1002 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



dishearten the owners. It is astonishing in going 

 over the country how many cattle one finds which 

 have insufficient pasture and filthy water, or only 

 water at intervals. And yet they are expected to 

 make good returns for their owners. In winter the 

 conditions are deplorable even with men who mean 

 well. Many of the costly bank barns are hotbeds 

 of disease. Ventilation was never once considered by 

 the architects and drainage was entirely forgotten, 

 even where the cupola is a work of art resembling 

 Joseph's coat of many colors. Go into such a barn 

 at 5 a. m., where 50 to 100 cattle are housed. The 

 hot, moist atmosphere meets you; it is past being 

 unsanitary; it is impure, death-dealing to man and 

 beast alike. At 8 a. m. these cattle are turned out 

 into a yard resembling a hog wallow, there to stand 

 in the storm or zero weather till 4 p. m. And breed- 

 ers will talk about having bad luck ! This is not an 

 overdrawn picture. It is only too common and sure- 

 ly means the survival of the fittest in the end ! 



"When managing a breeding herd the bull is 

 half the herd at all times, so we turn to him first. 

 A paddock of 2 acres or less with a comfortable 

 shed and boxstall in one end makes the ideal quar- 

 ters for the herd bull. The shed should have a loft 

 above to hold the hay and straw, so as to be handy 

 in winter and to keep it cool in summer. Then you 

 can have the breeding pit under cover in the shed. 

 In many of the states no door is necessary. Let it 

 open to the south and the bull will generally use 

 good judgment. Should the young bull be lonesome 

 turn a cow safe in calf with him for company. In 

 this way you will conserve his virility and lengthen 

 his life and usefulness. Feed him enough to keep 

 him strong and vigorous all the time without load- 

 ing him up with a lot of superfluous inside fat or out- 

 side tallow. Blood, bone and flesh are what you 



