380 STATE BOARD OF AGKICULTUKE. 



heifers when properly bred make good cows ; and the grade iSliorthorn cows in^ 

 the vicinity are far superior to any other breed. A calf should be well kept 

 from birth. The system usually practiced is to let the calf suck the dam- 

 from one to three days, and then feed a mixture of new and skimmed milk 

 for a week more, wlien they are fed on skimmed milk alone, until eight 

 or twelve weeks old, then they are turned on short dry pasture and told to pick 

 for themselves ; many persons keeping three on the food that one requires, and 

 at the age of six months reach the astonishing weight of 175 to 250 pounds; 

 and at a year 350 to 400 pounds. Now, there are but few who can afford to 

 allow the calf to suck the dam, but a good calf may be raised on 20 lbs. of 

 skimmed milk, and one pint of bolted oat meal and middlings per day, for the 

 first three months, after which the quantity of milk may be diminished. I 

 know a grade heifer raised on this ration, that at fifteen months weighed 800. 

 Another at 3 years that had born two calves, and a heavy milker, weighed 

 1,270 lbs. There is a thoroughbred Shorthorn bull in our neighborhood, that 

 weighed at birth, July 5th, 1877, 110 lbs. He was allowed to suck the dam, 

 with what he picked in the pasture, until the first of November, when he was 

 fed a pint of corn meal, and one quart of bran per day until March, then 

 weaned from the dam and fed three quarts of oats and bran per day for two 

 and a half months, when he was turned to pasture and fed no grain until the 

 first of August, when the oat and bran ration was resumed, and on November 

 2od, 3878, at sixteen months and eighteen days old, weighed 1,255 lbs., a gain 

 of 1,145 lbs., or an average daily gain of 2.36. But some say it costs too much 

 to keep a Shorthorn, and I have repeatedly been told that a Shorthorn cow 

 would eat three times as much as a native; and to satisfy myself, I tried an 

 experiment. We owned a native pure and undefiled, black, with white face, 

 as good a native cow as lived ; at the same time a three-fourth Shorthorn cow, 

 roan in color, the native five and the other four years old. They were giving 

 the same amount of milk, and making the same quantity of butter; the grade- 

 being a third the larger when put into the stable in November. I carefully 

 measured everything they were fed, and there was a difference of one-fifth in 

 favor of the Shorthorn. 



How shall we i)rocure these cattle? Let a neighborhood buy a bull, as good 

 as they can afford, and use him a couple of years, then buy anotlier to use on 

 the first ones got, and in a few years you will have a fine lot of grade cows and 

 steers, that, if cared for as I suggest, will weigh fifteen hundred pounds at two 

 and a half years old, double the weight of a native, and one that will bring 

 two cents more per pound. 



I have mainly referred to the Shorthorn for the reason that I believe it is 

 to this breed that we are to look for tlic general improvement of the cattle of 

 the country. 



I do not underestimate the value of several other breeds for certain purposes, 

 but for the use of the general farmer, I do think the Shortliorn is best adapted. 



Now in conclusion, I will add that every one who would be a successful 

 breeder of domestic animals, sliould subscribe for some periodical devoted ex- 

 clusively to that interest. As for myself I owe much of my success in the 

 business to the National Jjive Stock Journal. 



Mr. John S. Gage read an essay on gypsum, which we regret being unable- 

 to publish, not having the manuscript. This essay and the discussion upon it 

 closed the afternoon session. 



