190 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



CHAPTEE XXXV.— Care of Animals 



183. Care as Important as Feeding. — In the last 

 chapter you were told that the art of feeding is know- 

 ing how to supply the animal with the pToper amounts 

 and kinds of food. There are several ways of supply- 

 ing the animal with food; it may be turned out to pas- 

 ture, or it may be kept in the stable, and the food 

 given it, but whatever the method adopted the animal 

 should be well treated. If the animal is abused or 

 neglected it will suffer, no matter how well the actual 

 feeding is done. Good feeding does not consist simply 

 in good food; it means good attention and kindness 

 as well. If the animal is to be kept in a stable, the 

 firs-t care should be to provide a comfortable stable. 



184. Stables. — Children and plants cannot' develop 

 without fresh air and sunshine; the same is true of 

 domestic animals. To keep animals shut up in foul, 

 dark, ill-ventilated stables and expect them to grow 

 and do well is as foolish as attempting to grow wheat 

 in a cellar. Yet how many animals are provided with 

 comfortable stables? Once a }^ear is usually consid- 

 ered often enough to clean a stable. The air is nearly 

 always saturated with the odor of decaying organic 

 matter. The light of day seldom penetrates its foul 

 interior, and here the poor animals must spend a large 

 part of their lives. Is it any wonder that so many 

 cattle suffer from consumption, and through their flesh 

 and milk transmit this fatal disease to man? All ani- 



