mineral ,azote4 ,phos4 ,lime4 ,bone ,substances4 ,acid4 ,earth4 ,potatoes1 #i4fd #c4gj #a4ji 4#ag 4#cc ,beet1 #g4gj #b4aj 4#df 4#ed 4#ie ,turnip1 #e4gj #a4cj 4#ce 4#fb 4#gb ,jerusalems1 #ab4dg #c4ge #a4ce 4#bi 4#ec ,again1 p4 #ddi4--8,seventh experiment--with a cow two hundred and ninety days after calving4--,in this trial the ration consisted of ,jerusalem potatoes equivalent to thirty-three pounds of hay1 under which the milk may be said to have remained stationary1 though it was above rather than under the six pints per diem1 as in the sixth experiment10 7with ,irish potatoes74 ,i consider1 therefore1 that1 according to experiment and analysis1 the ,jerusalem ,artichoke is fully equal to the potato as food for stock1 and greatly superior to beets1 turnips1 and carrots4 ,in the regimen that ,i have prescribed for the cow1 ,i have given the ,jerusalem ,artichoke the preference over all other roots1 because ,i deem it superior to them in all respects4 ,it contains more nutriment than any of them1 excepting the potato2 it is less exhaustive of the soil1 and more efficacious in improving it2 it produces a larger crop2 it is less liable to failure in adverse weather2 it keeps better and with less care2 it is eaten with a greater relish by stock2 and it requires less labor in cultivating1 harvesting1 and feeding it4 ,analysis has shown that it contains its carbonaceous principles in the form of sugar instead of starch1 #ad4h parts of uncrystallizable sugar having been found in one hundred parts of the tuber4 ,it has no starch cells to be broken up by boiling1 in order to make it a digestible aliment2 and how large soever the tubers may be1 they can be fed without being cut into slices1 on account of their fragility and brittleness1 being masticated by the cow without difficulty or danger of choking4 ,the ,jerusalem ,artichoke is little known and cultivated in this country1 and its merits are not fully appreciated anywhere4 ,the reason probably is because there is but a limited demand for it in the market4 ,but it should not be neglected on that account2 for it is not the less valuable1 because the profits derived from it are indirect4 ,it should never be raised as a volunteer crop1 as is too often the case1 but should be regularly planted and worked like other products4 ,i have discussed this plant as advantageous food for 8one0 cow1 and ,i may add that it is equally meritorious for any number of cows4 ,but its advantages do not stop here4 ,horses1 cattle1 sheep1 and swine1 thrive and fatten on it1 and the millions of acres of exhausted and deteriorated lands1 that descend as a profitless inheritance from generation to generation in the ,eastern and ,southern ,states1 can be improved and kept fertile1 with profit to the farmer during the process of renovation1 without the aid of artificial fertilizers or imported manures1 by feeding the tubers of the ,jerusalem ,artichoke to stock on the farm4 ,,views ,,and ,,practice ,,of ,a ,,practical ,,farmer4 ,,by ,f4 ,e4 ,,gott1 ,,spencerport1 ,n4 ,y4 ,having been a practical farmer all my life1 with considerable experience in the care of stock and dairying1 ,i give you the result of my experience4 ,the system of management which would be profitably adopted by one would be utterly impracticable for another4 ,in my own case ,i have about one acre of land1 one half of which ,i set apart for production of food for my cow1 while the remainder is occupied by the buildings in part1 and the rest is devoted to the culture of small fruits4 ,without this land ,i should be obliged to hire my cow pastured through the summer1 at a cost of about fifty cents per week1 which ,i am now able to save by practising a system of soiling4 ,the advantages of which are numerous4 ,,profit ,,in ,,buying ,,part ,,of ,,the ,,feed4 ,i am aware that the amount of land which ,i have devoted to this purpose is inadequate4 ,one acre would be none too much to supply a cow with food through the year1 but ,i can realize more profit by purchasing a portion of the necessary food and devoting part of my land to the culture of small fruits1 the amount of money received from the sales of which1 will more than pay for the feed that ,i could raise on the same land4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai4--,,plan ,,of ,,cow-,,shed1 ,,etc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj4--,,perspective ,,view4 ,my barn 7figs4 #ai and #bj7 is inexpensive1 yet it answers every purpose4 ,it consists of a box-pen for the cow1 an open shed and a pig-sty1 the whole covered by one roof1 and occupying a space twenty feet in length by fourteen feet in breadth4 ,it is constructed of hemlock lumber4 ,the posts on the front are twelve feet in hight1 while those on the back side are eight4 ,it is boarded vertically and battened on the sides1 and the roof is also covered with rough boards1 laid on double1 breaking joints so that no water can leak through4 ,the box for the cow is eight feet by ten1 and is six feet and four inches high in the clear4 ,adjoining this is a feeding passage four feet by eight4 ,the arrangement of doors is shown in the accompanying sketch4 ,the middle portion of the building is an open shed1 and is seven feet wide by fourteen feet long4 ,it is used principally for storing dry muck and also as a cover for the manure pile4 ,adjoining the open shed is the pig-pen4 ,while the partition between the cow-stall and shed is carried up to the floor above1 making a tight box stall1 that between the pig-sty and shed is only built four feet from the ground1 leaving the upper part open4 ,a floor is laid at a hight of six feet ten inches from the ground1 which provides storage room for hay above4 ,i would suggest1 as an improvement to this plan1 that the whole be built two feet higher1 making the long posts fourteen feet instead of twelve1 and the short ones ten instead of eight1 thereby securing more room above4 ,there would then be sufficient room for the storage of over two thousand pounds of clover hay4 ,of course the provision ,i have made for a pig is outside of the question under consideration1 but in view of the fact that wherever a cow is kept1 a pig may also be profitably raised and fattened on the skim-milk and much that would otherwise be wasted1 and at the same time increase greatly the value of the manure heap1 ,i think such provision should be made1 especially as the cost of such an addition to the cow's shed is but little4 ,in case it is not desirable to keep a pig1 the space may be used as a calf-pen or for the storage of straw4 ,the cost of the building which ,i have described should not exceed fifty dollars4 ,the only way to secure a good cow1 is to keep trying until we get such a cow as we want and then hold on to her4 ,we may have to change several times before we can bring this about1 but there is no infallible rule for selecting a good cow4 ,were ,i to select one for myself1 ,i should select one not over five years old1 of gentle1 quiet disposition1 with a large barrel2 one whose udder is large and well formed1 with teats set well apart1 of good size1 and projecting slightly outward from each other1 and with large milk veins4 ,the method which ,i have adopted in the management of my cow1 has this in its favor1 that it has been highly and uniformly profitable to me4 ,,managing ,,the ,,manure ,,pile4 ,i shall first present my mode of making manure1 and of applying the same4 ,the prevalent idea among those who keep a single cow or other domestic animal is1 that the manure1 instead of being saved and protected from loss with the greatest care1 is a nuisance1 which should be summarily disposed of4 ,it is an established fact that the liquid portion of the excrement nearly1 if not quite1 equals in value the solid portion1 and in order to save both we must provide some means by which the liquid and volatile portions of the manure may be prevented from going to waste4 ,this is best accomplished by means of absorbents1 and there is nothing better or cheaper for this purpose than dried muck or earth1 a good supply of which should be constantly kept under cover where it is easily accessible4 ,fortunately ,i am so situated that ,i can obtain a supply quite easily4 ,there is within half a mile from my place a large tract of swamp land1 from which ,i can obtain1 for a low price1 all the 8muck0 ,i need4 ,every fall1 ,i store away under my shed a sufficient quantity to last me through the winter4 ,this had previously been thrown into piles and dried4 ,it is quite essential that it should be thoroughly dried1 so that it will readily absorb the liquid manure1 and this may be accomplished by piling and allowing it to be exposed to sun and air for six months or a year before wanted for use4 ,the bottom of the stall is covered with ten or twelve inches of the dry muck1 over which ,i scatter a light covering of cut straw or sawdust1 so as to secure a clean bed1 and prevent the particles of dirt and muck from sticking to the cow and dropping from thence into the pail4 ,the dry earth readily absorbs the liquid droppings and whenever it becomes saturated with the same1 may be removed1 together with the manure and soiled straw1 to a pile beneath the covered shed1 when a fresh supply of dry muck1 enough to replace that which was removed is carried in and the whole is again covered with the cut straw4 ,an occasional sprinkling of plaster 7gypsum7 is applied both to the litter in the stall and to the manure heap1 which prevents any loss of ammonia1 and hence all unpleasant odors are avoided4 ,whenever a forkful of manure is put on the pile1 it is immediately covered with muck4 ,twice each year this is hauled on to the land4 ,manure thus treated will not waste1 either by the leaching out of soluble matter1 by the escape of ammonia1 or by fire-fanging4 ,and as there is no coarse material1 such as long straw or corn stalks mingled with it1 it is always in a suitable condition to use4 ,if dry earth or muck cannot be obtained1 cut straw or sawdust may be substituted4 ,but earth1 being an excellent deodorizer itself1 and containing1 as it does1 much valuable fertilizing matter1 is much to be preferred4 ,if artificial fertilizers are used1 they may at any time be mixed with the compost heap4 ,also1 when a pig is kept1 its pen should be cleaned daily and the litter1 mingled with the general pile1 will add greatly to its value4 ,common salt may occasionally be added to the compost heap with advantage1 but ashes never1 as they tend to liberate the ammonia and thereby cause waste4 ,,yard ,,room ,,and ,,exercise4 ,it is not necessary to have a large yard connected with the stable1 as a cow is seldom inclined to exercise her locomotive powers more than is required to secure her food1 and if this is placed before her at suitable times and in sufficient quantity to supply her demands1 she will remain perfectly contented in an enclosure twenty feet square4 ,in planning our buildings let us bear in mind that sunlight is essential to perfect health4 ,therefore we should have the yard on the sunny side of the building4 ,at the same time we should see that there is a shady corner1 where the cow may take herself during intense heat4 ,a hint in this direction is sufficient4 ,nothing can be more cruel than to force any dumb animal to stand exposed to the rays of an ,august mid-day sun1 or where she is tormented nearly to death by flies4 ,yet we often see just such inhuman neglect on the part of those who should know better4 ,although in many respects desirable1 a pasture lot is not absolutely essential1 and in the case of the villager1 whose land is measured by feet instead of acres1 it must be dispensed with4 ,hence we have recourse to what is termed the soiling system1 which is simply cultivating such crops as will produce a succession of green food throughout the season1 and placing the same before the cow in such quantities and at such times as she may require1 instead of allowing her to tramp around after her feed1 and thereby waste more than she eats4 ,it requires some skill and judgment to carry out this plan successfully1 but wherever it has bean practised judiciously and intelligently1 the results have been uniformly satisfactory4 ,as to what amount of land is required in order to keep a cow through the year1 ,i will not pretend to say2 nor do ,i think it advisable to try to produce the entire amount of food required for a full year's sustenance4 ,,hay4 ,i know that for me it is far better to purchase what hay will be needed to feed through the winter than to attempt to grow it4 ,besides1 our village lots are much too small to be profitably converted into hay fields1 and even if there should be more land than is necessary to furnish the soiling crops for summer feeding1 it is usually much better economy to employ the same in the cultivation of small fruits1 which1 as ,i have before stated1 more than pays for what hay is required1 besides supplying us with many luxuries4 ,in my own case1 ,i have set apart one-half of an acre from which to supply the cow with food during a period extending from ,may first to ,november first4 ,now this will be entirely insufficient1 except under the very best cultivation and management1 which1 of course1 ,i am bound to bestow upon it4 ,that it is sufficient1 with proper care1 ,i have repeatedly proved4 ,such results could hardly be expected1 however1 from land which has received no previous preparation1 and is worn1 wormy1 and weedy4 ,let us assume1 then1 that our half acre is in a good1 fair state of productiveness4 ,to produce a continuous supply of wholesome fodder1 ,i find a system of rotation must be practised1 and have subdivided my half acre into four equal parts1 containing each one-eighth of an acre1 or twenty square rods4 ,these ,i shall designate as plots one1 two1 three1 and four4 ,plot one is at the present time in clover1 having been seeded one year ago1 and will be ready for use about ,june4 ,plot two was sown to winter rye last ,october1 and will be seeded down with clover this spring4 ,from this patch of rye ,i shall obtain the earliest feed1 and will begin using it about ,may first4 ,plot three will be sown with corn1 drilled thickly in rows two and a half feet apart1 which1 if sown as soon as danger from frost is past1 will be ready for use about ,august first4 ,plot four will be sown to mangels or sugar beets4 ,i prefer the latter1 and this is the only crop cultivated for winter use4 ,both this crop and the corn are planted with a garden seed drill1 while the rye is sown broadcast4 ,on the first of ,may ,i begin cutting the rye4 ,up to this time the cow has been fed on clover1 hay1 and grain4 ,i calculate to have the cow drop her calf at about ,april first4 ,to this end ,i have her served about ,june twenty-fifth4 ,of course1 we cannot always have our own way in this matter1 but1 accident excepted1 we can usually manage so as to approximate the time4 ,during a period of a few days subsequent to parturition1 ,i feed quite sparingly--however1 allowing her all the long hay she will eat1 together with a peck of beets twice a day1 but no grain of any kind1 this reduced ration being necessary to avoid the danger which might result from the too abundant secretion of milk at this time1 which high feeding would tend to produce4 ,if at the end of the fifth day after calving1 no bad results have occurred1 such as milk fever1 and there is little or no caking of the bag1 ,i begin to gradually increase the feed1 until1 at the tenth day1 ,i reach the normal standard1 which is as follows3 ,,daily ,,feeding4 ,at half-past five ,a4 ,m4 ,i feed her four quarts of a mixture consisting of one part each of corn meal and oat meal1 and two parts of bran4 ,four quarts of this is mixed with a heaping half bushel of cut 7chaffed7 hay1 moistened but not soaked4 ,while she is occupied in eating1 ,i clean the manure from the stable1 remove all dirt from her udder1 and any that would be likely to drop into the pail while milking4 ,sometimes a sponge and water are required to accomplish this1 but usually an old piece of a blanket kept for the purpose is all that is necessary4 ,i then milk and carry the milk directly to the house before it has time to cool or absorb odors1 which1 even with the utmost care and cleanliness cannot be entirely avoided4 ,after breakfast1 ,i give the cow a peck of sliced beets1 on which has been sprinkled about a dessert spoonful of salt1 which completes her breakfast4 ,at this time it is a very good plan to use the curry comb or card for ten or fifteen minutes1 though ,i must confess that ,i sometimes neglect this part of the programme3 still ,i think that my cow gets far more indulgence in this direction than most cows in the neighborhood4 ,after she has finished eating1 if the weather is not too unfavorable1 ,i allow her to run out in the yard1 where1 at noon1 ,i give her just as much long hay as she will eat up clean1 and no more4 ,there is at all times plenty of fresh water in the yard1 to which she can help herself whenever she so desires2 otherwise she would need to have it supplied to her at least twice a day1 but not immediately before or after a feed of grain4 ,at half-past five in the afternoon she receives the same amount of food1 and prepared in the same manner as in the morning4 ,this method is continued until the crop of rye is large enough for use4 ,all changes from dry to green feed must be made gradually1 if we would avoid loss4 ,by this time our supply of roots will be exhausted1 but the green food1 in a measure1 takes the place of them4 ,i continue to give the same amount of grain throughout the summer as ,i did through the month of ,april1 and also to mix it with chaffed hay slightly moistened1 as this insures the complete mastication and thorough intermingling with the saliva1 which is so essential to perfect digestion and assimilation4 ,as the supply of green food increases1 ,i diminish the quantity of chaffed hay until but one-half the former amount is used1 which quantity is continued through the soiling season4 ,the one-eighth acre of rye will last until about ,june fifteenth1 at which time the red clover will be large enough to feed4 ,we should not change abruptly from one kind of green food to another1 but increase the one and diminish the other gradually until the change is complete4 ,to ascertain the exact amount needed for a feed of this kind1 as well as of the other green crops1 requires some judgment on the part of the feeder2 but a very safe rule is to feed just such an amount as the cow will eat clean1 and no more4 ,we cannot specify exactly what would be a proper amount in every case1 neither can we spend time to weigh each ration1 but1 by observing carefully1 we are enabled to determine very closely4 ,i find that my cow will eat1 besides her other feed1 a good armful of green fodder three times a day4 ,i always cut a day's supply on the afternoon preceding1 and allow it to remain in the swath1 where it will wilt1 and a portion of the water evaporate1 thereby rendering it more wholesome than when fed immediately after cutting1 and ,i think my cow relishes it better4 ,by the fifteenth or twentieth of ,july the clover will have become so ripe as to necessitate the cutting and curing of any that may be left at that time4 ,it may still be fed1 however1 for a few days1 or until the sowed corn becomes large enough to take its place1 which is generally about the first of ,august4 ,this crop1 and the second cutting of the clover1 will complete the course1 and will furnish feed until well along into ,october1 or the first of ,november1 after which ,i depend on purchased food4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ba4--,,the ,,dutch 7,,holstein7 ,,cow 8,,crown ,,princess40 ,,winter ,,feed ,,and ,,treatment4 ,if not previously done1 ,i now procure three thousand pounds of the best early cut clover hay4 ,as my shed is not sufficiently large to store away this amount1 ,i am obliged to stack part of it4 ,i also procure bran and meal4 ,the amount of these which ,i require for a year's supply is3 of bran1 one thousand pounds2 of corn meal1 one thousand pounds2 and of oat meal1 seven hundred and fifty pounds4 ,these amounts1 well mixed together1 will furnish a feed of eight quarts per day1 which amount is diminished during the period in which the cow is dry1 and is sometimes increased1 if by any means other food is short4 ,it is not advisable to procure all this feed at once1 for1 if stored1 it would be quite likely to heat and mould before it could be used1 besides being subject to loss from rats and other vermin4 ,i therefore procure one-sixth of this amount1 or two months' supply at a time1 and ,i have often found it convenient and profitable to buy the corn and oats and have them ground myself4 ,the course pursued in feeding from ,november first until ,february fifteenth1 at which time the cow becomes dry1 is similar to that which ,i have described for the month of ,april4 ,it is better to dry off the cow four1 five1 or even six weeks prior to calving4 ,sometimes1 in order to do this1 it will be necessary to omit the grain and diminish the quantity of roots for a few days1 but after she becomes quite dry ,i resume feeding as before1 except perhaps to lessen the amount of grain until within a few days of calving1 when ,i omit the grain entirely until1 as ,i have before stated1 the danger from milk fever1 etc41 is past4 ,,calving4 ,some people continue to milk their cows until within a very short time of calving4 ,this is very poor economy4 ,the milk at such times is thin and insipid1 and unfit for food4 ,i have never found any 8preparatory treatment0 of the cow prior to parturition1 such as physicing1 etc41 to be necessary2 but place her on short rations for a few days--administering1 as one writer terms it1 8judicious starvation40 ,the feed of roots is continued1 as they exert a laxative effect on the bowels and tissues1 thereby obviating the necessity of giving a huge dose of ,epsom ,salts4 ,in an experience of fifteen years1 by following this plan of restricting the diet1 ,i have not had a case of milk fever1 apoplexy1 or retention of placenta1 and but one case which called for assistance1 and this was due wholly to an accident4 ,when a single cow is kept1 she is1 of course1 exempt from the ill consequences which so often result from crowding and fighting with other cows1 and1 if kindly treated and provided with comfortable accommodations for feeding and shelter1 she will seldom have any trouble4 ,but cases where assistance is indispensable do sometimes occur1 even under the best management1 the most frequent of which is the retention of the placenta or after-birth4 ,if1 at the end of twenty-four hours1 the cow has not 8cleaned10 it is then time to undertake the removal of the placenta4 ,this can be accomplished by carefully introducing the right arm of a man having a small hand1 which should previously be well greased1 into the cavity of the uterus1 when the connecting attachments will readily be found and may be separated1 after which the whole may be brought away4 ,these attachments are often quite numerous1 and care should be taken that all are detached1 and that the whole of the after-birth is removed1 as serious results sometimes occur when a portion of it is retained4 ,if1 from any cause1 the ftus has got into an unnatural position1 or shows any other presentation than that of the two fore feet and muzzle1 natural labor may be rendered impossible1 and assistance will be required in order to set matters right4 ,there are several abnormal positions in which the calf may be presented1 while there are but two positions in which delivery is practicable4 ,in the natural position the two fore feet and nose are the parts which make their first appearance4 ,when this is the case we may generally conclude that our services will not be required4 ,if1 on the other hand1 there is any alteration of this position1 either by the absence of the head or of one or both feet1 or if1 when labor pains have continued for some time1 there is no presentation at all1 it will be necessary to investigate the cause4 ,the owner's duty1 in cases of this nature1 will be to restore it1 by judicious manipulation1 to its normal position1 or to such a position as will render delivery practicable4 ,if1 from the nature of the case1 the fore legs and nose of the ftus cannot be brought into such a position1 we must endeavor to bring up the hind legs and deliver it in that position4 ,it frequently occurs in this position1 as well as sometimes in the natural one1 that traction will have to be applied4 ,in such cases it should be applied simultaneously with the throes of the cow4 ,in rare cases it becomes necessary to amputate portions of the ftus and bring them away separately1 which operation should be left to the veterinary surgeon4 ,in fact1 whenever assistance is required1 it is better to employ the services of a competent surgeon1 if such can be obtained4 ,but where professional assistance cannot be obtained1 it is much better to use one's own judgment than to depend on the village cow doctor1 who is usually one of the most ignorant persons in the community4 ,happily1 cases requiring any assistance1 where a single cow is kept1 are rare4 ,for ,mamitis or garget ,i have given successfully the following powder twice daily3 ,pulverized ,digitalis1 one drahm2 ,nitre1 one ounce2 ,cream of ,tartar1 one-half ounce2 mix and give in the feed4 ,if the bag is caked and hard1 let the calf run with the cow for a few days4 ,i do not consider it profitable to raise the calf1 therefore ,i dispose of it as soon as possible4 ,there are always plenty of farmers or farmers' boys who are glad to buy a good calf to raise1 and will willingly pay one or two dollars for the same1 and take it right away4 ,i prefer to raise and fatten a pig instead4 ,,accidents ,,and ,,failures4 ,it is no more than fair for me to say concerning my plan of feeding1 that ,i have occasionally been obliged to modify some of the details1 on account of unfavorable circumstances4 ,for instance1 ,i have been forced to cut grass from the highway in front of my house1 to supply a deficiency in some crop1 caused by unfavorable weather1 or some accident or other4 ,in the spring of #ahgh1 my clover failed to catch1 leaving me to make up for the loss of that crop as well as ,i could4 ,it was certainly most unfortunate1 inasmuch as it seriously interfered with the whole system of rotation4 ,to carry out the plan of soiling successfully requires considerable time and labor4 ,and on the whole1 unless one has plenty of the former at his disposal1 and a good wholesome inclination for the latter1 he could do full as well to adopt the old time practice of having his cow pastured by the week1 in which case no other labor than milking would be required1 while1 if she were allowed a feed of meal or bran at the time of milking1 night and morning1 very satisfactory results would be obtained4 ,,one ,,year',s ,,results4 ,to show what ,i have accomplished by it1 ,i will give an account of the products of my cow 8,polly10 for the year ending ,april first1 #ahhj1 together with a statement of the actual expenses of her keeping4 ,besides what was used in a family of four1 ,i have sold one hundred and sixty-nine pounds of butter1 at an average of twenty cents per pound1 which amounts to thirty-three dollars and eighty cents2 eight hundred and twenty-eight quarts of milk1 at six cents per quart1 forty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents2 eighteen quarts of butter-milk1 at three cents per quart1 fifty-four cents2 eleven quarts of sour milk1 at two cents1 twenty-two cents2 one calf1 four days old1 one dollar and seventy-five cents2 total1 eighty-five dollars and ninety-nine cents4 ,to this ,i may add one hundred and twenty pounds of butter consumed at home1 twenty-four dollars1 and about two hundred and thirty quarts of milk1 worth thirteen dollars and eighty cents2 making in all1 one hundred and twenty-three dollars and seventy-nine cents4 ,the cost of feed was as follows3 ,one thousand pounds bran1 nine dollars and sixty cents2 one thousand pounds corn meal1 eleven dollars and fifty cents2 seven hundred and fifty pounds of oatmeal1 nine dollars and eighty five cents2 three thousand pounds clover hay1 thirteen dollars and fifty cents2 two hundred pounds rye straw1 one dollar and fifty cents2 muck1 two dollars2 total1 forty-seven dollars and ninety-five cents2 leaving a balance of seventy-five dollars and eighty-four cents4 ,as ,i keep a horse1 ,i have the necessary tools for cultivating the land myself1 ,i have not added the cost of cultivation as an item in the expense column1 and perhaps it may be said that ,i should also have added interest on land and buildings4 ,as an offset to these1 ,i would call attention to the valuable pile of manure1 and furthermore ,i have made no account of a large amount of skim-milk1 on which ,i raised a pig4 ,this pig was fed nothing but sour milk1 and a very few small potatoes1 until about four weeks prior to butchering1 when he was 8finished off0 on corn meal4 ,he weighed1 after being dressed1 ,december twenty-eighth1 two hundred and seventy-eight pounds4 ,the profits from this cow would undoubtedly have been larger had ,i sold all the milk1 instead of making butter out of a part of it1 but ,i did not make mere profit my sole object in the matter4 ,i wished to supply my family with those necessary luxuries which1 ,i believe1 are rendered even sweeter by the consciousness of their being the products of our own labor4 ,the pleasure which ,i have taken in caring for my pet cow1 and in providing for her wants1 and the pride ,i feel in exhibiting both my cow and the delicious rich milk and yellow butter1 with which she so bountifully supplies us1 amply repays me for my part of the labor4 ,i have made no account of using concentrated food1 such as oil-cake and cotton-seed meal1 for the reason that ,i have had very little experience in the use of them4 ,whenever an animal has become thin and poor1 these articles of food may be used to advantage to increase the flesh and bring the animal into good condition4 ,but ,i never let my cow get poor1 and ,i find that good hay1 with corn1 oats1 and bran1 answers every purpose1 and is fully adequate to all her requirements4 ,my system of rotation is as follows3 ,the one-eighth acre of clover sod of the preceding year is well manured either during the winter or in the spring1 and well fitted up and sown to beets or mangels4 ,this crop occupies the land during the whole season4 ,the same plot is again plowed the next spring for sowed corn4 ,after this crop is off it is again manured and sown to rye1 and the following spring is again seeded to clover4 ,it is kept in clover one year1 yielding two crops during the season1 after which it is treated as before4 ,each of the four plots undergoes the same treatment2 thus a complete rotation is established4 ,illustration ,,keeping ,a ,,cow ,,on ,,cape ,,cod4 ,,by ,m4 ,t4 ,t4 ,,nickerson1 ,,south ,,dennis1 ,,mass4 ,we live in a section of country where nature has not been lavish with her gifts4 ,our soil is sandy and only produces paying crops by high cultivation4 ,farming with us comes near to being one of the lost arts4 ,we are not tillers of the soil4 ,living1 as we do1 within sound of the ,atlantic surf1 as it beats its everlasting measure upon our coast1 we1 from associations of birth and early training1 plow the ,ocean for a living1 the furrows frequently stretching from pole to pole1 or to the opposite side of the globe4 ,few1 very few1 keep cows4 ,a large proportion of our people do not keep any1 and it is not common to find many that have more than one4 ,we keep a good grade ,jersey1 and will give our way of keeping one cow1 having learned long ago1 that stock of any kind paid for good care4 ,keeping a lot of cattle or hogs1 or poultry1 and simply feeding what we happen to have1 or what we can buy cheap1 leaving them to shift for themselves in cold and stormy weather1 or giving them wet uncomfortable stables1 always results in disease to the stock and loss to the owner4 ,we sow as early in the spring as the ground is in condition to work1 forty rods with a mixture of oats and peas1 and forty rods in spring rye4 ,we commence cutting our oats and peas as soon as the peas begin to bloom4 ,where we have a good stand1 a rod per day1 divided in three feeds1 morning1 noon1 and night1 is generally enough4 ,as soon as we have cut about ten rods we plow under the stubble1 and plant ,early ,minnesota ,sweet ,corn--rows two and one half feet apart--hills two feet in the rows1 leaving two and three stalks in a hill4 ,the next ten rods we serve in the same manner4 ,if our rye is now grown enough to cut with profit we commence feeding it1 and cut the balance of our oats and peas1 and cure them for winter4 ,if our rye is not fit to cut for soiling1 we continue to use our oats and peas until it is1 and then cure for winter what is left4 ,as soon as the last of our oats are off1 we plant about four rods with beets 7mangel wurzel74 ,we prefer the ,globe varieties1 as the yield is better on our soil4 ,the balance of our oat-and-pea ground we sow with ,hungarian grass4 ,as soon as we have cut ten rods of our rye1 we manage as with our oats1 turn under the stubble and again plant sweet corn4 ,the earlier the variety the better4 ,we prefer the ,early ,minnesota4 ,as soon as we have cleared off the next ten rods of our rye1 we plant from two to four rods with turnips4 ,the balance we sow with a mixture of ,hungarian and the earliest 8,canada ,gray0 pea4 ,we now feed our rye until our first planting of corn and ,hungarian will do to feed1 when we turn under the rest of the rye stubble 7curing what is left of the rye for winter71 sow half with ,hungarian and the balance we sow 7not plant7 with sweet corn4 ,as soon as our first planting of corn is cut up1 we sow two or three rows broadcast with flat turnips1 some of the strap-leaved varieties1 hoeing or raking them in by hand4 ,we continue to plant or sow some quick-growing variety of corn1 peas1 grass1 grain1 or roots1 even when it is very doubtful if we shall receive any return for our time and work2 but we frequently get a fair yield from our third planting4 ,i presume a great many will be sceptical in regard to this 8third crop business40 ,it must be remembered that our first sowing is made very early in the spring1 and that we do not wait until any of our forage crops mature1 but we cut them long before they would be ripe1 thereby shortening the time of their growth and leaving the ground to be planted with something else4 ,the above is no iron rule1 but subject to great variations4 ,our plan is to sow as early as possible in the spring with the earliest maturing grass or grain we can get1 and from the time we commence cutting until there is no possibility of getting any return4 ,we sow and plant wherever we have a few rods of bare ground1 as soon as any of our crops are maturing or there is something coming forward to take its place4 ,we cut and cure what is left for winter4 ,we advise close seeding in all cases1 roots1 of course1 excepted4 ,,cow ,,kept ,,on ,,half ,,an ,,acre4 ,if the season is favorable1 we manage to keep our one cow nicely on half an acre1 or rather on the fodder grown on half an acre4 ,but sometimes1 on account of drouth or late frost1 we are obliged to buy a little hay in the spring4 ,it is impossible for us to say how much feed must be bought4 ,we generally have a bag of corn 7two bushels71 and a bag of oats 7two and a half bushels71 ground together1 feeding from two to four quarts a day1 according to the amount of roots used1 and the season of the year1 feeding meal very sparingly in summer4 ,we frequently reserve two or three rods in the spring for early turnips1 to be fed when large enough for profit1 but always feed turnips immediately after milking to prevent flavoring the milk4 ,we generally have a few cabbage plants started to set where the corn misses1 or the beets or turnips fail to come up1 or in any corner or by-place where there is room for a cabbage to grow4 ,sometimes we reserve a few rods for cabbages late in the season1 as we find them excellent for a change of feed either winter or summer4 ,we advise1 in all cases1 the use of the earliest varieties of grass1 grain1 or vegetables1 as we cannot afford the time and ground occupied by some of the larger and taller growing varieties1 being convinced1 from actual experience1 that two and three crops of early varieties1 although small1 are more profitable than one crop of the larger late varieties4 ,,the ,,stable ,,and ,,the ,,manure ,,cellar ,the stable for our cow is a shed nine by sixteen1 built on the south side of our carriage and wagon house4 ,one-half of the shed is partitioned off and enclosed for winter use or stormy weather2 the other half of the shed is open on the south side1 and our yard is about sixteen by thirty1 including the shed4 ,we think it would be better to have it larger1 but we get along with it nicely4 ,we find the best way to dispose of her manure is to have a small cellar underneath the stable1 with cemented bottom and sides1 so as to be water tight1 the stable to have a tight floor with a gutter behind the cow to receive the droppings and urine1 with a scuttle or trap door in the gutter to let it all go into the cellar4 ,for bedding1 we use forest leaves1 and use them liberally4 ,where forest leaves cannot be obtained1 any refuse hay or straw will answer1 but the cow as well as the horse should have plenty of good dry bedding4 ,to mix with the urine and droppings of the cow1 we put into the cellar1 sea-weed1 muck1 turf1 slops from the house1 and soap suds1 or anything we think will make good compost4 ,we gather up the droppings from the yard and throw them into the cellar4 ,we keep our yard well laid with forest leaves4 ,if those are not available1 we use the next best thing we can get4 ,in the fall1 when we cart the manure out of the cellar1 we gather up what has accumulated in the yard and put it into the cellar4 ,in this way we save all of the manure1 and in excellent condition4 ,now1 to make it better and save the labor of pitching it over1 we keep a pig where he can have access to the cellar1 and if not disposed to work1 we keep him on short feed and scatter corn in the cellar1 so that in order to get it1 he will have to root the whole mass over in good shape4 ,we cart our manure out in the fall1 distributing it over our land as evenly as possible1 and plow it under as deep as we can4 ,we do not sow anything for next year's use1 as we think we get a better return from our land to sow early in the spring and continue it through the summer4 ,it is a mistaken idea1 or rather a grave blunder1 to undertake to grow good crops of anything without the liberal use of manures4 ,as soon as our land will do to work in the spring1 we sow our oats1 peas1 and rye1 giving a top dressing of guano1 superphosphates1 or bone meal1 which we repeat with each successive sowing1 also giving each hill of corn and rows of beets and turnips a small quantity4 ,we alternate the top dressings1 that is1 if we use superphosphate the first sowing1 we use ground bone or guano the second1 and vice versa1 as we find the continuous use of any one kind of manure or fertilizer is as injurious as continuous planting of corn or potatoes1 without rotating with something else4 ,,barrels ,,for ,,keeping ,,roots4 ,we have a way of our own for keeping our roots in the absence of a vegetable cellar1 or when we do not want them in the house cellar4 ,we take any old barrels and set them in the ground1 the chiner just coming to the top of the ground 7we do not want a head in either end of the barrels74 ,into these headless barrels we put our beets1 turnips1 cabbage1 etc4 ,as the weather grows cold we cover the barrels with some loose boards4 ,whenever it is cold enough to freeze hard1 we throw over them enough hay or straw to keep out the wet4 ,by this method we can1 with very little trouble at any time1 get out a barrel or part of a barrel of roots4 ,in this way the roots keep in fine condition4 ,late in the spring1 turnips and beets will be as brittle and good as when pulled in the fall4 ,our subject is 8keeping one cow10 but any one that feels disposed to try it1 will find the above a very fine way to keep turnips1 beets1 cabbage1 or celery1 for family use4 ,we prefer to have our cow calve about the first of ,april1 as we then have time to make veal of the calf before we begin to make grass butter4 ,there is generally1 in any place1 a better demand for milk through the winter1 and better prices1 hence if one wishes to sell milk and buy butter1 it would perhaps be better to have her calve in the fall4 ,we hardly feel competent to advise1 if help is needed in calving4 ,as her time of calving draws nigh1 we give our cow extra care and attention4 ,if the bowels are kept in a healthy condition1 we apprehend there is rarely trouble1 from the fact that our cows have always calved without the need of help4 ,if there is ready sale for milk at paying prices1 we would dispose of the calf in some way1 when it is a few days old1 but if milk is not salable at good prices1 it is better to let the calf have the milk until from four to six weeks old1 and then if the butcher will not give us a fair price for it1 we get some one to dress it for us1 and sell it among our neighbors1 who are generally glad to buy it4 ,in that way we get from eight to twelve dollars for our calf4 ,we think it as well for the cow to keep the calf for that length of time4 ,it seems to satisfy a necessity of her nature to have her baby suck and draw its nourishment from her4 ,we know of no better picture of contentment than to see an old cow suckling her calf after being away from it all day4 ,we advise regular hours of milking night and morning1 and kind1 gentle treatment1 carding in winter1 cleanliness and thorough ventilation of stable at all times4 ,in summertime1 if confined in a yard1 a thin sheet to keep off the flies will be found very comfortable for the cow1 and profitable to the owner4 ,i presume some will ridicule the idea of blanketing the cow1 but why not as well as the horse8 ,again1 if confined in a yard1 she should have plenty of clean pure water1 and plenty of shade4 ,keeping a cow1 with us1 is not altogether a matter of fancy or pleasure1 but of convenience1 economy1 comfort1 profit1 and health1 in having pure sweet milk and fresh butter4 ,illustration ,,alfalfa ,,or ,,lucern4 ,,by ,,sam',l ,c4 ,,hammer1 ,,downey ,,city1 ,,cal4 ,i have lived in ,tennessee1 in ,texas1 and now reside in ,california4 ,i have been using ,alfalfa for some eight or ten years1 and from my own personal care of and attention to this article1 ,i maintain one can obtain more milk the year round from it1 without change to other food1 than from any one thing grown4 ,besides1 ,alfalfa can be grown at less expense1 and is attended with less labor1 whether fed green or cured1 than any other feed4 ,alfalfa can be grown in ,canada1 it is said4 ,if so1 then any one has the chance to try this wonderful friend to the farmer4 ,once sown on deeply cultivated land1 free of weeds1 it is good for ten years1 or even more1 with us4 ,twenty pounds is abundant seed for an acre--some think too much2 but it should be sown thickly4 ,let it stand thick1 and it is finer and more tender4 ,where sown sparsely it becomes woody and coarse4 ,it can be cut here as early as ,march1 where mowing and not grazing is adhered to1 and it should never be grazed or 8staked0 7fed off by tethered cattle74 ,from seven to nine cuttings can be obtained from it1 and from fifteen to twenty tons of cured hay a year made to the acre2 that is1 if on good land and if the crop fully occupies the ground1 and is cut just as a few scattering blooms are observed4 ,this hay must be cured as rapidly as possible1 raked in windrows and bunched the second day1 rather letting it cure in bunches than in any other manner1 to prevent leaves falling off2 then housing or 8shedding0 it soon as possible1 sprinkling salt through it as stacked1 to prevent mould4 ,alfalfa needs no top-dressing with fertilizers and manure1 but simply a severe cross-harrowing with a very sharp-toothed harrow1 bearing the weight of a man4 ,the more the ,alfalfa is torn and split up the better it will grow4 ,this harrowing should be done in spring before it commences its first growth4 ,after growing a few years1 the stools project1 in many places1 above the surface of the ground4 ,if an implement could be devised for the purpose of cutting off all these old stalks just below the surface1 then seed lightly1 giving a good harrowing1 the plants would be renewed1 and would thicken up rapidly1 for wherever a stalk or root is cut off1 dozens of new shoots spring up in its place4 ,however1 ,i advocate a change of diet for brutes as well as mankind1 and therefore take for the family cow a half acre of most excellent ground4 ,i will suppose that one half of it--that is a quarter acre--is well set in ,alfalfa4 ,the rest ,i would have plowed twice1 very deep1 smoothed and laid off in drills for carrots1 which1 at the proper season 7with us in ,february or ,march71 ,i would enrich in the furrows with any well-rotted manure4 ,for ,alfalfa almost any good soil suits1 for ,i find it adapts itself to various soils and endures a great deal of rough treatment1 but in order to get the best results it should be well treated4 ,i prefer a moderately sandy soil1 which is naturally moist4 ,on dry1 mellow ground1 it will send down a tap-root ten feet4 ,i have drawn roots out of very sandy soil when digging post holes that would measure six feet4 ,they seek moisture during dry weather1 and although ,i have had ,alfalfa die down1 the ground being parched and cracked1 yet when the fall or winter rains begin1 it springs up in a few days4 ,as soon as the ,alfalfa comes in1 feed it alone1 salting as suits one's own idea4 ,when the first scattering blooms appear ,i would cut the remainder--namely1 that which had not been cut each day for the cow4 ,i would then cure it as rapidly as possible1 and put it under cover1 sprinkling salt over it4 ,i now advocate and practice feeding the cured hay in preference to the green4 ,by the latter you obtain a greater flow of milk1 but with the former ,i consider the milk richer1 and this is the experience of dairymen with whom ,i have conversed4 ,a cow learns to eat the cured fodder almost as readily as the green1 and all danger of bloat is obviated4 ,some may think because ,i am in ,california that irrigation makes some difference1 but my ,alfalfa grows without it4 ,i cut mine six times last summer1 #ahgi1 and it was an exceptionally dry and hot season4 ,our rains fall mostly in winter1 and that has to do us until the next winter4 ,now1 as to the cow1 ,i would place her in a corral or lot1 we'll say1 of one-fourth to half an acre in size1 giving her a comfortable house or shed for winter1 in which ,i think she should be fastened by a closed door in cold rainy weather4 ,at other times she should be allowed the run of the lot1 having access to good fresh water at least twice a day4 ,shade trees for summer's hot sun are indispensable4 ,in this lot or corral you have all the manure where it can be gathered up daily or weekly1 and composted or housed1 ready to be spread on the ground for future crops4 ,some would say a cow should be curried every morning4 ,they certainly do enjoy it1 but many ,california farmers never saw such a thing done4 ,i think it should be done just before the animals begin to shed their old coats2 afterwards ,i see little use of it4 ,,permanent ,,grass ,,as ,,soiling ,,crop4 ,,by ,p4 ,s4 ,,norris1 ,,angelica1 ,n4 ,y4 ,the keeping of one cow seems to be generally regarded as a matter of so little importance1 and one so simple in its nature1 that even persons of low intelligence can scarcely fail of success4 ,but to keep a cow in such a manner as to receive the greatest return for the least possible expense in labor and money1 requires the most careful study of the nature and habits1 endurance1 needs1 and the productive capabilities of the animal1 and involves scientific principles which are deeper and broader than those generally applied to the keeping of stock of any kind4 ,if the average quantity of milk be ten quarts per day during the year1 and the expense twenty cents per day1 the milk will cost two cents per quart1 and if the milk is worth three cents per quart1 there is a net profit of fifty per cent upon the cost of keeping1 or ten cents per day4 ,but if the quantity of milk be eight quarts per day1 and the expense twelve cents1 the milk will cost only one and a half cents per quart1 or twelve cents per day4 ,then three cents per quart for the milk will leave an actual profit of one hundred per cent upon the cost of keeping1 or twelve cents per day4 ,one acre1 and even something less1 put in good condition1 well fertilized and properly seeded1 will be ample for a pasture1 and will furnish plenty of nutritious feed1 upon which1 with proper care1 the cow will yield an abundant flow of rich and delicious milk2 while one-third of an acre of similar soil will produce sufficient hay for the winter4 ,the pasture should be divided into two parts1 the cow to be kept a few days in each alternately1 with plenty of pure water and shade4 ,where land is high1 as it always is in towns and villages of any size1 the practice of 8soiling10 as it is usually termed1 is the most profitable way to keep a cow4 ,for this purpose1 a small yard1 some twenty to thirty feet square1 perhaps1 or of such size as can be afforded1 may be provided1 containing an open shed--the more open the better for the summer--only so that it will shelter the animal from the heat of the sun and the storms4 ,the yard and shed should be kept as clean and dry as possible1 or the cow will become ill4 ,plenty of pure water is indispensable at all times4 ,a comfortable place for the cow to lie down is very important4 ,sawdust1 forest leaves1 old straw1 or other convenient and cheap litter will answer for bedding2 or1 if the ground be smooth1 clean and dry1 that may be sufficient4 ,the manure is to be carefully collected and placed under another shed1 or other convenient place under shelter provided for the purpose1 and1 to prevent bad odors1 the heap should receive1 once in two or three days1 a light covering of muck1 leaves1 sods1 weeds dug up in the garden or elsewhere1 or fine earth--almost anything that will rot--and thus not only prevent the unpleasantness and unhealthfulness of such odors1 and the loss that would result from their escape1 but add largely to the size and value of the manure heap4 ,now1 have about two-thirds of an acre of land1 highly manured1 and1 with the exception of about fourteen square rods1 well seeded with a variety of nutritious grasses4 ,this quantity of land1 if properly enriched and cultivated1 will keep a cow the year round1 and keep her well1 without purchasing any feed4 ,a good rack or other arrangement in the shade is necessary1 in which to feed1 so that nothing shall be wasted4 ,then1 quite early in the season1 the grass upon this rich soil will be large enough to be cut and fed to the cow4 ,while the ground is sufficiently moist1 in the fore part of the season1 the grass will grow very rapidly1 and1 when the soil becomes a little too dry1 about half a bushel of plaster1 or twice as much lime1 or two or three bushels of wood ashes1 scattered upon it1 will usually renew the vigor and freshness of the crop1 which may be repeated with benefit two or three times before the end of the growing season4 ,another excellent fertilizer1 which may be applied during the summer1 is the waste water from the house1 such as soap suds1 dish water1 and any other slops that are to be thrown away4 ,these should all be saved and scattered upon the grass from pails1 if no better method is ordinarily practicable1 and it will pay a person many times over for the trouble4 ,a light top-dressing of manure from the cow-yard or shed will be necessary every year1 or every second year certainly1 applied in the fall1 or early in the spring4 ,as soon as the grass has fairly got into blossom1 it should be immediately cut and well-cured for winter use1 unless it may be necessary to save a small quantity to feed until that portion which was first cut for the cow shall be ready to cut again4 ,grass should never be allowed to stand until the seed has formed1 as just previous to that time it is more nutritious than at any other period4 ,hay cut thus early will make much more and better milk1 and keep a cow in better condition than that which is cut later4 ,a portion of the grass can be mown a second time for hay1 and still leave enough for green feed until foddering time4 ,the exact proportion of the crop to be made into hay must1 of course1 depend upon circumstances4 ,all that is not needed for summer use should be cured for winter1 and the quantity will1 generally1 be sufficient1 if1 indeed1 there is not an overplus1 as will quite likely occur in many cases4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bb4--,,shorthorn ,,cow 8,,cold ,,cream40 ,,best ,,kinds ,,of ,,grasses4 ,it is important to know what kinds of grasses are best adapted to the production of milk and butter1 for both summer and winter feeding2 and upon this depends1 in a great measure1 the profits to be realized4 ,the practice of seeding with a single kind of grass1 or even with a mixture of clover and timothy1 is not a good one4 ,four of the most nutritious and productive kinds of grass1 including timothy1 white clover1 and such other varieties as are well adapted to the particular nature and condition of the soil1 are none too many to be sown together1 for pasture or meadow4 ,five quarts of timothy1 three of white clover1 six of orchard grass1 and three of red-top 7if the ground is quite moist71 or other grass suited to the soil1 are about the proper quantities and proportions for general use1 on an acre of land4 ,such a mixture1 upon a rich soil1 will produce fully twice as much feed as any one kind upon the same soil4 ,white clover produces a greater quantity and better quality of milk and butter than any of the other varieties of grass1 and the quantity of feed produced by such a mixture1 will astonish any person not acquainted with the facts4 ,besides producing much more abundantly1 they furnish something of a variety of feed1 which is greatly beneficial in the manufacture of both milk and flesh4 ,weeds injure the flavor of milk and butter1 and should never be in the food for cows4 ,an acre of rich soil1 well seeded with a good selection and variety of perennial grasses1 will produce six tons of well-cured hay in one season2 by mowing twice1 and1 by early cutting1 this can be done without difficulty4 ,in my own experience1 the first mowing has given at the rate of full four tons per acre1 and the second1 somewhat injured by drouth1 two tons4 ,some writers recommend the sowing of one or more of the rank growing annuals1 as being more productive2 but a careful consideration of the subject1 accompanied by experiments1 discloses the fact that the extra expense of preparing the ground and seeding annually1 overbalances any increased quantity of feed produced1 especially when the coarser and less nutritious nature of the feed is taken into the account4 ,there is nothing suited to this climate and latitude1 that will answer a better purpose as food for stock1 than such perennials as timothy1 red-top1 orchard-grass1 blue-grass1 the clovers1 etc41 when sown upon a rich soil1 thick enough to completely cover the ground and to insure fine1 soft hay1 when cut at the proper time and well cured4 ,i have omitted red clover in the mixture of grasses1 because soils adapted to that variety will produce white clover equally as well1 and in about the same quantity1 while the white gives a much better flavor to milk and butter1 and an increased quantity4 ,blue-grass1 either green or cured1 is excellent feed for cattle1 but is unprofitable on account of the small product1 and that coming only in the fore part of the season1 falling1 as it does1 just at the time when fresh feed is most needed4 ,red and white clover may be advantageously mixed with the true grasses1 in many localities where the soil is suitable1 though the clovers are likely to 8run out0 in a couple of years1 and leave their places to be filled with inferior fodder plants4 ,,milking ,,three ,,times ,a ,,day4 ,during the heat of summer1 the cow should be milked three times a day1 at regular intervals--about five o'clock in the morning1 one in the afternoon1 and at nine in the evening4 ,the quantity of milk and butter is considerably increased1 and the quality improved1 by this practice4 ,the milk is injured by remaining in the udder through the heat of the day1 and the cow is made uncomfortable1 which1 of necessity1 diminishes her usefulness4 ,when cows are milked but twice a day in hot weather1 the udder becomes too much heated and feverish1 and the milk is in a similar condition--the cream seems to be melted1 the milk soon becomes sour1 the cream does not rise well1 and the butter is soft and oily4 ,these difficulties1 almost universally attending butter-making at this time of the year1 are mostly overcome by the practice of milking three times a day1 and the cow being near at hand1 it is a small matter4 ,the length of time a cow should be milked1 will depend on her capabilities for giving milk a longer or shorter time4 ,some will give milk the year round1 while others will 8go dry0 three or four months1 or longer1 in spite of all efforts to keep them in milk a longer period4 ,but1 as a rule1 it is better for a cow to go dry some eight weeks1 giving time for fleshing up a little1 and gaining strength for another season4 ,the cow will be more vigorous1 and the flow of milk more abundant afterward4 ,,the ,,ellsworth ,,or 8,,barre0 ,,system ,,of ,,feeding4 ,,by ,d4 ,d4 ,,slade1 ,,chestnut ,,hill1 ,,mass4 ,my own experience1 as well as that of others1 has taught me that a cow properly fed twice a day1 will give more milk1 and be in better condition than when fed three times1 or more frequently4 ,this plan1 which is known as the 8,barre0 system of feeding1 may be adopted throughout the year1 although it has been chiefly applied to the winter months1 in the region where it has been most extensively pursued4 ,the poorest quality of fodder is given first1 at the commencement of each meal1 and before this is entirely consumed1 another foddering of a better quality is placed before the cow1 and finally a third1 of the best hay4 ,after this is consumed1 roots1 grain1 etc41 may be given immediately4 ,in this way1 the animal employs on an average about two hours at a meal--which occurs only twice during the day1 with an interval of from six to seven hours between the morning and evening4 ,water1 always slightly warmed1 in cold weather1 is offered at once1 and it will be found that the cow will not drink so freely after she has begun to chew the cud4 ,no food should be given between the meals1 which should be at regular hours1 and served with punctuality4 ,so long as she chews her cud1 which in the well-fed cow is about six hours1 we can rest assured that her digestive organs have work enough before them1 and that we cannot reasonably call upon them to do more4 ,the why and the wherefore of this system of feeding1 which we heartily advocate1 are well told in the words of ,mr4 ,ellsworth1 the originator4 8,the idea that a cow needs only two meals a day during the winter season1 as long as she is kept upon hay or other dried fodder1 notwithstanding the fact that she will eat much oftener1 when obtaining her living from the pasture1 may appear to the casual observer1 to be contradictory to itself2 but on a closer investigation we shall notice a rational1 and ,i believe satisfactory reason for it4 ,of all the elements of which grass is composed1 by far the larger part is water1 which must render it much more bulky than an equal amount of hay1 and for this reason1 more is required to supply the wants of the system4 ,during the season1 therefore1 when the cow must live by her own exertions1 she must labor most of the time to obtain the requisite amount of nourishment1 which she is not required to do while in the barn4 ,we must not forget1 also1 that pastures in general are kept down so close during the greater part of the summer1 that only by continual labor can her wants be satisfied40 ,the same rules are applicable to the soiling of the cow during the summer months1 the only difference being that green food is given in the place of dry4 ,this may consist of rye1 oats1 barley1 millet1 or ,hungarian grass1 corn1 ,english grass1 etc41 cut while in the milk4 ,it will frequently be found that a proportion of dried hay will also at times be highly relished1 and may be essential to allay any excessive looseness of the bowels1 which may be produced by the succulent food4 ,during the time of eating1 the milking and other necessary work may be done about the cow house1 so that time may be thus economized4 ,as to the requisite amount of food1 it may be taken as a safe rule1 that a milch cow demands in food1 three per cent of her weight4 ,an average cow1 then1 will require from eighteen to twenty pounds of hay1 in addition to a peck or two of roots per day1 or the equivalent of this amount in green food during the summer months4 ,if the hay is good1 and has been properly cured1 or if rowen can be given1 then there will be little or no demand for grain in any form4 ,if otherwise1 from one to two quarts of ,indian meal1 with two quarts of shorts per day1 should be fed out1 if we are to expect a good flow of milk4 ,we have found excellent results to follow the practice of stirring the meal and shorts1 or a portion of these1 into a bucket of warm water1 and offering this mixture immediately after the animal has consumed her dry food1 and before any roots are eaten4 ,this extra amount of fluid will be greedily taken1 in this way1 without any interference with a liberal supply of water at the end of the meal4 ,salt1 at all times1 should be accessible to the cow1 and perhaps this article may be best supplied by placing a large lump of rock salt in the manger1 to be licked as her wants may require4 ,taking ,central ,new ,england1 as before remarked1 as the latitude of experimentation1 it will be found that one square rod of oats1 ,hungarian grass1 barley1 rye1 and similar grasses1 in proper condition1 growing on land in a high state of cultivation1 is amply sufficient for a cow for one day4 ,or in other words1 to be within perfectly safe bounds1 and considering the chances of partial failure1 we may say1 that under the conditions above mentioned1 forty square rods1 or one quarter of an acre1 will produce ample food for one cow for thirty-five days4 ,on this basis1 upon one acre can be grown soiling material sufficient to keep a cow through the year1 allowing also1 a liberal amount of roots4 ,how is this to be done8 ,we may assume that a man takes possession of a place on the first of ,april1 which is the customary time in ,new ,england4 ,let him select an acre of the land most suitable to the purpose in view4 ,let him set apart forty square rods1 or one quarter of it1 for summer soiling1 twenty square rods for the growth of roots1 and the remaining one hundred square rods for crops1 to be properly cured for winter use4 ,the land having been thoroughly prepared1 that is1 in high tilth1 sow as early in ,april as possible1 on ten square rods1 oats1 or spring rye1 at the rate of four bushels to the acre4 ,this will be fit to cut1 for summer soiling1 in the first week of ,july4 ,on the fifteenth to twentieth of ,april1 sow the next ten rods in a similar manner4 ,this will be ready to cut about the fifteenth of ,july4 ,on the first of ,may1 sow oats or barley on the next ten rods1 which will be fit for cropping ,august first4 ,on the tenth to the fifteenth of ,may put in the next five rods in drills1 flat corn at the rate of three bushels to the acre1 and a week later the remaining five rods are to be treated in a similar manner4 ,this will give succulent food up to ,september4 ,as soon as the first ten rods of land1 which were cleared of oats by the tenth of ,july1 has been again prepared properly1 sow ,hungarian grass at the same rate as before stated4 ,do the same also with the next lot1 cleared of oats by the first of ,august1 putting in barley1 however1 in place of millet1 as this is not injured by the early frosts4 ,barley may also be sown on the lot which was cropped about the tenth of ,august1 or if this grain has already occupied the land1 we may substitute corn1 using a stimulating fertilizer to give it a rapid growth4 ,in this way1 we shall have a succession of green food up to ,november1 augmented also by the tops of the roots when thinned out or when harvested4 ,the larger varieties of the sweet corn may be substituted for the flat1 and is perhaps better relished1 although not affording perhaps so large a yield4 ,the twenty square rods devoted to root culture must receive attention as early in the season as possible--certainly by the first of ,may4 ,the ground having been deeply plowed or spaded1 and thoroughly manured1 should be made perfectly level4 ,the large sugar beet and the mangold wurzel are the most valuable for the milch cow1 and may be sown at the rate of about six pounds to the acre4 ,during their growth1 careful attention should be given to them by keeping them free from weeds1 and the surface of the ground loose and fresh4 ,a good yield would give an average of about six hundred and fifty bushels to the acre1 which will be eighty bushels for the plot of twenty square rods1 and allowing the cow one-third of a bushel per day for the eight months of dry food4 ,the roots should be secured from frost by placing them in the cellar or in deep pits well protected4 ,the hundred rods which is to be devoted to the winter feeding1 must be put down to oats at the same time1 and exactly in the same manner as the first ten rods for summer soiling4 ,cut these when in their most succulent condition1 which will be probably from the fifth to the tenth of ,july4 ,cure them well1 and house or stack them in a suitable manner4 ,the land having been again suitably prepared1 the preceding crop must be at once followed by ,hungarian grass1 a bushel and a half to the acre1 which will be fit for cutting as soon as the head is formed1 which will be in about six weeks from the time of sowing4 ,cure it as far as possible in the cock1 which will render it more nutritious4 ,the one hundred square rods being again cleared and put in order during the autumn1 sow winter rye at the rate of three bushels to the acre4 ,this will be ready to cut in the spring1 and will afford green food much earlier than in any other way for soiling4 ,if there is a surplus of any of the green crops1 convert it into hay for winter use4 ,from the two croppings of the one hundred square rods1 treated in the above manner1 a fair yield will be a ton and a quarter of oats cured as hay1 with an equal amount of ,hungarian grass4 ,thus we have two and one-half tons of fodder1 which will be amply sufficient for one cow through the eight months in which she is not receiving the green crops1 allowing her the amount of hay per day which we have stated as necessary in conjunction with the roots and grain1 in the quantities before mentioned4 ,of course1 where the feeding commences in ,april1 if the place be taken in that month1 food must be bought by the owner to last until the summer soiling in ,july4 ,in the succeeding year1 however1 the crop of winter rye will come in early1 to be used in conjunction with the dried fodder of the previous summer4 ,,cow ,,stabled ,,in ,,the ,,town4 ,again1 there are cases where a single cow may be kept with profit and advantage1 and that1 too1 in perfect health1 without the agency of land1 in the immediate suburbs of a town or city1 or even within the very precincts of a city4 ,it is requisite1 for these conditions1 that provision should be made to allow the animal to breathe fresh air1 and to enjoy a certain amount of sunlight daily4 ,without these none should be kept4 ,exercise is not essential to the well-being of the milch cow2 she is an animal of repose1 and if she is offered every effort to ruminate1 will be perfectly contented1 and will do her duty4 ,attention to the best possible condition of the skin1 as regards cleanliness1 is very important when so closely housed4 ,the food which1 under these circumstances1 must be purchased1 can be obtained with much economy1 on account of the propinquity to the places of sale2 and although we do not advocate the use of brewers' grain1 or of any other cheap articles which are too often substituted for the natural food of the cow1 viz41 grass1 green or dry--a small quantity1 especially when supplemented by the vegetable refuse from the house table1 may be advantageously employed conjointly with good hay4 ,finally1 it may be said that no animal better repays care and attention1 and can with more truth be called the poor man's friend1 than the cow4 ,illustration ,,facts ,,refute ,,prejudice4 ,,by ,d4 ,b4 ,,chapman1 ,,new ,,london1 ,,ct4 ,when ,i was a boy it was the prevailing opinion in the section of country where ,i was raised1 that it was better that a cow should be rather thin in flesh at the time of calving than otherwise4 ,there was but very little grain fed in winter1 to any stock in that section1 except to working oxen4 ,cows in milk were fed hay1 while dry cows1 and young stock1 were fed on straw or corn stalks4 ,the result was that at the time of calving1 cows were generally thin enough to conform to the popular idea of a proper condition4 ,cows giving a large yield of milk were scarce enough in those days1 and it was very seldom that you would meet one that would yield ten quarts of milk per day 7beer measure71 during the flush of feed4 ,my faith in the theory1 that a cow should be thin in flesh at the time of calving1 received a very severe shock1 very soon after ,i became the owner of one1 and experience and observation have only served to confirm my doubts of its correctness4 ,in the spring of #ahdh1 ,i purchased my first cow4 ,i came across her some twenty miles from home4 ,she had just calved1 and displayed a very large udder4 ,her owner warranted her to give twelve quarts of milk per day1 and to be1 in every respect1 a good family cow4 ,the cow suited my fancy in every particular1 save one1 she was too fat4 ,but having nine points in her favor1 ,i did not feel disposed to forego her purchase for the want of the tenth4 ,when ,i drove her home1 the adverse criticism on her was immense1 solely on account of her condition4 ,said an old farmer to me3 8,that is a fancy cow1 just suited for some rich man1 who can afford to indulge his fancy1 and expend for her keeping1 twice as much as the value of her milk4 ,you will find that you have got to keep her in just the condition that she is now in1 or you will get no milk4 ,if you do not keep her in this condition1 you will find she will shrink in milk1 before she shrinks in flesh1 and she won't give half as much1 on the same keeping1 as she would if she was no fatter than my cows40 ,i must own1 that after listening to this and that criticism in the same strain1 ,i felt a little sick of my bargain1 and would have willingly sold her at a discount1 but no purchaser appearing1 ,i concluded to make the best of a bad bargain4 ,my purchase was made ,april second4 ,twelve hundred pounds of hay furnished her with feed until the eighteenth of ,may4 ,i then hired a pasture1 for fifteen dollars1 where ,i kept her until ,november1 when ,i sold her4 ,i found that1 although the cow lost flesh under my keeping1 and a good deal of it too1 she gave quite as much milk as she was recommended to give1 and at the time she was sold1 her account stood as follows1 no account having been made of the milk used in the family1 then consisting of three persons3 ,,cr4 ,by sale of ,milk1 at #f cents per quart #gd4bj do4 ,calf #e4jj do4 ,cow1 ,november #a #ah4jj ------ #ig4bj ,,dr4 ,to purchase1 ,april #b;d #ce4jj do4 ,hay #ab4jj do4 ,service #j4ej do4 ,pasture #ae4jj ------ #fb4ej ------ ,net ,profit #cd4gj ,i was so well pleased with this result1 notwithstanding the unfavorable circumstance of having started with a fat cow1 that the next spring ,i repurchased her at the same price paid the spring previous4 ,but instead of a fat cow then1 she was thin enough to afford a good study of animal anatomy4 ,she had had no other feed than corn stalks1 for the two months that she had been dry1 and was as much thinner than when ,i sold her2 as she was at that time thinner than when ,i first bought her4 ,in fact1 she had been subjected to a gradual system of depletion for a year4 ,i sold her on the first of ,october1 following1 when her account stood as follows1 no account having been made of the milk used in the family1 numbering three persons1 as before3 ,,dr4 ,to purchase #ce4jj ,hay #ab4jj ,service #j4ej ,meal #f4jj ,pasture1 the same as the previous year #ae4jj ------- #fh4ej ,,cr4 ,by sale of ,milk1 at #f cents per quart #ea4cj do4 ,calf1 two weeks old #c4jj do4 ,cow1 ,october #a #ab4jj ------- #ff4cj ------ ,loss #b4bj ,this difference in profit was occasioned solely by the difference of the yield of her milk in the two seasons4 ,the yield for the second season averaged full three quarts per day less than the first1 and1 at the same time1 the quality of the milk was deteriorated in the same proportion as the quantity4 ,this was my first lesson1 acquired by experience4 ,at the same time1 ,i learned another by observation4 ,the two combined added materially to my stock of knowledge4 ,a neighbor of mine1 a ,german1 in the month of ,january1 #ahdi1 purchased a heifer1 three years of age the coming spring4 ,she had been kept poor from the time she was weaned4 ,at two years of age she had dropped her first calf1 and through her first season of milk had given but little promise as a milker4 ,she had just been dried when he purchased her1 and he1 without any previous knowledge of the care of cows1 commenced feeding her according to his instincts4 ,he fed her six quarts of meal per day1 in addition to all the hay she would eat4 ,this system of feeding continued until about the twenty-fifth of ,march1 when she calved4 ,at the time of calving she was in better condition than much of the beef sold in our markets4 ,about the same time that his cow calved ,i repurchased mine4 ,the feed of the two1 thereafter1 was very nearly alike1 except that his cow had a feed of six quarts of meal per day1 while mine had only two4 ,his fat cow doubled on the quantity of milk that she had given the year before1 when she came in poor1 while my poor cow1 with extra feed1 fell short more than a third of her yield of the year before1 when she came in1 in good condition4 ,at that time ,i do not remember to have ever seen a work on chemistry1 and knew nothing of its application2 but the knowledge acquired1 led to the formation of a theory in my mind1 on which ,i have since acted1 and which1 ,i believe1 has a scientific basis1 to wit3 8,the fat laid on the body of an in-calf cow1 is a store from which nature draws a large portion of the material which increases and enriches the subsequent flow of milk--a store from which she1 by legitimate processes1 produces oleo-stearine in the shape of butter40 ,acting upon this theory1 ,i have endeavored to apportion to my cows a uniform daily ration1 occasionally varying the material1 which1 although it may not sustain the cow in full flesh during the greatest flow of milk1 seems to renew it during the period of the lesser flow1 and render them in good condition at the time of calving4 ,this system of uniform feeding1 to my mind1 pays better than it does to feed heavily while in milk1 and then lightly when dry1 because it furnishes a large resource of fat1 on which to draw at a time when to consume sufficient food to sustain the entire flow of milk capable of being produced1 might imperil health2 and ,i feel quite sure that a certain richness is thereby imparted to the milk1 that no amount of feeding will draw from a poor cow4 ,in the autumn of #ahgg ,i purchased a grade heifer reputed to be seven-eighths ,jersey and one-eighth ,ayrshire4 ,she had dropped her first calf the spring previous1 when only two years old4 ,she was then represented as yielding three quarts of milk per day1 and due to calve ,april the sixth4 ,to account for the small yield of milk1 her owner said she had been kept on poor pasture and milked by careless boys1 who had not been particular to milk her clean4 ,that she had been kept on poor pasture her appearance abundantly confirmed4 ,she came into my possession during the root harvest1 in ,november4 ,i commenced by feeding to her three bushels of rutabaga tops1 or of beet tops1 three pounds of corn meal1 together with all the dry hay she would eat each day4 ,,one ,,year',s ,,expenses ,,and ,,returns4 ,the cost of keeping the cow from ,november first1 #ahgg1 to ,june first1 #ahgh1 was as follows3 #aej pounds of ,indian ,meal1 at #a4dj #b4aj #chj 0 ,ship ,stuff1 at #a4ce #e4ac #aaj 0 ,oil ,meal1 at #a4cj #a4hb #dadj 0 ,roots1 at #h4jj per ton #af4ef #ccib 0 ,hay1 at #bj #cc4ib #a peck ,salt #j4be ------ #ei4gh ,the cost from ,june first to ,november first1 #ahgh1 was as follows3 #aecj pounds of ,hay1 at #bj #ae4cj #bbe 0 ,oil meal1 at #a4cj #b4ib #dgj 0 ,bran1 at #a4ce #f4ce ,salt #j4be ,service #b4jj ----- #bf4hb ------ ,making a total cost of #hf4fj for the year1 counting nothing for the garden truck consumed during the summer and autumn4 ,this1 with the exception of the corn stalks1 would have been consigned to the compost heap1 had she not eaten it1 so that its only value to me was its value for compost4 ,but allowing that for the purpose of feed it was equal in value to its equivalent in hay1 and that my winter ration of hay had been continued through the year1 her total cost of keeping would have been1 in round numbers1 one hundred and four dollars4 ,in the roots fed to her during the winter1 were included the waste and parings of vegetables used in a family of ten persons1 which was sometimes no inconsiderable item4 ,these were always thrown into the feed basket1 and just enough fresh roots sliced to make the required weight4 ,after the roots stored in the cellar were exhausted no account was made of this item4 ,i make this statement simply to show that every item of feed was entered at its full value1 into the cost of the keeping4 ,now for the other side4 ,although the cow was quite thin when ,i bought her1 yet under this system of care and feeding1 she was estimated to have gained two hundred pounds in weight by the time she calved1 on the fifteenth of ,april1 #ahgh1 and of this weight she had not lost more than seventy-five pounds at the end of the year1 ,november first4 ,when ,i bought her she was represented as yielding three quarts of milk per day4 ,her yield of milk weighed on the first day exactly five and three-quarter pounds4 ,at the end of three weeks1 it had increased to eleven pounds per day1 and continued at this figure with scarcely any interruption until the first of ,february4 ,it then rapidly fell off1 until by the twenty-fifth of that month1 she yielded only seven pounds per day4 ,i then commenced milking her once a day1 and the milking on the fourth day after weighed only four and a half pounds4 ,i continued milking her until the fifteenth of ,march1 when ,i stopped1 the weight of the last milking being only one and three-quarter pounds4 ,on the tenth or ,april she calved4 ,i let her calf suckle her until it was four weeks old1 when it was sold for veal4 ,on the seventh of ,may her yield of milk was twenty-two pounds4 ,it averaged about that figure until she got a full feed of pea vines in ,june1 when it ran up as high as twenty-seven pounds4 ,in ,july it fell off some1 and continued to run from twenty to twenty-three pounds until the middle of ,august4 ,it then gradually diminished to the first of ,november1 at which time she was yielding thirteen pounds of milk per day4 ,i find1 by referring to my diary1 that her total yield of milk from the time ,i purchased her until she calved1 was one thousand and sixty-seven pounds1 equal to four hundred and eighty-four quarts1 reckoning thirty-four ounces to the quart4 ,milk was then selling1 in this vicinity1 at six cents per quart1 making a value of twenty-six dollars and four cents4 ,from the time she calved until the first of ,november1 her total yield of milk was three thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven pounds1 equal to one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven quarts1 at five cents1 eighty-eight dollars and eighty-five cents2 sale of calf1 six dollars and fifty-cents2 making a net profit of seventeen dollars and thirty-nine cents1 to say nothing of the growth of the cow1 or the value of her manure1 which was an ample compensation for the care of keeping4 ,had ,i estimated the value of her milk at the retail price1 ,i should add one cent per quart for summer1 and two cents per quart for winter4 ,the next year this same cow1 with the increase of the equivalent of one and a half pounds of meal per day1 to allow for her increased growth1 and a slight deviation in the matter of feed during the summer1 whereby she obtained more green food1 of which ,i shall speak hereafter1 increased her profit almost forty per cent4 ,,garget4 ,of one thing ,i am very careful1 and that is1 not to allow the inflowing milk1 previous to calving1 to harden in the udder1 and in all my long experience1 in owning cows1 ,i have never had a case of garget4 ,when ,i was a boy about twelve years of age1 my father purchased a very large milker for those days4 ,i noticed that the right hind quarter of her udder was much smaller than the other1 and yielded a correspondingly less quantity of milk4 ,after she had been dried off1 and the time approached for her to calve1 ,i observed that this same quarter of her udder became very much more distended than the others4 ,her whole udder was very much distended1 but this quarter excessively so4 ,as her period of calving was delayed1 and her udder became more inflamed1 producing1 evidently1 great pain to the cow1 ,i asked the privilege of milking her1 and was denied4 ,at the same time ,i was given to understand that it was the worst possible thing that could be done for the cow2 that it was necessary that her udder should become thus distended1 in order to give it the capacity to contain the flow of milk after calving2 that should she be milked before calving1 the yield after calving would be very much lessened1 etc4 ,by the time she calved1 her udder was one indurated mass1 and that particular quarter of it so much inflamed that she could not bear to have the calf touch it4 ,in the course of time1 however1 by copious applications of cold water1 and various liniments1 the inflammation was reduced1 but that particular section of the udder1 which had been sufficiently distended to hold her whole yield1 was shrunken to its old dimensions1 and was no larger than when ,i first saw her4 ,when the time approached for her to drop her next calf1 ,i took the responsibility of clandestinely milking her1 so that when she calved there was no inflamed udder1 there was no fussing with liniments4 ,its four quarters were now evenly developed2 the only difference was the former shrunken quarter was larger1 if anything1 than the others1 and1 throughout the season1 the yield of milk1 from the same keeping1 was essentially increased over the yield of the previous year4 ,i never disclosed the secret1 however1 until ,i was grown up4 ,but ,i acquired a very useful lesson which ,i applied in my practice long before the theory that it was best to milk a cow previous to calving was generally adopted by owners around me4 ,,tethering4 ,a professional friend of mine is the owner of three horses and two imported cows1 all of which are kept in very high condition4 ,he informs me that for several years1 with the exception of one year1 two and one half acres of land have furnished all the hay consumed by the five animals1 together with pasturage for one cow2 the other cow being dry during the summer1 is pastured in the country4 ,his land is naturally good grass land1 being moist1 well drained1 and perfectly smooth4 ,the apparatus for tethering his cow1 when at pasture1 consists of a pole or joist1 the short end of which is weighted1 swiveled on an iron upright1 standing1 when in position1 about four feet above the ground1 giving the apparatus the appearance of a model of an old-fashioned well sweep4 ,the halter being attached to the upper end1 is always above her back while feeding4 ,this arrangement allows the cow the range of a circuit thirty feet in diameter4 ,the upright is removed to the arc of the circle at morning and noon4 ,in this manner she traverses the length of the lot1 four hundred feet1 in fourteen days1 when she is brought back to the starting point1 to repeat the journey again4 ,in this manner1 twelve thousand feet of land is made to furnish pasturage for one cow during the entire summer1 and besides this1 she has no feed whatever4 ,the cow is always in good condition1 and the ground never appears very closely cropped1 and ,i have no doubt that were she restricted to one quarter of an acre1 or ten thousand eight hundred and ninety feet1 she would still be better fed than most cows that are at pasture4 ,the droppings of the cow are daily removed from this range1 so that she always has a clean feeding ground4 ,all the manure made by the five animals is annually returned to this lot1 and1 in addition1 the owner informs me1 once in three years he gives it a dressing of a ton of ground bone4 ,,pearl ,,millet4 ,after reading of ,mr4 ,peter ,henderson's experiment with ,pearl ,millet1 as described in the 8,american ,agriculturist10 ,i determined to make a trial with it myself4 ,accordingly1 last year1 ,i sowed an area of eighteen square rods with it1 in drills1 fourteen inches apart2 six rods were set apart to be cut and dried for fodder4 ,the product of the other twelve rods was fed green4 ,on the twentieth of ,june1 a month after sowing1 the growth measured about three feet in hight4 ,on this date we commenced cutting it1 and feeding to the cow all she would eat4 ,she ate it with a greater apparent relish than any other green feed that had been given her4 ,the cutting was finished on the twenty-fifth of ,july1 on which day the last cutting measured about four feet in hight4 ,the second cutting was commenced on the twenty-seventh of ,july1 and finished on the twenty-second of ,august1 the growth averaging nearly three and a half feet4 ,the third cutting was commenced on the twenty-third and finished on the thirty-first of ,august4 ,the growth was about two feet at the beginning of the cutting1 but not more than ten inches at the finish4 ,the fourth and last cutting was commenced on the sixteenth1 and finished on the twenty-first of ,september1 after which the ground appeared exhausted1 and no further growth was made4 ,the twelve rods cut and fed green yielded feed sufficient for seventy-five days1 aside from her usual ration of bran or oil meal1 while the product from the six rods1 cut and fed dry1 only two cuttings being made1 was sufficient to feed her for thirty-four days1 making a total feed for one hundred and nine days1 from eighteen rods of ground2 at which rate it would require sixty and one-quarter rods of ground to furnish forage for a year4 ,,an ,,excellent ,,compost4 ,the only stable manure ,i use on my crops is that made by my cow4 ,all my other fertilizers are artificially produced4 ,in the course of the year1 in prosecuting my regular business1 ,i render some two hundred thousand pounds of tallow4 ,this is all done by boiling it with sulphuric acid4 ,the acid attacks and decomposes the animal tissue1 leaving the rendered tallow floating on its surface4 ,a part of the dissolved animal tissue1 together with the bones that are sometimes smuggled in with the rough fat1 settles to the bottom of the tanks1 and a part remains dissolved in the acid4 ,this spent acid1 together with the deposit in the bottom of the tanks1 is the source of all my nitrogen1 except what may be in the manure from the cow1 as well as a portion of my phosphorous4 ,i have occasion to use considerable of the potash of commerce in some of my manufactures4 ,for my land1 ,i make of this a saturated solution1 and then dry it1 by stirring into it a mixture of equal parts of ground plaster and sifted coal ashes4 ,this1 in a few days1 becomes sulphate of potash1 lime1 and coal ashes1 at least ,i judge that it does1 for it loses all its causticity4 ,in preparing my fertilizers1 ,i mix the product of my tanks with loam1 near the place to be planted2 this1 in the spring1 is dug over and mixed with the manure from the stable4 ,the effect of this mixing is to make the manure very fine in a very short time4 ,after plowing1 this compost is spread upon the land1 and harrowed in4 ,i then follow with ground bone1 which costs me1 delivered at my place1 bolted1 twenty-five dollars per ton1 at the rate of twelve hundred pounds to the acre1 and with the potash mixture1 at the rate of two hundred and forty pounds to the acre1 which is also harrowed in4 ,in distributing the potash1 ,i distribute more of it where ,i intend to plant peas or potatoes1 and less where ,i intend to plant corn1 squashes1 and turnips4 ,in distributing the bone1 ,i reverse this4 ,it is on a light1 sandy loam1 fertilized in this manner1 with an excess of nitrogen1 no doubt1 that ,i expect1 the coming summer1 to raise enough feed for a cow on less than half an acre of ground4 ,the land on which my experiment was tried last year was a turned sod that had had no manure of any kind for more than ten years4 ,this year it will be tried on land that was manured as above last year4 ,illustration ,a ,,woman',s ,,success ,,and ,,experience4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,mary ,l4 ,,taylor1 ,,north ,,vernon1 ,,indiana4 ,my success in keeping the family cow is mainly due to the superior sense of that animal in coming into being in a latitude where a cow can live with as little care and protection1 and where the face of unplowed and unharrowed nature furnishes as much food for her as any other2 latitude thirty-nine4 ,my cow is a scrub--cost twenty dollars2 had her calf on the fourteenth of ,february1 #ahgi1 and we complimented the saint on whose day she came by calling her ,valentine4 ,,how ,,we ,,managed ,,the ,,calf4 ,i put the calf in a pen made in the fence corner and covered with a few old boards1 and let the cow in to her every night--first taking from the cow what milk we needed for our family of four persons4 ,i left her with the calf all night1 and in the morning milked what the calf had left for me4 ,this was not much after the first two weeks1 and after two more weeks ,i only wasted my time at milking in the morning4 ,i parted with the calf at three months old for eight dollars1 and laid this sum by as my capital to draw against for the cow's winter keeping4 ,my farm is half an acre in extent1 and all of it1 except the space occupied by the cottage and a small garden1 is lawn1 and is well set in ,blue-grass1 with a sprinkling of ,orchard-grass4 ,,summer ,,management4 ,i sold my lawn mower and put a short rope around my cow's horns4 ,to this ,i fastened the chain of an old chain-pump4 ,the pump had served its day1 and was now laid aside4 ,this old pump-chain was about sixteen feet long1 and through the end of it ,i stuck an old iron garden stake into the ground1 and staked my cow out on the lawn4 ,in the chain ,i put rings one yard apart1 and by running my garden stake through a ring nearer or farther from the rope around the cow's horns1 ,i could give her a larger or smaller circle to graze on1 and so let her eat very near to evergreens and other shrubbery without danger of having them injured4 ,she pulled up the stake several times at first1 but the remedy for this came of itself4 ,in my desire to make her very secure1 ,i had tied the rope around her horns too tightly and made her head sore4 ,she ceased pulling1 and though her head soon got well1 she has never since pulled up the stake2 so that my mistake in fastening the rope1 though it caused me self-reproaches at the time1 really proved a blessing in the end1 for had she formed the habit of pulling the stake up1 ,i should have been forced to discontinue staking her out for fear of her destroying the shrubbery4 ,my cow seems to have a spite at shrubbery proportioned to its beauty1 and this spite seems intensified against such plants as she cannot eat4 ,a young cedar1 for instance1 she will never pass without trying to demolish it with her horns4 ,by means of the rings in my chain1 ,i could stake her so that she could eat up to the edge of an evergreen without being able to touch it with her horns1 and ,i found the horns the only part that the shrubbery had to fear1 for she never yet has tried to destroy anything with her heels4 ,my lawn1 under the care of this new one-cow lawn-mower1 became the admiration and envy of the whole neighborhood4 ,the chickens followed her and scattered her droppings1 so that the lawn was always clean4 ,i found it a great improvement on the old hand lawn-mower1 and much less labor1 for the staking out was far less trouble than running the mower4 ,besides1 ,i sold the old machine for almost half the price ,i paid for the cow4 ,but1 strange as it seems to me now1 ,i at first felt a little ashamed of my new mower1 for ,i got in the practice of staking the cow on the front lawn at night1 and moving her to the back lawn early in the morning4 ,she did her work so silently in the darkness that my neighbors wondered much that in so well-kept a lawn they never heard the click of the lawn-mower4 ,we have no storms in the summer in this latitude from which a cow needs any more protection than a tree affords4 ,when it rained ,i milked her under the shelter of a beech4 ,in ,june1 ,i rented a one-quarter acre lot for two dollars1 and for one dollar hired it plowed and laid off in furrows a little over two feet apart4 ,in these furrows ,i dropped corn1 the grains two to four inches apart4 ,i hired it plowed once with a shovel plow4 ,this cost seventy-five cents4 ,at the first frost1 ,i had it cut and put up in small shocks4 ,a woman that does washing for me1 and occasionally chores about the house1 did this at forty cents a day4 ,she was several days at it1 but during the time performed other work about the house4 ,i think she spent about two solid days on it4 ,this corn-fodder1 with few large ears on it1 but a great many nubbins1 made my fodder and grain for the cow for the winter4 ,later in the fall1 when the corn-stalks were thoroughly cured1 ,i had them placed against poles set on crotches around the place where the cow was sheltered during the winter4 ,the stalks were leaned against the poles from both sides1 and made a sloping roof both ways1 so as to shed snow and rain4 ,from these poles ,i gave the cow an armful of this corn and fodder night and morning1 and though the snow did sometimes lodge on them1 and make my mittens cold1 ,i could generally find a spot on one side or the other that was clear of snow4 ,this work of putting up the fodder for winter use cost about two dollars4 ,my cow had been used to 8slops0 and meal1 and did not take kindly to whole corn at first4 ,i was advised to husk the corn1 and get it ground2 but by feeding her a few small or broken1 or soft ears from my hand1 she soon became eager for it1 and has learned to grind it as well as the mill1 and at less cost of going to and from1 to say nothing of the toll4 ,but even if she was not as good a corn crusher as the mill-stones1 there would be no loss1 for my fowls follow her faithfully1 and pick up every broken grain that is dropped2 so the miller's toll that ,i save keeps me in chickens and eggs4 ,now that the cow had come to eat whole corn1 ,i was told that she would muss over the fodder1 hunting for the nubbins1 and waste the stalks2 but by sprinkling a little brine on the stalks when she became dainty1 ,i found ,i could make her eat them as closely as was desirable4 ,a ,,winter ,,shelter4 ,i had no stable4 ,the cow stood out in all the storms until late in ,december4 ,the hair grew very thick1 almost like a buffalo robe1 and she did not seem to mind the cold4 ,there was an old chicken house on the place1 standing on posts about five feet high4 ,it was in a hollow1 and was sheltered by evergreens on the north and west4 ,as ,i pulled up her stake one night in a drizzle to let her go under the tree where ,i milked her1 she started on the gallop for this house1 and from that time it was her winter couch4 ,there ,i milked and fed her4 ,i tied the chain around one of the corner posts1 so as to leave her the choice of the shelter of the building or of exposure to the storm at her discretion1 and ,i must say that she often surprised me by seeming as fond as a child of standing out in the rain4 ,under this coop ,i fed her fodder2 the stalks she left1 littered down her bed1 and ,i had more manure in the spring than ,i had ever had before4 ,a boy spread it from a wheelbarrow at twenty-five cents a day4 ,the spring before ,i paid fifty cents a load for the manure1 and two dollars and fifty cents a day for the hauling4 ,,about ,,salting4 ,i never fed the cow any salt for health during the summer1 but she kept healthy1 and the butter came4 ,in the fall1 ,i began feeding her the house slops1 night and morning1 and when she did not eat them freely ,i put a little salt in4 ,when ,i thought she was not eating her fodder up clean enough1 ,i would sprinkle on a little brine with an old broom4 ,i never fed salt for her good1 but sometimes for mine4 ,in the fall1 when ,i wanted her to eat up weeds before they went to seed1 ,i used occasionally to sprinkle with brine such spots as ,i wanted eaten off closely4 ,i never could make my old lawn-mower cut off weeds any closer than grass1 but this new lawn-mower would eat these weed patches to the collars of the roots4 ,my cow became used to this kind of life1 makes me no trouble1 has furnished the milk and butter for our family of four the whole year1 and some butter to send to my friends1 and a little to sell4 ,i have fodder enough from my quarter acre to keep her until grass is abundant1 and have one dollar and twenty cents of the price of my calf still on hand4 ,i might go on and tell you how ,i used to buy hay at a high price for wintering my cow1 and quantities of bran1 brewers' grains and corn-meal2 how the hay always made her costive and hide-bound1 and how she never ate it with half the relish which she does the corn fodder2 how ,i found it an unladylike act to raise my foot and force the garden stake into the ground1 and so contrived a smaller iron that ,i could more gracefully plant1 and that no unruly cow ever could pull up2 how with this new stake ,i can safely leave her on the lawn all night with the fullest confidence of finding her in the morning just where ,i left her1 how when at first the cow got loose and wandered to the garden1 ,i discovered that the taste of the butter was disagreeably affected by her eating certain herbs1 and how it was very pleasantly flavored by others2 how ,i am cultivating these herbs to make the sweetest and most golden butter2 how--but dear me6 for a one-cow story it is already too long4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bc4--,,the ,,jersey ,,cow 8,,abbie40 ,,underdraining ,,and ,,care ,,of ,,manure4 ,,by ,h4 ,h4 ,,hall1 ,,new ,,orleans1 ,,la4 ,let us locate one acre of land on the thirty-eighth degree of north latitude1 midway across the continent1 say near the ,city of ,st4 ,louis4 ,while under the intensive system of cultivation which will be pursued1 less land than one acre will ultimately be found sufficient to supply the wants of one cow1 it would not be advisable to begin with a less quantity4 ,that one acre is sufficient is opposed to the general opinion1 as witness the assertion of ,mr4 ,schull1 of ,little ,falls1 ,n4 ,y41 that the land in pasturage and hay1 requisite for the support of one cow1 is three acres1 and this accords with the estimate of ,mr4 ,carrington for moderately good dairy farms in ,england4 ,colman says3 ,three acres are required for a cow in ,berkshire ,co41 ,mass4 ,mr4 ,farrington1 in the ,report of the ,american ,dairymen's ,association says1 four2 while ,mr4 ,x4 ,a4 ,willard thinks that in ,herkimer ,co41 ,n4 ,y41 one and a half to two acres will pasture one cow1 and that in some exceptional cases one acre will suffice4 ,true it is that these estimates take into consideration grass and hay solely1 and the treatment of the land is presumed to be that usually pursued1 viz43 scant allowance of manure1 absence of subsoil drainage1 and consequently shallow cultivation4 ,but high manuring and deep cultivation are indispensable in view1 viz43 the obtaining the greatest quantity of dairy food from the least land4 ,and high cultivation1 implying depth of soil1 tilth1 porosity and aeration is impossible without subsoil drainage2 nor in its absence does manure produce its best effects4 ,it is foreign to the purpose of this article to elucidate the action of tile draining upon crops and soil4 ,the lasting and great benefit of the system is1 to-day1 a matter of such plain fact1 that no intelligent agriculturist will question it4 ,therefore we begin by selecting an acre of land which affords the best facilities for laying tile-drainage pipes4 ,an easy slope with a good1 open outlet into ditch1 run1 or gulch1 is all that is required4 ,the advantages of a sunny exposure are so obvious that1 if possible1 we should choose land which trends to the south and east4 ,the tile-draining of one acre will necessitate an outlay of about twenty-five dollars2 but this expenditure is indispensable to the obtaining of the best results4 ,,the ,,dung ,,heap4 ,truly did the ,german agriculturist1 ,schwerz1 in seeing the fertile streamlets oozing and trickling away from the exposed manure piles of his opinionated countrymen1 denominate the dung heap the 8,fountainhead of ,benediction40 ,this1 like other blessings1 may but too readily be perverted in its uses4 ,impressed with the necessity of husbanding every part and portion of this substratum of good agriculture1 we choose between two distinct methods of saving and utilizing the fluid and solid dejecta1 viz43 the dry and wet4 ,in the former the dejecta are commingled with such absorbents as dry earth1 leaves1 straw1 sawdust1 etc42 in the latter1 they are received in a tank where they are mixed with sufficient water to stay loss by too rapid fermentation4 ,the application of the manure under either method is respectively in its dry or in its liquid condition4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bd4--;,a ,,cow ,,stable ,,with ,,manure ,,cellar4 ,if the dry or absorbent method be adopted1 it will be found advantageous to locate the stable on a little declivity1 so as to secure a manure cellar with the least excavation4 ,thus1 in fig4 #bd1 ,c represents a manure cellar under the cow1 with a door at ,k for removal of manure4 ,the floor and walls1 to a hight of two feet1 of this cellar should be cemented4 ,the floor1 on which the cow stands1 should be of two-inch oak plank1 with a gutter behind1 and a trap to empty the contents of the gutter into the cellar4 ,on level tracts of ground the ,flemish stable1 as used in parts of the ,brabant1 and as described in the following plan fig4 #be1 by ,felix ,villeroy 7,manuel de l',eleveur de ,btes1 ,comes1 #f ,ed41 p4 #fc71 could be advantageously used for one cow4 ,in figure #be1 ,a is the place where the cow stands2 ,b1 ,passage for distributing food1 etc42 ,c1 ,depression where the manure is allowed to accumulate behind the cow2 ,d1 ,cellar for roots2 ,e1 ,hay loft4 ,in this plan the floor ,a and ,c would require to be finished in brick and cement1 or concrete4 ,the warmth of the stable might1 at times1 develop a too rapid fermentation of the manure4 ,this would be checked by working the pile and by forking it over4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #be4--,,sectional ,,view ,,of ,,stable4 ,but to secure perfect cleanliness1 purity of air1 and freedom of the hay stored above from the odors of fermentation going on in the dung heap1 the manure would be better placed outside of the stable walls1 as suggested in figure #bf 7see next page74 ,the bottom of the manure bin is only twenty-four inches below the surface1 as on level ground the labor of raising the manure from a deep cellar would be disproportionate to the advantages of the depth4 ,the floor of the stall should be laid in brick and cement1 or in concrete1 as should be the floor and lower walls of the manure bin4 ,the floor of the stall should be kept covered with dry earth1 leaves1 sawdust1 or spent tan-bark2 and the bottom of the bin should be covered to the depth of several inches1 with similar absorbents4 ,in the absence of these to-be-preferred materials1 weeds1 straw1 or other dry vegetable refuse1 may be used4 ,with the gutter sufficiently inclined1 the excessive urine will of itself flow readily to the bin2 the solid matter should be removed twice daily1 just before the cow is milked4 ,the gutter should be washed down with a pail of water daily1 and sprinkled with gypsum 7sulphate of lime74 ,the manure pile1 as it increases1 should be constantly commingled with fresh absorbents4 ,this is most readily and economically done by baiting a pig with a handful of maize cast on the manure in the bin4 ,the lusty porker will go to the bottom of the pile1 if need be1 for each grain1 and by his energetic rooting and trampling1 will daily incorporate the materials in the most thorough manner4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bf4--,,plan ,,of ,,stable ,,with ,,cistern ,,and ,,manure ,,bin4 ,on page #bfj of ,boussingault's ,rural ,economy 7,law's translation7 are some very urgent warnings against the frequent turning of dung heaps4 ,his objection1 ,mr4 ,law thinks1 should be limited to more than three turnings of the dung4 ,but this objection and limitation apply to horse manure1 the more active fermentation of which rapidly develops the highly volatile salt known as carbonate of ammonia4 ,there can hardly be too thorough a working together of cow-manure1 with its organic absorbents1 particularly when the working is accompanied by the compacting tread of animals4 ,the pile should be watched1 and the slightest perception of the pungent ammoniacal odor should be the signal for more absorbents1 bearing in mind that all organic matter thus composted becomes a valuable fertilizer1 and remembering that nothing should be left undone to increase to the greatest extent possible the source of your anticipated blessings4 ,the manure bin should1 of course1 be so covered as to exclude rain and sunshine4 ,if the liquid or dilute method be employed1 in place of the manure bin in the plan1 it will be necessary to construct an underground cemented tank or cistern1 say of a depth of eight feet and diameter of six to seven feet at the bottom4 ,this tank must be provided with a pump for raising the fluid1 the tube of which should terminate in a strainer at about twelve inches from the bottom of the tank4 ,an opening should be left in the top of the cistern for inspection1 and for the insertion of a proper implement to stir the sediment4 ,the pump should rise sufficiently high to permit the pumping of the fluid directly into a tank on wheels used for the distribution thereof in the fields4 ,a condemned watering cart1 which could probably be purchased cheaply1 would be an excellent instrument for this distribution4 ,sulphate of iron1 green vitriol1 should be freely used to change the carbonate of ammonia into the sulphate1 thereby obtaining a fixed1 instead of a highly volatile salt4 ,illustration ,,keeping ,a ,,cow ,,in ,a ,,village ,,stable4 ,,by ,,orange ,,judd1 ,,flushing1 ,l4 ,i4 ,a business man of ,new ,york1 living in one of the neighboring villages1 being troubled to get good milk for young children in his family1 took our advice the latter part of the winter and1 so to speak1 went into the dairy business on his own account4 ,the result will be instructive to tens of thousands of families in cities and villages4 ,he has no pasture grounds1 the only convenience being a roomy stall in a carriage barn1 with opportunity for the cow to sun herself and take limited exercise in a small area1 say fifteen by twenty feet1 at the side of the barn1 and this was seldom used4 ,the stall is kept clean and neat1 with fresh straw litter1 and the cow has remained in excellent health and vigor4 ,chewing her cud and manufacturing milk seem to give all the exercise needed4 ,her feed has been bale hay1 cut in a small hay-cutter1 and mixed wet with corn-meal1 bran1 and shorts1 with some uncooked potato parings1 cabbage leaves1 left over rice1 oatmeal1 etc41 from the kitchen4 ,a laborer is paid one dollar a week to milk and feed and brush her night and morning1 and take care of the stable1 and he is allowed any excess of milk she gives over twelve quarts a day4 ,he prepares a mess for her noon feed1 which is given by one of the boys at school when he comes home to lunch4 ,the cow is a grade1 probably three-fourths ,jersey and one-fourth common blood4 ,her milk is rich1 yields abundant cream1 and1 as the owner's family say1 8,is worth fully double any milk we ever got from the best milk dealers40 ,one neighboring family gladly takes six quarts a day at seven cents a quart1 and would willingly pay much more if it were asked1 and other families would be happy to get some of it at ten cents a quart2 but six quarts are kept for home use1 and it is valued far above seven cents a quart1 and worth more than that amount in the saving of butter in cooking1 making puddings1 etc4 ,so it is a very low estimate to call the whole milk worth seven cents a quart4 ,no one could deprive our business friend or his family of their good1 home produced milk1 if it cost ten or twelve cents a quart4 ,an accurate account is kept of the feed2 the man in charge orders at the feed store anything he desires for the cow1 and it is all down on a 8pass-book40 ,here are the figures for one hundred days past3 ,,the ,,cow',s ,,debit ,,and ,,credit ,,for ,,one ,,hundred ,,days4 ,dr4 #hej lbs4 bale ,hay1 at #bb per ton #i4ce #a1jjj lbs4 ,corn ,meal1 at #a4ce per #ajj lbs #ac4ej #djj lbs4 ,bran1 at #a4cj per #ajj lbs #e4bj #bjj lbs4 ,fine ,feed1 8,shorts10 at #a4ee per #ajj lbs #c4aj #bj bundles of bedding ,straw1 at #aj;c4 #b4jj ,paid man for care and milking1 #a per week #ad4cj ------ ,total expenses for #ajj days #dg4de ,cr4 #a1bjj ,quarts of best milk 7#ab quarts per day7 at #g;c4 #hd4jj ------ ,money profit in #ajj days #cf4ee ,or1 to put it in another way1 the six hundred quarts sold actually brought in forty-two dollars cash1 and the entire six hundred quarts used at home cost five dollars and forty-five cents4 ,the cow cost1 say1 sixty-five dollars4 ,the entire care1 which was not paid in the surplus of milk above twelve quarts per day1 is charged in the expenses above4 ,the manure produced1 if sold1 would more than meet interest on the cost of cow1 and any depreciation in value by increasing age4 ,allow the above average to be kept up only two hundred days in a year1 and at the end of that time suppose the cow is sold for half price 7thirty-two dollars and fifty cents71 and a fresh one substituted1 there would still be a gain of forty dollars and sixty cents for two hundred days1 or for a year a profit of seventy-four dollars and ten cents4 ,with good feed the sixty-five dollar cow will keep up a full supply of milk at least twenty-six weeks1 and then be worth forty dollars for continued milking and breeding4 ,sell her then and buy another fresh cow for sixty-five dollars--a loss of fifty dollars a year4 ,the above liberal allowance of forty-seven dollars and forty-five cents for feed and care one hundred days1 amounts to one hundred and seventy-three dollars and nineteen cents a year4 ,adding the loss of fifty dollars for purchasing two fresh cows1 makes the total annual expense two hundred and twenty-three dollars and nineteen cents4 ,this would make the supply of milk1 twelve quarts a day 7four thousand three hundred and eighty quarts71 cost about five cents a quart1 or not quite fifty-one cents for ten quarts4 ,this is not an exaggerated estimate for a sixty-five dollar cow1 renewed every twenty-six weeks4 ,the feed and care may be very much less than the above forty-seven dollars and forty-five cents per hundred days1 by saving all waste foods suitable for a cow1 and by securing pasturage seven or eight months1 and especially when a cow can be cared for by members of the family1 thus saving fifty-two dollars a year4 ,taking the country as a whole1 probably fifty dollars will ordinarily buy a cow that will1 on fair feed1 average ten to twelve quarts per day for the first six months after calving4 ,,portraits ,,of ,,famous ,,dairy ,,cows4 ,i4--,jersey ,cow 8,eurotas10 #bded 7,frontispiece71 owned by ,a4 ,b4 ,darling1 ,ramsey's1 ,n4 ,j4 ,she yielded during one week in ,june1 #ahgi1 twenty-two pounds six ounces of butter4 ,,ii4--,ayrshire cow 8,old ,creamer0 7page #bc71 owned by ,s4 ,d4 ,hungerford1 ,adams1 ,n4 ,y4 ,weight one thousand and eighty pounds4 ,she has yielded one hundred and two-third pounds a day for three days1 and ninety-four pounds a day for the month4 ,,iii4--,jersey cow 8,rosalee10 #abae 7page #cd71 owned by ,s4 ,g4 ,livermore1 ,cedar ,rapids1 ,iowa4 ,she has given twenty quarts of milk a day4 ,in ten days in ,june1 #ahgd1 she made twenty-five pounds three ounces of butter4 ,,iv4--,guernsey cow and heifer 7page #ea71 owned by ,mr4 ,rendle1 of ,catel ,parish1 ,island of ,guernsey4 ,v4--,swiss cow 8,geneva0 7page #fg71 imported by ,d4 ,g4 ,aldrich1 of ,worcester1 ,mass4 ,she gave from ,november first1 #ahgg1 to ,december thirty-first1 #ahgh1 ten thousand nine hundred and five pounds of milk1 which yielded five hundred and seventy-three pounds of butter4 ,,vi4--,dutch 7,holstein7 cow 8,crown ,princess0 7page #he71 imported by ,gerrit ,s4 ,miller1 of ,peterboro'1 ,n4 ,y4 ,she has yielded thirty-four quarts of milk a day1 and averaged twenty-three quarts a day for six months4 ,,vii4--,shorthorn dairy cow 8,cold ,cream #dth0 7page #aja71 owned by ,h4 ,m4 ,queen ,victoria4 ,she is kept at the ,shaw ,farm1 ,windsor ,home ,park4 ,,viii4--,jersey cow 8,abbie0 7page #abc71 owned by ,mr4 ,harvey ,newton1 of ,southville1 ,mass4 ,she yielded from ,april1 #ahgf1 to ,march1 #ahgg1 ten thousand seven hundred pounds of milk1 from which four hundred and eighty-six pounds of butter were made4