FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 175 



SO that the manure will fall in the gutter and not no the 

 platform where they have to lie down. 



Stanchions — Comfort for the cow is important. The 

 old-fashioned rigid wooden stanchion in which the cow was 

 pilloried a portion of each day for a considerable part of 

 the year has been replaced by the swinging stanchion, 

 which gives the cow more freedom and allows her to rest 

 in a natural position. Such stanchions may be obtained in 

 either steel or wood. The former is considered more sani- 

 tary, but has the disadvantage of being cold for the cow*s 

 neck unless the surrounding air is amply warm. A wooden 

 lining to the steel stanchion may be used to overcome this 

 objection. 



Water Supply — An ample supply of good water is a 

 necessity on the dairy farm, and is highly essential in the 

 dairy barn. There are several methods of watering the 

 cows. Some dairymen prefer to water their cows at a wa- 

 tering trough outside, even in winter, employing heaters to 

 bring the water to the proper temperature before permit- 

 ting the cows to drink. Others advocate individual drink- 

 ing cups attached to the stalls in order that the cows may 

 drink whenever they like. Each system has certain merits, 

 but the really important point is to see that plenty of water 

 is provided both for watering the stock and for flushing the 

 floors. — Farmers' Bulletin No. 1342, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. 



Frequent Watering Adds 20% Milk (S. Dak). 



Cows watered three times a day drank almost 40 per 

 cent more water than those watered less frequently and in 

 restricted amounts and produced about 20 per cent more 

 milk as a result. — Bulletin No. 175, Extension Service, 

 South Dakota State College of Agriculture. 



The Stable and Clean Milk Production. 



Have the cow stable clean, well lighted, and well ven- 

 tilated. A swing stanchion is usually preferred, as it al- 

 lows the cow plenty of freedom. A low smooth manger 

 without sharp angles is easy to keep clean. 



