80 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Mr. James Bullard (of Lee). I supposed we farmers 

 came here to learn from these teachers that are paid by the 

 State of Massachusetts, and I have been eagerly listening 

 and learning. I have had some experience in dairying. 

 I have but a small place, forty acres of land, and I have 

 practised keeping some sixteen or eighteen cows, and have 

 fed them in the summer. No one has yet told me that I 

 could afford to feed my cows in the summer to compete with 

 those that have pastures, but that is the only way that I can 

 do. I wanted to use whatever tillable land I had, and I 

 have found that I could feed these cows more cheaply in the 

 barn. I have not yet found but a very few of us here who 

 practise that method, and I only judge by my own ideas of 

 the matter in raising feed in the room of solving grain to 

 mature. I have sowed about three bushels of oats and a 

 bushel and a half or two bushels of barley, and as much 

 more of peas, on an acre, and I have found there is more 

 feed on that acre than there is on two or three acres of hay 

 grass. The comfort of the cow which has been alluded to I 

 believe in. I think I read in some paper, and I guess it was 

 "Hoard's Dairyman," that at some dairy association one 

 gentleman was asked about the treatment of his cows. 

 " Well," he said, for short, " I think we should speak to 

 them as we are under obligation to speak to a lady." That 

 is, they should have our confidence. I had one rather young 

 creature which was frightened by a dog ^v^hile I was bring- 

 ing her home, and she was wild for a while. I took it upon 

 myself to pet her, and I can go in by the side of her now 

 without her having any appearance of fear. But still when 

 a stranger comes round she eyes him pretty closely, showing 

 that there is a good deal in this idea of friendship. For 

 three or four years past I have not allowed my cows to be 

 driven to or from the pasture. The pasture gate is a short 

 distance from the l)arn at the head of the lane. The cows 

 go to the pasture by themselves. When milking time comes 

 we put some grain in the manger of the stable where we 

 wish the cows to stand and then go and open the gate, re- 

 turning in front of the cows. They are always ready and 

 come promptly to their places without excitement or fear, 

 and I believe that I get a better quality of milk and more 

 of it by this method of dealing with the cows. 



