SECRETARY'S REPORT. 37 



active, and hardy. The best breed for beef is the Durham ; 

 for niilk, the Ayrshires have the preference. 



Two years is the best age for heifers to conic in, but they 

 should go dry the third summer. A bull may be put to service 

 at two years, if large and vigorous. 



The best mode of treatment for calves the first year is t6 

 allow two of them to suck the same cow. Milk, when sucked, 

 is worth one-quarter to a half more than when drunk. At two 

 months old begin gradually to feed on sweet hay and grass. In 

 winter give good hay, with roots to promote health. 



When selecting breeding cattle, I choose the female for inter- 

 nal organization, the male for physical development. 



The best mode of feeding store cattle in winter is to tie them 

 in warm stables, and feed one-half corn fodder, the remaining 

 half may be hay, straw and roots. Corn fodder contains a 

 large amount of nutriment, and is eaten by cattle with a good 

 relish. For summer feed cattle should have a good pasture 

 and a little meal. 



Feeding milch cows to obtain the largest profit, I turn them 

 in summer into good grass. In winter I feed steamed hay with 

 one quart of Indian meal, and one quart of oil meal, morning 

 and evening ; soak the oil meal in cold water half an hour, 

 then add your corn meal with warm water, making about six 

 quarts for each cow. This is the best feed I have found. 

 Selecting cows for the dairy, I prefer a pointed nose, thin, 

 slender neck, light fore quarters, deep heavy flank and hind 

 quarters, long crooked milk veins, a broad strip of hair growing 

 upward behind from the teats, a slender, tapering tail, long 

 coarse hair, a thin skin, and I am sure of a good cow. I am 

 not a grazing farmer, and have no reliable rule for selecting 

 cattle for feeding. 



I have tried the experiment of feeding cows on steamed hay, 

 and find hay well steamed will produce as much milk as the 

 same quantity of dry hay with the addition of three pints of oil 

 meal. 



Cows should go dry two months before parturition. 



Breeding animals should be mature and in their prime. 

 The stock of old animals lose their hardihood and sprightliness. 

 Cattle upon poor keeping will deteriorate and become worthless. 

 Stock is kept good only by care and feed. 



