NEAT CATTLE. 177 



hoof bears upon it. Oxen are frequently lame by reason 

 of short shoes. 



" The best feed for oxen at hard work is to give to 

 each ox two quarts of meal wet, mixed with good 

 chopped hay, three times a day, and as much hay as he 

 will eat. This is the highest feed working oxen ought 

 to have, and on this, they will work ten hours a day. 

 [Eight hours is enough, long followed.] A portion of 

 rye with Indian meal is better than all Indian. Farmers 

 who do not work their oxen hard, need not give them so 

 much meal." 



FEEDING AND MANAGING MILCH COWS. 



The grasses, particularly the clovers, are the best sum 

 mer feed. When these begin to fail, the deficiency may 

 be supplied by green corn, which is very sweet, and pro- 

 duces a large quantity of milk, of excellent quality. 

 The tops of beets, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage and 

 turnip leaves, are good. Pumpkins, apples, and roots, 

 may be fed as the feed fails. Give only a few at first, 

 especially apples, and gradually increase. 



Roots are of great importance when cows are kept 

 on dry fodder. Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, pars- 

 nips, artichokes, and vegetable oysters, are good. The 

 ast three and cabbage turnip keep good, in the ground, 

 through the winter, and are fresh and fine in the spring, 

 before the grass starts. 



Potatoes produce a great flow of milk, but it is not 

 very rich. A little Indian meal is good with them, to 

 keep up the flesh and give richness to the milk ; and 

 this is the case with beets and most kinds of turnips, as 

 they tend largely to milk. A little oil meal or flaxseed 

 is excellent, in addition to the Indian meal, to keep up a 

 fine, healthy condition, and impart a rich quality to the 

 milk, and gives a lively gloss to the hair of cattle, and 

 softness and pliancy to the skin. 



In all cases of high feeding in winter, particularly 

 when cows have but few roots, shorts or bran are excel- 

 lent to promote digestion and keep the bowels open. 

 Ibree pints each of oil meal and Indian meal, or two 



