DISEASES OF CATTLE 61 



ondly, dripping may occur from the outlet boxes, especially if these 

 are long. The preventives of dripping are generally a brisk move- 

 ment of air, forcing the moist air out before condensation can occur ; 

 fresh air inlets at the floor; and outlet pipes as short and direct as 

 possible. 



SHOULD DAIRY COWS BE CONFINED IN STALLS? 



It is considered axiomatic that the practices of any locality are 

 approximately correct for that region. This, however, is not always 

 the case, for man is by nature a great imitator and it seems natural 

 for him to adopt such practices as he sees his neighbor pursuing. A 

 striking example of this in dairy affairs is found in the little country 

 of Holland, which is only about one-fourth the size of the State of 

 Illinois. In the province of North Holland, the house and stable on 

 each farm are built under one roof, while in the province of Fries- 

 land, only a few miles distant, the house and stable are always sepa- 

 rate buildings connected by a covered passage. No reason can be 

 given for this difference in construction as both provinces are inten- 

 sive dairy districts, and the climatic conditions, the kind of cows, and 

 the purpose for which they are kept, are practically the same in both 

 provinces. 



In our own country people travel about so freely that we have 

 no such striking example as this in so short a distance, but the same 

 thing exists nevertheless. In the dairy region in the northern section 

 of Illinois the majority of dairy barns are equipped with low man- 

 gers and rigid stanchions, while in the dairy region of the southern 

 part of the state practically all dairy barns have high mangers and 

 the cows are tied with chains or ropes. There can be no possible rea- 

 son for fastening cows differently and having the mangers of such 

 different shapes in two sections of the same state. These examples 

 simply show how prone we are to follow the customs of the commu- 

 nity in which we live, adopting their methods and following them for 

 years, apparently without a thought as to whether or not there is a 

 better way. 



This does not seem to be a wise policy when dealing with such 

 a delicate animal as a fine dairy cow. Her food and care should be 

 given most thoughtful attention and she should by all means be 

 kept as long as she is profitable because of the great difficulty with 

 which a good producer is obtained. 



Three essentials to successful milk production are : 1. An excel- 

 lent individual obtained by good breeding. 2. Feed of the proper 

 kind and quality, supplied in a well balanced ration. 3. Care of the 

 animal. 



This discussion is devoted exclusively to the third essential. If 

 the first two requisites are present in the highest degree and the last 

 is not supplied, the efficiency that should be gained from a good indi- 

 vidual, well fed, is largely lost. For this reason the care of the ani- 

 mal is of great importance. A cow that is a good producer does a 

 large amount of work and since the milk is secreted from the blood 

 and is such a delicate product, the cow must be properly cared for 

 that the milk shall be in the best possible condition. To obtain such 



