Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-09-19
laitp Aalennebtt Noutnal.
LEAKS IN TIE DAIRY.

Hon. Harris Lewis who knows rs mucl
about dairying as most men, read re
cent lecture on the above subject, which
we find condensed in the Country Gentle
man as follows:
The first he would allude to was the
manner of driving the cows TO and from
the pasture. Many dairymen suffer the
cows to be driven by dogs. and not unfre-
quenty through close and muddy bar
way, where permanent injury to the COWS
was often caused by their crowding anc
hooking each other. Boys are sometimes
allowed to drive them with stones anC
sticks, often soaring them into run. He
would prefer a well trained shepard dog
to any boy he ever saw. Carelessness ir
driving cows caused leak of from ten tC
fifteen per cent.
2. Time and manner of milking. -Here
is big leak. No rough man, who storms
or wells at the cow, shonld be allowed in
the yard. The cows should be MIXED by
the clock. Each man should have his own
cows, and always milk No. first and No.
next, and so on. 1t will not do to milk
Polly first and Sally last in the morning,
and Sally first and Polly last at night. Milk
quickly and gently, without any excite
ment. The cows will give more milk and
more readily.
8. Care in feeding.-It is important not
only to provide good and sufficient food,
but it must be fed regularly. If the food is
DELAYED, the cows become impatient, and
fret like hungry child.
L. Kind of stock.-A great leak is
caused by keeping poor cows. Every
dairyman has to keep mich cows that do
not pay for their keep. Has had cows in
his herd that made 700 pounds of cheese
in q season, while others in the same herd
gave no more than 207 pounds. We
should select our herd with great care,
and then endeavOr to improve it. we
must raise our own dairy cows. The ma.
tive COWS are best to start with, If selected
for their milking qualities. Then get a
good thoroughbred bull of the breed we
desire, and be sure that he comes OF Il
good milking family of the breed
We should raise 10 per cent every year.
That is, in a dairy Of so cows, we should
raise five heifer calves and when they
come in, turn off FIVE of the Oldest and
poorest cows. His own choice of breed is
decidedly the Durham unless the pastures
are poor, in which case he should prefer
the Ayrshire. The Durham is good for
beef, and il a COW fails to be a good
mixer, she can be sold TO the butcher at a
good price. Two years ago there were
1900 cows sold in the fall at an average OF
S13, which cost $50 each the previous
spring. The cheese from each COW cost
80 cents pound, when it was sold for IA
cents. This is big leak.
5. Letting hay get over-ripe.-This is
a great leak. He would cut the grass
when the first timothy blossoms appear,
and so with clover. If you do not COM
mence as early as this, the last hay cut
will be over ripe. Feed the early cut hay
to the cows as soon as they come in. 1t
is better than grain.
6. Kinds of grass.-Farmers are as
welded to timothy grass and clover. as
Ephraim was to his idols. They kill the
native grasses by blowing the land, and
then insist on making timothy and clover
grow where the soil is not adapted for
them. This is leak equal to feeding a
hog with a hole in the trough.
Z. Drainage is destined to work a
greater revolution in our grass land than
all other things combined. The loss sus-
tanned from the want of drainage consti-
tutes one of the worst leaks.
I
Better abandon the business if we can
not do the work ourselves or get good
help. There is great lot of butter made
that is worthless except for grease. A few
cents more a pound would pay for the
best help and the best of dairy utensils.
Q. Allowing manure TO waste, is a great
leak. He would always apply manure on
the surface. As dairyman he would
La <f snI ha
surface rather than ten loads plowed under.
Would draw on the manure fresh, and APP
ply it all seasons when convenient on the
meadows and pastures. Had not a foot Of
land on his farm that manure did not
agree with. 1t is all moonshine to work
over manure to rot it. 1t all leaks away.
He spreads his manure on the surface.
and goes over it with brush harrow.
10. Poor implements are great leak
Would always get the best there were to
he had