NEAT STOCK. 59 



by good breeding and good care the year round. After the 

 above named crops are secured, comes the winter manage- 

 ment of stock. The same rule applies in stock as in all kinds 

 of business. If it pays for keeping at all, it pays for being 

 well kept. When a man commences the winter right with 

 his stock and keeps doing for them, they come out looking 

 well in the spring. My practice is to commence feeding in 

 October. I feed the best I have to all kinds of stock when 

 they first come to the barn. The change from green to dry 

 feed is so great that they need good feed and good care, 

 especially the young, growing stock. Here is where a great 

 amount of money is annually lost. 



My method of feeding is as follows : After milking is 

 finished I give a feed of nice hay and let them remain quiet 

 till noon ; then water ; then another feed of hay or straw, as 

 they will then eat the coarsest food best. Let them remain 

 quiet for five hours, then feed with hay, followed by meal or 

 roots, which is the last feed for the night. The mangers 

 should be cleaned every day. The stable should be cleaned 

 twice a day at least. Salt should be kept where stock can 

 get it when they desire. Air, light, and exercise are very 

 essential, but not too much of the former. Prepare some 

 good, light, ^comfortable barns for the, stock, and keep them 

 warm. Lumber is very much cheaper in Maine than fodder. 

 Hence the need of making our barns warmer to save feed. I 

 think it pays to line our stables all around inside so that the 

 animal heat from the stock Avill prevent freezing, even in the 

 coldest weather. This is consistent with the best ventilation. 

 Our barns slioald be built forty-five feet wide. This will 

 give eighteen feet for a bay, twelve feet for driveway, and 

 fifteen feet for stable ; a platform four feet, six inches long, 

 for large cows, two inches shorter for smaller ones, a drop of 

 six inches, a trench sixteen inches wide, and a walk elevated 

 four inches, with plenty of straw, sawdust, or dry muck, and 

 nearly all, both of liquid and solid manure can be saved, and 

 you will have pure air, sweet milk and a clean stable. How 

 many there are who keep their stock in cold barns during the 



