Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-25

one was striving to excel every other
one in the quantity of milk delivered at
| the factory from like number of COWS.
| This spirit of emulation became intensi-
| fed with the increased price paid for
| cheese, until some few dairymen could
not afford to use milk in their tea and
coffee, and as an evidence that they were
| improving the milking qualities of their
| dairy stock, would add part or two Of
water, not having even the shadow of
milk about it, Nine out of every ten of
these milk-and-water men have been in
duced to sink fair name, and drown
their reputation in a pail of water, not
so much for the gain as for the purpose
of eoualing or exceeding the amount of
milk per cow, delivered at the factory
by some one else.
Fourth Failing to improve dairy
| stock in a satisfactory manner by either
one of these methods, let US consider
that of careful and judicious breeding
as the only legitimate and satisfactory
method by which the desired improve
ment of dairy stock can be effected.
The greatest Improvements may be
made in the shortest time, and at the
least expense, by using with our native
| COWS a thoroughbred bull of that breed
best suited to our respective farms, and
that particular branch Of the dairy bust
ness we intend to pursue. For instance,
had | a farm possessing all the essential
requisites for a butter dairy, | would
use thoroughbred Devon or Jersey bull,
and raise the calves from those COWS
which would produce the greatest
amount of butter, irrespective OF the
quantity of milk. If, on the other hand,
! the production of milk was my only OBJ
| iect and this to be sold in any one OF
| our cities where pure, rich milk Is
stranger, | would cross with an Ayrshire
or Holstein bull from the best milking
families attainable. Both these breeds,
and their grades, are excellent mixers,
and very valuable for cheese diaries.
! The Ayrshires, in fact, are not eXcelled
in their ability to obtain living on
steep side-hills, or to travel long distanc-
es to obtain it. On pastures that are
level, or but gently undulating, and the
| herd not compelled to travel long dis
tances to obtain their food, would pre-
fer to cross with short-hOrns, from a
good milking. family to any other, or ev-
en- to the thoroughbred short-hOrns
themselves. The grade of short-horns,
if iudiciously bred, and kept on lands
! y
opinion, produce the greatest amount of
| GOOD milk, butter cheese, and beef for
| the food consumed, of any grades Of
| full-bloods living There are other fay
| orite breeds which would improve our
native dairy stock, by careful crossings,
| but each dairyman must judge for HIM
self between the different Breeds and
select that one best adapted to his farm
| opd hic SpeCific TurDOSp
And, in conclusion, allow me to suS-
gest that the constitution OF the COW Is
IS quite as important as her milk
ing qualities, and should never be
! lost sight of in our efforts 10 improve
| orr dairy stock. If either parent has an
imperfect physical development, or i'll
other words, weak, faulty constitution
! our enterprise will be hazardous in the
extreme, and our success very doubtful
For the progeny of such parents will be
| weak and frail, subject to every ailment
| and liable to every cattle disease to
which they are exposed. Such COWS, If
| overfed with any Kind of food exciting
to the producing, or milk-secreting
| organs, will be sure to have the garget
| and upon the second or third attack will
be utterly ruined for the dairy, not
| withstanding the many sure cures for
this disease. If therefore, the founda-
| ton upon which we build our improve
ment be faulty, our superstructurc will
ever stand topping, and always ready
| to fall our disappointment will be
| greater than the quantity Of milk OBJ
| tanned our sorrows will OutnumbcT our
| cheeses and our butter will be INSULT
cient in quantity for compromising the
| liniment necessary to heal our wounded
pride.
Mr. Lewis was followed by Hon.
Charles L, Flint, Secretary of the Mas
sachusetts Board of Agriculture on The
breeding Of stock" of which mention
was made in Fridays HERALD, and as
the paper dealt mainly with the physio-
logical aspects Of the question We will
not attempt a report of it. The morn
ing session was concluded with prac-
tical discussion on the topics presented
in Mr. Fljnt's paper.
AFTERNOON.
The association assembled at 50 p.
m, when the
ADDRESS OF T.. =. GOLD.
Secretary of the Connecticut Board Of
Agriculture was announced.
He said that the experience OF more
than twenty-five years would be his au-
| th0rity for the opinions he might adj
| vance on The production of milk for
| butter. cheese for the market. and the
breeds adapted to each He hoped in
what he had to say to secure the favor
of breeders rather than provoke discus
| sion. as the merits of breeds will be set
| tied on the farms and not by discussion.
For producing butter we want milk rich
of high color and flavor, and cream to
easily separate. For cheese We want
milk rich in all its constituents, with
cream firmly held in the body of the
milk. Quantity is also an important
element. For family milk we want it
good and nutritiye.
We make cheese only during tirat sea-
son of the year when it can be most pro
fitably made, the butter season is more
extended and for family use covers The
entire year.
His object Was to refer more to breeds
than to feed. The quality and quantity
of milk varies greatly in different COWS.
The milk Of some being much richer
and in larger quantity than in others.
Food has much to do with this, and what
is good feed for one breed is not for an
other. This is established by our own
experience and that of others. The best
COW cannot continue to give good milk
OH poor feed. The attempt to create
race of mixers by breeding from the
best of common stock has proved a fail
ure, and has given rise to the common
adage "a good COW may have a poor
calf" In Europe they have cultivated
certain families of cattle for certain pur-
poses, and these qualities have become
so fixed that they have taken the name
of breeds.
The Short Horns are distinguished for
their size symmetry, early maturity and
quantity of milk, though not rich in but
ter and wanting in color, 1t may be