ON MILCH COWS AND HEIFERS. 31 



Way. He goes to the market or the drover and purchases an 

 animal which those who have had an opportunity to tiy, are 

 wilHng to dispose of. The raiser of stock knows his best ani- 

 mals, and will prefer to reserve them at home. We think the 

 farmers of our county sliould make the experiment of rearing 

 their own cows ; the cost may be a little enhanced, but the 

 chances of having better stock are greatly increased. Let them 

 raise the young of their cows which they Tinow to be good milk- 

 ers and to have other good properties, and in a kw years, in- 

 stead of four or five quarts as now, the average yield would be 

 eight or ten. We have heard of great success in improving 

 Stock in England, we have witnessed something of it here, and 

 are satisfied that with proper attention, our cows will become 

 much more valuable. In raising stock at home, there are these 

 additional advantages, that the animal is already acclimated 

 there is no danger of her straying, and she is accustomed to the 

 food and treatment. A change of situation and fodder is some- 

 times fatal, and frequently causes, at least, a temporary derange- 

 ment of the system. This may be one reason why imported 

 stock, excellent as some varieties of it unquestionably are, have 

 not answered the expectations of those who have made an un- 

 successful, because perhaps, a not sufBciently protracted and 

 careful trial. 



A principal cause of the general character of our cows beino- 

 so low, is the quality of their winter keeping. Their natural 

 food, in their wild state is green and succulent. Their winter 

 keeping with us is, almost exclusively, dry hay. The quantity 

 of moisture lost in curing different kinds of grasses has been as- 

 certained by accurate experiments, and it is found that 



100 lbs. Green red clover make 27 lbs. of hay, 



dry stalks, 



600 188 



