, 1877-05-25
Treatment of Heifor. Comiugin MIN,

NAASAS AAob dAC COlllDR IN MIX fnr
the first time should have special care
and attention, since the future usefnI
ness Of the animal will depend somo.
what upon the education which she 70
celves during the first year she is IN
milk. Many animals that would have
made good mixers by kind and ind;
clous treatment, have been spoiled or
greatly injured for milk by want of pro.
per attention and management. Heifers
previous to coming in milk. should he
daily handled and petted, aad made 90
familiar with the persons who have
them In charge as not only to show mo
fear, but they should exhibit fondnass
for persons and desire to be caresse5
The best way to begin an acquaintance
with an animal is by showing it kind.
ness by feeding it often from the hand
tempting bits Of food. and striving bv
all possible means to gain its entire CON
fidence; and in this the gentle tones of
the voice will have much to do. since
animals seem to understand the tones
of the voice as we'll as persons. If the
heifer is very wfld, it is q good plan to
card or brush the hair from time To
time, grooming the legs and handling
the udder, and if this is done gently and
persisted in from day to day, the wild
est creature is subdued and becomes
tractable. The great point to be OBJ
served Is never to give animals pain or
excite their fear; and just so soon as
they are made to understand that they
are not to be hurt, the chief obstacle in
the way of improvement is removed.
The milking habit is, in part at least,
matter of education. All fear, pain.
or nervous excitement checks the secre,
tion of milk. 1t is important, then, that
all this be avoided in the young animal.
and that the habit of freely yielding
milk be promoted. The habit of kick
ing is, for the most part, learned in
breaking the heifer to milk, and great
care should be taken to avoid the learn
ing of this vice. Patience and good
temper in the mixer are important
requisites. and no hasty or ill-tempered
person should be allowed to "break
heifers to the pail, since the chance Of
their acquiring some vice is greater
than most people imagine. We have in
numerous instances seen helfers COM
pletely ruined in the attempt to break
them to the pail, and all from hasty and
injudicious treatment.
We have always found at best to re-
move the calf early from its mother and
place it out of her sight. She then the
sooner forgets it and takes more kindly
to the mixer. In few instances where
the calf has remained long time with
the mother and was then removed, the
mothers mourning has caused serious
trouble and loss.
Heifers require an abundance Of nu-
tricious food-food rich in flesh and
bone-making material-because, as the
animal has not finished her growth, the
drain from the milk is apt to run her
down weak and thin, unless she is full
fed. Bran and oatmeal make an excel
lent ration, in addition to the usual
quantity OF hay or the grass obtained
from pasturage.
There is difference of opinion in re-
gard to the length of time that heifers
should be MIXED. In our experience
we find that the best results are obtain
ed when the animal is kept in milk
goodly length of time, for if she dried
early in the fall, the habit seems to be
acquired, and ever after she will be in
clined to fail in milk and go dry in &C.
cordanee with her first season Of milk
ing. 1t seems hard, it is true, to pro-
long the milking season Of young AMI.
NAL; but with extra care and plenty OF
nutricious food, no injury is likely to
result, while there is much more pros
pect of her making good milker than
when dried offearly.-Rsrdl NeIO Yorker.
TIE DAIRY INTEREST OF THE UNITED
STATEs.-The Fourth Annual Conyen-
ton of the National Butter and Egg
Association has Just been held at Chr
cago, ILL.,, and we learn from the ad-
dress of the President, Mr.. George Z.
Gooch, that the capital invested in the
dairy business in the United States
must be something immense, as the
sales Of butter and cheese in this coun-
try last year amounted to S124, 600, ,OOO,
in addition to which there was sold
milk to the value Of $50, ,000, 900. Il +
was proposed at the Convention to ship
butter in vessels provided with refrger
ator-rooms, such as are used for convey
ing beef to Europe. The sale Of oleo-
margarine as butter was Justly con-
demned, and it was proposed to try 70
find some Legislative redress. The too
frequent adulteration of butter ana
cheese was regarded as equally matte.
for solicitude. One remedy suggested
was to compel the seller to put his name
on the package, and to state of what tne
contents consist, SO that the purchaser
may not be deceived.
The WEIGHT OF CATrLE.-Measure IN
inches the girth around the breast, Iuss
behind the shoulder-blade, and lengta
of the back from the tail to the fore part
of the shoulder-blade. Multiply tne