American Agriculturist, April 5, l<»24 
More About “Mean Cows 7 ’ 
Which One of These 
I HAVE been reading with interest your 
article on “Mean Cows” by E. E. 
Roe, and it makes me feel that I must 
tell of an experience of my own which 
happened several years ago and which 
does not entirely agree with the story 
mentioned. 
Several years ago I owned a small 
Jersey cow. She was simply a cowhide 
full of nervous energy. She was beauti¬ 
ful, quick as a cat, wonderfully intelligent, 
and the best milker I ever had, both in 
quantity and butter fat, but she was 
“mean.”' I was proud of her, and having 
read repeatedly that it paid to be gentle 
with any cow, and that even harsh words 
counted, that harsh treatment would 
curtail the amount of milk, and that the 
milk would be of poor quality, I used to 
pick myself up out of the gutter, wipe 
myself off, straighten out the pail, and 
say gently “So boss, so boss,” and try 
to milk again. Then she would look at 
me with one eye, come as near to laughing 
as a cow possibly could, and then take 
my range and whale away again. Now 
I pride myself on my self control, besides 
I stood this thing longer because of the 
cow’s viewpoint of the matter, for I am 
certain that she had a humorous turn, 
and this was all done for sport. She would 
play with me like any pet at other times. 
A Case of “Tit for Tat” 
Well, finally one day I lost my temper 
and I learned more about a kicking cow 
in five minutes than I had before in 
as many months. I learned that the 
more kicking I did, up to and including 
a reasonable amount, the less kicking 
the cow would do. Also I learned that 
if I did the kicking instead of the cow, 
there would be more milk to take to the 
house, yes, and milk of a better quality. 
From that time on it was something 
of a compromise. Neither one of us did 
much more kicking and when we did 
any it was because she started it. 
An Idea Worth Trying 
Now just another word that may save 
Mr. Roe from having to wash his face 
so often. As any dairyman knows, a 
cow hates to have her tail tied, so have 
an old bicycle tire hanging handy. Drop 
it over the cow’s rump so it catches just 
forward of the cow’s hip bones and hangs 
down over her tail. There is nothing 
irritating about it. If she wriggles it 
fits down snugger and it keeps the tail 
out of the milker’s face. — A. W. G., 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. 
* * * 
Keep Temptation From Them 
Farmers Is Right ? 
break them in one season. As a rule 
cows won’t get out often unless the pas¬ 
ture gets short, or the fence is so poor 
they simply fall through. 
Neighboring Corn Fields are Tempting 
Furthermore, I do not believe a farmer 
ought to plant his corn too near the 
pasture fence. I have known a neighbor 
to have trouble over just this practice 
when some neighbor’s cows got in their 
corn patch. If a cow doesn’t get enough 
to fill up on in the pasture, who can 
blame her if she tries to get out? We 
would all do the same, I think. 
I have lived on a farm more or less 
all my life, and I know about all there 
is to know about chasing cows until you 
are all in for fear they would eat up all 
the corn or destroy it. 
Last year my husband decided that 
he would give up farming and go to work 
out where he would see some money once 
in a while, but as I had six children I 
decided we would keep what cows we 
could handle nicely and stay on the farm. 
If I do say it, I had a nice piece of 
silage corn right across the road from 
the pasture, and I wouldn’t undertake 
to tell you how many times that mean 
cow got in that piece of corn, sometimes 
taking an extra cow or two along. But 
I didn’t worry a bit. I drove them back 
and took my time, for there was no one 
to scold and I just knew I wouldn't be 
beat out of that feed of corn, for I would 
get it in the milk pail. I just thought 
“What they eat in the summer they 
won’t eat in the winter.” So we didn’t 
run ourselves to death or dog the cows 
all through the corn as some do and then 
blame the cows for destroying the corn; 
and I am sure we never missed what 
they ate. 
A Tight Fence Keeps Them Home 
But one thing that I did find out when 
the children and I hitched up the horse 
and drove over and set out about forty 
new posts and tightened up the wire, 
was that the mean cow didn’t get out 
there any more, but she selected a new 
opening, and as I went around the fence 
I found that about three hundred new 
posts would be needed to keep her in the 
pasture all of the time. When my 
husband got home, that mean cow stayed 
in the barn nights, with the result that 
in less than a week she didn’t give half 
the milk she had given. And I have been 
wondering if it wouldn’t have paid him 
better to set out the three hundred new 
posts.— Mrs. F. C. L., Fulton County, 
N. Y. 
T HAVE just read E. E. Roe’s article 
* on “Mean Cows” and wish to say I 
think it the most sensible one I have 
ever heard on the subject. Tl^ere cer¬ 
tainly are more cows spoiled by the treat¬ 
ment they receive when first broken in 
to milking, and I have known cows to 
be spoiled after several times freshened 
just by rough handling, and swearing. 
We have a cow at the present time 
that is perfectly gentle unless there is 
some excitement in the stable, then she 
will kick like a blue streak and you will 
have some job to get near her for some 
time after. I don’t call that meanness; 
it is fright. 
As for pounding cows, I feel just like 
forgetting what society demands of us 
when I see anyone pounding a cow, and 
as E. E. Roe says, it never cured a 
kicker to my knowledge. I don’t believe 
that you would ever find a man who 
wouldn’t hit back if he were hit. I 
know there has been moee than one good 
cow sold from our heard because she 
was a mean cow, but I have always 
noticed when she went there was always 
another to take her place. 
Another thing that I believe is, that 
b iences were kept up in good order there 
wouldn’t be so much breaking out, and 
h* they jumped, a poke would stop that, 
for if put on a young cow it will usually 
Cows Indicate Sterility 
I have two pure bred Guernsey cows, one around nine 
years old last June. She is about dry and as yet there is 
no indication that she is in calf. I kept her out in pasture 
until the middle of November and gave all the corn stover 
she could clean up in the morning and in the evening as 
well as a grain mixture. She has plenty of good running 
water, has been in the stable nights since cool weather 
set in. What would you advise me to do? Both cows 
should be in calf but are not.—R. D. H., Pennsylvania. 
I T is quite essential in answering an 
inquiry of this description that the 
owner should give a full description of 
any abnormal condition that might exist 
even though some of these conditions may 
appear trifling. In the absence of making 
a physical examination the only thing to 
guide one in making a diagnosis or coming 
to a definite conclusion as to the ailment, 
is as far as possible a combination of 
symptoms. 
In the case of your animals, the case 
cannot be termed one of true sterility 
for the individuals have previously calved 
regularly. Many cows nine years old, 
especially if they have calved early in 
life and borne calves at close intervals, 
cease at the age of nine to reproduce. 
They should be fattened for the butcher. 
Still there are many other conditions 
independent of age and breeding that 
could cause sterility, such as diseased 
generative organs, climatic changes, im¬ 
proper feeding (although in your case the 
(Continued on page 353) 
343 
Mr 
cfliis 
m 
New De Laval 
is a Surprise 
The new De Laval Cream Separator, which has 
now been on the market for over a year, and of 
which there are more than 100,000 in use, is a sur¬ 
prise in many ways. 
Bigger Cream Checks. The most pleasing surprise 
of this new De Laval Separator is the bigger cream 
check it will bring you, the fine quality of the cream 
it produces, its convenience and ease of handling and 
turning. 
Self-Centering Bowl. Among the new features and refine¬ 
ments of the new De Laval is a self-centering bowl which 
eliminates vibration, causing it to run smoother, adding to its 
life and efficiency. 
Costs Less Butter. And finally, you will be surprised to learn that 
even with its many improvements and refinements, and the fact that 
it has 10 per cent more capacity, this new De Laval can be purchased 
for approximately 20 per cent less butter than was required for the 
same size machine 10 years ago. 
Pays For Itself. A new De Laval will soon pay for itself. Perhaps 
you are now losing the price of a new one by hand skimming, or by 
using a worn-out or inferior separator. See your De Laval Agent or 
send coupon for complete information. 
De Laval Milker. Also ask about the De Laval Milker, which 
soon pays for itself with a herd of 10 or more cows, and is 
giving wonderful satisfaction to thousands of users. 
$(>.60 to 
* 14.40 
Down-the test 
in easy monthly 
payments/ 
c° 
I see my 
More clover would cut 
/^ET more protein from the 
hay mow and less from the 
feed bag— 
jt CALCITE BRAND~V 
^ OVER 99% PURE 
Michigan Pulverized Limestone grows 
clover bay and clover hay contains a 
larger percentage of protein than mix¬ 
ed hay or timothy. | 
Plenty of good clover or alfalfa re¬ 
duces the cost of your milk, which is 
the same as getting more money for it. 
Send for 48 - page book entitled 
“Folks and Fields Need Lime ” 
Michigan Limestone & Chemical Co. 
BUFFALO, N. Y. 
Michigan is the only Agricultural Limestone thoroughly washed and dried 
before pulverizing. Guarantee 99% pure Carbonate of Lime 
Cool your milk at once on the farm with a CHAM¬ 
PION MILK COOLER. Stops germ growth—re¬ 
moves animal and food odors. One milking saved 
more than pays its cost. Don’t put it off. Order 
today! 
CHAMPION SHEET METAL CO., Inc., 
401 Champion Building . - Cortland, N. Y. 
irt Aiiiiiiiiiiaaifsiftiifiiiiiiimiiitiaiiii 
CHAMPION MILK COOLER, 
Stops Germ Growth 
