Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-23

The editor of tbe Nee Eagass Fsrrer
commenting upon 30 Jameson account oi
NJ poag.a. farming. abich w. uahh.hei
a few week. since. makes some observations
that are worthy Of the attention 81 cor
farmer, generally and W. therefore copy
them, a. follows
" This is branch Of agriculture. ihr inn
portauce Of which We have urged upon the
farmers Of northern New England repcai.
edy. I, is fact that cows 30 Tor the din
can be raised in northern Vermont. New
Hampshire aud Maine. at about one-half
what they must cost reared near large
city, like Boston or Worcester Owing 70
the cost Of freights, hay, which is worth in
northern New England but eight or ten dol
lars per ton, will cost anywhere in eastern
Massachusetts, or Rhode Island at least
double those figures, while the price Of sum
mer pasturing holds at about the same rel
alive proportion in the two sections
"Now, under such conditions, it will be
seen that it would cost nearly or quite double
to grow a milch COW in the vicinity of Bos-
ton that it does hundred, or a hundred and
and fifty miles north of here, while the cost
of bringing COW down, either in a drove,
or by rail, is comparatively insignificant. A
very large portion of the beef used in east
ern Massachusetts, is brought from the north
ern states by rail, and our stock of store
cattle is replenished every fall by droves of
heifers, steers, and milch COWS, from those
northern farms.
But there is one objection to depending
upon Northern cattle for replenishing our
dairy herds. The average COW is not good
enough to satisfy the ideal of the Massachu.
sets dairy farmer. From two to five or more
heifers must be purchased to obtain one
that will be worth keeping more than one
year. Some will kick, others are wild, while
more than half fail to yield milk enough to
pay for keeping and so our milk men neal
the cities are compelled to raise considera
BILE portion Of their stock, always being care
full to breed from good animals, such as may
be expected to reproduce as good as them
selves Now, it is fact that veal calves
six weeks old, are not unfrequently sold ii
Boston for enough to buy yearling or
two-yearold from Northern drove, so thai
many of our farmers consider the money
spent in raising heifers about all thrown
away. Now there is chance for great i'm
provement all round. Northern farmers
who can get but ten dollars per ton for thei
hay, ought to raise all the COWS needed fo
supplying the demand near the great cities
but they must keep a better class of animals
before they can do this. We are not speak
ing now of fancy animals, to be sold at fancy
prices, but of such as every practical dairy
man wants, and can afford to buy for hi
business.
"Mr. Douglas has foreseen this growing
demand, aud has prepared to meet it. III
does not start out with few very high-price'
animals, whose progeny must bring higl
prices or ruin the breeder, and which reqnir
a considerable amount of putting and writ
ing up" to make them sell at all, but he in
PRODUCES good blood into his herd of goo
dairy cows, and then, by good management
good feeding, and kind treatment, rears an
nually crop of heifers which, after comm
to a suitable age, will be in demand at fai
prices everywhere where milk is sold or but
ter and cheese are made.
According to Mr.. Jameson's letter, Nj
Doguas sells yearly about ten cows, RICH
in their prime, and gets about forty dollar
each. In his locality this pays him well, a
he has already had their milk for one or tv
years, while they were growing. Now, wha
he can afford to do, hundreds of others coul
also do, if they would only start right.
costs less to raise good, quiet, gentle an
orderly COW, than one that is nervous an
cross, or one that is continually jumping {
throwing fences, and getting into the garde
or cornfeld. 1t costs less to raise a goo
mich COW than one of equal size, fit onl
for beef, as the beef animal can bring in Il
profit on her milk while growing as will I'll
! good mixer while the price for the dair
COW will be considerably more than for ii
beef animal at the same age and weigh
Indeed, we know of no farm product that
in such constant demand as that of goc
r dairy COWS. The supply is never in exces
a while poor, inferior COWS are often drug
, the market"