Deworraiic Watcha,
1914,
Bellefonte, Pa., January 16,
THE MIRACLE.
A baby seed all dressed in brown,
Fell out of its cradle one day;
The West Wind took it with loving arms
And carried it far away.
He laid it down on a bed of leaves.
And hid it with blanket white;
And there it slept like a weary child,
Through the long, dark winter night.
It woke at last, when the springtime came,
And stretched its arms on high,
And it grew and grew through the live-long
day,
Toward the sun and the clear, blue sky.
It drew its food from its Mother Earth,
And it drank the cooling shower,
Till the small, brown seed was changed at
last
To a sweet, wild, wayside flower!
— Harriet H. Pierson, in St. Nicholas.
THE DOCTOR’S STORY.
BY MARTHA ALRICKS JOHNSON.
{Written for the Watchman.)
In a quiet nook, on the broad piaza of
the Hotel Traymore, Atlantic City, one
summer night, were seated two middle
aged men. The balmy air of the ocean
fanned their brows, and gently wafted
away the smoke of their cigars while
they lingered over their talk.
They had not seen each other for years,
the hour was late, the porch deserted
and the temptation to recount old remin-
iscences was great. Myriads of stars
peered down from amid the blue of the
firmament above where the great round
moon like a ball of silver sailed swiftly
through space, and cast upon the wide
expanse of water its soft, bright shim-
mering light.
Doctor Markle and Henry Beecham
had been college chums, and a warm
friendship existed between them. Al-
though of late years the two men had
not seen much of each other, they occa-
sionally exchanged letters. The Doc-
tor’s home being in the state of Illinois
while that of his friend was in Pennsyl-
vania.
“You never told me Markle, the
younger man asked” how you happened
to go into the stock raising business? I
must say that I was surprised when I
heard that you had gone to Colorado.
I was still lamenting the idea of your
being so far away, when lo! you turn up
at the sea shore and tell me that you
are back in the ‘Prairie State.’ ”
“I liked the business, and I didn’t like
it Beecham,” the doctor replied, “I had a
pretty rough experience on one occasion,
that probably did more to dissatisfy me
with Colorado, than did anything else. I
came near losing my life.”
“I believe I heard something about it
at the time. Some one made an attack
upon you, or you were robbed?”
“lI was assaulted on the streets of
Denver one night, and left lying there
unconscious.”
“The thief meant to kill you, to cover
up his tracks!”
“Yes, but the strange part of it was,
there was nothing about me taken.”
“Tell me your experience!”
“It was just this way: Three years
after. I had entered upon the practice of
medicine in Springfield, Illinois, I fell
heir by the death of a great uncle, whose
name I bore, to a tract of land at the
base of Medicine Bow Mountain in
Northern Colorado. Said inheritance to
revert to me upon the condition of my
giving up my profession, and settling on
the property, which was a stock farm.
“In the event of my refusing to com-
ply with the terms of the will, at the end
of five years the estate was to be sold,
and the proceeds of the sale thereof
were to be divided share and share alike
between my brother (present judge of
one of the judicial districts of Colorado)
and myself.
“I decided to take possession under
the provision of the will, and as soon
as I had closed out the business that I
had in Springfield, took up my residence
on my new possession.
“I had never been in that region of
country where my great uncle had spent
his life time, nor had I ever seen him.
1
|
i
“He was a bachelor, and a man of
strong prejudices, having at one time
some difference with my father—his
brother—he had nothing to do with our
family, and it was not my privilege to
have known him. He had a hobby for
thoroughbred horses, and as he was in a
position to gratify his taste in that line,
his farm was stocked with horses, the
pedigree of which was a marvel in length.
“An old stone house was on the place,
plain and comfortable: there my great
uncle lived with an old housekeeper, who
for more than a decade had presided
over his household affairs. The live stock
about the place was given over to the
care of an Englishman by the name of
McKensie. .
“From the time that I went "over the
ground, and took an inventory of my in-
heritance I was impressed with the belief
that McKensie wasa rascal. He was big
and burly and his steel grey eyes had a
way of dodging one’s look while in con-
versation that created the impression
that he was deceitful. He had served a
long apprenticeship with my great uncle,
and had played his game so well that he
had won the entire confidence of the old
man. The fellow thought he could do
the same by me, but I saw through him
and when I was satisfied that he was
playing me false I sent him off. He was
; prospective that was in it I should not
‘the place.
very angry at my summary dismissal of
him, and made some ugly threats at the
time, but I got rid of him, and never
want to see him again.
“I assure you, but for the money in
for a moment have entertained the idea |
of spending the alloted term of my life
on a farm in the wilds of Colorado, but
not being over burdened with business,
and somewhat disappointed in not being
able to engage in a lucrative practice at
once, a change of any kind was acceptable,
especially when backed by a comparative-
ly large estate.
“Six months after I went to northern
Colorado I took: two hundred and fifty
horses to the Bazar in Denver to be dis-
posed of by public sale.
“It was late in the afternoon when the
sale was over, and the first train north
would not leave before midnight. I re-
turned to the Regan House where I had
established my quarters when I first
went to the city to dine, and wait for
time to go home.
“Upon my arrival at the railroad sta-
tion some hours later I learned that the
incoming train was 45 minutes late. In
order to pass the time until the train
came in I took a stroll down the street.
I went further than I had an idea of;
upon consulting my watch I saw that I
had but fifteen minutes to reach the
terminal. In order to cut the distance
short I turned into a side street, it was
considerably narrower than the one in
which I had been, and was made up
principally of wholesale ware houses and
fish,and provision depots. Few pedestrians
were about, and it was anything but a
safe locality for a stranger to be in, and
at that time of night, too.
“lI didn’t care about retracing my
steps. It would consume too much time.
In the hope of soon coming to an outlet,
leading to my destination I kept on.
More than once I reproached myself for
having left the station. The street was
dark. The lamps being dim and far
apart, and it was so alarmingly quiet.
“Under an electric light I passed a man
who eyed me suspiciously then hurried
on. Soon I heard the sound of a stealthy
step behind me. With the instinctive
feeling that I was being followed I quick-
ened my steps. The thought of being
robbed was anything but pleasant, es-
pecially at that particular time when I
carried about me the money realized from
the sale of the horses, many hundreds of
dollars.
“Once I was on the point of stopping
and having it out with the fellow who
was dogging my steps. I had my revolver
with me, and was prepared for an at-
tack, but when I took into consideration
what a lonely spot we were in, and in all
probability the stranger had the advantage
of me, being acquainted with that locality,
I decided not to open the attack. It set
my heart beating however to feel that
I was being pursued, and that the feet
were gaining on me. Presently they
came to astand still. I can recall nothing
more until I found myself lying on a cot
in the general ward of the Medico-
Chirurgical hospital. :
“As soon as I opened my eyes a nurse
came forward, and seeing that I had
recovered consciousness she summoned
the visiting surgeon, who after adminis-’|
tering a stimulant to me asked how I
felt. What my name was, and where I
lived?
“ ‘Where am I?’ I inquired.
“‘In the Medico-Chirurgical hospital,’
was the reply.
“‘How did I get here?’
my questioning.
“‘You were brought in,’ he said, “by
one of the city police, who found you
lying insensible in the street.”
“When I asked for my watch, and the
money that was about my person at the
time of my loss of consciousness, he in-
formed me that they were safe, and would
be restored to me.
A few days later when I was pronounc-
ed well enough to receive my discharge
from the hospital, my watch, and money
were given me. They were undisturbed.
“I could hardly credit it. Had my
assailant rifled my pockets or taken my
watch, I would not have been surprised.
But robbery was evidently not his in-
tention. He meant to take my life. And
yet why should anyone wish toharm me?
I was a stranger in Denver, never having
been there before, and save for the men
with whom I had been associated at the
time of the sale, I did not know a soul in
1 continued
“I confess the question puzzled me,
more than any one could form an idea
of. SometimesI thought it might be the
work of the fellow McKensie, but then
the provocation which he had for feeling
aggrieved at me was not sufficient to
justify him in making so brutal an attack
upon me. I scarcely thought him capable
of that.
“Before I left Denver I made a strenuous
effort to find out who my assailant was,
but could learn nothing.
“Settling in my mind that it was no
other than a lunatic who assaulted me I
gave the matter no other consideration
than to determine in my mind that in
the future I would give Denver a wide
berth.
“After the end of five years I gave up
stock raising, and went back to medicine.
In the course of time the position of resi-
dent physician in the Hillman hospital
was tendered me, and I accepted it.
When I had been serving in my new
capacity two years a man who had been
injured by an explosion of the boiler of a
locomotive on the Illinois Central rail-
road was brought into the hospital,
blinded by steam, and badly scalded
about the head, and body. When he was
able to speak, he asked if there was any
likelihood of his recovery? F
“Upon learning that he had but a short
time to live he became excited, and raved
incoherently until he exhausted the little
strength which he had. :
“I gave him something to quiet his
FROM INDIA.
By One on Medical Duty in that Far Eastern ,
Country. An Enjoyable Dinner. Servants Wear
Trousers Over Other Clothing. Interesting De- |
scriptions of Life in India.
JHANSI, DECEMBER lst, 1912. |
Dear Home Folk:
Still it is cold and of course, doors and !
most popular shade among the Hindus.
Children’s jackets, women’s waists, caps,
and underskirts, all are made of the same |
stuff. The “bah-slush” (gifts) as it is ;
services rendered, either in gifts or mon-
ey, and having given money they expect
you to almost belong to them. I some-
nerves, and was doing what I could to | windows wide open, but how can une ex- | times feel like telling them my services |
alleviate his sufferings when one of the | pect to be warm in these large, open |
physicians connected with the hospital
came to the door of Ward 6, where the
sick man lay. 2
“‘Markle!” the physician called, ‘can
I speak to you a moment?’
“‘Markle! Markle!’ the patient ex-
claimed starting up, and wildly rolling |
his sightless eyes round. ‘Where is he?
The man Markle! He has come to mock
me.’
* ‘Do you know him?’ I asked, thinking
it a fancy of his disordered brain. He |
sank upon the bed too weak to speak. I
gave him some more of the stimulant |
that he had taken before; it revived him,
and in a moment he raised himself upon
his elbow, and hissed between his closed
teeth. ‘He has come to mock me in my
last moments!’
“Again he sank into unconsciousness.
I sat by his side, my hand on his wrist,
peering into the swollen and distorted
face on the pillow. It was strange to
me: there was not a feature of the mar-
red countenance that I could remember
as ever having seen before.
“Presently the man stirred: I gave
him some brandy. It seeemed to put
new life into him. With superhuman
strength, he sat up in bed, and raising
his voice he called aloud.
‘I—I—kil—l—ed—him!’
“The breath with every word came
shorter, and shorter, growing gradually
weaker until with a final gasp it stop-
ped. I leaned over him and laid my
hand upon his heart. It had ceased to
beat.
“When the body was being prepared
for burial a paper was found in one of
the pockets of the vest, and written with
a lead pencil were these lines.
“I served four years in the Colorado
penitentiary for burglary. God knows
that I committed the deed. I was despe-
rate and starving. I had a little girl
named Nell, she was three years of age.
Her mother died when she was born.
There was no one but me to look after
her. When I was sent to prison they
put her in the poor house. It breaks my
heart. She was not over strong, and six
weeks after she was taken there she died.
That made adevil of me and I swore that
if Marmaduke Markle—the judge who
convicted me and had me put to prison—
ever crossed my path’ again, and I was a
free man, I would kill him. When I had
served out my sentence in the prison,
the evening of my discharge I was going
along by the station in Denver; it was
close on to one o’clock at night. I had
no home and was walking the street, be-
cause I had no where to go—I passed
him—the man Markle, under an electric
light. When I was sure that it was he, I
turned and followed him. Where the:
street ran along by an old warehouse I
slipped up behind him, and hit him a
blow on the back of the head with a
piece of iron which I had picked up for
the purpose. To make sure that he was
dead I beat him until he had ceased to
breathe, after which I made my escape
by boarding a freight train. When the
door of the car in which I was secreted
was opened I was here in Chicago.
“ ‘May the good God forgive the mur-
der that was in my heart
“ ‘Chicago May 6th, 18—
Hugh Connors.
“Marmaduke Markle was my twin.”
A Chinese Boys’ Game.
The Chinese and Japanese boys play a
serpent game which is quite exciting. A
dozen or more boys form a line, each with
his hands on the shoulders of the boy in
front of him. One of the boys is the
“wolf.” The boy at the head of the line
is the “head” of the serpent, and the last
is the “tail.” The “wolf” stands near the
head of the serpent until the signal is
given. Then he tries to catch the “tail”
without touching any other part of the
snake. The boys who form the body of
the serpent protect the “tail” by writh-
ing about in all sorts of twists to prevent
the “wolf” from catching the “tail.”
This must be done without breaking the
line. When the “tail” is caught the
“wolf” becomes the “head” and the “tail”
becomes the “welt.” The last boy in the
line becomes the “tail.” The game can
be continued until every boy has been
the “wolf.”—The Baptist Commonwealth.
Progress.
“My wife knew nothing of house-
keeping to begin with, but she’s learn-
ing fast.”
“That’s encouraging.” .
“Oh, she’s a bright little woman, if
I do say it! It has taken only two
cooks to teach her to keep away from
the kitchen, and I suppose that’s at
least half the battle.” —Puck.
Defined.
“Pa, what is a knocker?”
“A knocker, my boy, is a man who
usually finds fault with another man
who is doing something better than
he could do it himself.”—Detroit Free
Press.
In Luck.
“It’s no fun being married. My wife
is coming to me all the time and ask-
ing for money.”
“You're lucky. I have to ask my
wife always for money when I want
any.”
Marked Him.
“Are you aware who I am?’
“Sure! Didn’t I just call you an old
idiot ?"—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
rooms and never a smell of fire except
your alcohol lamp. It does seem curious |
and if I were going to stay in India long-
er I would get some heavier waists or
dresses made, but as I never need them
in the States, will not bother as I am not
fond of the “darzi” made garments; they
all look about third-rate, and thatis what
they truly are.
I went over to the club the other night
and met there a very nice woman whom
I have seen quite often and chatted with,
| but upon whom I have never called. She
asked me to go home to dinner with her;
| they drive a big touring car, sol, of
course, said yes. There was a young
| captain of the police at the club and he
i was included in the invitation. The four
| of us started in that pretty, big car, and
it was just fine. Of the dinner, I can
| only say that it was very, very good and
nicely served. Mr. Spilsburg (our host)
' has a beautiful voice and plays well, and
| as he is very nice, he sat at that piano
and played and sang until dinner was
announced, and after dinner, although he
could not sing, he played just any and
everything we suggested. The hostess
then took me out into the garden and re-
ally the moon was so bright that it just
looked like fairy land; the chrysanthe-
mums, moonvines, roses and violets all
seemed to be striving to talk and I know
there were little fairy bells ringing, for I
heard them, but it was cold and we went
back into the house, to a big open wood
fire and the pretty music, and in a short
time I had to come home.
They came for me to take a ride today
and we went along these perfect roads
for miles, the trees meeting over our
heads, until we came to a large dam,
which is the beginning of the canal sys-
tem in this part of the country. It is in-
teresting to see how it is operated. We
walked along tne top of the dam, and
looking off across the jungle the colors
were all mauve and yellow and the sun
was just going to bed, dropping down
softly into a little low bed of gray hills
just lying on the edge of the water, and
its reflection looked like a great pot of
gold, and away off to the east rose the
smoke of the native fires, like streams of
chiffon gray and soft, shrouding the low
jungle bushes, for in the winter the air
is heavy and the smoke streams do not
rise above the trees but float off in a
long, straight band, not over four feet
above the earth; and then the whole
water, upon which ducks and flies were
floating, took on the colors of the sky
and became like a rainbow, it was ail so
beautiful. We then went back to the
car and came home.
The hospital was my next care, as I
had operated in the morningon a little
six-hour old baby, to whom nature had
been cruel, and I was anxious to know
how it was getting along. After seeing
that the baby was all right and that the
other sick folks had what they needed
for the night, I went back to the bunga-
low, and after dinner we had our prayer-
meeting around the fire. Just as we had
finished there came a knock at the door
and six snipe were handed in. One of
the men had been out shooting and sent
us some of his trophy. The girls thought
it wrong to eat them, having been re.
ceived on Sunday, so the next ones I
shall send to the neighbors.
All of our servants have put on trous-
ers—not taking off their other clothing—
but just put on a pair of what looks like
two sacks sewn together, and stuffed their
other garments into them. The result
is truly so ludicrous I almost shrieked
the first time I saw them, and even now,
after seeing them daily, I can’t resist a
smile when they appear. Perhaps they
are kept warmer, but I doubt it, for I am
sure they are only cotton material and
not good for keeping out the cold.
I have just come in from seeing a sick
woman, and had strange experiences.
I asked for some mustard and they
brought me the whole seed, and when I
wished it ground two odd shaped stones
were brought and by using these the mus-
tard was ground while you waited, and
then going to a little stove off tothe side
(made of two uprights of plaster, a foot
high, built against the house, a large flat
pan over the top) brought me hot water,
and the plaster was made and put upon
the patient’s back, while she lay upon a
cord bed just beside us, in the open court
yard. Truly it is a primitive world
where one could not even find a spoon
with which to mix the mustard. They
seem to be fairly happy, and surely there
is little to worry about in their household
affairs. I must say the mustard plasters
are most excellent.
Just here a woman came in to have
her heart examined; of course it
was indigestion. I wish that you could
have seen her anklets; they were like
doughnuts, but about as thick as my
wrists, and very elaborately carved, of
pure silver and heavy; not entirely sol-
id, fortunately, or she would not have
been able to walk. As it was she had to
keep them at least four inches apart, to
prevent their striking. And again I re-
ceive a present—several yards of dress
material, but what can I do with it? The
color is so wierd; think I must put it
aside to bring home with me, as it is the
I,
cannot be bought with a few “pice” but i
for the sake of this mission I smile and
say nothing, taking the one or two ru-
pees (one rupee being equal to 32 cents)
as they are offered, but explain by way
of an interpreter, that the money will
be put into a box to help give the poor
medicine.
I am always amused when it is an-
nounced that strangers are coming. Oh,
what a cleaning up takes place and to-
day we are in the midst of the most gen-
eral cleaning up you can imagine for to.
morrow the General’s wife and friend are
to visit us. Itserves a good purpose for
thus we get all things clean at least once
in a while. Visitors are always wanted,
it helps make the place known.
Two large boxes from America came
yesterday; nice boxes of things for the
hospital and the poor folks, but it is not
Christmas for me. I'll wait until I get
back to really cold weather, and may be
a little snow before I believe it is really
Christmas weather, and yet this, I sup-
pose, is regular Bible Christmas weath-
er; it is because I know only the west it
seems strange tome. Speaking of Bible
scenes, one daily sees men riding upon
an ass, children carrying palm leaves,
women drawing water from wells, blind
beggars are legion, folks with leprosy mix
with all the crowds, and as to carrying
their beds, most of the lower caste are a
moving, shifting crowd, so their beds
must be carried along, else they sleep on
the ground. Roofs are often taken off
the houses and it would be quite simple
to lower a bed, but the upper chamber —
only once in a great, great while could
that be accomplished, for it is few and
far between that a house large enough
to have an upper chamber could be
found. Fig trees grow many places, but
how different it all looks to me now,
even the gambling one sees on all sides.
I wish you could have seen the hos-
pital servants at prayers this morning;
they squat down on the stone floors and
as most of them have a brown blanket
over them into which they retire like a
turtle, the effect is merely a bunch of
brown blankets, and Mrs. Ree, the ma-
tron, is seated on a chair, singing, read-
ing and praying to them. Prayers over,
they emerge from their shells, bare arms
and bare legs, to support this trunk-cov-
ered body; you rarely can distinguish a
head, but seldom see a face during the
cold weather. r
I wonder if I have told you how curi-
ously the smoke serves this world during
the evening. It seems to grow heavy
about five o'clock, and hangs about four
or five feet above the earth in a thin
sheet; in the city it is particularly no-
ticeable. Just why it should be so much
more in evidence in winter I would like
to know; but it seems to me India, with-
out its smoke-wreathed scenes would not
look natural. The weather is perfect,
skies as blue as indigo and the atmos-
phere clear and bracing. Why don’t that
smoke go up and make some clouds to
break the monotony?
(Continued next week.)
A Beaver’s Working Day.
A young beaver in Regent's Park Gar-
dens, London, was once placed at work
upon a tree, twelve feet long and two feet
six inches thick, just as the town clocks
sounded the hour of noon. The beaver
began by barking the tree a foot above
ground. That done, he attacked the
wood. He worked hard, alternating his
labor with dips in his bathing pond. He
bathed and labored alternately until four
o'clock in the afternoon, when he ate his
supper of bread and carrots and paddled
about in his pond until half past five
o'clock. Ten minutes later, when only
one inch of the tree’s diameter remained
uncut,he bore upon his work and the tree
fell. Before it fell the beaver ran as men
run when they have fired a blast. Then,
as the tree lay on the ground, he portion-
ed it out mentally and began to gnaw.
He worked at intervals all night; cut the
log into three parts, rolled two of the
portions into the water and reserved the
other third for his permanent shelter.
The work done, he took a bath.—FHar-
per's Weekly.
If a man wants to raise his house, he
can put jacks under and slowly lift it
into position. He can raise it much
quicker by exploding a charge of
dynamite under the house, but it will
ruin the house. These are two methods
of treatment for the bowels, the slow,
sure method, by which a small pill and
a carefully graduated dose removes ob-
structions. That's the method of Dr.
Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets. There are
other pills that act like dynamite. But
they ruin the system in doing it. Dr.
Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets represent the
best of modern skill and science applied
to the production of a perfect pill. They
help the system, and their use does not
beget the pill habit.
Easy Job.
“] would be willing to work,” said
Tyre Dout, “if I could get the sort of
Job I want.” ;
“What would that job be?”
“Well, I wouldn't mind calling out
the stations on an Atlantic liner.”
New York's Jewels.
There are more jewels in the city of
New York alone than in any other city
of the world.
General Need.
“By the way, old chap, | need a little
money.”
“You may consider yourself for-
tunate. I need a whole lot.”—Boston
Transcript.
FARM NOTES.
—Dairy cows are in demand and farm-
ers would do well to save all of the
promising calves. In some sections it is
| called here, isone of the curses of this |a difficult matter to find cows. Save the
!land. Everyone expects to give extra for | heifer calves.
—Beef cattle are still in demand, and
no mistake will be made in raising beef
cattle where plenty of feed is produced.
One trouble with our system is that not
enough animals are raised to consume
the feed crops.
—A good garden can be made on any
sort of land that is not chemically poi-
soned. A sandy loam, over a good red
clay is best, because it is adapted to a
wider range of plants, warms up sooner
than clay soils and can be worked soon-
er after a rain. But by drainage and
fertilizing all difficulties may be over-
come.
—Cruelty to animals is a heavy tax,
not only on farms, but wherever these
burden-bearers are used. Horses and
mules are half-fed, overloaded and then
beaten because they can’t pull the load.
We never see a man beating his team
without wishing the blows were upon
his own back. There may be a little
cruelty in the wish but it has in it the
element of justice.
—The hogs in England are given a .
great variety of feed—potatoes, turnips,
carrots, beets, peas, beans, barley and
oats. The grain is either steamed or
ground and the vegetables usually cook-
ed and mixed with swill. Grasses and
clovers are cut and fed during summer-
time. English hogs tend more to the
bacon type than do thoseraised in Amer-
ica. If lean meat is wanted, a greater
variety of select muscle-forming foods
must be fed.
Many horses, especially those used on
pavements or hard rocks, have corns.
The owner often has a mistaken idea of
corns, thinking they grow in the horse’s
foot and should be cut or burnt out.
Corns are but the result of undue pres
sure at theheel. The red appearance of
the affected spot is due to the rupture of
small blood vessels in the sensitive
structures of the foot. The blood thus
liberated filters down through the horn
beneath, thus - giving rise to the blood-
shot appearance of the sole at the angle
of the heel. To treat, remove the shoe,
pare down the sole over the injured part,
apply a poultice to remove the inflam-
mation, and then shoe in such manner
that the pressure at the heel will be re-
lieved.
—The skim-milk calf is under consid-
eration by many farmers. The opinion
is generally held that there is very little
profit in keeping a grade cow for the
calf she will produce. It is claimed that
there is more money in raising a calf on
skim milk, substituting meals and grain
in place of the butterfat removed, than
there isin letting the calf do its own
milking. It is not profitable, after a
grade calf is three or four weeks old, to
pour 20 to 25 per cent. butterfat into it.
Some years back the Idaho Agricultur-
al Experiment Station conducted an ex-
periment in the feeding of grade, or what
is described as scrub calves, with the em-
phasis on the first word. According to a
bulletin issued at that time by the Idaho
Station, five calves from grade cows were
dropped between the dates of February
25 and April 2, 1902. The calves were
separated from their dams within 48
hours after they were dropped, and in
most cases were allowed to suck only
once or twice before being removed to
the pens in which they were fed.
The calves were given the whole milk
from their own dams for the first five to
seven days. This was weighed out to
them, or:carefully measured, to obviate
the danger of overfeeding. Six to eight
pounds is the limit for large, thrifty
calves, and a great many will do better
on four or five pounds twice a day. It
would be better, no doubt, to feed the
calves less, but oftener during the day;
but there are serious objections to this
in actual practice, owing to the difficulty
of warming the milk or else milking the
cows several times each day out of the
regular order.
As already stated, the calves were giv-
en whole milk fresh from the cow twice
daily during the first five to seven days,
at the end of which time a portion of the
whole milk was withheld from each ra-
tion and worm separator milk substitut-
ed. At first not more than half a pint
was substituted, and this was increased
daily until at the end of three weeks the
calf was on separator milk entirely, in-
stead of the whole milk. When the feed-
er began to withhold the whole milk, and
to substitute the separator milk, he began
to teach the calf to eat whole oats.
This was done by placing not more than
a tablespoonful in the box in front of the
calf after it had finished its meal of milk.
The calf knows nothing of oats; but in
nosing about it will get some of the oats
in its mouth and in a very short time will
learn to like them. Whole oats are pre-
ferred to rolled or ground oats, for the
husk of the oat is then so thoroughly at-
tached to the grain that it will be mas-
ticated with the kernel, and the calf hav-
ing sharp teeth will have no difficulty in
grinding it.
The ration of oats should be gradually
increased as more of the whole milk is
withheld, and the separator milk substi-
tuted, until at the end of three or four
weeks the calf is getting half a pint twice
daily. The amount depends on the calf,
for some animals will eat the oats more
readily than others.
The calves under discussion were not
turned out to pasture until May 10, and
then only a short time each day. The
milk ration was continued until the
calves were four to six months old, and
then gradually withheld and the ration of
oats continued night and morning for a
few weeks longer, or until the fresh hay
was ready to feed.
The total amount of milk consumed
until February 9, 1903, average of 150
days for each animal, was 10,570 pounds,
which, valued at 20 cents per 100,
amounts to $20.14. Oats consumed in
200 days, 2000 pounds, at one cent per
pound, $20.00. Hay, 3025 pounds at $8
per ton, $12. Carrots fed during winter
60 days, 600 pounds, at one-fourth cent
per pound, $2.50. Total cost of food for
five steers, $54.74.
The calves were weighed the first day
of each month and showed an average
gain February 9, 1903, of 1.59 pounds per
day. The average weight at this time
was 512 pounds. This is not large, at the
same time it was made at a cost for food,
not including pasture, of 2.13 cents per
pound.
From the above results it would ap-
pear that it is possible, even with low-
grade calves, to make good gains at a
comparatively low cost without the use
of whole milk. With the addition of corn
to the ration even better results than
this might be expected.