St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-05-07
st. Johnsbury's Industries.
THE MILK BUSINESS.

The milk business is of no second
rate Importance in this town. 1t is one
of those industries that has never Ie-
ceived its just attention, as to the means
of procuring wholesome food, or the
most proper manner in which it should
be produced. 1t will not be necessary
to tell the intelligent public that the
better and more wholesome our food,
the better is the chance for good health
and good morals. Poor food will GER
tainly endanger the health of both the
body and the mind. We would not
wonder very much if there had been
neighborhOOd quarrels and lawsuits,
arising from indigestion caused by bad
beef and pork, and much i'll health from
using the immature products of the
earth. We speak of this to show that
the producing of good quality of milk
and butter is great art, and one that
but few farmers have completely un-
derstOod, or as yet been able to con-
troll at will. We may eat poor bread
and potatoes, tough meat, or other in
ferior grades of food with some degree
of complacency but when we come to
poor milk and butter, we all invariably
turn up our noses, and give vent to our
indignation-aUe can't stand it, and that
is all there is to it.
To our certain knowledge farmers
are taking more pains in this line now
than ever before. They are studying
the principles of dairying; the nature
of the different breeds of cattle, and
their adaptation to specific uses: the
quality of soils and their various pro-
ducts; and what combinations of these
various things will bring about the best
and most profitable results. And the
first thing that wisdom has taught
them, is that good thing costs some
thing, and in the end is the cheapest
and the best. So in speaking of the
milk industry, it is plain that the care
of, and the generosity to stock, with
due regard to all the surroundings as
to this product, is highly important.
both as pleasing to the consumer, and
profitable to the producer. With these
remarks we proceed to tell the reader
something of the milk dairy of
ALBERT LAWRENCE.
whose upland farm lies a mile and 6
half west of the scale works, and which
we suppose, will explain the nature O.
the industry among all the dealers il
town. Mr.. Lawrence commenced thi.
industry in July, 1876, and it has beer
his principal business ever since. His
farm of 230 acres, which for produc.
tiveness was considered an average one
in his neighbOrhood, has doubled the
amount of its products since he owned
it. This has been done through the
liberal treatment of his stOck,-by am
pie feeding, and bedding with straw
and littering the stables with muck 81
as to save the liquids as well as the sol
ids. This manure decomposes, ani
when it is taken to the field it is no
only very valuable, but there is a grea
pile of it.
We now go to the barn, which is
commOdiOus one, 36x102 feet, having
manure cellar, place for tools, and ;
turnip cellar that will hold 1000 bushels
Upon the first floor are the stables, oc
cupying the entire length of the barr
upon one side, and which are arranged
with stanchions for tying up the cattle
Above this is the floor where the hay
aud other fodder are drawn in anC
pitched into the deep bays below. LIE
us say right here, that everything il
done with the strictest regularity
nothing of a trivial character is allowed
to interfere with the order and system
planned for this industry. In a littl,
out building there is cast iron arch
} with sheet iron pans for boiling water
This place is connected with the mail
barn by covered walk, and the ho
water is carried from thence in pals t.
the barn. Here in the barn are tw,
long wooden troughs where the feed i
, mixed twice per day first, just befor
noon for the nights feed, and at nigh
r for the next mornings feed.
The feed now for 25 cows, is % bush
! els of shorts, % bushels of finely cut tur
nips which have been previously boiled
t and one bushel of corn meal, which ar
tnrned into these troughs, the hot wa
ter poured in, and the whole thorough
mixed and left covered up, so as to b
5 cooked and comfortably warm at feed
/; ing time. When this time comes. on
man takes wheelbarrow upon whic
is small sized sugar pan, places it be
; side the trOughs and shovels the feed in
to it; then he wheels it to the managers
: giving each COW her proper allowance
; after this they have what good Englis
hay they will eat without wasting
About 10 o'clock each day the COWS ar
| turned out-from to at once, wher
: there is large tub brimful of clear run
ming water. AS they get into the var
we notice they are lively and full of an
. tics. After drinking, these are agai
t tied and others ale turned out, until a