44 



NEW ENGLAND FAE^IER. 



Jan. 



■weatlier the stable may be entirely enclosed, 

 or left open -when the weather is milder. 



For closing crevices in underpinning, &c., 

 the Prairie Farmer recommends a mortar of 

 lime and sand or ashes, using hogs bristles in- 

 stead of plastering hair, to give it greater 

 tenacity, and fill this into the cracks with a 

 trowel. But in this as in other things, where 

 there is a will there is a v/ay, and those who 

 believe that fodder can be saved and health 

 pi'omoted by sh(^ter and warmth, will find 

 little trouble in securing them, by stopping 

 the cracks and shutting out the cold so that 

 manure will not freeze where the cattle lie. 



THE CALVES. 



There is no part of the farm stock more lia- 

 ble to be neglected in fall than the calves 

 which have been raised during the summer. 

 They are often left; out late in the season, 

 without shelter, to pick, at the frozen grass, 

 and by the time cold weather sets in, are re- 

 duced in llesh and cannot be wintered without 

 extra nursing, and even then one or more are 

 often lost before the time for turning to 

 grass. 



Calves should enter upon cold weather in 

 good condition and with vigorous health. 

 Shelter and an abundance of nutritious food 

 should be provided so scon as grass becomes 

 frost-bitten and poor, and cold storms of sleet 

 and rain begin to be frequent. They demand 

 the finest and best hay grown on the farm, 

 and should have in addition a little oil meal, 

 bran or oats. Roots will be found an excel- 

 lent feed for calves during the winter, in addi- 

 tion to the oil meal above mentioned. Some 

 prefer oats, say a pint or a little more per day 

 to each animal. We have seen calves win- 

 tered through in fine condition upon hay and 

 oats as above, but we prefer a mixture of oil 

 meal and bran, and if it can be had, a daily 

 feed of turnips or carrots. 



Calves that are well cared for, that have 

 warm shelter and that get a sufficiency of nu- 

 tritious food, not over fed, continue their 

 growth during the winter, and will usually 

 come in milk v;hen two years old, which is a 

 matter of some importance to the dairyman. 

 In our experience in raising stock we find by 

 far the most important period to give close at- 

 tention to the animal is during its first year. 

 Neglect during that time is almost always at- 

 tended with loss. A poor, runty calf, poorly 

 wmtered cannot be expected to be in milk the 

 next year, and at three years old is no better 

 for the pail than the two years old that has 

 had generous treatment and care from its birth 

 — yet the former has cost considerable more 

 than tl)e latter. Many farmers make no esti- 

 mate of the cost of raising stock, and hence 

 do not properly appreciate the difference be- 



tween heifers coming in milk when two and 

 three years old. 



Some object to putting calves in stanchions, 

 preferring to let them run loose in the stable. 

 We have never seen any ill effect from stan- 

 chioning calyes, but, on the contrary, believe 

 there are many advantages from this mode of 

 management, Less room is occupied when 

 they ai-e thus confined, and they with their sta- 

 ble are kept cleaner than when, allowed to nm 

 loose. They are more easily fed, especialJy 

 when any extra food is given, and each one 

 gets its share and is not driven about by mas- 

 ter or stronger animals. By giving them a 

 run in the jard every day they get suflieient 

 exercise, while the early breaking to the 

 stanchion and the handling daily renders them 

 more docile and more easily managed as tbey 

 grow older and come in milk — Utica Herald. 



THE EMPIEB MILK-COOLER. 



The Utica Herald gives the following de- 

 scription of a little article which was exhibited 

 at the Herkiniier county, N. Y., Fair this fall, 

 for the purpose of cooling milk. 



The milk as it is poured into it, passes in a 

 thin circular sheet, about the thickness of 

 wrapping paper, for a distance of about three 

 feet, between two thin metallic surfaces, over 

 which cold water is constantly passing. By 

 this means the animal heat is entirely removed, 

 and the milk reduced, gradually but immedi- 

 ately, to any degree of temperature desired. 

 A thermometer being attached to the machine, 

 having its bulb immersed in the cooled milk, 

 enables the operator to watch and control the 

 process. The milk after being cooled is col- 

 lected together and passed out through a tube, 

 to which a faucet is attached, into a pail or 

 can. It is claimed for this little alFair, which 

 a child can carry in hig Land, that it will cool 

 milk as fast as four or five men can milk. 

 Gardner B. 'Weeks, the Secretary of the 

 American Dairymen's Association, has exam- 

 ined it, and recommends it for general use 

 "in private dairies, as well adapted to put the 

 milk in admirable condition for sending to the 

 cheese factory or market." The machine can 

 be readily taken apart and cleaned, with the 

 greatest facilit3'. 



AYRSIIIRE8 IN Vekjiont. — Several farmers 

 at Milton, Vt., one of whom is ]\Ir. J. B. 

 Robinson, have united in the purchase of eight 

 or ten head of Ayrshire cattle, for the improve- 

 ment of their stock, and that of the neighbor- 

 hood. One of them is the bull Commodore, pur- 

 chased from C. Baxter, Burlington, Vt., a de- 

 scendant from Sir Wm. Logan's importations. 

 Eight cows and calves were bought of J. P. 

 & T. A. Dawes, Laehine, near Montreal, 

 from stock imported by the Montreal and 

 other agricultuial societies and by the late IMr. 

 Dods. — Co. Gent. 



