692 BOARD OF AGKICULTDRE. 



Five years after John's return home tlie herd had come up to an aver- 

 age yield of 350 pounds of butter fat, and the three year old heifers were 

 beauties, for the bull first bought had proven a great breeder. He was 

 sold for almost what he cost to a neighbor and then another of the same 

 breed, of somewhat different blood lines took his place. He was of the 

 same type and character, and thus they hoped to continue the uniform 

 development of the herd. It gratified John not a little bit that a neighbor 

 should want to own the old bull, for it meant that the gospel of good 

 breeding was spreading in the community. 



The health of their stoclj had been good ever since the new administra- 

 tion began. The lessons which he had learned from the college veterinary 

 instructor had been helpful on occasions, and simply emphasized the use- 

 ful character of his training during those four years. Milk fever, the 

 dread of all dairy cattle men, had visited him but a little. His motto was, 

 "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," so he fed cooling, 

 laxative foods before and after calving, kept the cows clean and in healthy 

 condition and then acted quickly if sickness occurred. Later on in his 

 career, when he had many heavy milkers, he adopted the method of in- 

 jecting sterilized air into the udder when milk fever occurred and with 

 highly gratifying results. 



As the herd grew in age and quality, the subject of future improve- 

 ment was never lost sight of. Good dairy literature found its way onto 

 the sitting room tables, including both experiment station publications 

 and dairy and live stock journals. 



One day at the dinner table, John surprised the family by announc- 

 ing that he was seriously considering going to the World's Fair. He 

 would enjoy the change, but as he said, "Father, I would like to see the 

 dairy cattle test and study the cows there a bit. As those animals 

 represent select ones of different breeds from over the country, I should 

 like to examine them and study both type and breed." "Well, if I were you 

 John," said the elder, "I would not only see those cattle, but would 

 stop at Syracuse and Rochester and see those two herds of Firth and 

 Bogswell. We have read a deal of them and of the remarkable records 

 some of their cows have made, and it might pay you to stop en route 

 and see them. You might pick up some ideas on breeding and manage- 

 ment." 



This accounts for John going away on a vacation in July after the 

 haying was finished, a thing he had never been guilty of before. He 

 felt kind of guilty as he was driven to the station, all dressed up in his 

 Sunday best, for he knew the folks home would have to do his chores. 

 But he believed it would pay. He did not realize then, like many another 

 good brother, that travel is a great education in itself. He learned that 

 later. As he sped across country in the rapidly moving train, through fer- 

 tile valleys, over rich bottoms and along by rolling uplands, he saw many 

 herds of cattle, kept mainly for milk lU'oduction. He was gi'eatly im- 



