MAXAGEME^^T OF COWS IN THE STABLE. 183 



to the feed rooms or the feed on the floor, should they 

 get unfastened. The ground feed is kept on the floor 

 oyer the stable, and in every possible way precautions 

 are taken for entire safety. No matches are kept about 

 the buildings ; no smoking has been permitted, and no 

 light is used excepting the safety kerosene oil lanterns, i 

 in which the safest and best oil is burned. The lanterns 

 are hun^g, when in use, upon bracket hooks over the pas- 

 sage-way, above the reach of a man's head. The outer 

 door of the stable is then locked and the day's business is 

 ended. Similar practice prevails with the calves, bull, 

 and horses, and all the farm management is brought to 

 a systematic routine, through which one never needs to 

 stop and ask what is next to be done. 



The chief business of this dairy has been winter butter 

 making, and the cows have been brought in from Sep- 

 tember until December. The course of breeding has 

 been such as to bring each cow into liiilking at about the 

 same time in each year, and the heifers about September 

 or October, so as to give them as long a milking season 

 as possible with the first calf. Some particular care is 

 taken with the incoming cows. If not naturally dried 

 off two months before the calf is due, milking is grad- 

 ually suspended so as to have six weeks at least of rest. 

 AVhen the cow shows indications of early calving, she is 

 moved to the stall in the further end of the open shed 

 and nearest to the house, where she is under careful 

 supervision until the calf is born. As soon as the 

 milking is suspended, all grain feeding is stopped, and 

 only dry long hay is fed. The cow is left loose in the 

 stall, which is well littered and is kept clean. AYhen the 

 calf is dropped, the cow is tied up and is fed a meal of 

 warm bran mash. The calf is removed at once to the 

 pen at the further end of the yard. In six hours the cow 

 is milked, and the milk is given to the calf, which is 

 taught to drink. The cow is never troubled about the 



