The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-15
THE PRESS.
Economy for Full Feeding for Milk.

Economy for Full Feeding for Milk.
Large Yields of milk must necessarily be
the result of large quantity of food con-
sumed, for the cow cannot create milk out
of nothing. She is not the miracle worker.
But does it follow that larger product OF
milk costs more in proportion to the quanti-
ty than medium yield?
Now, the COW must be supported before
she can give any milk. After this food of
support, all the food she consumes must 60
to the production of flesh, and if the COW is
good mixer it all goes to milk-in other
words, after the food of support the extra
food all gees to profit-that is, either milk
or flesh And it is equally clear that all the
food consumed to support the system of the
animal is lost until the point Of production
is reached, the more the animal can eat,
properly digest and assimilate above this,
the greater the profit. This would seem to
be too plain to require illustration. What
would any one think of manufacturer
who used steam engine for power, who
would say that he could not afford to fur
nish fuel to get up full steam because the
last half of the steam cast more than the
first half. Now, if there is only fuel enough
used to heat the water just below the boil
ing point, it will consume good deal of flu
ell to do this, but no power will ever be pre-
duced by it, and the fuel is all thrown away.
Lie 1utl W Keep UuC WdlCl ACdtCu
up to POOP only requires so per cent. added
to give 100 pounds of steam pressure and
set the machinery at active work. 1t is evil
dent that if only half steam is produced it
costs fully three-fourths as much as full
steam, and consequently all the work that is
done with this, half power is done at addi-
uonal cost.
Just so, when the COW is only fed TO pro-
duce half yield of milk, it cost more than
oh, E,,1l xysa al Nd
the half yield is produced without profit. or
even at a loss. Now, to produce steam
economically you must have well con-
structed boiler and engine, but whatever
the boiler may be, it costs less in proportion
to work to run its full capacity than to half
its capacity. So, if you desire to produce
milk at the least cost, you must select cows
with the capacity to turn the largest amount
of food into milk-the larger the amount the
more cheaply will the milk be produced Of
course the best cow is one that can digest
and assimilate the most food, audy turn All
the extra food into milk instead of laying on
flesh and fat. 1t is the business of the skill
full dairyman to select such cows and then
maze full use of their machinery to secrete
milk, by full feeding-National Live Stock
Journal.
oman's Success in Poultry Keeping.
A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man furnishes that paper with an account
of the great success of young lady living
in Glastonbury, Conn.,, in the keeping OF
poultry extending over three years Ii 1 HI
in that year an average of 90 hens, and the
number of eggs sold during the year was
543 7-12 dozen, at an average of 2S.6 cts. per
dozen. There was also sold during that
year dressed poultry amounting to $106. 90:
.v1,il a 0xr-oc fra, f1,n co1n >f
manure and feathers; making a total of
S270.48. The expenses of the year were as
follows: 2700 pounds meat for feed, $3.50;
20 bushels corn, S17.79; $50 pounds of wheat
1881; 25 dozen eggs for setting, S7.15; total
S57.46, leaving a total above expenses of
S213.02, or an average per hen for the year
of S3.43 1-2. The account continues:
"This account is ahead of either of the
preceding years, and seems almost incredi-
BILE; but the facts are as l give them. 1t is
TO be noted that in the matter of food ex-
pense the minimum is reached; and another
noticeable fact is the large proper ton of
corn meal fed, but the poultry most of the
time had fair range and foraged consider
able food. The price of eggs per dozen is
also above the average price hereabouts, and
is due somewhat to the fact that the young
lady was more than particular to have every
egg as clean as it could be m ade for market,
and they mostly sold to private families in
the city of Hartford who were willing to pay
at least full price for eggs looking as well
and proving as fresh as these did. Can the
above figures be beaten? In the Spring of
this year the family moved to Manch ester,
nine miles farther east. and the poultry OPP
erations for 1880 will be nothing; but the
fair manager assures me she shall again en-
ter the business in 1881, and if so there can
be no doubt of her farther success. AS re-
call average profits per hen in 1876, 1877 and
1878, they were respectively $500 1-2, $3.17,
1928; indicating steady improvementin bus
mess ability ,,