The advocate., 1897-08-25
For the Farmer.
The Dairy Herd--Its Formation and Man
agement
Continued from last week.)
THE sTABLING SEASON.

is as good as in any other part or the
year. But after one or two hard frOsts
1t is we'll to offer the COWS some nice
hay when they come in at night, and
If they eat 1t with relish, one may be
pretty certain the season has arrived
to gradually change the herd from pas
ture to stable for the winter. The
COWS should not be left out at night
after 1t becomes chilly or be exposed
TO cold autumn storms. They may be
allowed In the field a few hours on
all pleasant days until the snow flies,
but without expecting them to get
much besides water and exercise. Be-
fore keeping them steadily at the stable
and yards the feding should be, by
gradual steps, completely changed to
the full stable diet
Meanwhile, or on leisure days earlier
in the year, the COW house should be
prepared for its occupancy by the herd
throughout the stabling season. Boxes,
stalls, and feeding trOughs or floor
should be thoroughly cleaned and dis
infected, so that no animal can dis
cover or be subjected to any unpleasant
traces Of another and previous Occu-
pant Of the place. Then assign every
COW her particular place for the winter,
and gently insist upon every one being
always in the right place. The bed
ding, absOrbents, and disinfectants
should be provided in abundance and
in ample time for all to be quite dry.
Use no damp material under a COW, no
rotten straw, and no moist earth or
sawdust. In order of efficiency, the
best absOrbents are peat, spent tanbark,
sawdust, wheat straw, forest leaves,
and dry earth If earth alone is used,
from thirty to forty pounds per COW
will be needed daily-a big shovelful,
If straw alone, provide nine or ten
pounds a. day, and less il cut short
A good combination Is five or six
pounds Of straw and ten or twelve Of
earth or sawdust. An excess Of bed
ding or litter is undesirable. If the
floor on which the COW lies is dry and
not cold, very little litter is needed for
true bedding. Its chief use is as an
absorbent, and If more than necessary
for this object Is used, the manure
becomes too dry and bulky, and is les
sened in value per load. Land plaster
is a very satisfactory disinfectant or
doodOrlzer about the cow house. If one
takes good care Of the manure and in
tends to add chemical fertilizer, the
latter may be used In the stable, in
some forms, instead of plaster. A re-
fuse OF the double phosphate" works
Is an article called phospho-plaster, and
as 1t contains about per cent. Of phOs-
phoric acid, 1t is a good addition to
the stable manure, while also an eff
cient dislnfectant. Kainit, about the
lowest grade Of German potash salt,
Is a good substitute for plaster in the
stable. 1t costs half as much again,
sometimes twice as much, but less OF
Il may be used, and the potash it con-
tains I'll to 13 per cent? is very de-
~slrable addition to the manure in sew
eral ways. From one to two pounds OF
kalnit or plaster per day to each COW
can be pFofitably used, scattered in the
litter and along the cutters of the COW
house throughout the stabling season.
II is a mistake to be satisfied with
watering the herd but once a day. Ii
they can be induced to drink twice OF
three times a day, it should be done
Cows need much water 1t has been
found that the average milk cow re-
quires about eighty-One pounds OF
water a day while in milk (nearly ten
gallOns), and about fifty-three pounds
while dry OF this, the COW in milk
takes rather more than twO-thirds (say
seven gallons) as drink, and the rest in
her food, while the dry cow takes
rather less than two-thirds as drink
and little more than one-third in
the food.
(TO be continued.)