The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-03
:M,1he 1sarsm.
Dairy Farming.
BY HARRIS LEWIS.
From the Ne,o York Times.


During my earlier experience as
dairyman, for period of eight or nine
years, l regarded the practice of allow
ing cows to roam at will over the pas
lures in early Spring as one Of the worst
of all the various kinds OF slipshod
farming. Receiving my notions IN re-
card to the care of cows in the Spring,
and the management of pasture lands,
from my New England ancestr;;, the
following ideas were so firmly fixed,
that they required good deal of care
full observation to remove them: First,
/ believed that cows should have several
pastures, and be changed from one to
the other, as often as once or twice
week. Second, that no pasture should
be turned into until the grass was large
enough to afford "a good bite" Third,
that cows should never be turned out to
pasture in the Spring, until about the
middle of May, however large the grass,
however dry the ground, or pleasant
the weather. Fourth, that if pastures
were turned into when the grass was
short, it would be kept short; "short
in the Spring, short all Summer. En-
tertaining these views as firmly as did,
my disgust at the practice of some OF
our Herkimer county dairymen is easily
accounted for. When found dairy
man with but one pasture, and his stable
door opening into that, his cows stroll
ing over the pasture day after day, while
the frost was coming out of the ground,
mixing the grass and mud together in
the pasture, and the mud and hairs on
the cows legs,I often said to myself,
and sometimes aloud to others, "That
is hotch-potch, poachy, noodle
headed way of conducting the dairy
business" But after several years OF
careful observation, was forced to the
conclusion that this noodle-headed sys-
TEN. as | have regarded it, of changing
cows from hay to grass, was better than
mine. This was one extreme l had
adopted, and stoutly advocated the other
extreme. For the last eighteen years l
have avoided both extremes, and prac-
ticed turning out to pasture, or "chang-
ing from hay to grass" as soon as the
ground became sufficiently firm to not
poach, and the weather suitable for the
cows to be out during the day. | will
give the six following reasons for chang
ing from hay to grass at this season, and
l doubt not that other reasons will sug-
gest themselves to the minds of thinking
dairymen. First-All pastures contain
grasses which make an early start and
a rapid, rank growth during the fore
part of the season, especially those
growing in sheltered places and on moist
land, and, unless such grass is cropped
early, it will remain untouched by the
cattle during the entire season, or until
killed by frost, unless the cattle are i'm
PEELED by hunger to eat it. Second, as
natural result, this same grass will, if
cropped when young and tender, be
cropped again and again throughout the
Summer, and the pasture will carry
more stock than it would have done had
the cattle been kept off until but GER
tain portion of it would have been fed
off Every pasture when turned into
late, will be but partially fed of, some
portions remaining untouched, and left
to grow up, and 60 to seed, while those
portions most acceptable will be fed as
close as it can be cropped. And this
will be found true, even where horses,
cattle and sheep are all pastured togeth
er in the same field. Third-From the
fact, that by turning into pasture early,
its capacity for producing grass is in
creased, it follows that the profits of the
dairy is increased in the same proper
ton, and the cows will be found in bet
ter condition at the commencement of
Winter. Fourth-Cows turned out to
pasture early, and given adequate pro-
lection during cool nights and stormy
days, will make the change from hay to
grass with far less danger than those
which are kept upon dry food until they
can get all the grass they require, the
change being so gradual from hay to
grass that no disturbance will occur;
each organ gradually conforming to the
changing conditions to which it are
subjected. A dairy of cows, for instance,
which has been fed on old, orer-ripe hay
or on such hay and grain, until tie pas
ture will afford all the grass they re-
quire, and then turned into it, and the
change effected in single day, must be
as tough as jackasses to endure it, and
the owner about as intelligent as his
cows are tough. a saving of time and
labor necessary for the proper care of
the herd while kept up, may be effected
by turning out, and allowing the cows
to take care of themselves during the
day, or from milking-time in the morn
ing until milking-time at night The
labor saved at this particular time is
always valuable to the dairy farmer
SiXth-No dairy cow, accustomed to
obtaining her Summer food in the pas
ture, will remain either contented or
satisfied in the yard or stable after the
grass becomes green and the weather
warm in the Spring, however good her
care, or abundant and palatable her
food. She will long to be led out into
green pasture and by the side of run
ming water, provided she knows enough
to eat grass, drink water, and give milk
In order to obtain the greatest profit
from the COW, at the least expense, we
must minister to her wants and crafty
her desires. Over twenty years ago |
tried to minister to the wants of my
COWS, and crafty their desires, believing
| could do it by bestowing on them the
best of care and furnishing an abun-
dance of the best Of food, dried grass
and roots, but in vain; for as soon as
they were let out to drink each morning,
they would go to the barn-yard fence
next the pasture, look at the tempting,
dearly beloved" and "longed for :"
green grass, all join in a COW concert at
the highest possible note, each COW at
the same time getting as near the gate
to the pasture as she could Any herd
of cows that will not do the same thing
after a six months term of imprisonr
ment, are made more contented than /
have ever been able to make mine, or