Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-15
EeedIns for WIZ .

An address upon this subject delivered by
r. S. Gold, Esq, secretary of the Connecticut
Board of Agriculture, at recent convention
of the New York State Dairyman's Associa-
ton, held at Utica, is well worthy the atten-
ton of practical farmers. Without attempt
ing any complete essay on feeding for milk,
with exact ratons or with any exact compari-
son of the value of different cattle foods Mr..
Gold offered some practical suggestions spe-
cially bearing on the effects of meal on milk
production. Taking up the different kinds
of cattle foods in their order, as supposed to
stimulate production in proportion to their
cost, he remarked that first we have the roots
of various kinds; buckwheat bran or the
whole grain ground, rye bran or whole grain
ground, wheat bran, oats ground, corn meal,
lnseed or cotton-seed meal, and grass at vari-
Gus stages also corn fed green or dried, and
corn-fodder. Roots, especially the turnip and
carrot give the most favorable reports
There is more disagreement with regard to
the effects of the potato. Buckwheat, in any
form, has the reputation of producing quanti-
ty of milk at the expense of quality, and with
little benefit to the condition of the cows.
Wheat and rye bran are good milk producers,
but have but little effect upon the condition
of ordinary COWS. Ground oats, when their
relative price will allow, make an abundant
flow of good milk and sustain the condition
of the cows. Next we come to class of food
the oil meals and corn meal-about which,
rs milk producers, there is wide variety of
opinion.
From careful series of practical expert
ments, Mr.. Gold claims that the quality of
the COW as a milk producer is the most i'm
portant element in the question as to the
profit of feeding meal to milch cows. A
quantity of meal which would dry up ordi-
nary cows, would in other cases increase the
flow of milk. A certain class of COWS will
stand better feeding than others; some ami
mails have the constitution to bear it, and
such COWS are wanted by every dairyman as
will bear high feeding and freely respond to
it in the milk pail. The condition of the an
imal during its youth has something to do in
forming its habits of milk production. If a
calf or yearling is made fat, the tendency
to lay on fat seems to be strengthened in the
animal and to have controlling influence as
applied, either in making fat or milk. Thai
mich COW is low in flesh is no certain sign
that she is good mixer
The address contains the following conclu
sions:
That few mich COWS are so constituted bu
that their milk may be increased by fail
amount of roots, buckwheat meal or bran
rye or wheat bran, or ground oats, Thes'
will increase the flow of milk in almost am
COW, in some to the degree Of reducing thei
fresh more than if fed on hay alone. That il
feeding oil meal or corn meal the consttu
ton and the condition of the individual Gov
determine the question, in connection witt
the amount fed, whether the milk will be in
creased or diminished by the feed. One Gov
may stand two quarts of meal, another four
another peck and respond in the pail di
rectly in proportion to the amount of he
feed The proper test of the quality of
milch COW is not merely how much milk sh
will give ON scanty or common pasturage, bu
how much she is capable of giving when full
fed, with rations adapted to develop her high
est milking qualities
Such are the kind of cows wanted in on
diaries, and we are more likely to obtain then
by breeding from some breed that has thes
properties established as a family trait, thai
to trust to skill and shrewdness in buyin
those that have been raised by others, sine
then the purchase is usually governed by tn
appearance of the animals alone Their fam
lily habits as mixers lie back of and some
times exceed in influence any outward ar
pearances There are other reasons in favo
of breeding our own milking stock. But thi
fact alone should be sufficient to secure tina
practice We can breed a stock of COWS tha
will uniformly prove good, that will occasion
ally produce mixers of great excellence.
good milking family, one that for genera
tons has produced mixers, the adage thu
"A good COW may produce bad calf" rarel
proves true; it is only applicable to thos
chance good COWS that are found here an
there, and many of which are the only one
of excellence for many generations.