Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-04-13
farmers 4epartment.
THE BUTTER.DAIRY.

! have selected as the subject for discus.
sion at this meeting, the BUrTER.DAIRY AND
THE BREED OF Cows best adapted to that use.
The butter.dairy is becoming tif not already
so,) leading feature in the agriculture OF
Chester county. l have given the subject
some attention, and thiDk there are some
points susceptible of improvement, one or
two Of which viii! alude to.
First, then, the practice [ { taking our but.
ter to market twice-a-week during the warm
months, is very expensive both in time and
money; 1t is o season when the farm requires
the closest attention, aud the attention Of
those most interested. | believe it is not o
very unusual thing in this vicinity for farmers
to go to Philadelphia market twice a week
during the warm weather, thus spending three
doys every week away from their farms, sell.
ing but little else than their butter, while
their farming operations Of home suffer per.
haps for want Of their attention, more than
the whole receipts of their marketing.
This practice produces another sertous evil
to the iarmer the quantity of butter pro.
duced and put on the market in the early
summer So reduces the price that frequently
nearly oue-haif Of the fall and winter prices
are submitted TO, and believe that the mar.
! ket Is sometimes so over.stocked tina. some
4
To remedy this l would suggest that we
copy from those who in my opinion act wiser
/ 10 this matter than We do. Herkimer county,
ia the State Of New York, and L:tchfeid
county, 10 the State OF Connecticut are prob.
ably the largest dairy districts in this country.
1t is true, most OF their large daires make
cheese during the sumner, but many Of their
smaller ones do not and very little Of their
butter is sent TO market during the warm
months il is packed 10 trkius, sent to mar.
ke. la,o in the fall or early winter and we
now find it 10 the Philadelphia market CON.
! log in direct competition with our own fresh.
ly'made butter; not only SO but We ind it
here IN the borough OF West Chester, selling
at prices far above what We obtained for but.
ter made at the same time. To me this is evil
dence OF our disposition 10 go on IN the good
old way OF our fathers, without making evan O
| respectable effort to find some way that " would
be more to our interests in conformity with
the circumstances Of the day in which we live.
l tried the experiment last summer in a
small wny. 10 December | sold several hun
dred pounds Of butter made iu June and July,
at 80 cents per pound, and have engagements
| from the same parties for another season.
! II one half OF the butter made 10 the vicinity
CT Philadelphia during the warm months, was
packed on the eastern plan, those doing it
would relieve themselves Of u vast amount Of
trouble and expense and would considerably
| Increase their income, and greatly benefit
those who have not the energy to try the ex.
pertinent, by enabling them 10 obtain better
prices
do not think that very large proportion
| of our cows are well adapted to the butter.
dairy. What We want from o COW is quaint.
ty and quality OF butter; we should not be
governed by the quantity OF milk.
l have some 60elookiDg cows with the dis.
tinguishing marks OF good mixers, which were
selected by one OF the best judges 10 the coun-
| ~. but which are worth nothing for butler
while for the conscientious mllkman they
would be very superior. believe that oil
distinguished writer's end breeders both in
this country aud Europe admit that for the
butter-dairy the Alderneys stand at the bead.
| For early maturity, quantity and quality Of
butter, they certainly excel.
Prof. Flint, in his work on Dairy. Farming,
says that one or two good Alderny cows in a
herd OF fifteen or twenty, will make great
difference in the quantity OF milk aud butter
in the whole establishment. Again, he says.
no breed can excel them in the richness OF
their milk, aud the butter made from it,
They are therefore as dairy breed, worthy OF
attention on farms where the making Of but.
ter is sn object Of pursuit and profit. An
Infusion of Alderney blood, will be likely to
secure richness Of milk aud high favored, de.
licious butter. Again be tells US of the A
deruey cow, "Flora," which produced FIVE bnn
dred aud eleven pounds OF butter iu one year.
This was remarkable yield even for an Al
derney.
Dr. Twsddell. OF Philadelphia, writes to
me that be has been breeding Alderney cat
tie for about ten years, and says My expert.
ence has convinced me that they are tue best
o: all breeds for the butter-dsiry no other
race OF cattle approaching them 10 quanily
OF butter"
The rich, golden color, the waxy grain and
nutty favor of Alderuy butter, are lis marked
characteristics. aud distinguish il from that
produced by any other breed.
The Alderusy cows are steady mixers
continuing up to the time OF calving. They
are very gentle indeed, l never saw one
that was u kicker or 10 any way vicious. They
also come lotto prof, 90 early age.
John 1. Norton, Esq, Of Pennington. CT
who has been engaged ia the dairy business
9Th A!terneyeovs f0T mers thAS leo ys.rs