Litchfield enquirer., 1837-02-09
TREATMENT or MILcn cows.

as Jhat WhIch relates to tue providing of provender for the milch cows on our faI rIls. On many estates, even those of magnitude, the chief part oflhe food, ifDot the entire. which they get, are the blades, the tops and the husks of the corn, with an occasional gratuity of hubbins by way of holiday feast. The consequence is, that if the winter be severe and prolracted, there is nlne chances out of ten, that every COW, long before spring arrives, is either dry, OF SO near it, that the milk she will give is ] not worth the trouble and cost of strip ping, so that many farmers with half dozen or more COWS have neither milk nor butter sufficient for the domestic uses of their tables, during the latter part of each winter, and by tae time that the cold and bleak winds of March arrive many of the cows are on the hft. How is it possible it can be otherwise There is little or no succulent substance in the fS0d we have de- scribed in its dry state. and consequently COWS fed upch it, must for the want of mat ter convertible into milk, cease to yield it. In every other country save our own, ,i. forms l part of the business of every farmer or planter, to provide full supplies of nutri- cious food for his stock of every kind, and i for those which comprise the dairy COWS, especial pains and care are taken to pro- | vide sufficient quantity of, such roots as are heaItening and succulent, so that by thus providing substitute for the grasses of the pasture, or the soiling stalls or yards, his dairy, even through the dreary and inclement period of the winter, may con- tinue to contribute largely to the comfort of his family, and to the increase of his fortune. No good farmer, then, will keep more COWS than he can Keep soeN, and in SO keeping them, he finds his trouble re- warded, and has besides the satisfaction of knowing, that in thus acting he has fulfil led an obligation imposed upon him by every humane consideration, and dischar- ged duty required by Him, who in pla- cing the beasts of the field in subjection to man, enjoined that he should extend to- wards them his kindest protection and care. We frequently hear gentlemen com plaining of the difficulty of procuring such cows as will make profitable returns, and of the impossibility of keeping them to their milk during the winter. The reason is obvious. No COW, and we care not what her breed may be, whether she be of improved Durham SAOrt Horn, the De- vOn, the Alderny, the common COW of the country, or any other-we say no COW can be kept to the pail unless you give her something which will both nourish her sys- tenn and replenish her udder. To make COW yield liberal supply of milk through the winter, she should have in addition to full supplies of geod, wholesome hay or fodder, at least half bushel of roots of some kind, or an equivalent of cabbages or [ kale per day. And if the hay should be fed long. each COW should have, d feast two days in the week. messes of chopped rye and cut straw, to be either steamed or mixed up with boiling water, and permit ted to remain until it be fermented before feeding. The ambition of procuring fine breeds of animals of all kinds, is one
 worthy ofevery praise but thGt oftaking good care of what we have, is equally if nol
 more laudable. Besides these considera- ,ions, the interest of every farmer, is al- ways promoted by feeding his cows well.
 If fed in the niggard manner we have de- scribed, their keeping, such as it is, is a dead loss to their owners. they make no manure worth speaking about, and the ani-
 mals themselves are comparatively value
 less; and if kept generously through the
 winter, and sheltered from ti,s weather, each COW will give her two gallons of milk
 per day, and make from four to seven pounus oi butter per week, which latter should be set down as the profit, as the milk and cream consumed by the family will more than compensate for the teed.- In addition to this, animals thus fed make three times the quantity of manure, aud are always in condition to command good prices. We have engaged in nO specula- tive theories in what we have said, but have addressed ourselves to the common sense of the agricultural community in the hope that they will see the propriety of adopting 1 some plan by which our object can be ob- | tained.- Western Allocate. ,..ta D' 4 Fragment .for the LGdies.--' Thy Grandmother said my Uncle Toby, ad- dressing himself to young Arabella, just from London, and who was playing the battle of Marengo, on the piano-s thv grandmother, child said he, used to play on much better instrument than thipe.'
 'Indeed,' said Arabella, how could it have been better2 you know it, is most fashionable instrument, and is used by ey- cry body that is any thing
 'Your grandmother was something, vet she never saw piano forte.'
 But what was the name of the instru- ment? had it strings, or was it played by keysr
 You must give me time to recoIIect the { name it was indeed stringed instrument,