Edited by JOHN GILMER SPEED 
The purpose of this department is to give advice to those who have country or suburban places as to the purchase, keep 
and treatment of horses, cows, dogs, poultry, etc. Careful attention will be given each inquiry, the letter and answer 
being published in due time for the benefit of other readers. Where an early reply is desired if a self-addressed, stamped 
envelope is enclosed the answer will be sent. No charge is made for advice given. 
Cattle for the Country Place 
E ven a small country place is incomplete 
without one or more covts. It is easy 
enough m the country to buy milk and but¬ 
ter but it is infinitely more satisfactory to have the 
home products. Indeed there was a time when a 
man’s wealth was measured m cattle- note, Abra¬ 
ham was rich in cattle. Before the Greeks invented 
metal coinage oxen were the favorite medium of in¬ 
ternational exchange and when coins y ere first made 
a hull’s head y as stamped on one side, d his use of 
cattle in barter has given a word to the languages 
of Europe—the Latin word peciinia and the Eng¬ 
lish word “pecuniary” coming from pecus, cattle. 
JERSEY cow, TONONA 5TH HOOD FARM, 
So we see cattle have been important from the re¬ 
motest civilizations, though the naturalists are in a 
(juandary as to how they originated and how so many 
varieties occurred, d hat these many varieties have 
been vastly improved by selection in breeding there is 
no doubt. But what has all this to do with cattle on 
a country place : If you ask me that I shall have to 
frankly answer that I do not know'. Possibly the 
same relation that the salute has at the beginning of a 
fencing bout; and may be to show that 1 read up 
a little on the subject of cattle in general before at¬ 
tacking the problem as to wbat kind of cattle are best 
for a gentleman’s country place. 1 have heard it said 
LOWELL, MASS. JERSEY BULL, POGIS 9TH 
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