CHAPTER XIII 



DAIRYING, THE FAMILY HORSE, AND BEES 



THE country home is incomplete without one or 

 more cows. An abundance of milk and cream 

 produced by one good cow will supply a large 

 amount of the nourishment needed for the family, 

 especially where there are children (as there should be 

 in every country home), and the cost of keeping need 

 be very slight if one has a little land for a garden and 

 pasture, or upon which to grow fodder crops. The 

 value of the product of a good cow will vary from $50 

 to $100 per year, and the cost of keeping, not counting 

 the value of time in caring for her, need not be more 

 than from $30 to $50 or $20 to $30 besides the grain 

 purchased. (Fig. 88.) 



When fed upon rich, well cured fodder, like clover, 

 alfalfa, corn fodder, or well matured ensilage, and good 

 pasturage in summer, cows will need but little grain, 

 though a limited amount may be profitably fed. 



For the best success the cow stable should be dry and 

 airy, with an abundance of sunlight. For a single cow 

 a box stall will be more comfortable, but it will require 

 more labor to keep it clean than if the animal was tied 

 to a stanchion. Some sort of a rack should be arranged 

 to keep the hay from being trampled under foot, but the 

 bottom of the crib should be on a level with the plat- 

 form upon which the cow stands so as to be easily 

 cleaned out. Cows may be kept in pasture from about 

 May 10 to October 15, and south much longer. Where 

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