Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-03-30
Winter MILK.


Requisites for Obtaining Healthy NiIk In Winter.
Thomas Whitaker of Needham, Mass,
makes some very sensible remarks in late
number Of the New England Farmer, in re-
gard to the care and feeding Of mich cows
lie says unless the skin Of a COW is kept in a
healthy condition. she cannot give healthy
milk nor yield good butter. A healthy skin
he regards as indispensable, since through
the pores Of The skin large amount of efiete
matter is thrown of, and il these pores are not
kept open this matter is thrown back into the
system and goes off by other sccretory YES
sells, which are as likely to be the milk glands
as any others. When this condition prevails.
the skin becomes dry, scaly and itchy, and the
COWS are continually rubbing aud licking
themselves. The grooming Of the COW, there
fore, would remedy this to a great extent
And, as hay aud oleaginous foods tend to in
crease an unhealthy condition Of the skin,
liberal supply Of roots should be given, to
correct the evil, which, together with groom
ing will, for the most part, if not wholly,
counieract the difficulty lie gives his method
Of treating stock, and its results, a., follows
In winter 60 the barn at halfpast five
O'Clock in the morning, rather sooner perhaps
than a good many would like to 20. | give
each COW a small handful Of hay, and then 20
to grooming them Just the same as | should a
horse--frst the curry comb, then the corn
broom brush, and then the hair brush-kecp.
ing them supplied with hay, small quantity
at time, for about an hour. Then the boy
milks. At night we I'LL pork barrel with
cut hay with which we mix about half a
peck Of cotton seed meal, half peck of corn
meal, aud half peck Of shorts Upon this
mixture we pour hot water and cover with
an air tight lid. In the morning we pour on
more hot water, and after milking this is
given to the COWS; at eight O'Clock they are
turned out to water; at noon, when the boys
come IRON school, they are fed with hay, aud
at four O'Clock little more hay; they are
then turned out to water. Aiter which they
are fed each pailful of mangolds, mtabagas
and carrots cut fine; then cleaned and MIXED,
then they have each about two quarts Of cot
ton seed meal, corn meal and shorts equal
quantities of each upon this boiling water
is poured to which cold water is added
enough to fill a pail, with little salt after
this little more hay, and they are left for
the night
And now for the result We sell one hun
dred and thrty-six quarts of new milk a
month in November we sold iiNy-seyen
pounds of butter in December we shall sell
about the same quantity, besides what we
have for family use. This is from two cows
aud heller that was two years old last April
and calyed the first Of May. One Of the cows
dropped her calf in May the other last Sep
TENDER. We made butter all last winter, and
shall make it all this winter. 1t pays bet.
ter to make butter in winter than summer.
Churning has never exceeded half an hour
and generally inside of that time. The milk
is not scalded, but the cream before churning
is brought to a temperature Of about sixty
degrees. | would say here that my wife was
brought up on a New England farm, and that
she loves to make butter but she is salts.
fed that unless the cows are properly fed she
cannot make good butter and the fact that
her butter comes so quick she ascribes to the
feeding of the cows. A neighbor of mine
some little time ago, told me my cows were
too fat, and would dry up a short time af.
ter he asked me how my wife got her butter
He said his wife had churned all day, and
after he got home he took hold and churned
till ten o clock and the butter did not come
then. told him to keep his cows as fat as
mine and butter would come in half an hour,