Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-12-11
Best Keer, for Dairv Cows.

While small farmers are daily losing
where they should be gaining, and while
the public at large is suffering from the
very same cause as the farmer, we would
offer a word or two of counsel whereby
we hope to benefit both. The butter and
cheese Of the country are In the aggregate
almost unfit for human food. This is a
simple fact. Recently in England, Amer
lean cheese has been experimental upon
us food for hogs, and conditionally APPROX
ed. The cause of this use Of the product
was not as some of our readers may sup
pose, glet Of eheees ON the market,
but simply that the cheese in question
was SO inferior in quality that 1t had to be
sold for whatit would bring or be entire
ly lost.
American butter is no better in the
aggregate than American cheese. With
these TWO disag reeable facts before us, it
becomes our duty to seek out, and when
found, to remedy the causes of this double
failure. In the first place it is more diff
ticult to produce good butter and cheese
III this climate than in the nlilder one of
the British Isles. Again, the food OF
dairy cows with Us for the greater part of
the year has 70 be artificial. That is,
dairy cows require 10 hand-feed for more
than six months of the year; yet many
small farmers never hand-feed their COWS
at all, unless we call hand-feeding per-
mission to run IN the barnyard and strug-
gle with one another for mouthful of
bad hay and a crunch or two Of musty
corn-stalks. 10 be successful in dairy
n Il
unwearying care, both in the manpula-
ton of the milk and the feeding and hous-
ing Of the cows.
For small farmers, be they wealthy am
ateurs or working men, the first step to
success Is q clean well ventilated COW
house-a she'd will not be sufficient next
dairy house where the temperature can
be kept uniform during the year; after
these convenient dairy utensils.-nor
elaborate patent machines, but well made.
SIMPLY constructed articles that admit of
being kept clean, and strong enough to
bear the wear and tear of daily use
These having been provided, the next
consi Iteration is the breed of. cattle,
Wealthy men ought to own nothing save
clean-bred cattle, and they may safely
allow fancy to dictate between the rival
merits of the Channel Island cattle, and
the two varieties of the Ayrshire, or the
clean-bred Kerry cow. These various
families are all noted mixers and first
class butter makers. The working farmer
can rarely purchase clean-bred cows, but
at least he can obtain grades, and grades
Of the above named animals are the best
for him, as by having such, and then
using clean-bred bulls, he can obtain
gradually and inexpensively a nice herd
Of high-bred COWS.
To the small farmers we would saw.
avoid crosses. There is too much risk in
them. The third consideration is feed.
Ifit pays the large farmer to grow green
crops and roots for his stock on a large
scale, it will pay the small farmer still
better The reduction of one gallon of
milk out of ten is one. tenth loss, but the
reduction Of half gallon Of milk out of
two or three is a much heavie percen.
tage, and therefore musr be mo carefully
guarded against. TO measure tue highest
quantity of milk and to have that Of the
richest quality, the COWS should be kept
III as uniform a temperature as possible,
and their feed should never vary in their
nutritious qualities. During the summer
months clover, lucerne and Italian rye
grass should be handle to the dairy
stock, whether they be actually in milk
Of pot. These grasses should he given