FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 123 



ally shut out the sunshine and fresh air; we actually are stabling 

 our cows in barns that are dark, damp and poorly ventilated and 

 we therefore subject our cattle to the germs which thrive under 

 these very conditions and then wonder why our cows become 

 diseased. We have never stopped to realize that it is just as 

 necessary for the cow to have fresh air and sunshine, oxygen, as 

 for her to have feed. If you do not give her oxygen to purify 

 her blood, don't expect her to produce. 



When you go home, look at your barn. If you are shutting 

 out this fresh air and sunshine that costs you absolutely nothing, 

 just hunt up your saw and make windows and let the fresh air 

 in ; then if you don't put in window lights, put muslin over these 

 openings and let the foul air out and the fresh air in. I have 

 been in barns where there was so little oxygen a lantern would 

 not remain lighted. Cows kept under such conditions wn'll not 

 get along, they will become tubercular and have other diseases. 

 They will fail to produce either largely or profitably. 



Take a lesson from nature. She does things the best and 

 worst of anyone. In May and June she tries her best to treat the 

 cows properly and the result is the cows give better and more 

 milk in May and June than at any other time of the year. V/atch 

 then and you will find that there are just five reasons for this 

 fact : First — The cows are out in the fresh air, have all the 

 fresh, pure air they can possibly breathe and the sunshine makes 

 them w^arm. Thirdly, the air is not too warm nor too cool. In- 

 sects are not present. The cow must be comfortable to do her 

 best. The fourth reason is that the chilly waters of the brook 

 have been warmed by the sunshine, and lastly, the cow eats all 

 she possibly can, and then eats more if she can. I believe that is 

 nature's lesson and if you would go home, and do for yourself 

 that which she has show^n you and care for your animals the way 

 she does in May and June, I know^ that you can increase the pro- 

 duction of your cows wonderfully. 



Relative to cold water, you know that the temperature of a 

 cow is 98 degrees to 100 degrees and you also know that if that 

 temperature is lowered 4 degrees by the drinking of ice water it 

 takes just that much of the cow's body heat to warm it up after 

 it is taken into the body, so you can easily see the need of warm- 

 ing the water the cow drinks. 



