10 THE dairyman's MAITITAL. 



the different methods of culture for gram, grass, root 

 and fodder crops. All this is indispensable for the suc- 

 cessful prosecution of dairy farming. 



2d. He must be a good judge of cattle, because the 

 cows are the tools of his trade, and without the best tools 

 no good work can be done. Moreover, there is such a 

 large variety of breeds, and such a great variation in the 

 quality of cows in use for dairy purposes, that without 

 good judgment, and some accurate knowledge as a basis 

 for the exercise of judgment in this respect, a dairyman 

 would be at a loss how to make a proper selection, and 

 would be very apt to make a serious and perhaps ruinous 

 blunder at the outset. There are exceedingly great 

 differences in cows, and yet, as a rule, good cows are 

 easily distinguished from poor and unprofitable ones, and 

 the distinguishing marks and characteristics should be 

 well known to the dairyman who expects to make his 

 profit from them. So, too, he should be able to choose 

 ^e most promising calves from which to replenish his 

 stock, and also to choose a good sire for his calves^ that 

 he may steadily improve his herd in character and value. 

 It is also indispensable for full success in the dairy that 

 the dairyman should be able to judge of the character of 

 the cows he is feeding, that he may discard those which 

 are not profitable and keep only those which pay the 

 best for keeping ; and while there are certain accurate 

 tests by which this can be ascertained, yet it is a valuable 

 acquisition for a dairyman that he can tell at a glance 

 which cows of his herd are the best and which he had 

 better get rid of as soon as practicable. 



3d. Carefulness in every detail, cautious supervision 

 over his stock, and in every little matter which calls for 

 change or modification of method, are necessary qualifica- 

 tions in the dairy. A thousand small things are coming 

 up at times which need foresight to guard against, and 

 caution to avoid or evade. There are so many contin- 



