100 HAMPDEN SOCIETY. 



to a small mess, even to her calving. It is hard to dry her. She 

 is 12 years old, and has had ten calves. "LadyRowe" I 

 bought at a week old, April, 1841. She is from one of the best 

 of cows. She brought a very fine heifer calf last April, and, 

 with no other feed than the pasture, she gave, from the 10th to 

 20th June, over 45 lbs. per day ; her milk in September would 

 average ten pounds less. It is about the same now. She has 

 the property of great uniformity, and holds out well. For stock, 

 I esteem her unsurpassed by any native cow of my acquaint- 

 ance. Such is her natural docility, and the ease in training, 

 that I could not wish one more pleasant to handle or to milk. 

 Last year, I kept her up during the summer, and she did quite 

 as well, and ate any thing I gave her. I could greatly increase 

 her milk by meal and thrice milking, but I prefer to keep that 

 for winter, when I shall make butter. 



I have learned one thing of no small importance to me, that 

 though we cannot be certain, from our best milkers, of obtaining 

 a cow equally good from their heifer calves, yet, as they trans- 

 mit their milking properties to their bull calves, by observing 

 this law of nature, we may avail ourselves of a measure to 

 preserve what is so desirable, with an almost infallible certainty. 

 On this account I have raised, and offer, Prince Orange, from 

 which to raise cows for the dairy. 



Another thing I have noticed, that the very largest bull calves 

 are sometimes selected to be kept, and often have I witnessed 

 the difficulty, if not impossibility, of calving, — with great injury 

 to, or even the loss of, cow and calf. As to keeping calves, es- 

 pecially from our best cows, the gain in their quietness and flesh, 

 and sound teats, in taking them off, pays well for the labor of 

 milking ; and the advantage to the calf of early restraint, in 

 handling, and especially learning him to feed summer soiling, is 

 of high consideration ever after. 



Ireland, October ^th. 1846. 



