92 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



. AT LEAST HIGH GRADES. 



^ The males in all cases should be thoroughbred and of the breed desired 

 by the farmer to accomplish his object. If beef is the object of the 

 breeding and feeding, then the male ma}- be a Hereford, a Polled Angus, 

 or a Shorthorn. If good dairy cows as well as cows for beef are desired 

 I should want a male Shorthorn. The practical way of feeding the calves- 

 for beef purposes would be (as my experience has proved to my satisfac- 

 tion) to feed the calves new milk for three or four weeks, then commence 

 with skim milk once a day for a few days, and finally feed skim milk en- 

 tirely, giving about a common milk pan full three times per day, allowing 

 the calf to have access to some good hay, and adding once or twice a day 

 a feeding of oats and wheat bran. Continue this system until the calf is- 

 eight or nine months old. when it should be weaned gradually and some 

 other food given, so that the growth should be advanced as rapidly as con- 

 sistent with the health and constitution of the animal until it is fit for 

 market, which should be not older than thirty months of age. It has been 

 satisfactorily demonstrated that it costs considerably more to make a 

 pound of gain after an animal is over two years old then previous to that 

 age. The aim then should be to 



MAKE AS MANY POUNDS OF GAIN 



* 



as possible in the shortest period of time. Believing as I do in the gen- 

 eral or dual purpose cow. I would prefer to have the calves dropped late 

 in the fall or early winter. The calves when two years old would be in 

 a position to take advantage of good markets and the butter taken from 

 the milk fed to the calves would bring a better price than in summer — a 

 gain in two directions. In the matter of dual purpose cows^ I do not 

 claim that the highest excellence can be obtained in two partially differ- 

 ent directions, but I do claim and know that high excellence can be and is 

 being obtained both as to beef production and dairy products in the same 

 animal. Hence such cattle are the most profitable for the general farmer. 

 In feeding the kind of calves spoken of for beef, the farmer should feed 

 in the main what his farm can or is producing. 



The calves after being weaned (if fall calves) should have good pasture 

 through the summer and corn fodder or some grain if pastures get short, 

 increasing the grain if necessary until put up for winter. Then good 

 hay and stalks should be fed, with as much corn-meal ground, cob and all 

 or some wheat bran mixed with the meal, as the cattle will eat, until 

 sold. 



ROOTS ARE EXCELLENT 



as a supplemntaiy food, and can be fed with a profit. The grain fed the 

 first year and one half should be such as will stimulate muscle and growth 

 and may consist of oats and wheat-bran, with some corn-meal_, roots, or 

 ensilage if the farmer has a silo. 



The main question to be considered is the greatest amount of growth in 

 the shortest period of time and the best possible condition for market 

 when two years or a little more of age. From a pecuniary point of view 

 the foods given should all be grown upon the farm. Then whatever is 

 received from the sale of the cattle is a sale of the products of the farm 



