The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-02-10
swiss Chensn


Switzerland has long been noted for
the production OF its diaries, and these.
In the form OF condensed milk and
cheese, now TO some extent tiud their
way into this country. IN 1873. at the
Paris International Cattle Snow, every
Swiss cow exhibited took prize. al
though competing with ANIMALS from
Holland, Belgium, Denmark. England.
and other European districts famous for
cattle aud ml!k, and recent statistics show
tba5 even the English shorthorns have
dangerous rivals in tue - brown Scbwvt-
yer race in Switzerland. The report
Of this Paris show aud many inquiries
from American growers aud dmIymeu
have led the American consul at Zurich
to make a personal investigation. Rgri-
cultural statistics and journals in swift
erland being OF no consequence. One
OF the first aud most important facts
discovered was what in this country
would he called under-feeding. High
and fancy feeding with cott0u-saeGs. oil
cake, boiled foods, ensllage, and so on,
are little known, the general practice
beng to keep on grass and hay the year
thrOugh-as Tauch from preference as
because the mess-feed articles are scarce
and dear. Almost rs noticeable is the
extreme warmth OF the stables which
are almost always long and low rectapg.
ular attachments to the barns, built Of
stone one or two feet thick, ceiled over
head, and often plastered through: the
floors are often stone or cement, and
the single oaken door al the end fits
tightly. There are no windows. unless
few barred holes through the wall
are so called: there Is little light,
no ventilation, and the air is hot and
very foul. The explanation given IS
that this avoids flies, saves iced aud IN
creases the yield Of milk. Ordinarily,
the cows pass their lives ID these stalls,
except during their brief respite while
led 80 water; the peasants COWS near
the mountains are pastured on the high
Alps during the brief summers, but the
others must stay IN these stalls, with
scarcely room to lie down Grass for
one COW Is estimated TO require one and
a half to two acres of 40, 600 feet. The
Swiss grass crops are had IN early May
aud October, and the end of July: this
fast growing Is due not only to the MOST
climate but to the constant fcTtiliznC
and care Of the meadows IN the way OF
watering, drainage, etc. During 1881
the AugIo Swiss Condensed Milk Com
pauy at Cham, Switzerland, which is
believed to be the largest and most
successful in the world. used in Switzer-
land the milk Of between 5000 and
6,000 cows, Which, MIXED during nine
molths, yielded 5,3l5 pounds of milk
per COW, or 1877 ponds or IS quarts
daily through the season. The English
branch Of the same company In the same
year obtained from the ike number of
shorthorns an average Of 4, 66S
pounds per COW. A fair estimate OF the
earnings of 80 cows in Switzeriand-th
animals standing at 500 each and the
100 acres which keep them at $500 each
would give 2,648 profit, or about
z At per cent. on the whole. This is
not large, but the fruit trees which are
kept on almost every farm afford an ad-
ditional income often exceeding that
from the COWS. If the Swiss can do
well selling milk at 2 5 cents d quart
from cows costing 500 apiece on land
at $3.50 to $500 an acre, what ought
western Americans to be able to do,
selling at the same price, buying their
COWS at $50 and their grass land at $50
per acre2