TnE Question Box. 71 



and starved to a point below that normal capacity, she may be 

 fed np to it. The best of the three cows at the Geneva Station gave 

 8,000 pounds of milk containing 5.6 per cent. milk. No amount of 

 feeding will increase that per cent, of fat. The second cow gave 

 0,000 pounds of 4 per cent, milk, and the third one, 4,600 pounds 

 of 3.8 per cent. milk. Now, no amount of feeding or increase of 

 foods will increase the flow or fat per cent, up to that of the best 

 cow. I made a long, thorough trial, but failed to do it. 



Question. — Which is best, to keep a cow in the barn all the time 

 in winter or out of doors a part of the time ? 



Mr. Gould. — ■ Is the cow giving milk, is she dry, or coming in 

 in the spring? If the stable is clean, dry, light and warm, I don't 

 know what she should go out for. On the other hand, if the stable 

 is dark, damp and ill-ventilated, it were better that the cow were 

 turned out. My cows don't get exercise in the winter. They 

 get all they want during the other eight months. 



Question. — Am keeping but one cow. If I feed grain, which is 

 the best and how much should be fed per day, every day in the 

 year ? Should she have a change 30 days before dropping calf? 



Mr. Smith. — If a man has but one cow he cannot have 

 ensilage, so I would say feed clover hay, wheat bran and corn meal. 

 Would not feed timothy hay or buckwheat middlings to her. Oats 

 and peas with barley make a good ration, with clover hay. 



Question. — Is the Short-Horn a good breed for the dairy 

 farmer ? Are they good milkers ? 



Mr. Smith. — No; that is, the present strain of Short-Horns is 

 not. Several years ago there was a family of excellent milking 

 Short-Horns, but the breeders of them got into the craze of trying 

 to breed beef and milk both into the same carcass, and the result is 

 a breed of beef animals, as a rule, the milk product having disap- 

 peared. It is only occasionally that we hear of a good Short-Horn 

 milking cow. 



Question. — Is there a good dual purpose cow; if so, in what 

 breed ? 



Mr. Smith. — Do anv of vou know a cow which can be fed a 

 ration which will make a good flow of milk and at the same time 

 a good beef cow? 



A Farmer. — She will be a " freak " if you do. 



Mr. Smith. — The dairy cow must be a special purpose cow, one 

 bred for the production of milk. It is impossible to have such a 



