THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 133 



milk and 374 pounds of fat. On account of the fact that cow 

 No. 2 died, No. 6 not freshened and No. 22 having been milked 

 too long the previous year, the average of the herd dropped back 

 to 307 pounds of fat last year. Ten cows that were in the herd 

 last year made an increase of 18.7 pounds of fat over the pre- 

 vious year. 



Last fall two cows were sold and one very promising heifei 

 added to the herd. The cows this winter are doing exceptionally 

 well. 



Now I want to speak of the care of the herd. Unless one 

 cares properly for his cows and feeds them up to their limit, you 

 cannot hope to accomplish very much in the raising of the aver- 

 age production of the herd. Neither Colanthe 4ths, Johanna nor 

 Jacoba Irene could have made the records they did if they would 

 not first have received in their feed the protein, carbohydrides 

 and other extracts necessary to maintain themselves and produce 

 the milk and butter fat that each cow produced. As much de- 

 pends on care and feed as upon weeding out the poor cows. 

 During the winter months cows should be kept in a warm, well 

 lighted and well ventilated barn. Too much emphasis cannot be 

 placed on good light and good ventilation. They are essential 

 .to good health. The best way to ventilate a barn is by the King 

 system. A description of this system is found in 'Thysics of 

 Agriculture," by Professor F. H. King of Madison, Wisconsin. 



If a cow is to do her best she must be kept comfortable and 

 contented. Professor Haecker says a cow will consume more 

 feed for maintaining herself if kept in uncomfortable quarters. 



A cow producing a large flow of milk must be made to con- 

 sume a large amount of water daily. Unless she does, she can- 

 not be expected to keep up her flow of milk very long. In order 

 that a cow will consume the necessary amount of water daily, it 

 must not be colder than 48 F. If colder she will not consume 

 nearly enough. Many times have I observed cows going to a 

 tank containing iced water, drink a small amount of it and then 

 go away shivering. A cow in this condition will require nearly 

 all her feed to keep her body warm and will have very little left 



