DAIRY HERD 127 



6 weeks to 2 months a year. Of course there are instances of cows keeping 

 a good flow for 2 or even 3 years without calving but this is hardly a profit- 

 able plan. 



THE CALVING SEASON Distribute the calving season, letting most of 



the cows calve in the fall; then you'll have 

 plenty of winter milk at the season when milk brings most money. 



THE DAIRY BULL Absolutely he is the best animal you can find for 

 the biggest sum you can appropriate to that pur- 

 pose. When you want to economize go without neckties, or even socks, 

 but don't economize in the matter of your dairy bull. 



A good one, pure bred, with a record in the family, especially on the 

 maternal side, for milk-pail performance, will grade up your herd in short 

 order, even if ordinary to start with. But there is an even better test 

 the record of his daughters. If he gets good daughters keep him, as long 

 as he is serviceable. Do not sell a good bull simply to get new blood. Keep 

 him right up to condition, with not too much fattening feed, but a good 

 ration of ground roots, wheat bran, gluten meal, oil meal, silage and clover 

 hay. Give him 5 to 6 Ibs. grain per 1,000 Ibs. live weight, for daily ration. 

 Keep him well exercised. Keep him .fit and fancy. ,Turn over to page 47 

 under Feeds and Feeding and also- read what is said about Conkey's 

 Stock Tonic if you- want to help your fulL blood animal to perfect per- 

 formance in breeding. This is a most vital subject, the basis of pure 

 blood in your whole herd. You can't afford to lose time by failure in 

 even one generation. You want to get each .time a gojod share of what 

 you breed for. Don't trust simply to nature's go-easy method, hit or miss, 

 a sort of survival of the fittest. At sq, much per head you can't afford 

 any unfit. There are tried and trusty rules for making a good dairy calf. 

 Results are just as practically certain as your wife's best recipe for ginger 

 cookies. 



THE DAIRY RATION In general a good cow eats more than a poor 



cow. The capacity for feeding is a pretty good 



gauge of production. Look for large capacity, and then feed full up to 

 capacity. Most farmers don't feed enough. When you feed a cow the 

 first 50 to 60% of capacity goes for maintenance. When you cut off from 

 full capacity you simply cut off your own profit; for the cow takes care of 

 her own body first. It's the over-and-abovc maintenance ration that goes 

 to milk production. You will find page 35 in its own section the general dis- 

 cussion of feeding, but it is well to state again that on the factory basis you 

 must supply your cows with feed in proportion to production. Give them 

 all the roughage they will eat up clean. When it comes to concentrates, that 

 is grain, a good rule is to feed each cow every day as many pounds as she 

 shows pounds of butter-fat in her weekly performance. 



F. W. WOLL'S Here are some specimen rations selected from F. W. 

 RATIONS Woll, arranged for different parts of the country. With 



good individuals they'll give good milk production. You 

 can select according to local conditions, and vary to suit the individual 

 cow. 



1. All she'll eat of cornstalk, with 20 Ibs. hay, 3 Ibs. wheat bran, 2 Ibs. 

 oil meal. 



2. All she'll eat of stover; with 20 Ibs. roots, 3 Ibs. oats, 3 Ibs. bran 

 and 3 Ibs. gluten feed. 



