Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-04-05
AGRICU LTUR E.
From the American Ariculturist.
MILOH COWS.

Mich cows are higher than beef oattle-,bat
10, u COW with calf will sell for more than the
same COW would II we'll fattened. They are
FULLY 20 per cent. higher than OF this time last
year. No other branch OF farming has peid go
well during the last two years as dniryiDp. Iu-
stead OF buying cows at these extreme rates.
however, 1t will bs>better to feed those we have
mole literally, and see II we cannot get as
much butter from six cows as we ordinarily do
from ten. IL the sig cows were led with extra !
food costing less than half W hat We should he We
to pay for -four new cows, | feel sure that they
would produce more butter than Ten COWS kept |
in the usual way. eau see no reason why 1t
will not pay to feed cows meal, even when they |
haze good pasture. We may not get more |
milk, out If the cow 10 good one, 1t will GER
tainiy be richer. an feeding my cows, and
have been all winter, quarts Of corn and pea
meal day, AMI propose to continue it after
they are turued to grass.
know there are those who think corn meal
is toe heating for milcb cows-thst 1t will dry
them up, or that the cream will be ropy If The
COW has plenty of succulent grass, however, /
do not see why such should he the case. 1t is
only adding the nutritious mater whish is OF
dinarily de6ceutin poor grass. You say corn
contains large quantity of oil and starch,
and but little nitrogen and mineral water
This is true, but let me tell you fact which
cannot now stop to explain:
Poor, rank grass contains more nitrogen aud
more mineral water than rich sweet grass. I
mean 1t contains higher percentage. 1t does
not really contain more, but having less OF
starch, oil, etc, the percentage Of nitrogen
and ash Is higher. 1t does not contain too
) much nitrogen, hut too little starch aid oil
Corn meal will supply these.
You don't understand this2 You cau't see
why poor grass should contain more ritrogen
than good grass Perhaps not. Such however,
is the tact. The same is true of poor wheat
II contains more gluten (nitrogep) than good
wheat-that is, a higher percentage. 1t is de-
, hcisnt in starch: II you should take TWO sheep
: exactly the Same weigh, aud kill one while il
was thin, you would find 1t contained higher
, percentage OF nitrogen aud mineral matter than
the other sheep KEEP till it was quite tat. Oh
:, course there would be Just as much nitrogen
II and bones in the latter, but the percentage
would be less--simply because there is much
more fat. 1t is so OF lean grass and lean wheat
You have the bon and the skin, the ash and
the nitrogen, but yol lack the fat.
1t would undoubtedly be better to make the
Il grass fat than to try to furnish tie fat by Civ
ing the cows grail; but you cannot make rich
fat grass in a month, and unless you have the
very best Of meadows, you had better feed n
u little grain till you can improve your grSs,
lani. The Doctor feeds his cows meal shoIts
etc., all suhmer and gets large returns sup
y pose he "slops" them; at least he makes tn,
meal into pudding" with hot water. This i.
|, undoubtedly the better way, but merely steep
lug the meal in cold wa Il for "a hours 10 agrea
Improvement over feeding it dry, or OF wettinl
IL Just al The time.
If 1t turns out, sowever, that corn meal il
too heating, will substitute crushed oats. Blu
. have great faith 10 corn meal Many objec
! TO feeding horses corn meal in summer On &c
count of It's heating properies, and yet at th
, Weet horses are fed almost exclusively on thi
y grain, and the Third Avenue K X. Horses il
New York are fed more corn meal than hay
il recollect right about IL pounds Of corr
meal and ID lbs. of ripe timothy bay chutfed
:, After repeated expermsnts, it is said thi
\ proves to be the best daily diet for har,
working horse. Such may be the case will
cows; co may be heating simply because
9 10 very nutritious.
s IL lie said, you know, that the celebrated oak
COW, the first year after she WAS purchased
gave ON ordinary food $50 lbs. Of butter in To
season. The next year she had Ia bushels o
. corn meal and then gave 300 pounds OF butter
u The next year she was allowed IS bushels, AM
gave over 400 pounds of butter According Il
this, bushel of corn meal gave TO 10 lbs
OF butter. This at present prices, will give
handsome profit, as butter is high aud cor
meal low
According to the last census the yield Q
butter per cow in the Middle states was onl
and in the Western states only SO lbs. Low
As are these figures the returns in 1850 wer
lower sti J., showing an improvement. Du mi
the last two or three yeUrs the hugh prices
butter and cheese have uuquestiouaely stmu
lated produc ion. We are tee ding hi : her thu,
ever before, and never knew 40 much butt,
pIouuce US duiing lat inl and early wintc
In my own case, we made three times rs mu q
pu''er Huer oetouet nc 1"''ng the same peru
mt the year b. fore.
ed, l. is II little risky buying cows at prese
'r" prces. la;n aware that good COW ia wont
IN 500 at the present prVe of butter and chees
ny and it would ply TO purchase freely, provide
~ The same COW be- worth $500 next spring.
0Sl howevcr, we should lose S25 or $50 on II
'u' COW, IL will lake out large slice from It
NY pioilts. Ia THIS, as in mauy other operation
~. we get d big interest, but lose half our cApi
u tai. Our safest policy /, TO feed the cows v
M have Literally rather than buy more.
L 'bnt shpp0sing you have more grass tina
ne your COWS i'll consumer
en- Reserve portion OF it for hay Probab
,lu cows will be cheaper next fall and you will l.
ne tnen IN condition TO purchase to advantag
9S II you cannot Nov your meadows, keep mo-
pc sheep. II mistake not, sheep " i'll be bougl
'pe Reasonably sfter next shearing. The "kas tar
nte Mrrino fever is abating. The rage is now fl
Vi dairy cows. But do not be carried away wi,
oi ill., We live in uncertain times Prices are il
'm, fiat d; they will subside Til they tud the
10 level aud probably go below it.
yer Think OF ii. In the tail OF 1881, in the i
81. districts OF this State, Old cowr were uougi
''e by the hundr, 81 from So TO SIS head Al
IA slaughtered for beef 1t was al this very tin
'r- that uIg.d farmers in the wheat districts
buy cows and pay more attention to the dair
We need more stock 10 make manure, aud
yer thought, and sill thisk, we caa make rno
on money from dairy cows than from sheep B
hr as have said before lust Tor the time heir