Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-11-06
Gbe 4airp.
SMALL AND LARGE MIXERS.

A few poor cows are quite apt, in one
way or another, to work into dairy, aud
by their diminutive yield barely pay Tor
their keeping aud perhaps not even that,
but cause an actual loss. A dairyman Of
my acquaintance, having forty COWS, found
by measuring the milk that he had FIVE in
his flock which did not give milk enough in
the whole season TO pay for their keeping,
by SO a piece. He had FIVE others that
paid for their keeping and 50 a head more.
The profit aud loss on these cows just bal
anced each other; he kept the ten cows
year for nothing, losing the whole Of his
time and labor in caring for them and their
milk, besides the depreciation of stock and
the interest on their cost, which was not
taken into the reckoning
When | was collecting cows for the first
dairy L set up, an aged aud observing dairy
man said to me; "Look out for poor COWS
there is great deal of money made in this
country by darying but il is all made from
tue good cows" l have often been remind.
ed Of this remark, and have always found il
true. The injunction is good one and well
worth remembering
The difference between a good COW and
poor one is not generally appreciated Of
tener than otherwise the price at which COWS
are bought and sold is made to accord with
the amount Of milk they will give. But
this is not sound way Of estimating their
value. Beef cattle may be estimated by the
pounds of beef they will make. A bullock
that will make 500 pounds of beef may be
worth half as much as one that will make
1000 pounds, but COW that produces only
100 pounds Of butter year, is not worth
half as much as one that will make 200
iu the same time. As it will take the for
mer COW two years to make as much butter
as the latter will in one, she will cost the
owner years keeping more than the other
COW will to get the same amount. The but
ter from the poor COW costs double what it
does from good one, and at a ruinous rate
to the farmer. Such COW will not pay the
cost Of keeping, and Is only fit for the sham
bies. She ought certainly never to occupy
place in the dairy.
But the loss sustained by a small yield Of
milk is not all occasioned by bad selection
of cows. Many COWS which otherwise might
be classed as profitable mixers, are made
Improbable by the treatment they receive
at the hands Of the dairymen. Careless
milking, harsh treatment, worrying and ex.
posure to severe storms aud TO extremes of
heat and cold, abate the Aow of milk and
occasion much needless loss.
| Twenty-Five per cent variation in the an-
nual product Is easily made by kindness and
severity. Comfort and satisfied quietude
are very efficient in promoting liberal flow
Of milk. Full feeding is equally important,
and the want of it is, perhaps, the most pro-
life cause Of abatement in the returns of the
dairy.
In large percentage Of dairies the yield
Of milk is annually made to dwindle down
to the limit Of profitable production, aud
sometimes below, from deficiency and irreg-
ularity in the food supply.
Very few dairymen give their cows as
much as they need to eat, except for short
time in the season. In the spring and early
summer, when the ground is moist and warm,
n vigorous growth of grass is produced and
a flush of feed supplies the cows for time
with all they can appropriate, and crowded
bags and flowing pals attest their full sup.
ply. But presently, in the long hot and dry
days of July and August, the ground be-
comes Parched and the grass stops growing
and dries up. If the cows can fill themselves
during the day, they are commonly allowed
to run without any additional food As
grass fails in quantity and quality and more
labor'is required to get it, less is consumed.
and the milk diminishes. Farmers
ADVOCATE.