216 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



own cows, until the results satisfied them that they were pur- 

 suing a wrong policy, and that they must resort to raising 

 tlieir own cows if they wanted to obtain the best results. 

 We miss the succulent food of the June grass in raising our 

 calves that are dropped in the fall of the year, and therefore 

 I am trying the experiment this year of raising the heifers 

 from my best cows, feeding them as I have told you. So far 

 I am satisfied, and I believe the experiment will be entirely 

 successful. As soon as I get oil meal, I am going to add that. 



Mr. Barnard. Do you take the pains to sift the hulls of 

 the oats out ? 



Mr. Hart. Not at all. They very soon become accustom- 

 ed to it, and eat it with great relish. 



Question. Has any one followed that practice long enough 

 to know whether the heifers raised in that way will make 

 cows that will give large quantities of milk ? 



Mr. Hart. Years ago, thirty, perhaps, I was studying the 

 question of raising calves by cheaper methods than by feeding 

 them on milk, requiring the milk for other pui'poses in order 

 to produce an income, and I read in an extract from an Eng- 

 lish journal that cows raised upon linseed meal would make 

 better milkers than those raised upon any other food, and it 

 gave as a reason, that it was a laxative food, enlarged the 

 milk glands, and as they grew up, these were larger than in 

 cows raised upon milk. The statement looked to me reason- 

 able, and the first year I tried it upon fourteen calves, and, 

 as I said in my opening remarks, a majority of those calves 

 never knew the taste of milk. They 'were taught to drink 

 without being allowed to suck at all. I used whey and oil 

 meal exclusively, and the result was the best dairy cows that 

 I have ever raised or ever been able to get. 



]\Ir. Bill. I rather like the reply given by the gentleman 

 in front : feed those cows so that if the calves have but one 

 ,teat apiece, they will find enough milk there. Milk is the- 

 most natural food for calves. The finest Devons, those lady- 

 like in appearance, are the cows that will raise your calves 

 naturally, and make good cows. 



