Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
Board of Agriculture.

The meeting mt Springfield was very thin.
ly attended, principally owing to tho unfav-
onbo weather and tho almost impossible
roads.
The meeting WAS not opened until Prof
Collier made some opening remarks, ex-
planning the objects of these meetings. Ii,
| Whitmorc, of Springfield, was chosen chair
man.
| G. 5. Fassett, of Enosburgll, read II paper
upon the " Butter Dairy" which WAS fol-
lowed by u discussion.
Mr.. Hubbard asked Mr.. Fassctt for his
opinion of the effect Of the food upon
milk
! Mr.. Fassett replied that he had not exper-
imented extensively, but he thought that the
result of concentrated food was to Increase
the amount Of milk, but not the quality.
Turnips will not injure the flavor OF milk If
judiciously and regularly fed.
| Mr. Hubbard intanced case of n dairy
man who fed one-half bushel of turnips II
day, aud sold his butter for SO cents per
pound, but his practice was to feed very reg
ularly, and begin carefully with II small
quantity. In the speakers own experience
he had become sure that meal did make u
very decided improvement in the richness of
the milk. it was almost all cream. He could
not recommend the use of all meal rs Mr..
Miller of New York had. In reply to "A
question, Mr.. II. stated that in consequence
of poor hay being fed ut the time of feeding
the meal the quantity OF milk was not in
creased.
Prof Collier testified to the point of clear
ness insisted upon in the paper rs being cs-
sential to the production of choice butter, us
nothing was so prone to absorb odors that
would prevent the manufacture of good
quality of butter rs milk. French pomatums
We're made on that principle. Good cows
were also essential. If the Legislature had
the power, and would appoint n commission
to kill of the poorest half Of the cows. the
state would be the richer year hence.
Dairymen often sold their most profitable
cows ut Il small advance from the average
prlce, when it would be better to give the
purchaser something to drive away some of
the poorest
Prof. Collier called upon Mr.. Chapman
of Middebury, to state some experiments he
had made in testing the profits derived from
different cows.
Mr.. Chapman responded by saying that
in dairy where no had kept an account of
the receipts from all the cows and tested the
quality of the milk, the COW that had gener-
ally been considered tho best proved the
most Improbable.
Mr.. Chapman also said he would, after an
experience of four years with Devon herd,
dissent from the view reported to have been
uttered by Mr.. Hyde, of Connecticut, last
week, nj the dairymen's association meeting
at Montpelier. that they were not good cat
tie for beef, he thought the claims of some
of the best breeders of Devons that they were
valuable breed for beef, especially upon
billy and thin soils, Was fully substantiated
by the facts.
Tho chairman, Mr.. Whitmore, stated that
he had experience in buying nearly all kinds
of cows. little Canada COW was rs good
as any cow he had. He thought the Jerseys
were over-rated. They were treated as pets,
well fed and thus made to return more than
could be prolitaby expected by common
treatment.
Mr.. Fassett, in reply to question, thought
apples increased the flavor of milk, and were
probably good feed; almost any food clean,
oven sour milk, was good food for cows If
judcously fed.
Rev. Mr.. Burroughs raised the question
whether our native cows would not do us
well as the Jerseys if MS well fcd. Expert
ments by the speaker had caused him to
think so,
Mr.. Fassett thought some OF the foreign
breeds were bred for II special purpose, and
were more reliable for those purposes than
our native cows. Experiments by the speak
or had proved these breeds to be more reli-
able. Examples We're also given by Mr..
Fassett to prove the superiority of the Jer-
seys for the dairy, over our COWS.
Mr.. Chapman wanted the term native de-
fined all the so-called native cows showed
some marks of the imported breeds, rs they
had all been bred from foreign importatiOns