1030 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



the first year of their life the better herd of cattle 

 you have. It does not take so much when they are 

 calves. Remember, it is not every calf that comes 

 up to my estimation as a show calf by any means, 

 because they have to have a good constitution and 

 stand up to every meal and bawl for the nurse cow. 

 Bull calves are harder to handle than heifers. They 

 are more restless and sometimes you have to put 

 them in single boxstalls or tie them up. 



"And for fitting older cattle I might say a good 

 deal. But of course there are differences in cattle. 

 Some get too hard and the next too soft, so one has 

 to gauge the different feeds on them. I do not be- 

 lieve in too much corn. More breeding cattle are 

 ruined on corn than anything else. I generally 

 mix my feed bran, 100 pounds; corn, 150 pounds; 

 oats, 150 pounds; cut hay, 30 pounds, and oilmeal, 

 10 pounds. Towards show time I add a little mo- 

 lasses or something sweet and it makes them eat a 

 little more. And it helps their hair to grow. But 

 remember, never feed them more than they will 

 clean up at any time. Water is as important as feed, 

 as they have to get plenty all the time. Keep your 

 stalls clean and well disinfected all the time, because 

 they love a good clean stall the same as we do a 

 bed. In your spare time in winter get a good stiff 

 brush and brush them, as it makes the hair soft 

 and curly. Use it as much as possible against the 

 hair. Some people try to say that too much brush- 

 ing will take out the hair, but I have never found it 

 that way, as the more brushing you give them the 

 better fix you get their hair in. I do not mean to 

 use a curry-comb but a good stiff brush. A curry- 

 comb is liable to pull out the hair. 



" As show time draws near wash them once a week. 

 It helps them and also the calves. It breaks them 

 so that when you wash them at the fair they are 



