HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE. 227 



and afterwards never allowed to suck, but fed on whole milk fresh from the cow till it is 

 four to six weeks old, when sweet skim milk is gradually substituted. At first the skim 

 milk is slightly warmed, but afterwards, unless in exceeding cold weather, no warming is 

 done. I have never had a case of milk fever or other trouble about calving, nor do my 

 calves ever suffer from scours. If an animal appears constipated, a dose of salts or 'liver 

 regulator' is given, but I doctor very little. In bad weather everything is sheltered and 

 fed, the main food for everything being cotton-seed. In fact, except to cows in milk, 

 cotton-seed, with access to straw stack and pasture, is the only feed. 



" I have lost a few head from Black Leg, but believe it can be prevented not cured 

 if it is very far advanced. When an animal dies, all the young and susceptible animals 

 are at once given a mild cathartic and antiseptic. Have used copperas, tablespoonful, 

 with about as much of the dry powder Simmons' Liver Regulator, or one level teaspoon- 

 ful salicylic acid and heaping teaspoonful of sulphite of soda ; in either case, the dose is 

 repeated for two or three days. I have stopped three outbreaks losing none after 

 beginning treatment. 



" In short, I follow nature as nearly as I can, depending on grass, good water and pure 

 air for all. For about three months, stable ; remainder of time in open lots ; calves on 

 grass from two weeks old. Very truly, &c., L. B. GILES." 



The above gives an idea of how the dairy herd is handled where 

 cotton-seed is the main or staple food. While we are not of opinion 

 that cotton-seed is the best food for cows in milk, yet there is no doubt 

 that it and its product after extraction of the oil cotton-seed meal 

 are the most valuable concentrated food-stuffs which the Southern dairy- 

 man can command. Fairly good even excellent butter is made from 

 the milk of cows fed largely on cotton-seed meal, but its best effect is 

 had when combined in smaller proportions with food-stuffs less rich in 

 protein. Mr. Giles has certainly made an excellent showing in way of 

 handling calves ; there are few herds where calves are reared by hand 

 that do not occasionally suffer from attacks of the scours, and Mr. Giles' 

 success in this respect is probably due to the fact that he makes accurate 

 note of the animal's condition from the time it is born. 



Devons. 



NASHVILLE, TENN., July 19, 1888. 



"* * * * As a breeder of Devons, having as the principal object in 

 view the sale of young animals, it is necessary first that there should be absolute purity 

 of blood ; this is secured by starting with pure bred cows and bulls, and as the bull is by 

 much the largest part of the herd, extraordinary care is taken in his selection. No bull 

 in my herd is inbred to his own calves, and although I do not part with a bull which I 

 consider good, when his heifers come of age to be bred, another bull of different strain is 

 bought to serve them. My heifers are bred not under two years old, and are placed with 

 the bull in the month of July, so that the first calf of the heifer will be dropped in April 

 or May, thus giving an opportunity for the udder to be expanded by the spring grazing. 

 Of 16 heifers being bred this season, the youngest was dropped 2nd September, 1886, so 

 that the youngest heifer will be at least 31 months old at calving, and most of them three 

 years old. My object in this is to give stamina and constitution, both to the cows and 

 their progeny, which I think are greatly impaired by the very early breeding practiced by 

 some breeders, in the great desire to get quick returns. After the first calf is dropped, I 

 do not consider it of much importance in our climate at what season the calf comes, so 



