No. 4.] DAIRY CATTLE. 53 



THE HANDLING AND FEEDING OF DAIRY CATTLE. 



BY EX -GOV. W. D. HOARD OF FORT ATKINSON, WIS. 



In all the events of life there seems to exist a certain law 

 of sequence. There is a first step and it must be taken first 

 or we are at cross purposes with our central purpose all 

 through. 



By this same law of true sequence spoken of I place hand- 

 ling a cow before feeding her, for the ruling reason that en- 

 vironment and its influences come first. Environment will 

 always and easily alter the effect of feed, while it is diflicult 

 for feed to change the effect of environment. For the sake 

 of a more simple term I shall use "handling" in place of 

 environment. I will define handling under the following 

 heads : — 



(1) Pasture range and its character. 



(2) Winter shelter, barns, stables, etc. 



(3) Methods of fastening. 



(4) Sanitary conditions, ventilation, watering, exercise, 

 etc. 



(5) Humane treatment. 



I cannot treat of either of these subdivisions minutely be- 

 cause of lack of time. All I can do is to speak of the ruling 

 principles which govern for good or ill in each. 



I will premise by saying that a great many farmers seem 

 to forget, in handling their cows, that they are dealing with 

 the problems of life and maternity. 



I desire a moment's prayerful reflection on that question, 

 and I do not utter the word "prayerful" irreverently, for 

 if there is a subject that calls for profound reverence, it is 



