—Milburn.
There are several ways of providing for the wants of a cow, but in all cases it is absolutely necessary, in order to obtain the best results, that certain rules be followed with regard to the treatment the cow receives. She must be fed and milked at regular times, be kept thoroughly clean, have plenty of fresh air and water, and her food composed of those substances that will keep her always in good condition, do away with the milk bill, reduce the grocer’s account, and contribute greatly to the health and comfort of the family. I have tried various things, and have found fresh grass or fodder, provender, bran, oil-cake, mangels, and hay, the best bill of fare for “Daisy” or “Buttercup.” Avoid brewer’s slops or grains as you would poison, for although they increase the flow of milk, it is thin and blue, the butter white and tasteless, and after a time the cow’s teeth will blacken and decay. I was told the other day by a very intelligent dairyman that after feeding his cows one season on brewer’s grains he was obliged to sell his whole herd.
YARD, STABLE, AND RATIONS.
Mr. Geo. E. Waring, Jr., in his “Ogden Farm Papers,” says he expects to be able to feed a cow from May fifteenth to November fifteenth from half an acre of ground, but the average citizen had better not attempt it, but keep his half acre to raise vegetables and fruit, buying the food required to keep his cow. A cow can be made very profitable if kept in the following way; First, as to the accommodation required, a yard fifteen feet by fifteen, and a stable or cow-shed arranged as in the following plan. A, manure shed; B, bin for dried earth; C, cow; D, store-room; E, window for putting in hay; F, door; G, trap to loft; H, feeding trough. Have her food provided as follows: into a common pail put one quart of provender (“provender” is oats and peas ground together, and can be purchased at any feed store), one-quarter pound of oil-cake, then fill the pail nearly full of bran and pour boiling water over the whole; stir well with a stick, and put it away covered with an old bit of carpet until feeding time; give her that mess twice a day. Have her dinner from June to November consist of grass or fodder cut and brought in twice a week by some farmer or market gardener in exchange for her manure and sour milk. In Montreal, grass and fodder are brought to market by the “Habatants,” and sold in bundles. As to quantity, a good big armful will be sufficient, and it is more healthful for the cow if it is a little wilted. In the winter hay and mangels are to be fed in place of the grass and fodder. She should also have salt where she can take a lick when so minded, and fresh water three times a day. The yard should be kept clean by scraping up the manure every morning into the little shed at the end of the stable.
Fig. 1.—STABLE AND YARD.
The following table shows the food required to keep one cow through the entire year:
| Hay, the best, two tons, at $10 per ton | $20.00 |
| 200 pounds of Oil-cake, at $4 per 100 pounds | 8.00 |
| 800 pounds of Provender, at $1 per 100 pounds | 8.00 |
| Half a ton of Bran, at $12 per ton | 6.00 |
| One ton of Mangels | 5.00 |
| $47.00 |
Your cow will require the following “trousseau”: