148 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
gluten meal, two parts; linseed meal, one part. 
The cash outlay for a ton of this mixture is 
about $12; this price, of course, does not include 
corn and oats, furnished by the farm. A Holstein 
cow can digest fifteen pounds of this grain a day. 
This means about two and a half tons a year, 
with a cash outlay of $30 per annum for each 
head. Fresh water is always given four times 
a day, and much of the time the cows have ready 
access to it. In cold weather the water is 
warmed to about 65° F. The cows are let out 
in a twenty-acre field for exercise every day, 
except in case of severe storms. They are fed 
forage in the open when the weather is fine and 
insects are not troublesome, and they sometimes 
sleep in the open on hot nights; but by far the 
largest part of their time is spent in their own 
stalls away from chilling winds and biting flies. 
In their stables they are treated much as fine 
horses are, — well bedded, well groomed, and well 
cared for in all ways. 
A quiet, darkened stable conduces rumination. 
Loud talking, shouting, or laughing are not 
looked upon with favor in our cow barn. On 
the other hand, continuous sounds, if at all melo- 
dious, seem to soothe the animals and increase 
the milk flow. Judson, who has proved to be 
our best herdsman, has a low croon in his 
mouth all the time. It can hardly be called 
a tune, though I believe he has faith in it, but 
it has a fetching way with the herd. I have 
