The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-05-19
tive years old, tho from their size, their


tive years old, tho from their size, their
plump appearance, and their evident
milk giving qualities, one would never
guess their age at less than four or five
| years-unless he was acquainte,. with
the Hardy herd-and with the possible
exception of one or two cows it would
be impossible to find a'better herd of
Holstein COWS of the same number of
individuals.
Passing across other fields and
through a sugar bush where five
hundred buckets are always woi ked
when anything at all is done with the
bush, and where in one week this spring
nearly one hundred gallons of maple
syrup and thirty pounds of sugar were
made, you fight the most ferocious
swarms of mosquitoes ever turned
loose in Michigan, and then come out
to the edge of the woods where
group of thoroughbred yearling bulls
evince the liveliest sort of an interest in
you and show what you are likely to
consider quite undue curiosity. After
your introduction to these you are
! shown yearl1g heifers, other two year
olds and three enormous steers which
seem to have nothing to do but to grow
as big as moose, and they already have
good start. OF course if you feel
trifle nervous when they jump up in the
air. shake their heads and expel a sud-
den breath close behind you it is only
for fear that they might slip and come
few inches further than they meant
to and toss you into kingdom come.
You feel sure they wouldn't mean to
do so.
Finally the last of the herd is seen
and you go back across the field toward
the house while an escort of two frisky
yearling heifers run by you back and
forth like deer, apparently trying to
see how near they can come to hitting
you and still miss you as they rush by.
There is not an animal on the farm
that is not only tame but kind and
gentle and with good cause they are
all well treated. When horse gets old
and almost useless he is not turned off
for dollar or two to be abused during
his last days but is fed and made COM
| Portable until it becomes more merciful
to end its sufferings, and this is but an
instance of the kind of care all the
stock gets at the hands of their humane
master There are some nine horses
on the farm and about twenty-three
hogs, but no sheep, Mr.. Hardy having
give up sheep raising a number of years
ago.
The herd of Holsteins is, however,
the chief center Of interest and by care
| full breeding Mr. Hardy has secured
herd which is neither so short and
stocky that the udder and teats are
always muddy and dirty, nor yet built
on giraffe proportions. lnbreeding is
absolutely ruled out on this farm.
1t would be impossible to take time
and space enough to tell all the history of
the farm, of the miles of tile drain
which haYe been put in it, of the plum,
pear, and other fruit trees and the
enormous grape vines, one brought
from Ohio and set out by the old log
house thirty three years ago and now
four inches in diameter and spreading
over several rods. The changes from
the log house and small sheds to the
great roomy dwelling and big barns
must be imagined and everyone can un-
derstand that the Ohio cheesemaker
and his bride, who came to Michigan
thirty-three years ago, have not been
idle all these years, though they still
feel young as they play with two of
their little granddaughters. the children
of their only child Burrell Hardy, who
| lives across the road from them. And
enjoy many years more among their
herd and on their pleasant fields