104 How THE FARM PAYS. 



smaller herds the cost in proportion is even less, as one horse and a 

 boy will do all the work. 



(Mr. C.) This view is undoubtedly correct and the description of 

 the work is a fair one. In farming, all the work that can be done 

 usefully adds to the profit, and no farmer should be afraid of soiling 

 because it involves some little additional work, when this work 

 pays so well for itself. 



Q. How long do you continue to turn the cattle out at night ? 



A. On account of the danger of sudden cold storms coming up at 

 night and of white frost on the grass, we do not usually leave them 

 out later than the middle of September, to remain all night. We 

 then change to feed morning and evening, and turn them out at mid- 

 day, keeping them in the stables at night, as at that season of the 

 year we always expect these sudden changes, in this northern latitude. 



Q. Do you give them exercise in the severe weather ? 



A. I have had my animals in the stables three months at a time 

 without ever letting them out of the stalls, for the reason that cows 

 with calf are apt to be abused by the other cows, and if they are 

 fresh in milk, the less exercise they have, the more milk they will pro- 

 duce, as they are more contented when in their stalls and at rest. It 

 is a common practice with many farmers to let their cattle run about 

 the stack yards all winter through. In the spring they are in a sad 

 condition from poverty, and little can be expected from them the fol- 

 lowing summer. Many persons get the very mistaken idea that cows 

 should have a chance to get out to lick themselves. This I think is a 

 great injury to the animals and is one of the most fruitful sources of 

 bad health, because they lick the hair off themselves, and of course 

 swallow some of it. When it gets into the stomach it remains there, 

 and impedes the free action of the bowels, sometimes gathering into 

 hard balls and producing death. Instead of permitting the cow to 

 lick herself or to be licked by her companions, I use a curry-comb 

 and stiff brush, which are applied twice each day so vigorously as to 

 remove all loose hair, and keep the pores of the skin open. If this is 

 done a cow will never attempt to lick herself. This enables the con- 

 stant perspiration from the skin to pass off in a proper manner, which 

 greatly helps the health of the cow and indeed has a considerable 

 effect upon the purity of the milk. 



Q. Do not cows require a certain quantity of salt with their food? 



A. I give a small handful of salt and fine bone meal mixed half and 

 half, every morning, after their cribs are cleaned out. For the first 

 few times a new comer does not like the bone meal; but as soon as 

 she gets a taste of it she looks for it as regularly every morning as 

 her feed. In the spring of the year the old practice was to bleed; 



