CHAPTER VII 

 FARM ANIMALS 



THAT animals are an absolute necessity to general 

 farming if the fertility of the land is to be maintained 

 at reasonable cost has been frequently referred to in 

 the preceding pages. Animals return to the land in 

 the form of manure fully half as much as they take out 

 of it as food, besides furnishing products that yield 

 large profits. 



The selection, breeding, and care of these animals, or 

 animal husbandry, is, therefore, an important subject 

 for the farmer to study, even if he is only a general 

 farmer and not engaged in raising animals or their 

 products for commercial purposes. 



CATTLE 



" The farmer seeks or should seek an animal which, 

 in view of climate, soil, and his practice of husbandry, 

 shall return him the largest profit, whether in the dairy, 

 under the yoke, or in the shambles." 



There are two distinct types of cattle : the dairy and 

 the beef, but not all cows are distinctly one type or the 

 other. Some are what are known as general purpose, 

 or dual purpose, cows ; that is, animals which are mem- 

 bers of a specially developed milk-producing family 

 from one of the beef breeds. Such cows are usually 

 of large frame, are easily kept in good flesh, fatten soon 



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