The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-04-18
Written for the American Stock Journal
Int breed of Dairy Cows are the pes'
for all purposes.

Written for the American Stock Journal
what breed of Dairy Cows are the best
Tor all purposes.
This is question often asked, but a
difficult one to answer, unless by the
sweeping assertion that we want them all.
So far as we are able to learn, there is
no one breed that, as rule, is possessed
of all the points desired There may ex-
list individuals in almost all the establish
ed breeds, that possesses all good qualities
in sufficient degree to answer the pur-
pose of the ordinary farmer, but as race
there are none that embraces all good
qualities, and every farmer must be gov
erned in his choice by his situation.
If he has rich pastures, and extensive
cornfelds, and is near market where
the price of good beef rules high, the
Durham will probably be as near periec-
ton as any that can be obtained.
The Shorthorns are great eaters. Ii
they run to milk they give a large guam
tity Of it. If they have a tendency to
fatten. they fatten with great rapidity
They grow rapidly, and are capable of
carving an immense load of flesh. They
require the best Of care, and the richest
feed, and with this, they will amply repay
all OUTLAWS,
But if allowed to roam in the public
roads, and wild pastures in summer, and
kept on poor hay and mouldy corn tod
der in winter, they will invariably prove
the arora scrubs, and the poorest invest
ment, that farmer can make. The OBJ
lection to them as dairy COWS is, that you
are not sure whether they will prove to
be great mixers or great feeders, or half
and half The remedy is to feed liberal.
ly at all times, and if the COWS are good
mixers they will be very good ones, and
if not, they will fatten rapidly, and can
be disposed of to good advantage as beef.
With dairy Of forty COWS, dozen or so
of the best neifer calves should be raised
each year,and ten or dozen cows fatten-
ed each winter to be sold in the spring,
when the beef commands very high
price.
If he keeps Shorthorns, on the system
proposed, he will not receive as much
money from the cheese factory as if kept
Ayrshires or natives. But it is for him
to decide whether half a dozen or more
fat cows sold every spring to the butcher
will not make up for the deficiency. On
the whole, we would say, if he has high.
priced land and proposes to adopt high
farming take the Shorthorn; but if he
proposes to devote his farm and the COWS
solely to the production of milk and but
ter, take the Ayrshire or Attorney.
If the location is near large city
where milk is the chief object, we mus
have the Ayshires, as there is no rac'
that can!equal the pure Ayrshire in guam
tity of milk; it being generally estimated
at from 80 to so pounds per day. Gu
best Ayshires cows give 60 pounds o
milk per day. A committee appointed
for the purpose, testified under oath, tina
one Of Messrs Walcot & and Campbell
cows gave So pounds Of milk per day, 70
several days in succession.
The Ayrshires have been bred exclu
sively for milk, and will probably yield
greater quantity for the food consume
than any other breed. On the other han
if he proposes to sell beef and raise oxe
as well as cheese and butter, we woul
advocate the Devon.
The Devons, as a race, are thrifty, an
with good pasture, present a handson
appearance. The milk is quite rich, an
produces butter of q better color than th'
obtained from the milk of the Durham
but the quantity is not large. They a
a quick, active race, and for farm labo
the oxen can hardly be excelled. The
will move the pillow almost, perhaps qui
as fast as the horse. To carry out Il
latter system of raising oxen beef cattl
butter aud milk to the best advantag
we must adopt higher order of feedil
than when the only object is milk. v
want COWS that will eat a large amou
of food, That is of the very first impC
lance. An an animal that will not G
freely should be rejected.
If there is go great demand for be
but has a large one for good butter, tn
the Attorney will come as near the star
ard as any we have. For richness of m
they have no equal, but their diminuti
size puts beef entirely out of the quest
but there is no race of cattle that c
surpass them in producing golden lul
of butter, and plenty of them.
A good butter maker, with herd
Attorneys, will produce fancy bran
of butter that will command ready Sc
at double the price that can be Obtain
for common brands. Good specimens
this stock will make from II to IA
of butter per week, of a peculiar yell
color, not attained by any other race
Some extra good cows have produ
from IS to 20 pounds per week
this stock is deficient in beef qualities
We must most earnestly recommend
use of a thoroughbred bull on all da
farms, whether it should be an Ayrsh
Devon, Alderney, or Shorthorn, Dope
very much on whether the dairyman W
es to turn off some fat COWS every J
to the butcher, or whether he intend
keep his cows till they are used up,
then sell them for what they are W,
for their hides. If he adopts the la
course, we should Recommend the us
an Attorney or Ayrshire rather ra
than tho Shorthorn bull. In all sea
dairy farmers are apt to have an unne
sarily large percentage of barren q
owing to the irrational Management