Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-04
Stock Baising.
BREEDING AND CARE OF CAT
TILE.

L. Inc male SnOulu DC known 10 pc OF tue
type you would perpetuate, sound, healthy
and 10 any other way as nearly perfect
animal as possible, even if his use has to be
paid for, while an inferior one could be pro-
cured gratis.
2. The female is nearly Of as much i'm
portance in this respect as the male, and
therefore none but the best should be bred
from, aud their offspring should never be
slaughtered before they have been proven
TO be of little or no value as future breed.
ers.
g. The comfort of tho female through
pregnancy is of great Importance. The sci
ence of physiology is as applicable to ami
mails as to men. The offspring of a second
pregnancy is often plainly marked by the
getter Of the first, aHd during CESSATION
marked impressions are made on the offspring
by the associations to which the female is
subject. Quiet contentment, kind treatment,
regular and ample feed, pure water, moder-
ate exercise, shelter from winters blasts,
springs drenching rains, summers scorching
rays, and autumn's changing moods, are all
important to nature satisfied.
4. Parturition is facilitated by this sys-
TEN Of special care. Through tho period of
CESSATION many valuable animal has been
lost from causes Of the nature Of abuse, in q
thousand different ways, and it not lost the
offspring is affected. Whether it shall be
amiable or ugly, docile or nervous, vigorous
or weak, depends very much on the treat
ment which the female receives through that
period.
>. Imported CATTLE or cattle taken into
an entirely different climate from that in
which they were bred, seldom show the same
degree of excellence as they possess at home,
unless given special care. Old cattle fire..
quently die before getting acclmated. This
is strikingy illustrated by shipping them
south, especially in the spring of the year,
if the animal is fat The arterial system
first takes cognizance of the change; the
pulsation increases to twice its natural rate,
fever is engendered and death eusues.
Cattle to be taken from the far South to
the North should be shipped in May or
June; from the North to the South, in Sep
tember or October; for the reason that the
change Of temperature is not so radical as it
would be to reverse this order. The animals
get acclimated more readily and this risk is
lessened. The younger the ANIMAL if old
enough to wean, the loss danger from these
causes and that danger is sooner past. To
avoid this necessity of transportation and con.
sequent risk, some enterprising farmer in every
heighborhood could with profit at reasonable
rates raise bulls from pure stock Of the diff
ferent type or breeds for the accommodation
OF the wants of the farmers in his vicinity.
6. No animal should be required to
drink water which the owner himself would
refuse, and especially if that animal is the COW
FROM which you hope to make good butter.
II is sufficient on this point to say that pure
water is an indispensable article to the sue
cess Of the dairyman, for good butter or
cheese cannot be made where good water
cannot be obtained.
Z. In considering the subject of feed, it
seems proper for me to say that the nourish-
ment Of the animal system is obtained prin-
cipally through the agency Of the blood, and
the composition OF the blood is chemically
very nearly the same as milk which is the
nearest approach to a perfect diet, being
prepared in the laboratory Of Him who is
the author of all chemistry. 1t will there.
fore be of interest to study its composition,
and as like produces like, to feed such food
to produce bone, or sinew, or flesh, or milk,
as shall approach nearest in its composition
to them.
8. The best food for most animals should
be SO mixed as to approach as nearly az
possible to the chemical properties Of milk
and especially so for the COW. Milk must
60 in at the mouth if you would draw it
from the udder. The subject Of feed prop
erly considered would more than occupy the
time which | propose to give to the whole
matter before US, still it is of so vital impor-
tance that | hope you will not fail to give it
your serious future attention and study, and
that scientific and practical men will tell us
more Of the effects of different modes of feed
ing.
1t is a well established fact that meal or
bran should never be fed separately and
alone, for when swallowed by the COW it
goes directly to the fourth stomach and is
but rapidly digested, whereas II it was mix
ed with hay and moistened or steamed, it will
pass into the first stomach, be raised to the
mouth in the cud, remastcated, more thor
oughly digested, and therefore do the ami
mails more good. Many farmers feed their
cattle corn on the ear, and depend on their
drOppings to supply their swine, when il
ground and fed with hay it would have been
thoroughly digested by the COW, and the pig
would probably have had a breakfast at drst
hands.
The practice of cooking or steaming food
has been demonstrated to be great utility.
Some contend that the returns are not com.
mensurate with the outlay of muscle and
money. They are usually men, however
who study their own convenience and com.
fort and consider them Of more Importance
than all other matters combined.