i68 agriculture; of mains. 



spending weakness in her maternal functions, which of neces- 

 sity must always be considered and in early life put in operation 

 or they will fail when they are required for action. As we study 

 nature's laws, which govern conditions, we learn how to control 

 forces that were unknown to us a few years ago. We see this 

 manifested in many things, our modern dairy cow not excepted. 

 Early breeding does not, all things being equal, weaken vital 

 forces, as is quite commonly believed. In fact, the effect is quite 

 the opposite. All that early breeding does is to make a demand 

 for more food, as two lives will be jeopardized, if it is not fur- 

 nished. While germs no doubt cause many abortions, they by no 

 means cause the greater ^per cent of them. In fact, true germ abor- 

 tion is far less than that which is purely the result of weakness 

 and sympathy, which the feeding of oats and wheat bran more 

 plentifully to the calf, heifer and cow later on, will largely obvi- 

 ate. We are feeding by far too much of the very concentrated 

 by-product protein foods for the purpose of increasing the milk 

 flow. It is more oats and peas and wheat bran and a little less 

 cottonseed, malt sprouts and dried brewers' grains that are 

 needed on many farms ; we may get a little less milk, but we 

 will have more calves and better calves to show for it. The 

 time will come in the near future when it will not be preached 

 from the platform and in bulletins, that a pound of protein in 

 one food is worth just as much as in another. It may work 

 out well in laboratory work, but it won't always do so in a cow's 

 stomach. Dan Patch does not go his mile in 1.56 m. propelled by 

 the energy found in wheat bran and corn meal, neither does 

 International Stock Food put his nose under the wire in that 

 time ; all it does is to furnish the seasoning for the oats he eats 

 which do the work. It is the nerve principal found in the 

 oat which furnishes him the power to get there. The chemist 

 can so mix the wheat bran and corn meal that just as much 

 protein, carbohydrates and fat will be in this ration as in the 

 oats; but Dan, if thus fed, would fail to get to the distance 

 pole in 1.55, before the flag would drop in his face. Now, my 

 brother dairymen, it is some of this kind of logic that we need 

 to carry into our calf -raising and cow feeding. Then breed the 

 heifer when she desires to breed. Some of our old time notions 

 need burying and after we bury them and get on a different line 



