DAIRY FARMING. 
463 
early spring, while the cows are still wholly dependent on 
house-feeding, those newly calved are exceeding grateful for 
the addition of a little concentrated food, in the shape of 
crushed oats, meal, bran, or oilcake. When mangolds are 
used it is absolutely imperative to give meal or crushed oats, 
as milk from them alone is very thin and unproductive ; and 
again, those roots having a decided tendency to scour, the 
meal acts as a corrective, and the. animals are kept in good 
health and condition. There is a striking difference between 
cream from the milk of merely root-fed cows and that 
from cows getting corn-meal or cake in addition ; the one is 
comparatively thin and poor, while the other is thick and 
rich, affording ample proof of its superiority by compa- 
rison alone, before being submitted to the conclusive test of 
the churn. 
House Accommo dation . — In the stalls provision should be 
made to keep up such an amount of heat as will keep the 
inmates comfortable, care being taken that too high a tem- 
perature is not maintained, as they will sweat and be under 
such a constant sense of oppression as will not only keep 
them uncomfortable, but prove in the end injurious to their 
health. From 55 to 60 degrees of night heat will promote 
both health and comfort, and materially aid in the production 
of milk, none of the food being wasted by having to restore 
the natural heat of the system, which is dissipated by the cold 
temperature in which the cattle are compelled to remain. 
Draughts should be carefully avoided, a newly-calved cow 
being highly susceptible of injury from cold currents of air; 
and to prevent cutting draughts there is nothing so effectual 
as a properly-organized system of ventilation. There should 
on no account be any side opening underneath the level of 
the occupants of the stall, a mistake too often made, and the 
fruitful cause of much mischief. A series of minute openings, 
easily made in the building of the wall by the insertion of 
hollow bricks or even drain pipes of small bore, should extend 
the whole length of the building for the admission of fresh air, 
the outflow of that which has become vitiated being provided 
for by ventilators placed along the ridge of the roof, or by 
raising the top row of slates a few inches, which can be easily 
done, looks well, and answers the purpose admirably. In the 
division of the stalls, perfection appears to us to have been 
reached by the different manufacturers in iron, who make 
stable and cow-stall fitting a portion of their business, their 
models being exceedingly worthy of inspection and study by 
those who are about to build or remodel. They almost, with- 
out exception, combine security of fastening with safety to the 
