VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 137 



barn and say it is a great improvement. We used to raise a small race 

 of cows just because they were on earth. We drew the milk and fed 

 it from habit. I want to tell you, brother farmers, I believe the destiny 

 of a calf is decided previous to its birth, while carried by its mother. 

 We say this morning there are two calves dropped. The first thing 

 we do when there is a calf there is to turn it on its back and examine 

 its udder. If it has got four well placed teats and two rudimentaries, all 

 the better. Then we let the little thing get up and we open its mouth; 

 if it has got eight well developed milk teeth that calf is well born. 

 A calf well born is more than half raised. That calf is hungry. Now, we 

 go and draw the milk from the udder into the pail and with a little 

 persuasion the calf will begin to drink. That is the kind of a calf to 

 raise. A calf of that description is more than half raised. Here is the 

 other calf born the same morning; turn it on its back and look at its 

 udder and then you open its mouth; it has only got two little bits of 

 milk teeth through the gums. That is a fool calf; you can't afford to 

 raise it. We get down and draw the milk from the udder. That calf 

 will occasionally come up to the pail and turn its nose back and take 

 hold of the rope; you let loose its halter and it turns its nose up; you 

 double its nose into the bottom of the pail and the milk flows all over 

 you. You have all been through it. I said to-day it will drink, to- 

 morrow it is indisposed, troubled with indigestion. What was the 

 mother? That mother did not have constitutional vigor enough to 

 fully develop that calf during the period of gestation, and it was born 

 weak in constitution, and that is the trouble all over the United States, 

 and the thoroughbred breeders all over the United States are largely to 

 blame to-day; they are so anxious to get their money back that they will 

 keep anything and palm it off onto us farmers who are ignorant of the 

 business. 



The calf wants something besides teats; it wants constitutional vigor, 

 and it wants individuality. Be careful and get an individual calf that will 

 do you good, because if you put your heart on a breed and then your 

 love turn to hate you will never have confidence in the breed again. 

 What we want to do is this: Only keep the calves that have digestive 

 power, feed regularly what it does digest and that is all; the balance 

 will take care of itself. If the human mother did not watch her baby's 

 digestion — and so many mothers do not — what is the result? Trouble. 

 Just so is it with the dairy calf. 



After these calves are born only keep those strongest in constitution 

 with a power to assimulate. Take them and put them into a separate 

 building and go and examine them carefully. First fix your attention on 

 the eye. If the eye is open and they are well apart, turn the ear back and 

 see if it is soft and moist; the indication of the butter fat. If the ribs are 

 open and far apart, then look for the milk teeth. Then put the best calf 

 in a stable by itself. 



Now, there is the fellow (of course he isn't here) who because he 

 does not succeed in life he wants to lay it to religion. Now, when you 



