FAllMERS' INSTITUTES. 183 



AFTERXOOX SESSION. 



The aftenioou session was oldened by Mr. IngersoU, wlio gave his lecture on 

 "What Stock Shall Ave Keep." (See lectures and addresses following this 

 record of the Institutes.) 



Mr. IngersoU was followed by Mr. John Lessiter of Orion, who read the fol- 

 lowing pajDcr on 



FEEDING STOCK. 



I would wish to say a few Avords to my brother farmers of Oakland county in 

 regard to better care and feeding of our stock. It is a very common thing to 

 see, nore particularly in our neat stock, young animals that grow only from 

 six to eight months in the year — and in some instances less. Now, this is 

 Avrong, and a loss to the breeder. We should certainly groAV them twelve 

 months in the year. I would recommend, to commence with the calves, to give 

 them six quarts of new milk twice a day for four Aveeks, and then bring it 

 gradually to the skim-milk, then scald to each calf a pint of fine middlings, 

 and put in the milk. Feed that quantity for four months at least; besides, as 

 soon as the calves Avill eat, I Avould give them a little early cut clover hay and a 

 few oats. I consider oats the best feed Ave have for making muscle. Keep 

 your calA'es tied up in the stable until they are at least tAvo months old ; and if 

 they can be led out a few times they will rarely forget it Avhen wanted to be led 

 a year or more after. When four months old you can leaA'e off the milk grad- 

 ually and increase the oats Avith the mill feed mixed. We have now good, 

 strong calves that can digest any good feed (except too much corn meal). Be 

 liberal with your oats and early cut hay the following Aviuter, and a tew roots if 

 you raise them, and Avhen grass comes you Avill liaA'C yearlings that Avill grow, 

 please the eye, and be Avorth more than their feed bill. In the latter part of 

 September if you can have them run in a j)asture field next to your corn, com- 

 mence and giAC them corn in the stalk as soon as it is in the shock, or before if 

 your pasture is short. Don't wait for your neighbor to commence feeding. 

 One acre of corn Avill feed eight or ten head of cattle a shock a day, longer than 

 you at first think. Now, if your cattle are intended for the butcher, after 

 feeding them forty or sixty days, according to your pasture and the season, you 

 Avill then put them in a Avarm stable, and if you do let them out to water put 

 them back in one half liour ; feed them at regular hours each day, Avith corn 

 and oat meal, good hay, or cut stalks, and a half a bushel of roots each per 

 day. WhencA'Cr your stables smell sour reduce your feed of meal. If you are 

 busy taking care of your fall crops and your meal is not ready, feed dent com in 

 the ear ; it is easier digested than tlie common yelloAV or Avliite varieties, and 

 Avith your pigs running to the manure you Avill sustain no loss. I liaA'e seen 

 cattle lay on fat as fast as when fed on meal, and there is less risk in over-feed- 

 ing. With such feeding steers and heifers can be made to bring when they are 

 two years old from 850 to $G0 per head. I am presuming they are from a 

 thoroughbred short-horn sire, or of some other beef -producing breed. In con- 

 clusion, I would advocate using none but thoroughbred sires in all the stock 

 you raise, from the improved breeds that your choice Avould lead you. 



Mrs. Keeler of Disco read the following essay on 



SOCIAL CULTUEE FOR FARMERS. 



Man is necessarily a social being. A solitary life, though sometimes sought 

 by the misanthropic hermit, soon becomes intolerably Avearisome even to him, 



