18 KEEPING ONE COW. 



My great object is not only to make "Spot" comfortable, and 

 have her stable free from all bad odors, but to save all the 

 manure, both liquid and solid. The best absorbent is dried muck, 

 pulverized, or road-dust from clayey roads. As it is easier to 

 procure the latter, I generally make use of that, and always 

 keep from two to three inches of it in the alley ; this effectually 

 absorbs all the liquid portions and all offensive odors. Twice each 

 day this is thrown out through a window closed by a sliding shut- 

 ter in the rear of the stall, under a shed, where it remains until 

 wanted for use. In the fall I go to the woods and procure a 

 sufficient quantity of leaves to last until spring ; a liberal use of 

 these not only makes a nice, soft, clean bed, but largely increases 

 t'ie quantity of manure. The stable opens into a small yard, 

 across one corner of which runs a small brook. Each morning 

 the cow is permitted to go out and drink ; if the weather is pleas- 

 ant, she is allowed to remain out an hour for exercise. She is let 

 out the same at night, after sunset in warm weather, so that she will 

 not be annoyed by flies. The barn is well battened, and is warm 

 in winter; it is well ventilated by two windows, but these, in 

 summer, are darkened by blinds, with wide slats, to keep out flies. 



SYSTEM OF FEEDING. 



Each morning, while "Spot" is eating her breakfast, she is 

 well curried with a curry co nb or card, and if any filth is observed 

 on her bag or teats (which is very seldom), they are carefully 

 washed off, if in winter, with warm water. She is never scolded 

 nor whipped ; consequently she never kicks over the pail, or holds 

 up her milk. She is fed in winter with a peck of sugar-beets cut 

 up, both morning, noon, and night; also a bushel of cut feed, 

 either corn-stalks or clover hay, wet with a pailful of hot water, 

 with two quarts of " sugar meal," or bran, thoroughly mixed to- 

 gether, with a little salt sprinkled over it. I generally use what is 

 known here as " sugar meal " to mix with her feed ; it is corn 

 meal from the factory after the sugar or glucose has been ex- 

 tracted ; it costs from ten cents to twelve and a half cents per 

 bushel, and I prefer it to bran, and " Spot " likes it very much. 

 We consider her a machine for converting the food we give her 

 into milk, and the more we can get her to eat and digest, the more 

 milk is obtained, and the greater the profit. It is a good plan to 

 change the food occasionally, substituting carrots for beets, clover 

 hay for corn fodder, for brutes, like mankind, are fond of a 

 variety. There are root-cutters that can be procured for cutting 



