The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-04-11


and then one gives large quantity ofmilI,
but less butter in proportion. Some of the
points III good COW, in his estimation are
these; the bag should run well forward under
the belly, aud be skinny behind; teats well
apart thin, narrow neck; if the neck is round
they are not usually good mixers; slim head;
narrow between the horns; deep flank; thin
thigh slim legs; ribs rather apart-when this
is the case they will have n larger cali; the
milk vein should be large; the hoof round, but
not long; and the legs straight
Mr. Buckminster said it had been stated
that an English cow had given thirty six
quarts of milk in day, but the story was not
well authenticated. He had COW which had
made fifteen and quarter pounds butter
in week. The most milk which she gave in
a day was eighteen quarts.
Brooks thought that the larger the quantity
of milk, the less butter a COW would produce.
He mentioned disease with which some
mich cows in his neighborhood were afflicted
They had propensity TO eat bones, and be-
came weak, and their bones would some
times break in trying to rise from the ground.
This he attributed to the great want of phos-
plate of lime in their food. lie had cured
the disease 10y giving bone meal. This dis
ease is confined to mich cows, neither farrow
cows or oxen are afflicted with it.
MIR Cole, Editor of the Cutivator, stated
that this disease had been prevalent in some
of the dairy counties of England. Chemists
had attributed il TO the exhaustion ofthe phos-
pilates in the land, and had recommended
bone manure, which had been used with
great success.
Mr. Calhoun read some remarks from an
article published in the N. T.. Farmer, by Mr.
Phinney of Lexington, who has the charge
oftle stock recently purchased for the State
Agricultural Society The following are ex-
tracts from the article:
"'Hhe Ayrshire cows have been for nearly
or quite century, distinguished as deep mil
kers, aud at the same time are known to be Il
hardy, mild tempered, and docle race, easly
kept, with disposition to fatten when not in
milk, and having capacity of converting
their food to milk, beyond that possessed by
any other breed ofcows in Great Britain"
"The North Devon stock has long been cell
ebrated as breed ofcatte beautiful in the
highest degree. For the dairy, they cannot be
considered eqUal TO the Ayrshire, but viewing
them as uniting the three qualities of working,
tattening and milking, they may be consider
ed as unrivalled. Some of the writers upon
English stock, give them high rank as mil
kers, and Mr. COnyerS, of Capt Hill, near Ep-
ping, district almost exclusively devoted TO
the purposes ofthe dairy, preferred the North
Devons, ION account of their large produce,
whether in milk, butter, or by sucking"
The Agricultural Society have imported
n bull and four cows ofeach of these varie-
ties. Mr. Calhoun thought the native breed
could be very much improved. The greatest
advantage claimed in the article above quo
ted, for the foreign over the native breeds,
was owing TO the great expense attendant
upon improving the latter.
Mr. Brooks thought the Ayrshire stock win
ter as well as the native, but did not think
they were any better mixers. Their teats
are short, which is mn objection. The Dew
ons are better stock.
Mr. Davenport, of Mendon, thought cows
would return milk in proportion to their keep
ing. He had kept COW in the stable four or
five years, she seldom leaving it, lie gives
her two quarts of meal per day, regular, and
roots and hay; also grass in the season. II any
of the above were not given, she would tell
of il ia the pail at night. He covers her with
IA thin coveriugin the summer, To keep Off the
flies, and with u thick blanket in the winter.
The water which she drinks is warmed in
winter Under this treatment there was but
little falling off in her milk until n short time
before calving. She has given from eight to
sixteen quarts at a milking. This COW does
not weigh 700 pounds. Her quarter is
long, and her skin loose. Some cows return
flesh instead of milk, for good keeping; but
generally the better they are kept, the more
milk they will give. The toughest cows are
not generally so good mixers as those which
are less hardy. Many rely too much upon
the breed, and not enough upon the feed.
Mr. Gleason had often had cattle swell
from the effects of choking. TO cure this he
taps them close to the last rib on the left side
Mr. Davenport gives little weak I've to cat
tie which swell up mot from the effects of
choking.l He puts about pint of ashes to a
pail full of water, aud draws hay through the
lye. He had given this TO both horses and
cows for other diseases, with good effects.