Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-07-09
Questions and Answers.


S. F. Bailey of Woodbury. says: 81 wish to en-
| quire whether Jersey cows are as good as other
| breeds. The wise ones in our part OF the town
say they are not others think grades are better
| than full bloods We have eleven grades, and
| have tried their milk. They make from one to
| one and a half pounds of butter each per day
My fu-booded cow Flora on the 18th OF June
gave twenty-eight and one-half pounds oil milk
which made one pound and twelve ounces of but
| ter. She il not as large NJ the grades. wish to
| hear from other good cows
Remarks By the Editor.-There is one~sig-
nificant thing about the Jerseys. The eff
forts to introduce Shorthorns, Devons, Dutch
cattle and even Ayrshires into Vermont have
"gone hard" and cannot be called success
though good herds of all of them are found
in nearly all our counties. But the Jerseys
have introduced themselves, and to-day there
are few dairy farms in the state where some
signs of Jersey blood will not be seen. As
to the question between grades and thorough
breds, it amounts to less than it would if
there were any way of getting the one with
out the other. A Jersey bull in neighbor-
hood generally so improves the butter yield
that everybody is easily satisfied with the
grades; while many believe that some COM
mon blood gives constitution" We have
not noticed however, that pure bloods,
raised upon Vermont farms where proper
care is taken of the stock, lack either in
vigor or hardness. We join with Mr.. Bal
ley in hoping for more reports of the yield of
dairy COWS, not only of the Jersey but of all
breeds, not excepting the common. The
frequent use of the scales upon the farm is
sure sign of progress. Vermont makes scales
for the world, and her farmers ought to
profit by the use of this cheap homemade
machine
| IMPROVING A FARM
| J. K d. of Bradford says: 81 should be very
| happy to have you come and learn me how to
farm profitably. | live on farm Of one hundred
| and nine acres, called one of the best back farms
in the town. Have been gone from it four years
-'let out'-and return to 1t a sadder and hope
| a wiser man. ] should much enjoy visit from
you and to show you what a chance have to
| make farming profitable. | can endorse all you
say in the last paper about the need of better
education among farmers"
| Remarks By the Editor.-Such letters as this
give us pleasure-not by the implication that
we are able to instruct those who may be
better farmers than ourself, that is embar-
rassing-but because of the friendly and en-
couraging tone, which is very comforting in
the midst of the sharp criticism we are ac-
customed to. Still, we don't complain of
that for we are pretty sharp critic our
self, and believe it is the way to get at the
truth. As to building up farm that has
been "let out for four years, it will be slow
work doing it out Of the profits in these
times. The "best holt" according to our
experience, is in the free use of clover seed,
with plaster and ashes as the only manures
it will pay to buy. The aim should be to
raise lots of feed, and clover and grass are
best supplemented with corn, either grown
for grain or fodder Nothing equals corn to
produce large amounts of feed from small
areas. For early feed winter rye is very
valuable Every particle of manure, solid
and fluid, must be saved to furnish nitrogen
and phosphoric acid, as we cannot buy either
so as to make anything on them now. II
greatly needed, we would Gf we kept cattle
or Sheep buy them as feed, in the form OF
bran, shorts and oil cake, rather than in thu
: form of chemicals. We believe our good dai
rymen will miss it if they allow themselves
to be stampeded into sheep-raising by thu
present rise in wool and the depression il
dairy goods. Let the low prices be slim
illus to improve the breeding and feeding o
=, the cows, the excellence of manufacture, AM
Il the neatness of the packages If men be
ginning farming choose sheep it is all right
but let the good dairymen stick to thei
: trade, and become better dairymen. lie
them fight it out on that line. The poo
y people of the towns will begin to butte
- their bread again before long. And if tn
! poor dairymen think they must swap thei
cows for sheep, let them at least try to b.
, come good shepherds. There is little prof
=" in poor work of any sort at any time Nov
y there is none at all. A man who has n
= skill in any branch of business, and lack
- energy or capacity to acquire it, had bettt
'' work by the day at anything he can find
20 do, rather than try to make a living b
- farming nowadays. If any work require
~ "zip" and brains to make money out of
:" it is that of extracting cash from the SO
~ through the means of butter at twelve cen
AZ a pound, and other things according"