TnE Bulletin. 63 



to better work on the part of the hired help, as I find they are more careful 

 to get the last drop, to try and boat yesterday's work. In fact, it makes it a 

 race all the way through. There is never a day pas.ses but what I hear my 

 milkers arguing as to which has the best cows. One will say, "My cow gives 

 the most milk," and another will say, "Mine is the richest," or, "My cow 

 beat yours for a week, or a month, or a year," as the case may be. They take 

 as much interest in the test as 1 do myself. It also shows the variation in 

 milk yield, and sets one to thinking what is the cause and how to remedy it. 

 We cannot all be Van Pelts as feeders, but it is certainly interesting work to 

 watch the different cows in the herd and feed them so that they will con- 

 stantly improve in production. 



FEEDING THE DAIRY COW. 



I think, to operate a dairy profitably, the first essential is an intelligent 

 dairyman ; the second, good cows ; and the two combined make the third, 

 which is proper feeding. The feeding question is, perhaps, the most important 

 question of all, for upon the proper feeding depends the profitableness of the 

 herd, and upon it also depends their highest development. 



The words "scientific feeding" seem big for some to comprehend, but, after 

 all, they mean only rational feeding — good common sense mixed with good 

 judgment, and knowing the needs of different animals. We see a great deal 

 about a balanced ration. It is simply a statement of the results of experi- 

 ments and observation. No fixed standard can really be laid down for all 

 conditions, and the feeder must come down to his own good judgment. I think 

 that one of the greatest faults of dairymen in general is not so much a lack 

 of knowledge as of application. We knoiv a great deal better than we do. We 

 are too slow in taking up the more advanced methods of caring for our stock. 



HOW TO SUCCEED. 



The successful man to-day is the one who is alive to all the details of his 

 business. It is not alone the breeding that is going to determine the future 

 usefulness of the animal, but this must be combined with the daily care, feed- 

 ing and careful observation. That is going to make the cow what she should 

 be. I believe the best plan for the average farmer, unless he has plenty of 

 money, in starting a dairy herd, is to take a few well-selected animals and 

 breed up to the size of the herd desired. This plan takes time, but it will 

 be the most satisfactory in the end. In the first place, most people without 

 experience are not adapted to the thoroughbred or the highly-bred animal, 

 and from experience in the breeding up of the herd will come the education 

 necessary to care for a herd of this character. 



The successful dairyman must be interested in his business. It would be 

 more than folly to try to make a success of something you could not get 

 interested in and really did not care for or enjoy. You must think a lot of 

 your cows and make real pets of them. 



