330 DAIRYING COWS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT 



breed but do not know what they buy, as, if a heifer is not 

 likely to turn out well, they sell her ; on the contrary, if they 

 went to market for their cows, they must buy the outcasts of 

 other breeders. Besides, they endeavour to breed from known 

 good milkers, such as milk well, not only soon after calving, 

 but which will hold their milk throughout the summer and 

 the latter-math months ; whereas in the market they are 

 subject to chance and the deceptions of drovers : the most they 

 have to judge from is the size of the bag at the time of the 

 purchase. In suitable situations, then, there can be little doubt 

 of the propriety of every dairyman's rearing his own cows." 



The argument used by those who advocate the opening 

 of our ports to the introduction of live cattle from Canada on 

 behalf of dairy farmers are entirely fallacious. Selected home- 

 bred cattle can always be depended upon to give annually 

 200 gallons of milk more than cattle bought in the open 

 market from whatever source, and the cost of feeding an 

 inferior milker is little less than that of a good milker. 



To fill up the places of cast cows those that have become 

 old, or have proved unlucky or unsuitable young 1 heifers 

 to the number of between one-fourth and one-third of the 

 total of the dairy, should be available each year. Whether it 

 is a good practice to "calve-down" heifers at a little over 

 two years, or a little over three years old, is mainly a question 

 of feeding and environment. If cattle are kept in thin 

 condition, as the ordinary Ayrshire is in its native country, 

 the best results are obtained by calving at " three-years-off." 

 At two years, an animal, if poor, is too small, will not milk 

 satisfactorily the first season, and is very liable to " miss the 

 bull " and remain farrow the following season. If heifers are 

 well fed, and made to calve at two years off, as in the case of 

 Channel Islands cows and well-bred milking Shorthorns, the 

 natural development and growth which continue even for 

 years afterwards are led into the lines of milk-production ; 

 and the organs which are then most active are not allowed to 

 become atrophied from inaction, or gorged with fat in the 

 attempt of Nature to rid the circulatory system of a super- 

 abundance of fat. Nature indicates the proper course to be 

 followed by well-fed animals, if not over-fat, coming in season 

 sooner and more regularly than those in poor condition. 

 Very fat cows are most uncertain breeders, and when this 

 difficulty is overcome they usually produce small calves. 



