228 HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE. 



my bull runs with the herd of milk cows all the time, and calves are being dropped by my 

 cows at all seasons of the year, the time between calves running from 10 to 12 months. 



"The bull is driven to the cow-house regularly every night with the milk cows, and 

 in my experience of twelve years as a breeder of Devons, buying a new bull about every 

 two years, I have never had a vicious bull. This may be attributed in part to the docility 

 of the breed, but I think it also partly attributable to the manner in which they are kept. 

 All of my cows (twin calves or some rare cases excepted) are milked night and morning 

 in order to protect and develop the milking habit, but not enough is taken from them to 

 stint the calves, who finish the job and take what the milkman has left, and no great com- 

 plaint is made about the quantity of the milk which goes to the dairy so long as the calves 

 are fat. 



"Calves are turned out to pasture every morning, and when weaned at six to eight 

 months old, are put upon pasture. During the winter months the weaned calves have as 

 much hay red-top, timothy or clover as they can eat, and once each day are fed with 

 grain (cornmeal, coarsely ground) enough to keep them in good condition, Cows are 

 milked in the cow-house in stall, with rope halter fastened around the neck, and are fed 

 every time they are milked during the summer very lightly, just a little being put in 

 their troughs to keep them quiet ; but in winter, all the finely-cut hay they can eat, and 

 coarsely ground cornmeal as a grain ration. Except in extremely severe weather in win- 

 ter, cows are turned out every day and night. Loose boxes about 10x20 feet are provided 

 for cows which calve in the winter, and in summer small pastures near by, in which cows 

 are put a few days before calving. Such is my system ; the result : gentle bulls, healthy 

 cows, breeding regularly up to the age of 18 or 20 years, and healthy calves, kept easily 

 all the time in good growing condition, but never pampered until they look fat enough 

 for prize beef. Truly, 



"EDWARD D. HICKS " 



Mr. Hicks knows how to handle Devons for profit. His plan of 

 letting the bull run with the cows is one which must be carefully regu- 

 lated as to number of cows admitted if the sire is to be kept in prime 

 breeding shape ; but, when so managed, is very satisfactory. It is the 

 practice usually adopted by all breeders of range stock, certainly tends 

 to' render the bull more easily subject to control, and cannot fail to find 

 plenty of advocates. His method of rearing calves will make fine beef 

 animals, but, if continually practiced one generation after another 

 will surely tend to destroy whatever capacity for large milk yield a breed 

 may have originally possessed. As we have stated " Nature " is all right 

 in her way, but a considerable amount of "Art" has always been re- 

 quired to increase the dairy excellence of any breed. His practice is 

 correct, inasmuch as it fills the demand for beauty of form, fattening 

 propensity, and early maturity which a majority of Devon purchasers 

 have created ; but we confess to a feeling of disappointment that the 

 Devon breed is not more strongly stimulated to bring into greater 

 prominence its inherent dairy worth. 



Red-Polled and Shorthorn Grades. 



"TEMPLE, TEXAS August 20, 1888. 

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" I begin with calves ; pen everything each night ; keep plenty of salt in the lot at 

 all times; throw them a batch of shucks or cut corn all of which has a tendency to 

 make them gentle and docile. I breed them young, let the calves come at 24 and 30 months 



