148 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



gluten meal, two parts ; linseed meal, one part. 

 The cash outlay for a ton of this mixture is 

 about $12 ; this price, of course, does not include 

 corn and oats, furnished by the farm. A Holstein 

 cow can digest fifteen pounds of this grain a day. 

 This means about two and a half tons a year, 

 with a cash outlay of $30 per annum for each 

 head. Fresh water is always given four times 

 a day, and much of the time the cows have ready 

 access to it. In cold weather the water is 

 warmed to about 65 F. The cows are let out 

 in a twenty-acre field for exercise every day, 

 except in case of severe storms. They are fed 

 forage in the open when the weather is fine and 

 insects are not troublesome, and they sometimes 

 sleep in the open on hot nights ; but by far the 

 largest part of their time is spent in their own 

 stalls away from chilling winds and biting flies. 

 In their stables they are treated much as fine 

 horses are, well bedded, well groomed, and well 

 cared for in all ways. 



A quiet, darkened stable conduces rumination. 

 Loud talking, shouting, or laughing are not 

 looked upon with favor in our cow barn. On 

 the other hand, continuous sounds, if at all melo- 

 dious, seem to soothe the animals and increase 

 the milk flow. Judson, who has proved to be 

 our best herdsman, has a low croon in his 

 mouth all the time. It can hardly be called 

 a tune, though I believe he has faith in it, but 

 it has a fetching way with the herd. I have 



