Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-10-14
Gbe naitp.
GRASSES FOR BUTTER FARMS.

Before entering upon the question Of butter
manufacture and factory management, it
will he proper to say a word concerning the
food of stock The excellence of fancy but
teri does not depend altogether upon its
manufacture, for in the first place good milk
must be secured.
Fancy butter,' that will sell for dollar
per pound, cannot be made from bad mate
rial, from milk produced on weedy pastures,
or upon the rank sour heritage Of swamps,
or upon land newly seeded with red clover.
The experienced butter dairymen, therefore,
pay much attention to the feed of their cows,
and prefer old pastures.
On the old pastures of the butter district,
there are several varieties of grasses that
spring up spontaneously, and are much es-
teemcd rs affording sweet and nutritious
feed, from which the best qualities of milk
and butter are produced. These grasses
form II dense solid turf, leaving no interview
ing spaces. They embrace the June, or blue
grass (POn prdtenSts,) the fowl meadow
grass Poo serotind) meadow fescuc (FeStucd
pratenSis,) red top (Agrost,s ru,garis,) the
wire grass Poa comprcssa.) the sweet scent
ed vernal and vanilla grass, together with
timothy (Ph'eum pratcnse,) orchard grass
(Dactylis glomerata,) clover and other forage
plants.
The June grass P0a pratensis) is regarded
rs very valuable; 1t throws out II dense mass
of leaves, is highly relished by cattle, and
produces milk from which superior quality
of butter is made. 1t is found growing
throughout the butter districts of the country.
The wire grass (P0d conipreSsa) is deemed
one OF the most nutritive of the grasses; is
very hardy, eagerly sought after by cattle.
and is one of the best grasses for fattening.
Cows feeding upon it yield milk of the rich
est quality, from which the incest butter is
made. 1t iourishes well upon gravelly
knobs and in shaded places, and its stem is
green after the seed has rIpened. 1t is found
growing in all parts of the country.
The meadow fescue is common in old
grass lands where the sod is thick, and grass
cs of different varieties are mingled together
1t starts up early in the spring, Is relshed by
stock, and furnishes good early feed. The
milk farmers hold it in high estimation us u
reliable grass tenacious of life, and not run
ming out like timothy (Phlcuna pratense,) or
clover. The white clover (71'ifolium repens)
springs up spontaneously in the old pastures,
and is highly esteemed us giving flavor and
quality to butter.
The sweet scented vcrnal grass grows best
upon the moist soil of the old meadows. 1t
starts very early, and gives off I'M agreeable
odor
We have been particular in naming the
grasses which are most esteemed for produc-
ing high priced butter, because II record of
long and well conducted experiments has
proved their utility. 1t is possible that eli
mate and soil might so modify the character
of these grasses, us to render them less
worthy of esteem in other countries than
among the butter dairymen of New York.
Still, us the experience of farmers noted for
their success in u particular direction, is more
or less suggestive and valuable, we give the
record us it is.-X. 4. Willard.