40 agricuIvTure; of maine. 



and other inferior feeds, the only advice that can be given is, 

 do not be tempted to purchase them at any cost. The purchaser 

 will do as well in the long run to buy straight unmixed by- 

 products and meals. While some of the mixed proprietary 

 feeds may have good feeding value, they are almost without 

 exception, mixtures of low grade and high grade goods, the high 

 grade material being added to sell the poorer. If these mixed 

 goods contained nothing but good material, there would be no 

 need of combining two or more products to sell the goods. 



!. THE DAIRY COW, HER FEEDING AND CARE. 

 j By B. Walker McKeen, Fryeburg. 



The great need of the dairy today is better bred and better 

 fed dairy cows. Too many of us have been content to live in 

 the shadow of the past, and have neglected to admit the light 

 of progress. The cow has, or should have, two values, her 

 producing value and her pedigree value. These values should 

 go hand in hand. Without the former, she is a failure; with- 

 out the latter, she is a misfit. But few dairymen fully under- 

 stand these conditions, and to them the production of today is 

 all sufficient. If the dairy is to be preserved, if our cows are 

 not to gradually diminish in numbers, more heifers must be 

 raised. The supply is not equal to the demand. Still a poorly 

 bred year-old heifer, one with no pedigree value, will not bring 

 so much money as a good veal calf. This fact should set us 

 all to thinking seriously, and serve to start us along the road 

 of breeding in such lines, and from such animals, as shall not 

 only keep our numbers good, but shall raise the individual value 

 of the herd with each succeeding generation. If we would 

 know that our advance is sure, a standard of performance for 

 heifers with their first calves must be set, and rigidly adhered 

 to by rejecting all that do not reach it. The sacrifices may be 

 many at first, but will grow less with each generation, if the 

 foundation stock has merit. 



The young animal must have certain conditions surrounding 

 her, if she is to rival, or excel, her dam. She must be fed 

 liberally from the start, not with heavy concentrates but with 



