Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-02-12
BUTTER AND CHEESE.
Interesting Discussion at the Annual
Meeting Of the Northwestern Dairy
mems Association.

Meeting Of the Northwestern Dairy
mems Association.
Among the papers read at the annual
meeting of the Northwestern Dairy
mems Association, In Whitewater, was
one by H. @. Drake, of Lake Mills, on
the
DAIRY FARM.
Nj. Drake was in favor of one large
pasture instead of two or three smaller
ones. There should be a variety and
succession of grasses. Shades should
be provided. Pure water is of the first
Importance. The pasturage should be
extensive enough to give ample feed
at all seasons. They should especially
nave enough of the food they like best.
In England some thirty OF thirty five
different kinds of grasses are in gene
raj use. Some impart desirable fra
GRANGE to the hay made from them, and
are eaten with peculiar relish. Roots
nave been too much neglected.
Iney are greatly relished by stock.
The growth of weeds in meadows and
pastures should be prevented, as they
are eaten by the COWS, and impart an
undesirable flavor to the butter and
cheese. Good board fences were de-
slrable IN the place of the old, tumble
down rail fences which are SO common.
As to dairy barn, it should be roomy,
well ventilated, just warm enough to
keep the COWS comfortable, with floors
LAID upon Jolsting and provided with
suflclent trenches to carry off the
liquid manure to a place where it can
be well preserved. Cattle should be
supplied with water in the stable
by some means during winter.
The barn should be arranged
for the comfort of the cows
and the convenience of the dairy
man. lie would sum up all this: ''Be
sure to give your COWS as good barn
as your purse viii possibly allow" AS
to crops, it was desirable to raise those
which have value, both as cattle feed
and in the market The influence of
particular kinds of grasses, grains and
roots upon the question of quantity
and quality Of milk, and upon the fla
yor OF butter and cheese, are subjects
on which constant experiments are
being made. Whatever crops are
worth having are worth taking care of,
and whatever is worth doing at all is
worth doing well.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE DAIRY cow
Prof. Miles, of the Michigan Agri-
cultural College, addressed the associ-
alton on the breeds, feeding, and
general management Of the dairy COW"
He urged the Importance of pure
breeding, and commended that it would
pay the ordinary dairy farmer to take
pains in this direction. He explained
the minutiae of pedigree, and showed
the impossibility of getting pedigreed
animals at low figures. There were
| fashionable breeds that cost fancy pri-
ces, but thoroughly well-bred animals
must necessarily be expensive. To
| improve an ordinary breed I would
| select first-class bull of good milking
stock, and If I could not replace him
the following season would breed him
once on his own progeny Jadicious
| selection should also be made of the
COWS. 1t will not do to breed from
your whole herd. Choose the COWS
| that have the best milking qualities.
L have done this on a small scale, for
some time back, and have now six
COWS OF extra milking qualities. To
succeed IN getting up a good herd
requires peculiar qualities in the
| breeder. He must be observant, have
a welI-balanced mind, and not be led
away by favoritism for pet animals.
| Sometimes there is a rage for particu-
| lar c0lOrs, regardless of more import
ant points. In Short Horns there IS a
great preference for roan's, yet whites
have often taken prizes against roans,
because of excellence as to general
points. He would specify, as character
| istics to be desired, a small head, thin
neck, and forequarters generally, broad
| pelvis and large abdomen, soft skin
large milk veins, and a good escutcheon
or milk mirror. He would get as many
of these points as possible, not relying
exclusively on any one point. In re-
gard to breeds, there are several worthy
notice. The Jersey was a good dairy
animal, but was not to be recommended
for general use. She is a gentleman's
COW, yielding rich milk, and valuable
for family supply. She is Improbable
for the farmer, as she does not fatten
readily when her period of usefulness
as a mixer as ever. The Brittany COW
is good mixer, but very small. The
Kerry COW is also valuable, but is
best adapted for rough, mountainous
districts. She is hardy, but is long in
coming to maturity. The Ayrshire is,
| in my opinion, the best for dairy pur
poses. Her udder is broad, well
formed, capacious, and the teats are
well separated. They fatten readily.
One objection to them is that the teats
are rather small, making 1t inconvenient
to milk them. This breed has not been
sufficiently selected, and hence many
common SPECIMENS have been distri-
| buted. There is reason to believe that,
owing to greater care in this respect.
there are now better specimens of Ayr
shires in this country than in Scotland
itself.
In regard to feeding and management
generally it should be such as to nurse
and bring out the best qualities. Feed
and management have great effect
on natural points. Regularity is of
the greatest Importance IN feeding. So
it is in everything. Cows ought to be
MIXED in a certain order. These NIL
mute matters are sometimes rldiculed,
but they have their bearing. A wise
man will regard nothing as trlfe that
contributes to success. With right
means every .dairyman can keep his
herd constantly improving, and that
is what should be aimed at
John FL. Carswell, a practical farmer,
did not agree with Mr.. Miles as to light
| foreduarters. There must be good
heart and good lungs as well as large
stomach. The Short Horn he did not
think much Of. They were for shoddy
SPECTATORS. He believed in the Jer=
seys-commended them to the ladies
for family use, but farmers wanted
larger breed. There was great differ
ence between a breed and a race. Take
the Devons. They are race. They
don't need any Of your pedigTees. Get
a race and they will keep up their char
acteristics. Having got such race,
take care of it. a COW should be
made comfortable, and should have