Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-01-07
Raising Dairy Cows.

The absence of system in breeding COWS for
dairy purposes is lamentable. 1t results in
poor cows The average product Of butter
or cheese per COW is held at low figure;
barely paying cost of keepiog on many
farms, and on still others falling below even
that figure, in seasons when dairy products
are low in price. 1t is supposed that in sec-
tious on farms devoted exclusively to dairy.
iug, COWS cannot be raised for the dairy as
cheaply as to procure them by purchase.
We believe this to be an error. There is no
doubt that by the selection Of bulls from
families in which thespecial qualities desired
are established by breeding and training
herds of dairy cows may be maintained in
number and the character Of the COWS aud
quality of their product improved from year
to year. 1t will be understood that select
ing from the dairy families rather than
from breeds is recommended. The charac-
teristics Of breed for purposes Of the dairy
are not as reliable as they should be, for the
reason taat adherence to the necessary effort
for sustaining dairy qualities already estab-
lished in the various breeds, is so irregular
aud uncertain. Breeders of thoroughbreds
are too often led astrsy by the desire to pro-
duce show animals or those having fashiona-
BILE markings
The New York Times in discussing this
question: maintains that the average cheese
product should be raised from 400 pounds to
600 pounds per COW, giving an income Of
S75 instead Of $50 each, involving no extra
cost of feeding or care aud comparatively
little in the cost Of the animals. 1t assumes
that they cannot be raised on dairy farms
without too great cost, and suggests that
they be raised cheaply in herds, on the
prAiries of Nebraska or Kansas or even Iowa
and Illinois, on joint stock farms, costing So
an acre, owned by dalrymen, for $50 each
at 8 years old, and might be sold at auction
at annual fairs in dairy counties. The
Times proceeds to say;
We have no American dairy COWS.
We have Ayrshires and Shorthorns,
aud grades aud mixtures Of all kinds,
but no race which has been bred spe-
cially for our dairy uses. For the cheese
dairy we believe Shorthorn, or a cross of
Ayrshire and Shorthorn to be the most prof
table. But whatever race dairymen may
decide upon as being the best for their use,
it must be trained aud manipulated for some
years before it can be brought to perfection
as milk producer. Milk and beef must
come together, so that when past milking the
original outlay may be regained in the beef.
1t would be no difficult matter TO produce a
race Of hardy cows of good size that should
yield 900 pounds Of cheese per season, il
such attention were given to breeding them
as is given to raising beeves for the butcher.
But it cannot be done by isolated dairylnen,
each one working in his own way. There
must be a special business made Of it, The
dairymen Of any one OF our cheese counties
combined could makea joint effort, which il
we'll carried into execution, could hardly fail
Of success. Otherwise We see little hope Of
ever reaching the desirable result Of becom-
log possessed Of race of dairy COWS, whose
yield Of cheese shall be fifty per cent in ad-
vance Of the present average product.