The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-09-07

one that will get fat the moment its
food is increased, but one that is capa-
BILE of eating a large quantity of food,
and put the energy derived therefrom
in the milkpail. Not the cow that will
give the most milk from the best food
is the best one, but the COW capable of
! eating the most food and Of making
I. milk In proportion to the food eaten.
A COW that will eat 10 cents worth of
food and give Is cents worth of milk,
is not nearly as desirable as one that
will eat 90 cents worth of food and
yield 80 cents In milk. 1t will take just
as much time to car for her, end she
will occupy as much room in the stable,
and while giving the same per cent. of
| profit, the aggregate will be only half
as much. What is wanted, then, is a
large eater, with good digestion, and
then to know how to feed for best re
! suits. To get this kind of a COW the
dairyman much commence with the
calf; not ct its birth, but at the begin
ming of it's focal existence. By stufiug
the dam during this time on ell the fat
tening foods she can eat, thus making
her fat, the calf will be dwarfed in
frame and be born little and fat, and
no subse quent system of feeding can
ever wholly undo the irjlry. The dam
during this period should have plenty
OF coarse food, containing al abund-
| ance Of bone material; should be kept
strong and healthy, but neve fat, and
| if giving milk, all the b9tter, even if
properly fed up to the period OF the
birth OF the youngster. II after birth
it be allowed to suck It's mother for
any length OF tine, the tendency will
be to fatten it, and if this be Gllowed
until it is ''66 for veal, " it will DE in
/ j1red, more or less, and TO system Of
feeding can ever remedy the mistake.
Doubtless, one reason why SO many
noted COWS have such ordinary eff
spring is that the owners are SO very
anxious to do well" for the future
COW, they ruin them by iDjudici0us
! feeding, while in embryo, or during its
first year OF life. The whole syetem
of feeding should, from the start, be
with a view Of making a large eater of
such foods as will make a strong frame,
and give capacity to eat and digest still
more food, OF the milk producing kinds;
consC q lently the COW should never
have fattenipg foods, but rather that
,nbi,h !. aoo~za ouI hub -;kb ;--&
enough nutriment to keep the calf
making growth and muscular develop
ment. There ia no better food for the
calf than sweet skin milk, but this
should, for the first few weeks, be fed
warm, as warm as it comes from the
COW, and as soon as old enough to take
1t, wheat bran should be added. There
is no one food better for the cali, of all
ages, than bran, or, in fact, for any
young and growing animal. It has
plenty Of muscle and blood formers
and more bone material than any other
food, but the calf should not have too
much Of this, either; better make the
most OF ite food of something coarser
and more bulky, and only add enough
of this and other foods Of like nature,
TO make it thrifty and strong. Hay
made from any Of the clOvers is grand
calf food, much better than timothy.
As succulent foods are very desirable
for the COW, the calf should be accus
toned to eat these from the start, and
none are better than turnips and man
giles. Silage is good if fed moderately,
out if made from properly grown and
we'll mstured corn, it should be fed
only speriogIy, or the calf will get too
fat.
Remember, al |eys, that it is not fat
that is wanted, but an immense stor.
age with the ability to digest and as
6, milate what is eaten. Early cut,
brighb, barn housed straw of any kind
- a good food, and when within reach,
the calf will find a good deal of amuse
ment picking it between meals" and
it fed plenty Of bran and succulent
food, it will greece lily eat a large guam,
tity, and this will help to distend she
stomach and Increase storage capacity.
We hear a good deal about the value OF
a long, slim tail as indicative of the
good qualities of a COW, but I don'5 be
lieve it pays to let the calf run out ard
fight flies the first summer for the sake
OF tail development. Calf meat is
mighty expensive fly food, and when
out in the hot sun with millions Of
flies pump away as its life blood, it
can't eat food enough to grow. It is
far better to keep the youngster in a