Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-03-03
FIELD AND FIRESIDE.
from the Southern Planter and Farmsr.I
Miloh Cows.


Hr E,litor,-That far too little attention
has been paid by our farmers and others to
these useful animals. is fact which your cor
respondent has had occasion to remark.
Accustomed, from infancy. to Southern plan
tation life, but in latter years familiar with
Northern aud 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. On a small scale, too.
he has put in practice Il moderate amount of
energy to endeavor to realize what care,
directed by good sense, may accomplish in
this latitude towards remedyinS the deficiency
in question. The result has been gratifying.
and he takes the liberty of making n brief
statement. by way of inciting others to put
forth endeayor in this direction, with even
better reward.
Your correspondent has but a small body
of land, on which he raised only limited
amount of corn, wheat, oats and hay. He
keeps four cows. His care of them embraces
these essential particulars:
l. That they be always dealt with gently
no hallooing at them, or violence allowed.
2. That they be sheltered ,haltered in stalls,
kept clean, and with good beds, in winter.
3. That they be Systematically fed with
food suitably warmed in winter
/. That they be systematically and tho
roughly milked-by a man, if possible.
5. That their tendencies towards maturity
be so attended to, as to insure, if practicable,
calves and renewed freshness every year.
By this course your correspondent is ena-
bled to secure, in mid winter, an average pro-
duct of six or eight quarts of milk day from
oh
abundance of milk, cream and butter, tho
gross value of which, at this season, may bo
fairly estimated at not less than twelve dollars
week, besides the comfort which no such
outlay could, in general supply.
His personal attention is given only in the
way ofexact supervision, half an hour in the
carly morning and again towards night>fall,
The work is done by negro man, hired
at ten dollars u month, who does great many
other things. The feeding is done in large
troughs or cribs, subdivided, so that the
smaller portion shall be water-tight for slops,
&C., the other for the fodder, &c.
In the early morning u mixed feed is Civ
en- of Maugold Wurze bccts or turuips sliced
up, and bran, thoroughly treated with warm
water, i'll the tight portion of the crib. At
the same time sufficiency is put of shucks
or fodder in the other portion of the crib
About gallon Of the sliced roots, and rs
much bran, to each COW, and two or three
gallons of water to each, constitute this sue
culcnt mornings meal. AT one O'Clock
they are fed again differently. A quantity
Of straw is cut up with cutting knife. treat
ed with few quarts of bran, put in the
tight portion of the crib, and served with ~
considerable portion of warm water, and tho
whole well stirred. At night the morning
process is repeated.
The stalls are cleaned out end relittereG
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 being we'll foored with stalks.
straw. &c. The haltering is with n small
cord simply tied around the of the horns.
The animals, treated gently, arc so tractable,
although one or two of them had boen ex-
tremely wild and unmanageable, that they
are as readily haltered as the best trained
horse.
The milking is done about TIE timo of
feeding, morning and night, aud with ener-
gy and rapidity.
Your correspondent having important lite
rary work TO do, and very limited means.
can give to matters of this kind only frag-
ment Of time, and very little outlay. But
he has been surprized 70 see what judi
cious care thus applied will affect
One of the secrets in the case is, it will be
observed, the summer cultivation ofsuceulent
roots, and their preservation in winter. This
is essential. But it can everywhere be east
ly done; and it is astonishing that 30 little Of
it is effected. The warm water is an impor
tant element. Everybody can secure it with
some simple, economical appliance. Kitchen
sOps are also used.
Under the changes wrought in our labor
system, things of this kind will have to be at
tended to; and your correspondent will be re-
warded for this unpretending contribution. if
others in our dear suffering South gather
from his suggestions few profitable hints.
P,