62 KEEPING ONE COW. 



slanting roof over them ; three or four inches of dirt thrown over 

 this ; afterwards enough to keep them from freezing. 



About the first of November," Comfort" was established in win- 

 ter quarters in the stall, at night and during stormy days, and in the 

 yard on pleasant days. She continued in milk until the middle 

 of February, and was in fresh milk March eighteenth, was hearty 

 and contented a comfort to look at as well as to own. Joseph 

 Earnest was well pleased with his year's experiment. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



It is now three years since he brought comfort to his home in 

 more ways than one. His little farm is improving every year in 

 fertility and value, and even now blossoms like a thing of beauty. 

 Some of his neighbors have followed his example, for he tells 

 them : 



"Any one who has a place to put a cow can keep one with 

 profit, if he will make her comfortable ; that it matters not 

 whether protection from t je weather is secured by logs, straw, 

 sods, rough boards, or planed boards -well painted. She must have 

 exercise, sunshine, and fresh air. These can be obtained in a small 

 dry yard, kept clean, as well as in ' Uncle Sam's' pasture, the 

 open prairie. She must have something of a variety of whole- 

 some food, and a plentiful supply of pure water. No domestic 

 animal, in proportion to its weight, needs as much water as a 

 milch cow. She must be kept clean by litter, card, and brush. If 

 these rules are observed with judgment and kindness, very seldom 

 will any help be needed at time of calving. If anything goes 

 wrong there is no better rule than to use one's common sense, 

 taking the advice of experienced neighbors. 



" To economize manure, an abundance of good litter should be 

 used, and the compost heap kept under cover, if possible ; at any 

 rate, not under the eaves of the barn. If, with this home-made 

 manure, your land does not produce all it can, and you wish to 

 buy some fertilizing material, your first choice should be good 

 stable manure ; if you cannot get that reasonably, use some re- 

 liable brand of commercial fertilizer. Have your cow ' come in ' 

 when it will be most for your profit or convenience, avoiding hot 

 weather. The calf may be killed when one to three days old, 

 saving its hide and rennet; it may be kept until five or six weeks 

 old, fed on new milk, and ' vealed,' or sold for that purpose, or it 

 may be raised on skim-milk (after it is three or four weeks old), 

 and sold in the fall to some farmer. 

 '' Milking should be done gently but quickly, as near twelve 



