116 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doe. 



It is a wonderful disinfectant. I expect to preach from now 

 until I die that sunlight and land plaster must be found 

 in our stables. I wish you could see, as I have seen, the 

 average tone of cows come up, where farmers have let in 

 more sunlight, and used land plaster in the stable to absorb 

 the ammoniacal gases and exhalations that arise. 



Mr. Tucker. I would like to ask how you would water 

 your cows, — whether you would turn them out of doors, 

 or keep them in the stable, in fairly cold weather ; whether 

 you think it would be better to have a trough of running 

 water, or have it in the stable. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. The object is to keep the cow just 

 as much in a favorable condition for profitable production 

 as you can. "Go to the ant " and learn of her wisdom. 

 The ants are the finest dairymen in the world. They keep 

 a lot of cow insects, and the delicacy and care with which 

 they handle these little insects is wonderful. They not only 

 handle them very carefully, but they are careful not to pro- 

 mote too much exercise. When a cow is milked, it is a 

 strain on her nervous machinery, and she does not need 

 exercise in the same way that an animal not in the function 

 of maternity needs it. Consequently I would secure for 

 her pure water not contaminated by any contact with other 

 animals, and I would give it to her in her stable whenever 

 she wants it. I would so arrange my stables that they would 

 be on the south side of the barn, and I would turn the cow 

 in the exercise of maternity out in the sunlight, but the very 

 moment it became uncomfortable for that cow I would put 

 her in the stable. I would watch her and promote her com- 

 fort, because she is making my money for me. I cannot 

 affqrd to be negligent of her. 



Mr. IIickox. Does not the individuality of the cow 

 have quite a little to do with the color of the butter? 



Ex-Governor Hoard. Yes ; the Guernsey cow makes 

 the highest-colored butter. 



Mr. Hickox. I did not want you to leave a misleading 

 idea" in regard to putting the cow in the dark. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. But a Guernsey cow makes butter 

 which is more yellow in June than that made in January ; 



