The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-29
Closing Meeting ofthe Season at Mont
pelier.-Continued.
THUkSDAY-MORNING SESSION.

peller.-COntinued.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SESSION.
The meeting was called to order by
Hon. N. L. Sprague, the chairman OF
the session. after which prayer was Of
tercd by Rev. l.. b. Hubbard of Caven-
dish; when the chairman announced Mr..
Albert Chapman as the gentleman who
had probably the fullest knowledge of
Vermont Merino sheep of any man in
the state, and who had made his re-
searches no only in this but in other
states, who would nov read his paper
on early Vermont Merinos." After
Mr.. Chapman, Miss Anna f. Stowell
recited the Indian legend of the "Bridal
of P~ennacook," in a very pleasant man
ner.
f.. R.Skinner, of Tunbridge, was next
introduced, who read his paper OH ''The
Butter Dairy" which was read at the
Tunbridge meeting and which we shall
print in full. Mr.. Skinner is the man
who reports a yield of 413 pounds per
COW for the year for his dairy of five
cows. Mr.. Skinner had a sample of his
butter on the presidents table, which
was of fine appearance and nicely put
up.
The duty has been assigned me by
the powers that be to take up the sub.
lect of clarifying" This effort is en-
barrassing, because there are others in
this vicinity who have done business in
dairying on a more extended scale, and
might reasonably be expected to have a
more adequate fund of knowledge than
possess. But as my excuses were not
accepted, ! am, in a manner, forced to
accept the situation. In contemplating
this great and increasing interest of
Vermont | shall be obliged to confine
myself to the narrow limits of nv Owl
experience and practice. | have kept a
dairy on a small scale, almost the whole
time for twenty-seven years, making
butter almost exclusively; have tried
carefully to study my business with a
view to Improvement, but find myself
still a student, and not a scholar. NY
object has been, first, to secure an hon.
est living; secondly, TO enjoy the salts
faction of producing a worthy article.
and OF having it appreciated by those
who handle and consume il. In both
these objects l have been moderately
successful. There is one prerequisite
for success-the a~daptability of the per-
wa NV DuciiiCo5s DO fntlCH utDtnUS
upon the judgment and never-ceasipg
care to be exercised by the dairyman or
dairywoman, that it becomes a necessity
with them, in order to produce the best
results, that they adapt themselves to
labor, z~ealously and c%heerfully, at all
times performing 1t with their own
hands, or exercising a careful supervis-
ion over it.
SELECTION OF Cows.-No subject con
nected with dairying is of more impor-
lance than the selection of cows. /
would like to impress this text indelibly
upon every farmers mind, viz: No
man can afford to keep a poor COW. The
difference between COWS when fairly
tested for butter purposes is simply sur
prising. There are some that Weld a
large percentage of profit over and
above their expense, others that fall be-
low expenses with their yield, others
that are simply apologies for cows,
Welding no justifiable return whatever.
have owned and tested COWS with all
the varied results here represented. |
test my cows frequently (and always
when ] purchase a new cow. by milk
ing each cow in separate pals; ascer-
IAN II set down upon paper the
amount each gave, the color of the milk
or each compared with all the others,
strain separately, having the conditions
equal as possible, note the time taken
for each to rise, the color and solidity of
cream, amount of cream, time taken to
stir 1t to butter, amount, color and tex
ture of butter from each cow. In this
way | determine which of my cows are
most profitable for me TO keep, and
which, if any, to put off.
STABLE.-I tie in s%tanchions; the
COWS standing upon a floor seven or
eight inches above the trench behind
them. This floor varies in width from
four feet to four feet six inches, accord
ing to the length of each COW They
stand here dry and free from manure
Manger on a level with the floor on
which they stand, and parted off for each
cow, and made water tight, and nc
square corners for the meal to work
into.
CARE AND FEED.-Next in impor.
lance to the selection OF cows is theil
feed and care. Here let me name an.
other text of equal Importance, viz: Nc
man can afford to keep a cow poor.
Good cows are essential to the produc-
ton of good butter; and good feed and
care are equally as essential. A first
class article of butter cannot be made
from cows that are thin in flesh or poor.
ly fed. The basis of feed for cows is
early cut hay oil dried grass. / cut nv
hay in 1876, from the 10Th TO the 2Gth Of
June inclusive; in 1877, from the 18th
TO the 23d inclusive, cutting the second
crop about the middle of August. In
addition to this | feed meal and bran, as
think the circumstance and condition
of the COW require. feed bran the
year round, varying from two to four
quarts per day, according to conditions.
A short time before the COW drops her
calf, and n short time after, | feed no
meal. then commence adding a little
meal with the bran, and increase as she
Will bear ii, so as to hold her flesh as
much as possible. / have no stated
amount; this must be left TO the judg-