New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-04
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
NO. MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE PACIFIC
SLOPE

| PROSPECTS OF THE SYSTEM.
| IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TRIBUNAL
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. SO.-The great valleys Of
California do not produce much butter and proba-
bly, never will, though i am told that cows fed on
alfalfa which is kind of lucene. yield abundant
and rich milk and when small and careful farming
comes into fashion in this State there is no reason
why Stalled cows should not yield butter even in
the San JOAQUIN or Sacramento valley. Indeed.
with irrigation and stall-feeding, az one may have
abundance of green food all the year round in tho
valleys there should be excellent oppor-
runity for butter making. But 1t rs not
necessary to tho agricultural SOIL for
dairy purposes. In the foothills Of the Sierr%s.
and on the mountains, too for distance OF moro
than hundred miles along and near the line OF tho
railroad there is great deal of country admirably
fitted for dairying and where already Of tho
most prosperous butter-ranches, they call them
here are found. And as they near a considerable
population of miners and lumbermen, and have ac-
cess by railroad to other centers Of population. both
eastward and westward, the business Is prosperous
in this large district where, by moving higher up
into the mountains Summer advances, the dairy
man secures green food for his cows the Summer
through. without trouble on the one condition that
he knows the country and how to pick out his land
| to advantage.
Another dairy district lies the coast, whore the
logs brought IN Dy Lne prevailing nOItn-NbSb
keep the ground moist foster the greenness and suo-
cuence of the native grasses during the Summer at
| least in the Tavine and keep the springs alive.
| THE COUNTRY OF BUTTER RANCHES.
| Marin County. lying north of San Francisco, II
the country of butter ranches the coast, though
there are also many profitable diaries south OF tha
Bay, in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. In
fact, dry as California is commonly and enormously
supposed to be- it exports considerable quantity of
butter and daryman said to me but recently. that
to make the business really prosperous, the State
needed million two more inhabitants, which
means that the surplus product is now 80 great that
it keeps down the price. No small quantity of this
surplus goes East as far as NewYork and it Is ono
of the curOsties of production and commerce that.
while California can send butter to the Atlantic 1T
buys eggs of Illinois Ono would have thought the
| reverse more probable
Marin County contains large number OF dairios.
most of them Of moderate extent and in the hands
of their propretops But there exists in that county
a system of dairy farming which has some peculiar
and interesting features, and Of which L have
! recently seen one example. In this there an
estate of $1,000 acres devoted to the production OF
| butter. Tho system under which this and seyera
| other large properties are worked has grown up
slowly, and as understand, the land is not yet all
utilized or as they say, organized" The plan OF
| OpcIdtiOuS - LHlSs IuC ONhoA VI thV iobN
sets apart certain district for
dairy farm. This he fences in and sub
divides by fences into different large fields;
he also causes the natural springs to be cleared out
and the water to DO led in iron pipes to convenient
places for the cattle. He builds dwelling, usually
a story and half high, and containing nine rooms
all athed and plastered, and conveniently arranged
also large and excellently arranged milk house.
with butter and chuTn room, &C.; barn. roomy
enough to contain hay for half dozen horses. aud
| stalls for them; aud calf shed and large pig pen
There must also be corral for the cows. Into all
these buildings water is led in pipes and in great
abundance so that there is running water in every
! place. was surprised to find that half and three
quarter inch pipe is largo enough for all these pur
poses, most of the dwellings having little tank or
reservoir to give a head and make regular flow.
| MANAGEMENT OF A DAIRY FARM.
The owner furnishes to the tenant all that have
described. and COWS enough to stock the farm. Tx
perience has shown, l was told, that about eight
acres ought to be allowed to a cow, and the different
farms carry from 115 to 225 cows.
The tenant furnishes all the dairy utensils horses
and wagons, household furniture and the required
labor; he agrees TO keep the whole place good
order and repair to take proper of the stock.
to raise for the proprietor every year one-ffth
many calves as he keeps cows and to pay him S97 so
agrees raise from the land only such provisions as
are needed by his family. and his stock including
his horses and hogs, and to sell nothing from tho
place except butter and hogs. The hogs are fed
chiefly skim-mk, and belong entirely TO the ten
ant. The calves except those which are raised for
the proprietor, are killed and fed to the pigs The
leases usually for three years. The proprietor
furnishes bulls for his herds, and he constantly
weeds out the COWS which are poor mixers, or for
any other reason bad stock.
The climate of Marin County is very equal, and
the cattle live out of doors all the year rounds there
are no sheds, is any provision of hay or roots
made for them, as they find green grass at all sea-
sons on the ground They MIXED twice a day.
being driven for that purpose into corral near the
milk-house. l noticed that they were all worry
gentle; they lay down III the corral with that
placid air which a good COW has: and whenever
milkman came to the beast he wished to milk she
rose at once without waiting to be spoken Co. Ono
man expected to milk 20 cows in the season of full
milk, and these diaries produce now an average
taking nine diaries together-Of over Us pounds in
the year to each COW. One two diaries rum | be-
heye as high as POO pounds per cow Men do all tho
work of milking, churning. &C.; and ON some
places noticed that Chinese were employed IN tho
milk-house. to attend to the cream and make the
butter Twas told that they are very careful and
clearly, precise and faithful.
MAKING BUTTER
The tenants are of different nationalties. Ameri.
cans, Swedes, Germans Irish, and Portuguese. A
tenant needs about $4,000 in money to undertake
one of these dairy farms the system seems to sat
isfy those who are now engaged in it. The mixers
or farm hands receive $50 per month and found /"
and good mixers in constant demand. Every
thing is conducted with great care and cleanliness,
the buildings being uncommonly good for this Stato
water abundant and many labor-saving contrivances