News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-02-01
FOR FARMERS CONSIDERATION.

Conrad Wilson, in recent articles on
the American dairy, presents several
points of interest for the consideration of
practical farmers with a view to increas-
ing the value of the dairy as source of
food He calls attention to the tota
number of milch COWS as given in the
last census report for the whole country,
at that time nearly II, 100000 head,
which at the usual rate of increase will
give for the present decade an average
Of 10000 900. Assuming the annual
yield of milk from these cows to average
5000 pounds each, which in Mr.. VIII
sons opinion is a result entirely attain
able, this would give a total of more
than 100000, O,OOO tons of milk per
year.
Mr.. Wilson estimates the total annual
yield of corn stover in its various forms
at not less than 120, 600, 600 tons, and as
sumes that if this entire product were
converted into milk under right condi-
tions of feeding, it would amount to
10000, 900 tons per year. In a word, he
considers the stalk crop has a larger in
fuence on the increased supply of milk,
butter and cheese than is generally
credited to it. As to questions Of breeds,
Mr.. Wilson does not hesitate to pro-
nOunce the HOlsteins as Outranking any
of the others in milk and the Jerseys no
less supreme in regard to butter, an
compares a few of the best yearly rates
Of productions in substantiatiOn of the
statement. In milk yields of Holsteins,
an aggregate of 157,310 pounds of milk
for ten cows is given, OF an average of
Is, 731 pounds a year for each. Heading
the list is Is, ,004 pounds, the record for
the imported COW Aaggia of Syracuse,
n. Y. An aggregate Of 56, 966 pounds a
year for five COWS of other breeds is
given, or an average of II, 400 pounds
per year for each COW.
In butter yields an aggregate of SOTO
pounds of butterfor ten Jerseys is given,
making an average of COZ pounds per
COW. In comparison with these figures
is an aggregate of 2,367 pounds of but
ter for five COWS of different breeds,
making an average of 437 pounds per
COW. The rates of production employed
are claimed to be the best known for the
various breeds under consideration.
The percentage of butter found in the
milk of different cows varies materially
according to the breed, the quality of
food, etc, ranging from four quarts of
milk to twelve OF more for one pound of
butter.
Many successful examples are given
by Mr.. Wilson of milk yield per day, of
the products of two-year-Old heifers, re
markable instances of duration of the
milking period, the butter yield per
week, etc, to prove the possibilities of
the American dairy, as well as to show
the real progress made by some farmers.
While pedigree is a very essential ele-
ment in the value of cows, Mr.. Wilson
| believes it no less true that grade ami
mails i'll Il well managed dairy can bc
made, as rule, quite as productive as
| thorOughbreds, and often more so. He
says "Yet this does not at all imply
that the latter can be dispensed with,
for we cannot have a good quality Oh
grades without a good strain of blood tc
start from. While it is conceded that
pedigree is one of the factors in the value
of a good COW it is not by any means the
only factor. Maximum results i'll the
dairy are not the sole outcome of any
single condition. They depend not
merely on the capacity and breed of the
COW, but also and equally on the intelli
gence and good management of the
owner; and what is equally true but sci
dom considered, even the capacity of tho
COW is itself to a large extent the pro
duct of human skill.