36 KEEPING OKE COW. 



These have amounted to a cash expenditure of one hundred and 

 thirteen dollars and sixty-four cents a year, which was a decided 

 surprise to me, and feeling pretty sure the expense need not exceed 

 two dollars a week, I yielded to the argument ; am the owner of 

 a cow, and here record the result of my experiment. One of the 

 pleasant spring days of last week, we took a drive among the farms 

 of the vicinity, and selected a good looking cow which had just 

 dropped her second calf. The price paid was sixty-five dollars, to 

 be delivered to me to-day, without the calf. The man I bought of 

 called her " pure Alderney," but she looks large of her age for 

 that race, weighing somewhat over seven hundred pounds, and if, 

 two or three generations back there was a cross of Ayrshire, or of 

 Guernsey, it is all the better. My belief is that she has a streak of 

 Ayrshire blood, and that she will make a fine cow. Being three 

 years old next month (exact date unknown), it has been decided 

 that our cow is to be known as " June." 



MAY IST, 1876. When " June " was bought, it was in the full 

 expsctation that pasturage could be hired in a small lot adjoining 

 the rear of mine. I supposed it was fixed, but the spring had 

 baen favorable, the grass on the meadow promised well, and the 

 owner concluded he would mow it, so that arrangement fell 

 through. By that time I was too late to secure room in the only 

 pasture convenient to the village, and I have been forced to keep 

 her in the stable and a small stable yard, the whole year. The 

 result is more than satisfactory, considering the disadvantageous 

 circumstances. 



A year ago to-day "June" arrived, in fair condition, save that 

 her coat lookel a little rough, and with a good bag of milk ; her 

 daily yield that month was about twelve quarts. In a day or two 

 I noticed that when in the yard, she rubbed her neck vigorously 

 against the corner of the stable and sometimes backed up to a build- 

 ing or fence for the purpose. An examination proved that she 

 had vermin upon her ; so I made a pail full of strong suds, with 

 soft soap, and put into it an ounce of sulphuric acid, and with this 

 I sponged the parts infeste:!, twice daily, for a few days. This 

 seemed efficient and there has been no such trouble since. 



For long forage " June " had only dry food, good fine hay, until 

 late in May, and then I began to give her a green bite whenever I 

 could, clippings from the yard, trimmings of early vegetables and 

 whatever there was to spare from the garden. Besides this, every- 

 thing she ate had to be bought, except a few roots used since 

 February. A littto bran was fed for the first few days, and gradu- 



