WASHINGTON COUNTY FARMING. 189 



greatest liberality ia using them should be the practice. We 

 must have also better stock. A great reform in stock is going ou 

 around us. A few years ago it was rare to see our splendid thorough- 

 bred stock exen at our State and County fairs, but now the noble 

 Durham, and Hereford, the A3rshire, the Devon and the Jerse}' are 

 crowding out the old race of cattle, and the farmer can now raise 

 any breed adapted to his wants. There is a rut in keeping cattle 

 that we have followed long enough — that is, in feeding. We should 

 feed for profit, and not try and see how little it takes to feed au 

 animal through the winter, and have them shrink daily in their 

 weight, but it should be our boast to see how much we can make 

 them eat, and how much they will gain. Our animals are machines 

 for converting our products into food suitable for man, and the bet- 

 ter the machine, the more care in feeding, and the better character 

 of the food given, the more satisfactory will be the results secured, 

 and the larger the profits realized. If we work our teams hard, we 

 feed them so the^' can stand hard labor, and we should feed our 

 neat stock for the same result. If it costs us $25 to winter a cow 

 that will make but 100 pounds of butter, worth $20, how long will 

 it take us to get rich ? An easy problem to answer, but such as 

 many a farmer is trying to solve by practice. The figures for the 

 cost and the result will not lie. But suppose you feed your animal' 

 to double the product without doubling the cost of keeping, the 

 result over cost is profit. B}' an actual record of cost and product 

 a good cow can be made to pay $3G profits. Now how can this be 

 done ? By better feeding — by feeding for profit. In doing this you 

 will surely have an increased yield, and a better product, which will 

 bring a better price. We are apt to be too economical in feeding. 

 I believe that the great secret (I will call it a secret, for it looks 

 like one,) in feeding stock of all kinds, is to keep our animals vig- 

 orous and growing. Never let them stop growing an instant, until 

 they arrive to maturity ; always bearing in mind that ever}- pound 

 of beef and ever}- pound of dairy product is made from the food 

 consumed. I saw in a Provincial paper a few da^'S ago, an account 

 of an excursion through New Brunswick of agi'icultural delegates 

 from England. They expressed themselves ver}' highly satisfied 

 with everything but the cattle, which they condemned as not worthy 

 of the country. Now, their cattle will average with ours, and we 

 should feel cheap to have men of such character as these delegates 

 tell us our cattle were no? worthy of our country. We have good 



