232 HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OK CATTLE. 



and in his death, while we have lost a friend in whom we had the utmost 

 confidence, the world has lost much more an honest, able man.] 



Holstein-Friesians. 



'WESTBURG FARM, JESUP, IA. , August 29, 1888. 

 * * * * 



" As to age of breeding, my practice at the outset was to breed so that each heifer 

 would have her first calf at or near the age of three years. My own observations, and 

 the milk records I have taken for five years, have not yet been sufficiently numerous to 

 enable me to decide definitely. As to diminishing size by early breeding, I can only say 

 that I have heifers which calved at two and two and one-quarter years, as large as those 

 that calved at three and three and one-quarter years. As to milk flow, I am inclined to 

 think early breeding is preferable. I prefer to breed as nearly as possible in December, 

 January and February; just as good (if not better) calves can be raised in a warm barn 

 through the winter as in summer. Milk being worth more in November, December, Jan- 

 uary and February, I find it more profitable to have them come at this time ; in summer, 

 milk is worth 45 to 60 cents per 100 Ibs., and in winter 85 cents to $1.10 per 100 Ibs. 

 I avoid having cows come in during warm weather, as I think them more liable to have 

 parturient apoplexy. 



' ' I have practiced various ways of rearing calves ; have seen little or no difference 

 in size and constitution between feeding calves the fresh milk three times per day until 

 they are six weeks old, and in allowing them to suck the cow to this time. My general 

 practice is to allow them to suck at least seven or eight times. I have never taken a calf 

 from the cow as soon as dropped. As far as milk flow and size are concerned, I am 

 prepared to believe that calves reared on sweet skim-milk and oats for a time after they 

 are four to six weeks old, make just as good cows as those allowed fresh milk for six 

 months. I think that calves allowed to suck the cow for say five or six months, develop 

 a habit of laying on fat, and do not generally make as valuable cows for milk on that 

 account. 



" My practice, in summer feeding of cows has been to give a small allowance of bran 

 say one to one and a-half Ibs. at a feed even while the pasture was good. It saves 

 much of the labor in driving from the pasture, aside from contributing to the volume of 

 the manure ; it saves also time and muscle necessary in driving them in the barn prior to 

 milking. For winter feeding, I aim to mix 50 Ibs. of bran with 64 Ibs. of ground oats and 

 56 Ibs. of ground corn. Of this mixture I approximate the needs of different cows ; have 

 fed as high as 24 Ibs. per day to a cow weighing 1,200 Ibs., and giving 65 to 67 Ibs. milk 

 per day ; have fed five to six Ibs. at a feed to cows giving 30 to 35 Ibs. per day. Have 

 practiced mixing this ground feed on a small allowance of wet cut hay, and am confident, 

 from the appearance of the excrement, that a great benefit resulted from this practice. 



" I think that, as a general thing, twice a day is sufficient for milking. I have milked 

 several cows that gave large messes three times a day, for at least one month after 

 calving, and afterwards twice a day. Larger milk records can be made, of course, by 

 milking three times a day throughout the year. A fresh cow, especially, should be 

 milked quite regularly, while a cow that has given milk six months will not be affected 

 very much by a little delay in milking. I aim to milk all cows regularly. When at the 

 height of their flow in summer, I think they ought to be milked about 5 A. M. and 4:30 P. 

 M. A heavy milker usually secretes the most milk from morning to night. 



" I have practiced selling milk to creameries by the 100 Ibs., receiving back at differ- 

 ent times, the set skim and the separated skim-milk ; have also set the milk at home in ice 

 water, at 40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, for 12 hours, and sold the unsalted butter. As to 

 separated skim-milk from creameries, that require the milk hauled but once a day, I have 

 decided to my satisfaction that it is much less profitable than set skim-milk, either 36 



