The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-16
Best MILK Producing Food.

Our correspondent, T. l.. Hart, of West
Cornwall, Conn, has written an article for
the Germantown Telegraph, from which
we make the following extract
There is no doubt a difference in the quality
of milk in different COWS, some being rich in
caseine or cheese, and that of others in butter,
yet as a rule the milk will be in great mea-
sure what it is made by the feed Of the COW.
The milk from the same COWS may be varied
by feed from eighty, by the lactometer, up to
a hundred and fifteen degrees, the highest num-
Der being the best, and such as is produced by
the heaviest feed.
In a carefully-tried experiment, which 1
made last winter, found that heavy feed, such
as corn, wheat, rye shorts, fed to twelve cows,
pound for pound, did not make as much milk
as wheat-bran, into nine quarts day, and /
have no doubt that for time this would in
variably be the result, yet l should not dare
to continue for any considerable length of
time to feed my COWS upon wheatbran alone,
as it would undoubtedly diminish the strength
of the COW, and soon reduce her to a condition
that she would be incapable of giving very
much milk. l am now feeding to twelve COWS
two bushels of wheat-bran mixed with one
bushel of corn meal ground in the cob, with
very satisfactory results. The milk is good,
the strength of the animal is kept up, and a
diminished amount of hay will keep the COW
in good thriving condition. feed twice day.
~ 70 % al oPCA quSouiVu NhSthSA thC iGSu
should be fed dry or wet. There is no doubt
but that in cold weather it would be much bet
ter If the water, which is required by COWS in
milk, could be warmed. If taken into the
system while at very low temperature the
process of digestion will be retarded until the
temperature of the water is raised to blood
heat. In warming this water digestion is not
only retarded, but there will be loss of a GER
tain amount of food, which, like fuel, is con-
sumed in keeping up the heat of the body +; and
this accounts for the fact that herd of cattle
require very much more food in extremely
cold weather than they do in warm weather.
1t will be evident, therefore, that large
amount of food may be saved by warm stabling
In cold weather and consequently much
greater secretion of milk secured.
The great mass of the community are no
doubt ignorant in regard to the great difference
IN the quality of milk made by the different
kinds OF feed. Milk made from a COW fed upon
turnips and buckwheat bran or buckwheat
shorts is totally unfit for young child or its
mother, and there is no doubt but that the
mortality among children is often caused by
improper food ofw which the milk is made. The
physician knows the Importance OF having the
mix from new mich cow assigned for a
young enid; the why and wherefore very
likely he does not know.
ne probably does not know that the milk from
harrow COW is one-third heavier and one-third
rlcner in caseine than that from new milch
cow, and therefore not as well adapted to the
wants OF the child, nor does the mother under-
stand that the cause of the chd's illness is oy-
ing to some improper food eaten by the COW.
II was DESTROYS of making given amount of
milk the best adapted to the use of the greatest
number of children, would feed the cows on
equal parts Tin pounds) of oats, wheat bran
and Indian corn, and the best of hay and
apples.
Until we become accustomed to trying ex-
periments we shall not know for certainty
the quality of food that will, when fed to a lot
ofcows, produce the greatest amount of really
good milk for given amount of feed, nor
shall we know whether the cutting of hay for
our mich cows in winter will pay the extra
expense of labor of doing it. Some of our
milkmen who have tried cutting are of the
opinion that it pays well for the trouble and
some contemplate steaming.
Roots, especially carrots, increase the flow
OF milk aud of the best quality, and tend to
Keep the COW in good health. Apples will in
crease the quantity nearly as much as turnips,
and OF much better quality.
In making milk there is nothing more i'm
portant than good early-eut hay. Without
this 1t may be doubted whether milk can be
made with profit.-M, E. Farmer.