THIRD ANNUAL YK.VR BOOK— PART VI. 823 



is given, in winch il is shown ihat in one instance a pure-bred Short- 

 Horn cow produced 7,464 pounds of milk in a year, containing 3.59 per 

 cent of butter fat, yielding 312V2 pounds of butter. The cost of her feed 

 was $20.50, while the profits over and above the food fed was $28. An- 

 other individual, the dam of one of the steers in the experiment, produced 

 5,791 pounds, which made 257.8 pounds of butter, her feed costing $17 

 during the period, the produce selling at a net profit of $24. The two 

 individuals whose records have been given are taken as average repre- 

 sentatives of the herd. Another cow in the same herd has the following 

 record: Nine thousand one hundred and thirty-six pounds of milk, test- 

 ing 3.79 per cent, yielding 404 pounds of butter. The cost of her feed was 

 $25, while the net profit in this case was $43. 



These figures demonstrate, beyond a doubt, that it is possible to com- 

 bine beef making and milk qualities in one animal, and when this is 

 found there is no more profitable animal to be found on the average 

 farm of the middle west. Without the steer, which sold for something 

 over $62, there is a good profit on the product of the cow alone. There 

 are persons who at the present time are making money on a straight 

 beef animal, where no attempt is made to manufacture dairy products 

 from the milk. However, among the Short-Horns and other breeds it not 

 uncommonly happens that most excellent milkers are found, in which 

 case it will not only pay to feed for beef, but will also be profitable to 

 feed for milk. We believe that the ideal poor man's cow is one that will 

 produce a good animal for the block and at the same time more than 

 earn her living with her dairy products. The specialist of course should 

 nave his special purpose cow. 



TREATMENT OF MILK FEVER. 



Homestead. 



Despite the best precautionary measures owners of dairy cow-; may 

 expect to have some cases of parturient paresis (milk fever) to treat, but 

 these will be mostly in newly purchased cows or in the first flush of 

 grass, when many will have considered it unnecessary to feed as advised 

 for winter calving. A very few heavy milking cows will be likely to "go 

 down" with the disease. Incidentally it may be stated here that the pre- 

 ventive treatment already given in this department applies to the spring 

 calving cow upon rich grass as w r ell as the winter-fed, stabled cow — both 

 should have the doses of iodide of potash prior to calving, and the spring 

 cow should have dry food and bran mashes, but no green grass for two 

 or three weeks prior to calving if she is considered likely to suffer an 

 attack of milk fever. When, just after calving — in from twenty-four hours 

 to four days — the cow is observed to be restless, off feed, stepping up and 

 down with hind feet, running her tongue out, drying up suddenly in milk 

 flow, staggering in gait and costive in movements of the bowels, it may 

 be taken for granted that she is coming down with an attack of mTTk 



