Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-30
NO. 2s3.
Misfella
For the journal.
CARE OF MICH COWS.

Iaving a few spare moments, thought that
would give you few of my ideas about the care
Of Mich cows. | often see in riding about the
country, in the fall Of the year, cows and young
all curled up with the cold, and at the same time
if their owners happen to have oxen they are tied
up in the barn, and on asking him the reason for
it he will say that he wants his oxen to lay fat
and that they will do 1t faster to keep them warm
than they would to let them be out in the cold,
which is very true; but did it never occur tc you
who own cows that you keep them to store up fat
to make butter, and that they too would Be much
better to be kept warm and be we'll fed with some
thing better than meadow hay, and not mach Of
Deacon's management with his two cows In the
first place, they have good warm place to stay in,
and for feed, beside good hay and corn fodder, he
gives them night and morning two quarts of bar
ley meal scalded with water enough to make .
pail full Of swill, which he gives to them warm
they will drink he also puts little salt in it each
time. Now for the result; in the first place, his
cows look first rate, and in the next place they
give good mess Of good milk. The Deacon's
wife makes now (the middle of Nov.,) about ten
use in family Of six, and it is all engaged ahead
for thirty-three cents per pound, which 10 about
FIVE to eight cents more than the traders pay for
all they want. The Deacon's neighbors ssy that
their cows do not give hardly any milk now since
the cold weather came on. and says the Deacon to
me 81 should not think they would for they are
turned out doors early in the morning and sre not
fed any at night" One of his neighbors told me
few days ago that he had not fed his COW any but
once yesterday" says he gave my cattle little
wheat straw, and is it any wonder that they do not
give any milk. But what puzzles the Deacon's
neighbors the most, is, that . man viii 60 right
by the store where he can get al the butter he
wants for twenty-five cents and pay the Deacon
thirty and tell him that he viii take III he
can make all winter for the same price. But it is
just here, his cows being well fed make good yel-
low butter that comet hard when they churn.
And in the next place he keeps high grade Jer-
seys. They cost u trife more to begin with, but
they also pay a better profit. The Deacon told
me that last year he sold from three cows lone Of
them farrow) 450 pound of butter besides what
they wanted in the family, and they eat all they
want, for have boarded there and know that they
are not stingy of it. The same men had it last
year and paid them thrty-fve cents for il. Now
let look at the cost there four quarts ofmeal
per day, which we will call bushel a week, worth
about one dollar, and he gets some more than
three dollars for his butter and has the skim milk
for his pigs and his cows look good deal better
than they would if they had nothing hnt hay.
And the Deacon being in poor health can take
care of them better than do hard work besides he
is working his grain into money and making .
good lot Of manure at the same time. And now
l would say to all who keep cows, go and do like
wise. Some time want to tell about the Deacon =
sheep if the editor prints this. w.
MAPLE HILL FARM, Nov. 1873.