210 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



tacks of disease. Every cow should be dried ofl: two months before 

 calving. 



Finally, cattle in order to maintain their condition and pass on 

 their good qualities to their descendants should receive individual at- 

 tention and be given a generous amount of properly balanced rations. 

 "Out of nothing, nothing comes,-' is as applicable to the breeding of 

 dairy cattle, as anywhere else. Those who expect to produce su- 

 perior cattle ihrough scant food' and indiiierent care should be logi- 

 cal, apply their theory to the human family and claim also that the 

 best type of citizens and the great men of the nation proceed from the 

 half-housed, half-clothed and half-starved waifs of the big cities. 

 Most people, however, hold to the opinion that such are not favor- 

 able conditions in which to rear the strong, the just, the wise and 

 the uplifting elements of society. Those who champion the starving 

 theory will have difficulty in convincing the public of the correct- 

 ness of their views. The dictates of commonsense, the facts of ex- 

 perience and the teachings of history all unite to give the weight of 

 their testimony in favor of homes, whether of mechanics, profes- 

 sional men or farmers, where the boys and girls can have sufficient 

 and proper food, with comfortable shelter and good care. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. W. H. Comfort: I would like to ask how a great number of 

 dry cows are secured in a few months. 



Mr. Sibley: I said in the beginning of my paper that I do not pose 

 as an authority and I do not claim that I can answer all the ques- 

 tions that have been puzzling i)eople for hundreds of years. I will, 

 liowever, say this much, that we can do a great deal more toward 

 drying off the cows than if we let them go. If it were summer time 

 and the cows were out on grass I would- take them off and dry feed 

 them. Sometimes it is necessary to give them medicines. I believe 

 that the old fashioned dose of salts will have effect in that direction. 

 We all know too that irregular feeding will tend to this result. 



Mr. McSparran: The speaker mentions that among cows to be 

 avoided are those with fleshy udder. It is taught by some that such 

 cows give a higher per cent, of butter fat than cows with the loose 

 udder that milks out like a rag. I would like to ask Mr. Sibley's ex- 

 perience. 



Mr. Sibley: I cannot say that we have kept sufficiently accurate 

 records to have our experience very valuable on that point. I think, 

 however, that when we get the per cent, of butter fat we should bear 

 in mind' the total amount the cow is giving. If giving a small 

 amount of milk the high per cent, of butter fat does not mean much. 

 I have seen people "hoodooed" by a high percentage of butter fat 



