184 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
choose from, is to simply follow fancy, or rather, faith. An 
old and successful farmer says, “ the breed that you have most 
faith in.” The question of feed in pasture and barn should be 
consulted. One person may be so placed that the “ Bates 
breed of short-horns would be best; another where the Devon 
or Ayrshire would be the sort; another that the “ Jersey” 
should be chosen; and yet another where the diminutive 
“ Kerry cow ” would be most profitable. One cannot go amiss 
in choosing from either of the breeds mentioned to cross upon 
native cows, if the milking characteristics are established in the 
“regular succession .” 
Milk must first be put in the mouth before it can be found 
in the pail, let the breed be what it may. The feed and care 
requisite to the highest success has as much to do as breed or 
blood; a good feeder and careful handler will take the average 
native cow and do more with her than the opposite style of 
farmer will do with any breed known. “Blood will tell,” but 
it must have a chance. The cow, the mother of the calf, should 
be fed with the express object of making the progeny a supe¬ 
rior milker; the dam should rest from the pail at least four 
months, in order to properly develop the young. It is usual, 
to some extent, to feed coarse fodder, such as straw and poor 
hay during this period; a great mistake, if profit is an object. 
The calf is to be grown, and the cow to lay up a store of flesh 
and fat for the draft to be made upon her through the milking 
season ; the idea that flesh is to be discarded in order to pro¬ 
duce milk will be exploded whenever the theory is put to a 
practical test. Some cows will milk themselves away to an 
extent during summer, and the business of the feeder is to put 
it on during winter. 
Food should be given in abundance and of a nature to furnish 
milk. To see how much the cow can digest, should be the 
aim of the farmer, not how little the cow will eat and live. 
The calf on its appearance should remain with the dam 
only time enough to draw the first milk, and then be removed 
from sight and hearing if possible. It will learn to drink the 
sooner, and will worry less. Regularity in feeding, he it twice 
