Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-01-17
RURAL ECONOMY.
From the Southern IgricuLtHrist.

MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE AND MlLeH COWS.
st. Paul's Parish, Nov. 10, 1886.
MR. .EDIToR,-Aty your request, venture
to appear before the public us scribbler
but when recoect that you assure me.
sit is not the manner, but the matter, that
YOU DESIRE" feel myself somewhat cmbol-
dencd in doing so.
can readily appreciate the correctness
of your remarks, when you observe, that
"the attention to stock, aud the dairy, con.
stitute one of the chief sources Of the plan
ter's comfort and income" This, Sir,
ought to be the case. Our planters ought
to feel, that TO supply themselves with their
own butter, and their own beef, is not only
adding to their own interest, bu, to tha: of
the State also. If they did so, we would
not now have TO give Is or 20 cents for our
meat. Our markets would be better sup
piled, and at better rate. Butto your re.
quest. You ask me to give you for publ
cation, the result Of my experiments, in the
raising ofstock, aud in making butter.
In answering your question, would pre-
mise, that my stock cattle, andmv cattle for
milking, are kept separate and distinct.
Stock CaHh.-Thcse | suffer to run at
large during the day. Ny range for them
is Il large savannah, or old rice field. where
they are kept, with one or two boys or men
mindine them. At night they arc driven
home and penned,both winter and summer :
the calves in one pen, the mothers in an
other. separate the calves thus, because
it keeps them from being hurt; and, by
suffering the cows milk TO accumulate
during the hight, makes them more IA, by
taking it from her in that state, in the NOR
ming. In the winter season, feed them at
night with straw or con-shucks, saved Tor
the purpose. | always keep my cow-pens
well Uttered, and in no instance do | permit
the pens to become boggy and damp, for
want of leaves or straw. BY employing a
part Of your force once or twice month, in
collecting litter for your pen, you will gather,
from even small number of COWS, manure
enough for all your fields. But every
planter knows this. 1t is of the manage
mcnt Of milch COWS, that | would offer a
few hints
Mich Cows.-A few COWS well fed, will
afford more milk than six times the num-
Der indiferently fed. This is not mere
assertion; il is fact have experienced.
4 few years ago, out of thirty COWS which
I milkcd, | could no;, absolu;e y, procure
butter enough for family use. Some of
them gave two quar;s ofmilk, bu; by far the
greater number gave not half so much.
At that time, did no, feed my COWS, but
merely suffered them to pick up what they
could from the fields. For the last four
wears have followed different course,
and one which has perfectly assured ME Of
the truth of my position, viz, that few
COWS we'll fed, will give more milk than SIX
times their number suffered TO feed them
selves. My mode of managing my mllch
COWS is, TO have Il separate pen made for
them, in warm place, with good cover
over the pen. have eight COWS kept for
milking. These are kept in separate stalls,
and are fed twice per day.
always have a paIch of turnps, or ruta
baga, for feeding them, and steam their
food, in large pot, kept for the purpose.
All of the potatocs-scraps, and othervegc-
table matter on the plantation, may be
cooked for them. Cows thus fed, will yield
milk throughout the entire year; will al
ways keep fat; will have good calves; and
make more manure, if their pens be well
Uttered, than dozen COWS that arc not
kept like them. In a week af;er such COWS
calvc, their CALVES should be separated from
them, and fed, and only permitted 10 be
with their mothers when milked.
am astonishcd, Mr.. Editor, that grca-
ter number Of our people do not turn their
attention to the raising ofstock, particularly
in our parish. We have immense rice
fields and "canc brakes" which are now
receiving no sort of cultivation, and, am
sure, upon these as fine cattle might be raj
sed, as in any part Of Kentucky. In anoth-
or number. | may write YOU more at length
upon this subject; until then, | remain,
YOUR obcdient servant. ". w.