The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-05
AGRICULTURAL.
Hay for Dairy Cows.

A correspondent of the Vermont Record
dairy cows, says:
commence cutting my grass the 10th of
June, and finish from the Doth to the 25th, if
can. Grass cut after the 18th is not worth
as much by % per cent. as if cut before that
time. For corn and potatoes turn over a
piece in the fall or spring, spread on a coat of
manure and cultivate it in, then plant the
corn and potatoes. After have done hay.
ing, hoe the corn and potatoes. l can then
give them thorough hoeing, and that is bet
ter than to hoe more times, and is a great
saving. Ii weeds or thistles spring up, as
they will in places, take hoe and pass be-
tween the rows and chop them of, but do
not hoe the ground, for that cuts off the f.
brous roots. get the best crops in this way
and with the least expense. Then pillow
the corn and potato ground in the fall, spread
on light coat of manure, harrow it in, and
1t is then ready to SOW on the seed. AS soon
as the snow is off SOW it in, then pick up
the stones, if any, and cart them off; roll the
ground and have smooth surface for the
scythe. cut the first crop in the middle of
July and the second in the last days of Au-
gust. In growing season it will cut four
tons OF the incest hay per acre. In the first
cutting there will be few weeds, but they
make equally nice hay, as they are tender
when cut July Is. SOW one and one-fourth
bushels of seed per acre, one-third clover
and two thirds herd grass.
One cow seven years old, MIXED up to the
day of her sale land she paid her keeping as
farrow COW the day she was solo, live
pounds. One calf twelve months old, 900
pounds, $45. One COW yielded in butter in
twelve months, 504 pounds, which sold for
$234.50. One cows butter, twelve months,
was 633 pounds, $211. The feed of this COW
was twenty pounds of hay per day (about
seven pounds to a feed,) fed morning, noon
and night, and four quarts of potatoes at
morning aud at night in addition to hay.
The first fourteen days we churned forty-two
pounds OF butter, that is, three pounds per
day. When once tried the experiment of
feeding grain to cows in winter, / fed two
cows two quarts of meal morning and eve
ming, which was considered a moderate feed.
The result was, I soon had trouble from gar
GET So left that of and fed potatoes to
mulch COWS, and have had no garget since.
Feeding Large or Small Animals.
Abundant experience, if such proof were
necessary, shows that there is more profit in
feeding the larger breeds than there is with
the smaller breeds of animals, whether for
meat or milk. OF course there are excep-
lions to this, as in all general rules /: the small
Jersey COW, for example, which is expected
to produce an exceptional product of highly
colored and finely favored butter; but this
does not affect the rule above stated. 1t is
only necessary to consider that, when we
feed two animals of 700 pounds each, we
have to supply the demands of two sets of
breathing, circulating. and muscular appara-
tus, which are considerably more extensive
and expensive than those of one animal of
400 pounds. This is true of every animal
that we feed, from the fowl and pig, up to
the COW and fatted steer. Ten small Merino
sheep, Weighing 80 pounds each, will cost
much more to feed than four Cotswolds of 200
pounds each, or five of 100 pounds each. Be-
sides the gain in feed, we have also large
advantage in the less proportionate amount
OF cffal in the fewer large ANIMALS than in the
larger number of small ones. Where flesh
and milk are the objects in view, this consid-
Grafton ought to have great weight in the Sc
lection of stock to be kept. The choice, of |
course, will be restricted by the opportunities |
tor keeping the stock for it will not pay to |
keep short-horn cows upon pasture where
only small, active cattle can pick up living;
but, where other things are equal, this CON
sideration should be we'll weighed. Just |
now there is opening up large opportunity |
for feeding stock of beef, which many farm
ers will very soon find desirable one to |
seize upon. In choosing animals for feeding,
then, they will find it to their profit to select
such large breeds as the Shorthorn, or Here
ford, where their locality admits of it; and |
where it does not, they will certainly labor
under the disadvantage of preparing for mar
ket an article which can neither sell for the |
highest price, nor can be produced at the |
lowest cost. Further, there is another ad- |
vantage in marketing the largest amount of |
product in one package, SO to speak; for |
animals of 1,500 to 1000 pounds can be sent |
same weight in the form of animals that are |
one-half or one-third smaller.-Agriculturist |