The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-03-13
Che farm and Burden.
MILCH COWS.

L D.. ~
That far too little attention has been
paid by farmers and others to these use
full animals, is fact which your cores
pondent has had occasion to remark.
Accustomed, from infancy, to South
ern plantation life, but in latter years
familiar with Northern and Western
processes, he has been led to compare
the general neglect OF cows on our plan-
tations, and consequent deficiency of
milk and butter, with the greater care
and better results in these respects,
witnessed in some other regions. Ona
small scale, too, he has put in practice
a moderate amount of energy to en-
deavor to realize what care, directed
by good sense, may accomplish in this
latitude towards remedying the def
cheney in question. The result has
been gratifying, and he takes the liber-
ty of making brief statement, by way
OF melting others to put forth endeavor
in this direction, with even betterre-
ward. 9is is aa. eNl - a@ta's
Your correspondent has but small
body of land, on which he raised only a
limited amount of corn, wheat. oats,
and hay. He keeps four cows. His
care of them embraces these essential
particulars: aai aa#ph es1'a
l.. That they be always dealt with
gently-no halloing at them or vio-
lence allowed. H %" i 5fais
g. That they be sheltered, haltered
in stalls, kept clean, and with good beds
in winter. f p84s1oa5 81 .tstft Y
8. That they be systematically fed
with food suitably warmed in winter.
A. That they be Systematically and
thoroughly milked-by a man, if posi-
BILE. aao sal'atf aaE 'es5'i2
8. That their tendencies towards ma
turity be so attended to as to insure, if
practicable, calves and renewed fresh
ness every year. sHod snt43"s a1t
BY this course your correspondent is
enabled to secure. in mid-winter, an
average product of six or eight quarts
of milk day from each cow, supply
ing large family with an abundance
of milk, cream and butter. the gross
value of which, at this season, may be
fairly estimated at not less than twelve
dollars a week, besides the comfort
which no such outlay could, in general,
supply. 4satT5 S5t4".ll .e-a e7f
His personal attention is oiyen only
in the way OF exact supervision, half an
hour in the early morning and again to
wards night-fall. aa s9af aat %
The work is done by negro man
hired at ten dollars a month, who does
great many other things. The feed
ing is done in large trougis or cribs,
subdivided, so that the smaller portion
shall be water-tght for slops, &C., the
other for the fodder, SC. 'Toia. bna
/, In the early morning mixed feed is
} given of Mangold Wurzel beets or tiir-
nips sliced up, and bran, thoroughly
treated with warm water, in the tiobt
portion of the crib. About a gallon of
water to each, constitute this succu-
lent mornings meal. AT one O'Clock
they are fed again differently. Aquan-
tity,of straw is cut up with a cutting
knife, treated with few quarts of bran
put in the tight portion of the crib. and
served with a considerable portion of
warm water, and the whole we'll stirred.
At night the morning o process is reoeat-
ed. tir aa aeEll q ,i4n3F
The stalls are cleaned out and relit-
tered every morning, and at night. if
necessary. Being thus attended to, it
takes but little time. The animals are
let out in the stable yard in the day,
unless the weather is very bad, this be-
ing we'll floored with stalks, straw. &c.
The haltering is with small cord SIM
ply tied around the horns. The ami
mails, treated gently, are SO tractable.
although one or two of them had been
extremely .wildand unmanageable that
they are as readily haltered as the hest
trained horse. f.,f "a, ss.fss, )
The milking is done about the time
offeeding, morning and night, and with
energy and rapidity. rse .o
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