M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-01-14
Sgriealtaral.
Cows and Butter.

IN lat6 numOeT, 1OuV CoIISopOH-
dent, b., asks for detailed statement
as to the feeding of cows, and making
butter in autumn and winter. Nov, if
B. can gather anything Of value >to
himselffrom my statement ofthe mode
we have been practising for some six
teen years, shall be repaid for my
trou6le in Offering it
Twill begin with the care of COWS
about calving time. For several days
before this period, feed ruta bagas or
turnips, i'll have them; t'not a little
corn meal will answer, to keep the
COW in about the same condition she
wonld he on grass. After calving,
/ give warm slop for drink for the
first three days: this is made by seal
ming a little wheat brand; after that
let her have cold water to drink /; |
don't give much strong food for
week or two, for fear the udder will
swell; in that case, | milk all can
get, first, aud let the calf suck after
ward. In cold weather, / stable the
cows at night, and most of the day 1;
! let them out to water at noon, and
they have free access to salt, and are
carried every morning.
As to feed, | consider there is moth,
ing better than sweet corn meal and
good hay; but | would here say, that |
am a firm believer in raising roots for
cows; if fed judiciously, COWS will
milk quite as well, and the cost will
be much less, and the quantity Of the
butter not be injured. In feeding roots
to'milch cows a little corn meal should
be fed with them, and they should be
fed directly after milking, as the
smell of the roots is then destroy
cd.
MILKNe.--Perhaps more depends
on this than B. is aware of; the time
should be equally divided; the uddy
and teats, if dirty, should be washed
with warm water. and wiped dry. |
never allow any body togo to milk
without first washing the hands. We
milk fast, and permit no talking while
at it; don't allow the fingers to be
put into the milk to moisten the teats;
It Is an unclean practice, We strain
through fine wire strainer, and put
about five quarts in pan; these are
tin, and they are kept bright and scald-
ed frequently. The temperature Of
the room where the milk is kept should
be from 55 to 65 deg. Fahrenheit; there
should be no cooking done where milk
is kept; there should not be left more
than three milkings stand at one time,
as the cream gets bitter. Should the
cream not rise fast enough, about a
gill OF sour milk to each pan, when
strained, will help it. The cream
should be stirred every day, and the
Oldest should not be over week.
CHURNINe,-When churned, the
cream should be Of the temerpature OF
sixty-two degrees.
The BUrTER.-Should the buttel
need a higher color, or more grass-like
flavor, few yellow carrots, pared ,
grated, and boiled in new milk, strain
ed, and the liquor put in the churn,
with the cream, will do it. The churn
butter worker, scale, &C., should be
kept bright and clean and scalded be-
fore and after using, and should BE
thoroughly dried before being put
away for future use. Every particle
of butter.milk should be taken from
the butter before the salt is added;
the best quality of salt should be use
ed, andSthis should be thoroughly
worked in, or the butter will be
streaked. After the butter is put in
to pounds and printed, the cloths
should be put on: they should be Of
fine white muslin and kept white, and
should be put in salt and water, and
wrung dry before using;the butter may
then be put in the tub, which should be
clean and sweet.
Now, if B. is regular in attending
market, and will follow the above di.
rections, he will soon find customers
for his butter at tip-top market price.
/ would here add that B. should see
to the milking of the cows himself
and his wife should take charge of il
after it is strained; for herein lies the
secret of success-and not trust tC
careless hired help, as this branch o.
farming will pay if rightly attended
to. find, by reference to my ac.
counts, that my cows have averaged
little oytr sixty dollars each, thus
far, the present season, and the sea
son has yet four months to run
Correspondent, Germantown 1ste
or11)b