THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 73 



next proposition, keep them comfortable. In the way of keeping 

 the cows healthy, on my farm, I keep my cows in a barn, and a 

 covered barnyard, that is sided up with a good roof and windows 

 and a cement floor, and those cows, from the time they come in in 

 the fall until spring, are never out from under that roof and never 

 out where the wind strikes them. I believe that those cows will 

 be more healthy than if taking exercise in the open air in all 

 sorts of weather. But the barn is well lighted and well ventil- 

 ated, and I can see no reason why cows kept comfortable, if fur- 

 nished with good quarters should not be healthy. My experi- 

 ence, and the experience of other dairymen whom I know, leads 

 me to believe that those cows will be healthy. When you fur- 

 nish them with a well lighted, well ventilated place, you are doing 

 your part. Keeping them clean, of course, will help to keep them 

 healthy. Give them a chance to do their work, by keeping them 

 comfortable. That means the stable shall be reasonably warm. 

 A cow ought never to be outdoors in the winter, when her owner 

 cannot be out without feeling chilled. Men have said to me 

 they can't stay in, that a cow is naturally used to the cold. The 

 natural cow may be used to it, but the natural cow freshened in 

 the spring and went dry in the fall, she gave enough to support 

 her baby and quit. Turn your cow out if you want to, she won't 

 freeze to death. She will use your feed to keep warm if you 

 want her too. If you want to warm all out-doors, do it. If you 

 want her to take that feed and make the most possible profit, you 

 got to keep her comfortable. The first great principle of mater- 

 nity, and the man, who is in the dairy business, is practicing upon 

 the maternity of the cow, is that mother must be kept comfort- 

 able. She must be kept comfortable if she is to generously yield 

 this life giving fluid. Some men say to me in Michigan, and 

 I think, perhaps, some think it here, that it is all right for me 

 to talk about comfort. I have a covered barnyard. I want you 

 to understand I never would have had it if I hadn't made those 

 cows earn it. I commenced dairying in a little shed. But build- 

 ing paper was cheap enough so I could afford to house my cows 



