WARM FOOD IN WINTER. 125 



must be sure that your cow is kept in proper condition, and 

 fed with food which does not chill her. Let her water and 

 her food be warmed, and under those conditions, you may be 

 sure that a cow which is a good dairy cow in the month 

 of June will be a pretty good dairy cow in the month of 

 January. 



Speaking of this matter of warming food, I desire to state 

 a little fact that came under my own observation last winter, 

 which confirms the statement I have made. I am runninsf a 

 milk farm. I introduce no water into my milk except what 

 my cows drink. I have made that a rule. A year ago last 

 autumn, I introduced into my yard and barns the water from 

 the water-works of the city of Salem. I had had water in 

 my yard from a brook, I had had wells, etc., but I intro- 

 duced this water thoroughly through all my farm-buildings, 

 barns, stables, and farm-house. In the course of the winter, 

 when the weather was very severe, I had a boiler so set that 

 it was easy to draw water from it into the driukino;-trouo:hs 

 where the cows drink daily ; and when the weather was 

 intensely cold, I requested my foreman to supply these 

 troughs with an abundance of warm water. He soon found 

 that the milk of these cows was increased more than ten per 

 cent. ; that in cold weather, on account of the care which he 

 was led to take in watering those animals with warm water, 

 care which he did not take in milder days, he increased to 

 this extent the flow of milk from them. It was water as 

 warm as the water in a pasture in the summer season, and the 

 animals appreciated it accordingly. That fact strengthened 

 my faith in the law that I have been laying down in regard 

 to the animal economy. 



Now, having said as much as I have in regard to the animal 

 economy and the proper conditions for a dairy cow, I think 

 every farmer will agree with me that you must not expect a 

 chilled and half-frozen cow to supply you with cream, or 

 even a liberal quantity of milk, in the winter season. You 

 cannot, moreover, make butter in midsummer, when the 

 heat becomes excessive, — in August or late July weather. 

 An enervated cow, dragging herself up from pasture in clog 

 days, is not in a condition to give good cream, and you need 

 not expect to have it. And so everybody will tell you, "We 



