Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-03-07
An Interesting Statement.

An Interesting statement.
We take the following from the New |
England Farmers report of the proceedings |
of our last Dairymen's Association meeting
" Mr.. A. b. Taylor, Superintendent of the
Vermont Stock Farm, now owned by Colonel
Canon, gave a short account of the manner
in which cattle are treated and tended at
that farm. And first, he wished it distinctly
understood that the object sought was not
to spend but to make money from the farm,
and, that they might know just what they
were doing, an account had been opened
with each separate lot on the farm. Are
now keeping cows to increase the fertility of
the land The animals are all treated with
the utmost kindness. Every man who speaks
harsh word to the cows is discharged forth
with. Had recently discharged two men,
and it had good, wholesome effect The
COW is timid animal naturally, but all the
cows in our yards can be handled anywhere
and by anybody. They know no fear of
man. lie had been interested in the lecture
by Professor Cressy upon parasites. He had
had some experience with outside parasites.
In November and February he washes every
animal on the place thoroughly with a wash
made of tobacco stem tea and carbolic acid,
using an ounce and half of the latter to ten
quarts of the former. The hair and the
skin are completely saturated and every ill.,
sect is destroyed, after which the cows can
lie quietly in their stalls. Cut hay slightly
mostened with warm water, is fed. mixed
with bran and meal and no more is given to
each animal than it will eat up clean three
times per day, and by the clock every time
at five and eleven o'clock A. NJ, and at five
Pm The cattle now eat, on an average,
twenty-five pounds of hay, three pounds of
bran and one pound of meal per day. The hay
costs ten dollars per ton, bran twenty-five
dollars, and the meal thirty dollars. They
are watered twice a day. The stable is
partly under ground, is well ventilated, and
the cows are kept as clean as in summer
stable is never more than six degrees be-
low freezing, even when twenty degrees be-
low zero outside, and the highest point
reached inside is only ten degrees above
freezing. In pleasant weather water in the
yards but if stormy, water is given in the
barn in pals. Our cows, said the speaker,
never open their mouths to call or speak for
anything. Their wants are all supplied as
soon as felt. Fifty head, in all, are kept
a few thoroughbred Durhams, but mostly
high grades. Are experimenting with four
heifer calves, two Shorthorns, one grade
Shorthorn, and one Jersey. They have al
ways been well fed, and are in fine condi-
ton, but the Jersey, although much smaller
than either of the others, eats the most OF
any one in the lot They average about nine
pounds OF hay and one pound OF grain pei
day, the grain being onefourth meal an6
three-fourths bran. We are taking thi,
method of guessing at the fact that Short
horns can be grown and kept as cheap a,
Jerseys He believed there was now as
much as one hundred and fifty pounds dit
ference in the weight of the Jerseys and ont
of the Shorthorns. A gentleman in the audi
ence added one hundred pounds to Mr.. Tay
lor's statement. Not pound of uncut hay
has been fed during the past two years
could not brag much about the results yet
as it takes time to get herd of good milk
ers. They cannot be bought, but must b,
grODn up"
1t is such records as the above that give
one faith in the progress, slow as it may be
of thorough farming in our state. Ever,
statement made is of value, because it bearl
the impress of intelligent thought and action
1t will be observed that Mr.. Taylor makes
slight contribution to the solution of tn
question of large 0erSus small cows, for tn
dairy. This contribution is so slight, in
deed that it affords little light only show
ing that one Jersey heifer calf ate NOR
than either one of three of Shorthorn blood
while gaining much less. While the trial i
of value, as far as it goes, and as regards on
calf, at least, shows that the charge of dair
tiness and delicacy so often urged agans
the Jerseys is not always true, it is as nea
valueless as it can be in relation to the dair
COW question. 1t is nothing against dair
COW that she is great eater. On the col
trary, there never was good dairy COW tina
did not have good appetite This is tru,
no matter what the breed. But the que
ton whether, for the same amount of feed
herd of large COWS will return as niue
profit in butter or cheese as herd OF sma
ones, gets very little illumination from NJ
Taylors experiment. But we think he, or
man just like him, would be the man to tail
herd of Shorthorns and herd of Jerse,
and give the matter a thorough and ia
trial. 1t is rather evident that he now favo
Shorthorns, and would probably divide II,
less than eight to seven in their favor {
that question. But we should prefer,
there is any bias at all in the experiments
it should be that way. All we would ask
that the scales he uses should be unbase
and that he himself should be sufficient
impartial to add up his figures correctl
There is strong partisan feeling amor
Shorthorn men, we know those beautif
cattle deserve it, and for every other purpo
but the dairy, few would deny their superic
ity, in localities where they do well. If tn
can also be fairly shown to surpass t
Jerseys for butter and the Ayrshires (
cheese and milk, their triumph will be CO.
plete, at least for all our rich valley farms.
Bursting the Bark.
The following from the pen of John