The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-05-14
THE CARE OF COWS.

As an adjunct in producing whole
some milk, sound food is of prime inn
portance to cows, and this must be APP
portioned so that the requirements OF the
body are supplied. In this connection
the value Of something approaching the
succulent quality Of green grass cannot
be tco highly commended. Those who
have silos filled with corn, or clover, are
all right, and the farmers who have q
large crop of unstable potatoes on hand
cannot market the surplus to better ad-
vantage than to give his stock a moder-
ate ration of potatoes. These will cor
rect the feverish condition a COW is apt
to be in when kept on hay, straw and
corn. Water is such an important ele.
ment in the animal economy that 1t Is
more necessary, if possible, than food.
1t is said that a horse has lived for eleven
DAYS without food, but that he cannot
exist more than five days unless supplied
with water.
Much has been said and written dur
ing few years past, about giving cattle
warmed water to drink, and there Is no
question but that cattle thrive bettor for
having water at a moderate temperature
instead of drinking ice water. In
cold weather there is a marked difference
in the general appearance of two herds
otherwise treated alike, if one lot
drinks ice water and the other has water
in regular quantities at forty-tive degrees
to fifty degrees or even somewhat high
er. There are many devices on sale for
heating water The small, drum-like af-
fair, so often illustrated during the past
two or three years, has most of the good
qualities, with the additional merit of
costing less than any other.
The value of shelter is so well estab-
lished that little need be said on this sub
iect, but value Of sunlight and cleanliness
in the stable needs to be urged far more
than it is. The rays OF sunlight readily
penetrate through glass aud leave their
heslth-giying properties within, so that
no one need hesitate to use glass freely in
the winter quarters of cattle. An aid to
health and thrift in COW stables is the use
of lime as a wash for all woodwork.
Limei is also destructive to insect life that
molest stock. What is known as "barr
itch, ~ and also ringworms are diseases
caused by insects that propagate their
species and exist about the premises while
cattle are in the pastures, but are ready
/ to attack them when the stables are again
used as winter quarters. As noted above,
lime washes are partly successful in kill
ing them, but it is well to burn a guam
tity of sulphur in the stable. An iror
kettle with few live Goals in it, OF
which pound or so of sulphur has been
thrown, placed in the building after thu
cattle have been driven out, answers tn,
purpose. The fumes will penetrate ever!
nook and crevice, to the destruction o
any living thing.
The stables should be cleaned at leas
once day; if possible. plenty of absorb
ents used, and as an additional purifier
sand plaster may be used by sprinklin!
it freely about the stables and pens. !
land plaster, or gypsum, is not at hand
dry earth, in the form of road dust, ma
be used instead, with good success. Th
use of a broom, both in the manger an
where the cattle stand, will do much to
ward making the stable tidy and tittin
the COW to furnish clean milk.-Ddir
Column.