The Portland daily press., 1882-01-09
Breads for the Butter Dairy.

The INQUIRY under the above heading, and
the replies ELECTED, come TO the writer with
especial interest, as the same question has
been an important one in his own farm ex-
perience, which, it may be confessed, is not
an extended one, as far as years of investi-
CATION have gone. A few years ago, coming
into possession of fine farnl-one too valu-
able to be rented-he concluded to adopt the
advice of his physician, and turn to open air
employment to counterfeit the evil resulting
from too much Office work. Having very
small amount of knowledge of a farm, but
great eagerness to learn, he became an in
terrogation point among his farmer friends,
but with result somewhat disappointing,
for even among the most successful there
was either lack of accurate information,
or incapacity to convey 1t so as to satisfy the
expectations based upon their prosperity
and evident skill. The conclusion reached
by the writer was that their industry, and
capacity to execute the farm routine with
the steady purpose that always finds reward,
were more to be credited with their fortunate
situations, than such calculations, expert
me is and investigations as are needed in
nearly al pursuits to secure success.
The general opinion, however, was that
the writer's farm was well suited for dairy,
having broad hay meadows, hill pastures,
and unfailing springs, and as all agreed up
on this point, the question was narrowed
down to butter or cheese, as the farm was
too remote from any large city TO permit
selling milk at profit. Cheese-making
through factory would remove from the
farm great deal Of labor, but would also
terminate all chances of gaining for the farm
any special reputation, and bar the chances
for gaining by excellence prices above the
market.
Influenced by these considerations, the
writer concluded to make butter a special
product-winter butter for table use-aBd
deeming it unwise to hope for success in
more than one interest, all others were set
aside, and his energies were concentrated on
the study of the best breeds of butter cattle,
their management and winter feeding for
getting butter with a reminder of June sum
shine in the flavor, and the gold of the dam
delion in the color, without staining. His
venerable farmer friends thought a good
milking Short-Horn would be about the COW
-''a big, solid COW, you know; none of your
pesky little Jerseys, you bet, that you can
see through" &c. Well, that seemed solid
sense, and would it hold in figures? There
was an element Of doubt just here. If a
moderate-sized COW would turn nearly all
she consumed into butter, and very little
into flesh and fat, she might pay, without
any regard to her final result in the form of
beef. The figures were rather in her favor.
Ii bllC HOuiu 4ldhC ~ pOuuuo VI DQbbCI pCl
year more than the milking native or Short
Horn for say eight years, on the same feed
lif not on much less), it would be 800
pounds, which, at 40 cents per pound, would
be SIPS, sum that rather over-topped the
old beef reliance, based on the prospect of
selling an old COW for $40, after feeding her
$40 worth of mill feed. Carrying milking
cow for her final value in beef, seemed very
much like buying an old-style cast-iron stove,
weighing 500 pounds, that would consume
abundant fuel and give a limited amount of
heat, because after many years it would sell
well for old iron.
But not to repeat the pros and cons that
wearied and confused the writer, and would
assuredly weary and confuse the reader, it
may be said in brief that it was determined
to abandon question and surmse, for actual
experiment. A large herd of natives and
high bred grade Short-Horns were "weeded"
until only the best remained, and with a
well arranged dairy, butter was made that
commanded about five cents more than
quoted rates. Thus encouraged, two fine
thoroughbred Jersey cows were purchased
at a cost of about $500, and a ledger account
made of all expenses and original cost.
Their breeding was success ful, prize winners
were among them, and without giving them
any credit for the great increase in quantity
and quality of butter, and enhanced price
obtained, in less than three years, the sales
of registered Jerseys balanced the ledger
charges against them, and left as many fully
paid for on the farm. This assuredly was
q satisfactory result, and perchance all in
vestigations into the merits OF "butter
breeds" woul have terminated here had not
the writer seen on the farm of Mr.. G. NJ
Beach of Hartford some Guernsey cattle just
landed. There was quiet comfortable
look about them, with richness of quality
that argued much in their favor, and so won
the admiration of the writer, that bull calf
was at once secured Eventually among
the farm herd were Guernsey grades with
yellow around their eyes, in their ears, and
on horns, hOofs and skin. They promised
well and sold well; the extra price over ma
tives on one lot, paid twice the cost of the
bull, and led to so much confidence in the
breed that two imported heifers were bought
and placed side by side with two mature
Jersey cows.
Tested after their first calves they each
made over ten pounds per week of such gol-
den butter as was never on the farm, and
this without any high feeding. One was
not dry for years, and if her milk had been
used, it would have produced half a pound
per day when all efforts were made to dry
her off. Other tests were made. Large
pans were used, holding the milk of thirty
cows. From these pans at one time the
milk OF the Jerseys was withheld and no
change was reported; then the milk from
the two Guernseys was separated, and from
it butter was made that won first prize
against fourteen well known contestants.
As soon as their milk was Withheld from
large pan, the most Impractical observer
could denote the one that was without it,
so changed in Winter was the color of the
whole surface, and an equal difference was
apparent in the butter, which failed to COM
maand the price obtained with the Guernsey
milk in use.
The rich quality and high color of this
milk endured through the entire Winter,
and commencing with the run Of Guernsey
cream, was the writer's first and continued
success in obtaining fancy prices for butter.
The demand for grades carried all away as
long as they were Bred and still continues,
kI1t Allinn mil 9th for