Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-11-14
Farmers 9cpartnltllt.
Butter Increased by Proper Feed

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The Practical Farmer contains an
account of dairy farm IN Chester
county. Pa ,owned and carried on by
a merchant in Philadelphia. He he
gan farming four years ago, having
about one hundred acres Of cleared
land, for which he purchased twelve
COWS and two hcifers. lie engaged
q farmer, who continued in charge
two years, and made 1,432 pounds
of butter the first year. and l,0UU
pounds the second year. This was
principally from pasture alone, no
provision having been made by grow
ing early rye, corn fodder, or any
other green food. to keep up aplen-
tiful supply, either early or late IN
the season, when pasture was short.
and it is SO Indispensable in order
10 keep up the condition of the cows
and their milk. The third year the
proprietor undertook the manage
ment himself, and made two thou
sand. eight hundred and seventy
eight pounds of butter; and during
the fourth year ending April l, 1867,
he made four thousand and fifty five
pounds, having Increased his stock
from fourteen to twenty head-fve
of the latter heifers with their first
calves. He says:
Now suppose it will be asked by
what management the butter was in
creased from one thousand four
hundred and thirty-two pounds to
four thousand and fifty five pounds.
There was but little change in the
stock. almost all of the original cows
having been retained, and the in
crease being but three cows and
threos heifers, but the increase in
butter was from twice aud half to
three times the quantity. The diff
ference in the management was this:
My original farmer kept the cows
only as 1 have before stated, on pas
ture; the farm then had nothing
grown expressly to fodder or soil
them with, which was, and is now,
the custom with many farmers in our
country; neither was there any meal
fed, except it might be to a COW thai
had calved early in the spring, be-
fore the pasture was sufficient to
turn out upon; also the COWS were
permitted to remain out, exposed t0
cold, wet, storms when they should
have been stabbed and kept warm
and dry) thus early in the season
checking the flow of milk, which is
afterwards difficult to restore.
Early in the season the young
grass, when cows are first turned out
to pasture, is watery, and tends to
make the cows scour very much; and
although it will in that state increase
/, the flow of milk, and also the quau
tity of butter, yet it will be at the eX
pense of the condition of the COW,
reducing her in flesh, and telling up
on her during the whole season. At
this time consider it important that
COW should be fed with ship stuff,
or bran and cob meal, mixed night
and morning. This not only assists
10 preventing securing, but by keep
ing up the condition of the stock. in
creases the quantity of the butter to
q very considerable extent. My
opinion is that meal fed at this time
pays better, certainly as well as a
any other time during the season
not excepting in midwinter.
I ain well satisfied that the condi.
tion of the cow, in order to obtain
from her full yield, or one that will
be profitable, must at all times he
well looked to. She must he well
wintered and fed, so that when she
comes out of the barnyard in the
spring, after having calved. she j., ir
good flesh, showing her keeping, an6
the care taken of her, and not like
what is too much the custom of the
country, namely, dry cows, winteret
on straw, and no shelter except it b,
the lee side of the barnyard, until thu
calf is dropped, when it is too lat'
for the poor in flesh COW to yield he
full capacity.