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Show THE VISION OF BETTER THINGS. By Edgar L. Vincent. The farmer who is ambitious to do better things than he has done in the past is the hope of this nation. Men do not always realize that they may be called to be farmers, just the same as some arc chosen to be lawyers law-yers or doctors or preachers; but I hold it to be a fact that men arc set apart for the farm in exactly the same way that they arc for any of the so-called so-called learned professions. If we un-dcrstood) un-dcrstood) this truth, there would be far less uneasiness among the farming classes, still less disposition to find fault with one's environment and even less still of willingness to follow the same narrow channels years after year. The farmer who in some degree realizes that great things arc awaiting him if he docs his best to fill the place to which he has been predestined, will take long looks into the future. He will sec, not simply the end of this day's work, but the object which can be reached only by years of faithful, earnest endeavor. Let us now apply this to the dairy farmer, just as practically as we can. First set it down for r. fact that we arc on the farm because there is really real-ly something worth while for us to do. The great plan for us is that we shall do something which shall make this old world a little better. How can we do this? Begin just where we arc. That seems to be the most sensible conclusion con-clusion possible. We may never be able to strike twelve all at one time; but by keeping at it, we may in the course of time get in the twelve strokes and make them count just the same. Tf we have not the money or the means to get about us the herd of cows we would -like at once, let us do the next best thing and, with the vision of the better dairy we would like to have clearly in mind, strike toward it with all our might. Every man of us has a foundation for such a work under his feet. If he has not more than five or six cows, he is in a way to make his little herd larger and better. The thing is to go jiboutitwith aneyeand a heart single to the duty and the privilege before him, and never be satisfied until he has reached the aim of his aspiration. Now, say a man has these few cows, what next? Well, next, let him hold a counsel of war with himself and decide which of those cows arc the best. By the best, I mean those which by virtue of their age, physical characteristics and actual performance perfor-mance arc best qualified to act as (breeding stock. Some of the tests which may be applied here arc, quantity quan-tity and quality of milk; build of body; capacity of udder; condition of health; and hereditary tendencies. These tests may strike out some cows which have been looked upon as choice and which have held first place in the affections of the owner. Let that be as it may, sentiment must not be permitted to hold sway at a time like this. Having determined which arc the cows best fitted to become the mothers moth-ers of the dairy herd which is to be, let the owner mate these cows with the best possible sire. If he has none of his own, and docs not yet feel able to invest in such a one as will satisfy the requirements of the situation, let him look about among his neighbors for such a sire. It may be he will be compelled to go a long way to reach such an animal. This should not discourage him; neither should it stand' in his way that he must pay a considerable sum for the service he secures. The money will all come back to him in the long run. When the calves begin to come from these cows, let him make it the work of his life to bring them up to maturity in the best possible. condition. condi-tion. Calves arc many times neglected. neglect-ed. This is a sad mistake. It makes all the difference in the world how we raise the calves. We lay stress on the treatment of children when young. Even the colt is cared for with great solicitude. Why not the cows which are to furnish us our living tomorrow? tomor-row? At the same time that the calves arc coming up, let the ambitious farmer far-mer be doing other things in the way of preparing for the better dairy which is in his dreams. A better barn, with a silo to furnish succulent food; a good system of ventilation; some good dairy equipments, if he ill' tends to make up his milk at homd; good churns, and in fact all the acces- horics for better work in the house "arid at the barn. .jdfamM&g- Also let liinn sec that he has a pure water supply which will never fail. Let the pastures be brought into the best possible condition. The brush and weeds may be cut off, the old moss-fbound turf rooted up and seeded seed-ed down to good pasture grass, and the water supply attended to. In the meadows the same system of improvement im-provement may be adopted. Fences may be rebuilt and stones all picked up clean. Following this plan carefully and systematically for a few years the farmer will sec the vision coming true. He will become more and more convinced con-vinced that he may do what he wants to do and fulfil the mission upon which he has been sent. |