84 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



does not pay in the long run to feed costly registered cattle 

 as heavily as I like to feed my producing herds, — not that 

 they do not stand heavy feeding for a time, but the time is 

 too short before injury is manifest. For our home milk 

 supply we have always selected a registered Jersey cow, fed 

 her moderately, known that she was free from tubercular or 

 other trouble, and fed the children on such milk. I glanced 

 back through some records a few days ago, and find that the 

 average tests of these cows kept for the family cow for fifteen 

 years have been 5.2 per cent of butter fat. Too rich for 

 health, says my Holstein breeder friend. Well, such milk 

 has grown three healthy children, all we ever had, and we 

 have paid out less than $10 in doctor's bills for them and 

 their mother in the fifteen years. What is one child's meat 

 is another's poison, and I do not advocate feeding all chil- 

 dren milk containing 5.2 per cent of fat. The question of 

 individuality enters into all these matters of digestion and 

 assimilation, and you and I as producers must meet the pub- 

 lic demand. 



In considering this question of cleanliness, we shall also 

 take up the matter of flavor and odor, as they are so closely 

 associated that it is impossible to consider them separately 

 without nmch repetition. It is probably true that in many 

 stables the conditions are such that it is difficult to secure 

 anvthing approximating absolute cleanliness of the stable, 

 but most of us can do better than we are doing. The only 

 practical stable for the production of pure milk is one in 

 which the ceiling is tight and smooth ; the side walls are 

 tight and smooth ; and the floor of cement, with gutters and 

 drops all tight and smooth as is consistent. 



The silos should be far enough from the stable so that 

 when the silage is thrown down it can be kept outside the 

 stable and brought in for feeding. No more should be 

 thrown down at any time than can be used for that one feed- 

 ing. The hay should be brought into the stable in such a 

 way that as little dust as possible is raised ; and, to get the 

 best-flavored milk, the cow should be fed after milking. It 

 has been stated by some that it was impossible to make a 

 clean-flavored milk when feeding silage. The results seem 



