Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-02-19
AQrtruLturaI.
MILKING-HOW OFTEN SHOULD III
BE DONEi

MlLhlNO-nON VI fN OflOILD IL
BE DONEi
An expere need dairyman discusses at some
length, in the Agricultural Gazette, (Eng.,)
the number Of times COW should be MIXED
daily We need not give his views in full
but they are decidedly in favor Of milking
three times day instead Of twice. His ar
gument for more frequent milking is found
ed upon the fact that a COW with the calf by
her side, in an abundant pasture, where she
can soon get her fill, will feed four times in
the twenty-four hours, and have an equal
number OF times for ruminating and that the
calf will suckle regularly at times correspond
ing with these. While he does not think that
milking four times day is advisable, as we
are able TO depart from the natural course Of
things within certain limits, yet he holds that
thrice is nearer to the manner in which the
COW is MIXED by the calf than is twice, and
that cows, MIXED three times day, have
tendency to convert their food into milk, rather
than into fat, while with a less frequent milk
ing, the secretion Of fat is more active. He
says: "The reader will bear 10 mind that we
are combining our observations to cows fed on
highly nourishing food-the starving system
OF the olden time having been thrown over
board and the question now under notice, Of
fat when only MIXED twice day than when
MIXED thrice, must appear so plain to those
who have any heightened experience in the
matter, as hardly to require word of detail
ed argument to fortify the conclusion. Thus,
according to our own experience, there were
about IA hours from morn to evening In
some town diaries, the length Of time between
the evening and morning meals is greater,
nd hat HATE ka
less. During the summer months, we have
had only Is hours between the evening and
morning, and l between the morning and
evening, the times being thus more equally
divided. Under the three. meal system there
were ten hours between the evening and NOR
ming, and seven hors between each Of the other
two meals the night interval in the summer
time being shorter. and the day interval long
er. Such being the facts of the case as to the
length of time, upon which the argument him
ges, the reader will perceive that, assuming
the Eliminating, digestive, and secretory func-
Nons equally healthy and active in both cases,
the milk remains four hours longer in the
udder of the COW under the two-meal system
than under the lhree-m meal system over night,
and twice these. hours during the day The
effects of this difference upon the functional
increase her carcass weight and reduce the
quantity Of milk secreted betwee nmeals In
discussing this question, it must further be
borne in mind that both these processes--the
manufacture Of meat, il we may so call it, and
the manufacture OF milk--are continuously
going on in healthy COW so that it does not
require much force to turn the balance either
way, more especially when there is natural
tendency to the secretion Of fat, especially
over night. and the adverse to the secretion
Of milk. In principle, the argument of milk
remaining in the udder for a length of time
after it has been secreted, is identical with
that Of leaving portion in the udder after
milking. No doubt sour brewers grains and
distiller's wash may be given to cows in guam
tity sufficient to stimulate the secretion OF
milk, and counteract the tendency to run TO fat
but the practice is out of date, and the atgu-
ment which il involves unworthy of the pres.
ent enlightenment. "ln the localities where
cows are only MIXED twice a day, there would
doubtless be many objections raised in the
adoption of milking three times, even in ex-
amples where all the milk ia consumed upon
the farm. But those who raise this objection
should frst bear in mind that their presen,
practice took its rise 10 times when cows and
calves half starved, conditions which do not
apply IN the present age; second, in those
districts where three times milking is the
common rule, no difficulty is experienced in
getting servants 10 attend regularly to the
hours Of feeding and milking.
'As to commercial dairies, where the whole
Of the milk is either sold wholesale or in retail
the third meal may be used for raising cream
or portion of it, the remainder being warm
ed and mixed with the morning milk, which
would rather improve the latter than other.
wise, the evening milk being richer than the
morning milk. This, we may observe, ia nc
hypothetical proposition, but The actual prac
tice successfully followed in those district.
where cows are MIXED three times day
large towns in them being better supplied with
new milk, butter and cream, than towns stu.
ated in districts where the two.meal system
is exclusively pIscticed. In short, no valid
objection can be rails to The three m al sys.
TEN, il dairymen would consult their own in.
terests, and the welfare Of their COWS, free
from craft Prejadices'
STABLE EooNoMY There is a ponular
prelude against feeding grain to colts until
they mature into the horse and are put to
work. This popular error originated proba.
bly, in the fact that corn, from its heating pro-
perties, has been overied to young colts and
produced injurious effects. The abuse Of a
wholesome beverage has interdicted its use
Oats, the natural food and favotite beverage
of the horse, has never been found 10 produce
deleterious effects upon colts, though fed from
early youth to final maturity.
The esculent properties and mineral consti-
tuents Of grain, that enter into the blood and
perform the artera circulation, ought to pro.
duce the best bone and muscle. 1t has PROV
cd OF the utmost importance to the early ma
turing Of the colt, to the Development Of good
form and fine substance.
For every three hundred and fifty bushels OF
potatoes removed from our fields the soil sus-
tsins loss Of niney-two pounds Of potash.
Therefore wood ashes is one Of the most va'u.
able OF manures in the culture of the potato.