Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-05-24
Selection and Feeding of Cows.

Hon, Henry Lane, of Cornwall; Yer,
mont, gave valuable instruction to the
farmers of Vermont, when at St. Adams
he tod them that the first and most i'm.
portant question for the dairyman to de.
eide is the selection of his COWS.
In making this sc'cction he said refer
ence should be had to the proper kind
and quality of food required by them in
order to ensure the best results.
The object of the Vermont darymafi
being of a two fold character, namely,
butter and cheese, the selection of COWS
of the soundest constitutions and organs
OF digestion is of especial Importance. A
COW should be fed until satisfied, with food
that is sufficiently nutritious, and all that
is not needed to sustain life will 60 toward
the production of milk. the great secret
OF the dairymans success is to keep cows
well fed. Cows will give more milk on
fresh grass than on any other kind of feed.
The rich grasses in our pastures begin to
fail early, and some kind of auxiliary food
must be substituted in their stead. A
supply Of good pasture feed can only be
given for five months at the longest, and
a good variety of succulent food is re-
quired for the remaiGder Of the year.
Corn will only supply this desideratum
for one or two months in the autumn.
Dairymen should turn their attention
to the cultivation of root crops. Cows
require change of food in order to assist
the digestive process; and thereby will
keep in better health and eat coarse fod-
der cleaner.
The question is, what is the best root
crop? In raising roots the labor requir-
ed is to be considered. The ldarket value
OF potatoes is too great TO make their use
for feeding stock at all profitable. The
turnip and carrot, and particularly the
latter, are perhaps best for young stock,
but they cannot be raised at the present
time with profit. The culture of the car
rot has been almost abandoned in Addison
county, and the sugar beet has taken its
place.
Mr.. Lane said he could attest from ex-
perience that no root will produce so much
milk and so rich in quality as the sugar
beet. Several kinds have been tiled, but
he regarded the "Amcrican Improved
Sugar Beet" in respect to the shane, size
and quality, far superior to any other
sort for the purpose required. 1t is the
t only variety now raised in Cornwall and
vicinity. 1t is without forks or lateral
roots, and yields with great certainty
The reason that it is excellent for young
> stock and better for milk than any other,
is why it is so rapidly growing in favor.
r This crop should not be grown on stag
: nant soil, without the same be first tho
roughly drained, as the root on reaching
: stagnant water would be divided, and the
: crop materially injured.
The best crop he had ever seen was
grown on clay soil, containing 20 per ct.
: of sand. The land intended for beet cul-
ture should be kept in good condition.
: Twenty-Five leads Of barGyaFd manure
: should be applied to each acre, and the
land should be plowed in the fall. Fresh
or coarse manures should be avoided. Ro-
tation of this crop is not necessary. Beets
have been grown on the same land for 36
. years in succession, and the last crop was
quite as productive as the first. Early
sowing was the best, as difference of 10
days in the time Of planting might make
a difference Of 10 tons or more in the pro-
duct.
In conclusion, he said that % to 32
} tons per acre is common crop in this
s. State, but that by adopting the English
n plan Of cultivation, and the addition Of
!. artificial man Ires, the crop can be forced
/ to yield 80 or 60 tons per acre. The
feeding value of this root is in the ratio
q of 100 lbs, to $50 lbs. Of hay,--N, II.
l. Mirror oDd E1rmo,