The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-02-04
:farm-0ar1ert



1t is the habit Of many persons, especially
If they keep but one or two cows, to take,
morning and night, into the barn a pailful of
moist feed at the same time they do the empty
milk pail. Others bring basket of ears Of
corn from the crib, while still greater num-
Der pitch down and lay before the COW q fork
full Of hay, preparatory to milking. The OBJ
ject in all these cases il the same. They give
the COW something that will keep her ia good
humor while she is being MIXED. The fod-
der is the basis of compromise, in which it
is agreed that the COW shall keep her legs and
tall etill while she lis being MIXED, but shall
be Ut entire liberty to exercise with her nose
% much as she pleascs. 1t is a bargain in
which the mixer agrees TO give the COW .
pail OF warm food, or its equivalent, in ex-
change Tor a pail OF warm milk. You agree
to give up to her a certain amount of food
that rightfuly should 60 into the hog trough
or the horses feed box, provided she will give
down an extra quantity Of her coveted secrs.
ton.
The feeding of COWS while they are being
MIXED is a bad practice in many respects.
Giving COW an extra feeding at milking
time, in order to induce her to submit quietly
to the operation, is very much like bribing
children with an extra doughnut or stick
OF candy to 60 to bed without crying. Dis
continue the practice for single time, and
you will see the result; the COW that was
coaxed into gentleness is now restless, cross,
and inclined to hold up her milk and kick up
her heels. The truth is she is not going to be
MIXED IN quietness unless she Is paid for it.
Let the COW contract the habit of being fed at
milking time, and she will be found about as
hard to break off as is the habit of using to-
bacco by the owner. She will expect this ex-
ira allowance as much during the month of
June as in the month of February.
Cows are not SO famous for sagacity as
horses but 1t is certain that they will learn to
take advantage Of the mixer in getting an
increase Of allowance of food at milking time,
and that they will contract habits that will
give the mixer great trouble. A COW that
has been accustomed to be fed at milking
time during early lite will be MIXED with
difficulty ever afterwards if denied her usual
rations hence the importance of keeping her
from acquiring this habit while young.
Buy LEATHER BTTs.-Ths advice Is given
by the editor of the Rural World To put a
frosted iron bit into horses mouth is danger
Gus as 1t is cruel, for the reason that every
time living flesh touches mettle much below
the freezing point the latter extracts the heat
from the former and freezes it.-Thus horses
mouth becomes frozen by the cold iron several
times day put into 1t; each time causing
these treezings to go deeper, to end at last in
excessive ulceration.-With such sore mouth
the poor horse refuses TO eat and pines away,
which calls the horse doctor in He pro-
nounces it bots, CHAMBERS horse-ail, ETC., and
goes to examining down poisonous drugs, in
doses; and the next you know OF the poor
abused creature, he is trotted off to be food
for fish or the crows. Many q valuable horse
has been ''mysteriously' lost in just such
wsy.-Thinking and humane people avoid
this by first warming the bits : but this is
much trouble, and sometimes impossible, as
in night, like staging aud physicians work.
Now, all this trouble is entirely avoided by
getting the harness maker to provide leather
bits for winter use, So made that no metal
substance can touch the flesh. They are du-
rable, and cost only half dollar.