112 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



** special purpose cow," of many thorough bred herds, no matter 

 for what product you use the milk. 



Thus the young man can buy a few cows from those around 

 him, secure a good sire, and in a few years build up a valuable 

 herd. 



Having secured a herd by careful selection and systematic 

 breeding, we will proceed to the ways and means of maintaining 

 it. 



We must raise our best heifer calves. The first six months' or 

 year's care of the calf determines largely the future usefulness 

 of the cow. Here we can develop the tendency to take on fat 

 and ruin the milking qualities. 



It is a very easy and cheap matter to raise calves if you know 

 how. Here is my way: Remove the calf from the mother when 

 it is from one to three days old, according to the disposition of 

 the cow. If it is the first calf, I prefer to remove the first day^ 

 to prevent, if possible, the inclination of the mother to hold up 

 her milk, which is liable to induce a bad habit. 



When the calf is removed, feed it for three or four days with 

 the mother's milk, twice a day; then drop out a pint of milk, add 

 a pint of warm water and a teaspoonful of oil cake meal. In a 

 couple of days drop out another pint of milk, and add another 

 pint of warm water and a handful of low grade flour, (costing 

 $1.00 per 140 pounds) and so on, reducing the milk every two 

 days, until at ten or twelve days you have taken away all the 

 new milk and substituted oil-cake meal, one tablespoonful, warm 

 Water, four quarts, and flour, two handfuls. Put whole oats, 

 corn and hay where it can get them when first removed from the 

 cow. Do not take away all the new milk until it is eating freely 

 of the grain. Put boihng water on the oil-meal and flour; tem- 

 per with cold water or skim milk. 



Try to have the heifer fresh as near two years old as possible 

 and do not allow her at any time to take on fat. A hearty, grow- 

 ing condition is what we want, and any time you see her plump- 

 ing up and rounding out, shut off feed somewhere. Angles are 

 what we want, and while it will not make a picture the most 

 beautiful to look at, the credit side of her milk account will grow 



