Stable Management. 135 



in mind that, while a cow is a machine, she is not 

 a finished machine. She is constantly rebuilding 

 and repairing her body, not only in one part or par- 

 ticular, but the whole system is being constantly over- 

 hauled and renewed. 



That a herd of cattle may be collected and put in 

 the barn, and fed there for six months or a year, 

 without stepping a foot outside, summer or winter, 

 can be done, and that the owner will not be liable 

 to see any bad effects to the cattle themselves, is a 

 fact possibly true; but it is only a question of a 

 few years when that man will discover his mistake. 

 The reader's attention is called to the Havemeyer 

 herd, one of the prominent dairy herds in this coun- 

 try. This herd was fed continuously in the barn 

 until the mistake was discovered, necessitating a 

 decided outcross with animals of stamina and more 

 robust constitution. If, therefore, you have any re- 

 spect for the future generations and would breed to 

 improvement, give your dairy cows and growing 

 dairy calves all the outdoor exercise they require in 

 suitable weather. If the weather is bad for a week, 

 keep them in for a week. Don't be a crank and 

 drive them out in weather foul and fair. A cow is 

 a machine, but the strength of the machinery is de- 

 pendent upon health, and the ability to eat depends 

 upon an appetite. Whatever you can do to keep up 

 her energies and stimulate her appetite will be 

 found the surest, safest, and, in the long run, the 

 wisest and most economical course to pursue. 



