1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
571 
MANAGING THE BULL 
SENSIBLE ADVICE FROM A DAIRYMAN. 
How Much Service. —A bull might be 
put to service at from 10 to 12 months 
old according to breed and development. 
Of course if a calf is kept hustling right 
along from birth, he will be much more 
fully developed at 10 months than a 
poorly fed one at 12 or 14. Then again 
the Jerseys develop much quicker than 
some of the larger breeds. Mrs. Busick, 
of Beech Hurst Farm, tells of a young 
bull siring a calf at eight months old, 
and adds that this is one of the youngest 
sires on record. This bull, at maturity, 
weighed 1,4(50 pounds, and was an ex¬ 
ceptionally fine animal. The service of 
the young bull should be very light. I 
am not prepared to say how much a 
young bull might safely be used ; but if 
I had a valuable animal, I would use him 
as little as possible until he became, at 
least, 18 months old. 
As to the service of the mature hull, 
much would depend on whether the 
service extended throughout the year, or 
whether the cows were expected to come 
in as nearly together as possible. I 
should say that it would not injure a 
mature bull to serve 50 cows if the ser¬ 
vice extended through the whole year. 
Feeding and Keeping .—The bull 
should be fed on a muscle-forming, bone- 
producing diet. In Winter, an ideal 
ration would be a bushel of ensilage 
morning and evening, with a couple of 
quarts of bran thrown on each feed, and 
a good feed of clover or mixed hay at 
noon. 
The great mistake that many make 
with the bull, is in keeping him too close¬ 
ly confined. Give him exercise, and more 
exercise. Let the bull have a run in the 
yard every day, and if he can have a box- 
stall opening into a yard where he can 
go out at will, all the better. Don’t for¬ 
get that he is not a milch cow that must 
be kept warm to insure a large flow of 
milk. He is a bull that must furnish in 
the calves the vigor and constitution 
which we are robbing from their dams 
by close confinement and high feeding. 
Pasture, Rings and Dogs. —In the 
Summer, I always let my bulls run in 
the pasture, not with the cows, but in a 
small lot by themselves, and where there 
is no other stock on the other side of 
the fence, as in that case they would 
soon become unruly. My young calves 
run with ray three bulls, and get along 
finely. As I have never had a vicious 
bull, I, of course, think that there is no 
need of having one if he is properly 
handled. In the first place, never place 
yourself in the bull’s power, then you 
need not be afraid of him. Next, never 
cause the bull to be afraid of you, for 
an animal driven at bay will fight when 
he would escape if possible. If the bull 
tloes not mind, and shows a bad disposi¬ 
tion, give him a sharp rap on a tender 
spot (the top of the head where the horns 
were removed is a good place), but do 
not follow it up and give him a general 
“ cleaning out,” as they say. He may 
become desperate and return the compli¬ 
ment. I always place a good copper ring 
in the bull's nose when a yearling (an 
iron ring will rust off and break when 
you may not wish it), and teach him to 
lead behind a wagon or anywhere else. 
1 have used a staff, but find it unhandy 
and useless for a bull that has been well 
brought up. I know The R. N.-Y. is 
down on the dog, but I find my collie 
very handy just to nip a heel or pinch an 
ear when Mr. Bull is inclined to have the 
sulks. While running in pasture, I keep 
a small dog chain about four feet long 
snapped in the bull’s ring, and let 
him drag it ; then if he should make a 
dash for one, he would step on his chain 
and immediately be sorry for his mis¬ 
behavior. 
Fair Treatment, Exercise. — Last 
week I discharged a farmhand, although 
I had a big lot of hay down, just because 
he persisted in the idea that all bulls 
were vicious, and that the only way to 
get along with them was to club them to 
death as soon as possible. I couldn't get 
that idea out of his head, and in human¬ 
ity to the bulls, I parted with him. 
A good way to exei cise a bull that has 
(through poor management or otherwise) 
become too vicious to be allowed his free¬ 
dom is shown at Fig. 264. Set a large 
post about the height of the bull firmly 
in the ground. Bore a hole in the top 
and insert an iron pin, then through an¬ 
other pole about 18 or 20 feet long, bore 
a hole so that it will balance on the post. 
Then make a bow like those used in an 
ox-yoke, and bore holes in one end of the 
horizontal pole for the bow. Now yoke 
up the bull and let him travel to his 
heart’s content. I knew of a bull that 
was got back to service which had be¬ 
come perfectly useless from inaction, 
and he lived to sire a great many good 
cows after his first owner disposed of 
him as useless. j. grant morse. 
Madison County, N. Y. 
FORKFULS OF FACTS. 
Remedy fok Caked Udder. —I have used, for a 
number of years, only sassafras oil; It is one of 
the greatest remedies I ever used. Also, for 
family use in case of burns, it gives almost in¬ 
stant relief. I wish that some of The R. N.-Y 
readers would try it. Simply bathe the cow's 
udder freely with the oil. o. k. a. 
Midland, Mich. 
Polled Duiuiams Again.—S o far as known, no 
Polled Durham bull has, as yet, produced all his 
calves hornless, bred as they are about equally 
to polled and horned cows. But they have given 
us an average of 90 per cent polled iD one crop 
of calves. I think the Polled Durhams superior 
to the Red Polls in beef-producing qualities, and 
superior to the Angus in milking qualities. In 
other words, we have a general-purpose breed— 
the most milk and beef combined with size, early 
maturity and hornless heads. f. a. Murray. 
Mazon, Ill. 
Handling the Ram.— We jirefer the single¬ 
service plan, keeping him in commodious, airy 
quarters with good flesh-forming foods; 50 to 100 
ewes are enough for any ram when well handled, 
the number varying according to his vigor and 
his age. Liberal feeding or flushing the ewes 
when cool nights come, will cause them to take 
the ram rapidly. Exercise, fresh air and protein 
food are essentials for success in handling both 
rams and ewes during the coupling season. 
Sussex, Wis. geo mckerrow & son. 
Pork at the South.— The Alabama Experiment 
Station issues Bulletin No. 93, giving the results 
of feeding cow peas, peanuts and sweet potatoes 
to pigs. We have often referred to the fact that 
hog food can be produced remarkably cheap in 
the South. This experiment goes to show that 
peanuts, when harvested by young pigs, produced 
$18.61 worth of pork per acre, valued at three 
cents a pound. Shotes pastured on clover and 
cow peas and supplied with corn made nearly 
three times the gain in live weight that was made 
by shotes fed exclusively on corn. Three pounds 
of sweet potatoes were found inferior to one 
pound of corn meal. It was found that pork made 
entirely from peanuts and cow peas was liable 
to be soft and oily, but when corn was fed with 
these crops, the pork was first-class in quality. 
A study of this bulletin will show how easily food 
can be produced at the South. It is quite re¬ 
markable that the southern farmers have been 
willing to buy northern pork for so many years, 
when the same food can be produced cheaply 
and easily at home. 
Testing Milk. —In an excellent article in 
Hoard’s Dairyman, Prof. F. W. Woll speaks of 
the great need of careful testing. He says : 
“ Now I hold that a creamery man can well afford 
to test, free of charge, samples of milk from 
single cows in the herds of his patrons. He is as 
much interested in the improvement of the herds 
as are the patrons themselves. If he does not 
think he can do it free of charge, he might offer 
to do it at actual cost, which would be only a 
fraction of a cent per test, or say, a cent a test, 
if the time of the operator, breakage of glass 
ware, etc., are figured in. If testing of the 
patrons’ herds is encouraged in this manner, 
both patron and creameryman will get more and 
better milk to handle, and the interests of both 
will thus be best served. The main objection to 
this plan is, I suppose, the limited help in the 
creamery or cheese factory, the regular work of 
the factory taking up the full time of the operator. 
It is doubtful, however, whether it would not be 
possible in any factory, with a little good will, to 
find time in the course of the week, to do con¬ 
siderable extra testing. If a little preservative 
be placed in the sample bottles, these can safely 
be kept for a week or more, until an opportunity 
for testing the milk presents itself.” 
Selling Rich Milk. —We have found it prac¬ 
ticable and very profitable for dairymen to sell 
rich milk at an improved price. Nearly all the 
creameries and cheese factories in this part of 
the country buy milk, or take it in by the Babcock 
test. Most creameries make and sell the butter 
for a stated price per lb., and the money is di¬ 
vided according to the butter fat shown to be in 
the milk when taken in. It isouly the men with 
poor milk that object to selling milk by the Bab¬ 
cock test. The Babcock test does away with the 
temptation of farmers to be dishonest by water¬ 
ing or skimming their milk before carrying it to 
the factory. Since factory men have commenced 
handling milk on a basis of the butter fat it con¬ 
tains, the quality of butter produced through the 
country has improved very much. 
Brodhead, Wis. n. n. palmer. 
Anoora Goats Again.—H. F. F., page 350, 
speaks of the flesh of the Angora. I find that a 
young animal properly fattened, is every way 
equal to the finest lamb. He places his average 
of mohair rather low, (3 to 4 lbs.) for a Hock of 
full bloods, though it would be a good average 
for 15-16-blood grades. I have one animal that 
will shear nine pounds. I take exception to the 
statement that the “ females seldom have twins.” 
With my flock, single kids are the exception, and 
I have had three dropped. Angoras are dog- 
proof, as they are ready to fight any dog that 
shows himself. As to price of mohair, it generally 
runs double the price of middle wool. From 
four years’ experience, I would say that there Is 
a much better percentage of profit in Angoras 
than in sheep. The attention of American 
farmers is lately being attracted to those 
animals, and in consequence, the demand for 
full blood breeding stock Is much greater than 
the supply. h. l. Jacobs. 
Michigan. 
A Horse that Does not Sweat. 
My bay mare is six years old, large boned, 16 l /4 
hands, brought to Florida from the North (Ten¬ 
nessee or Kentucky, I think), Winter of 1895-6. I 
bought her January, 1897, apparently sound. In 
May, 1897, as soon as the weather became hot, 
she began panting badly, sweating little if any 
After using various remedies, early in the Fall 
I found the following in The R. N.-Y. re¬ 
commended for heaves: Arsenic, 30 grains: sul¬ 
phate of copper and nux vomica, each three 
ounces; mix, make 30 powders, give one night 
and morning. I used as directed. Before the 30 
powders were gone, the mare had begun to per¬ 
spire naturally, and had ceased the panting. 
From then, all through the Winter and Spring, 
she acted, looked and worked well, is a good 
strong worker, and easily keeps in good condition 
During June, this present Summer, she again 
began the panting, not blowing, but short, quick 
breathing as though the air was not taken into 
the lungs, or in but very small quantities. In the 
hottest weather, working in the sun or shade 
she remains dry, occasionally showing a little 
moisture on the neck. She has a ravenous aji- 
petite, and seems to digest food all right; is not 
in poorer flesh than I like to have a horse at this 
season, is fed hay once a day, cut and wet, and 
four quarts corn hearts mixed in it; morning 
and noon she receives 2)4 quarts corn, soaked, is 
worked every day, but left in the stable during 
three or four hours of hottest part. Would you 
advise another course of the arsenic, vitriol and 
nux vomica, or a different mixture, or what ? 
Florida. a. a. 
Ans —There is, occasionally, a horse as well as 
a person, that cannot perspire when exposed to 
the severe heat of the sun in Summer. The heat 
appears to overcome them. I do not understand 
from your description that the mare has the 
heaves. But inasmuch as she was benefited by 
the course of powders, it would be well to repeat 
them as before. I would, also, advise keeping salt 
constantly before her where she can eat it at will. 
Then offer water at least four or five timesodaily, 
but never allow more than 8 or 10 quarts at one 
time. It would, also, be woll to replace at least 
a portion or all of the corn by some lighter, less 
heating grain, as wheat bran or oats. Continue 
the practice of allowing the mare to rest in the 
shade during the heat of the day whenever she 
suffers from the heat. f. l. kilborne. 
A College Education 
is the best life equip¬ 
ment that can be pro¬ 
vided for a young 1 man 
or a young' woman. 
Everybody can't afford 
it, but every man who 
keeps a dozen or more 
cows may easily do so. 
A SHARPLES SEPA¬ 
RATOR of the Little 
Giant or Safety Hand 
pattern will, in a short 
time, make extra but¬ 
ter enough to pay for 
a college education for each member of 
your family. Look into it. 
P. M. SHARPLES, 
Branches: West Chester, Pa. 
Elgin, Ill. 
Omaha, Neb. 
Dubuque, Iowa. 
Top Price Butter. 
The kind that a fancy private 
trade demands, is colored with 
Thatcher's Orange Butter Color — 
the color that does not contain 
any poison. .• end for a sample. 
THATCHER MFG. CO., Potsdam, N.Y. 
TRUE DAIRY SUPPLY CO., 
CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS OF 
Sutter and Cheese Factories, 
AND MANUFACTURERS OF 
Machinery, Apparatus ami Supplies for 
Cheese and Butter Factories, 
Creameries and Dairies. 
303,305,307 and 309 Lock St., Syracuse, N. Y, 
References: First Nat. Bank of Syracuse; State Bank 
of Syracuse; R. G. Dim & Co.’s Mercantile Agency; 
The Bradstroet Co.’s Mercantile Agency, orany Bank 
or Business House in Syracuse and adjacent towns. 
and Tread Horse Powersop..;:,,,, 
No Dairy or Stock Farm can count itself in shape 
to compete in the manufacture of Vain/ Products or 
Beef, without the aid of the Silo. We make the 
largest line of Silo Machinery on Barth, and know that 
in consequence we can give you positively better value 
for your money than you can get elsewhere. *98 Silo 
llooklet/re* to any address. Contain! ex-Qov.Hoard'• 
latest view* on Ensilage as related to the Dairy Cote. 
“Smalley Goods” Agency I smallky^mfg. co, 
goes with first order. I ManitowooTwia. 
CORN PROF 
depends upon utilizing the 
entire crop. The 
ROSS 
ENSILACE MACHINERY 
converts the whole crop into ensilage, or 
the fodder into a tine stock food that 
consumed without waste. Get full value 
of your crop. Get our catalogue No. 13. 
The E. W. Ross Co.. Springfield, 0. 
THE MODEL MILL. 
A Hand Mill for grinding Grain, 
Dry Bones, Shells, &c., for Feed¬ 
ing Chickens, &c., 
3 Sizes, Wt. ‘20, 34 & 62 lbs. 
The most Rapid Grinder, 
most durable and the Cheap¬ 
est Mill made. 
If your dealer don’t keep it. 
Address THE C.S. BELLCO., 
Hillsboro, Ohio, U. .8. A. 
CREAM SEPARATORS. 
De Laval "Alpha ” and "Baby " Separators. 
First—Best—Cheapest. All Styles—Sizes 
Prices, $50 to $800. 
Save $10 per cow per year. Send for Catalogue. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO., 
Randolph and Canal Streets. 
CHICAGO. 
74 Cortlandt Street, 
NEW YORK. 
CCOOD 
Sent on trial^ Freight 
paid. Full descriptive catalogue FREE. 
OSGOOD SCALE CO., Binghamton, N.Y. 
Good Agents Wanted In unoccupied territory. 
In thoroughness of separation take the lead. 
In completeness of design and ease of operation excel 
all others. 
Are more substantially made and are superior in all 
points to all others. ; 
All Styles and Sizes. $ 75.00 to $ 625 . 00 . 
Agents in all dairy sections. 
Send for latest illustrated catalogues. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO., - Bellows Falls, Vt. 
