Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-01-14
Dailp Kfnnehn 5nurnai.
Good and Poor COws-Their Treat
ment, Etc.


Many farmers do not seem to under
stand the great difference there is in cows.
They know it costs as much to keep a
poor COW as it does to keep good one !;
but they do not seem to realize the differ
ence in value. Some cows 60 dry from
three to six months in the year. while
others give milk nearly all the time and a
few never dry up. We have had num-
Der of the ALTERNATIVES they were too.
and would be very likely to be ruled ou.
as not worthy OF notice, by Herd book
men /; yet there are but few more profit
able cows to be found any where. We had
a cow some years ago, native, scrub.
as she would now be called, which never
went dry, as we remember. after dropping
her first calf. till she was sold on account
of age. Her Weld of milk in the months
of June and July. on grass was about 20
quarts per day. which, as the trial proved !;
made two pounds of butter. This is
much below the reports from excep-
tional cows; but it is q good record
for a COW with no extra feed. 1t may be
added, that she was continuously In milk
without extra feed. Of course, her milk
was not used for domestic purposes for
number of weeks previous to calving. 1t
may be said she was an exceptional cow
we'll, she was, and there are many such
even among the discarded nations, some
are naturally good mixers. and others are
not Whenever, and wherever q good COW
is found, she should be kept, and poor
ones converted into beef as early as possi-
BILE. 1t must be remembered. however,
that good COW will 90 dry much longer
,x,;<hout coo1 food opI nronar cara Aftar
all, the feed and care of cows have great
deal to do with the amount and quality of
their milk productions. The best cow,
straw, and LETT out side in cold storms.
will prove Improbable. Many a good
COW has gone TO the beef market because
poor feed and worse care failed to develop
her good qualities. Cows should be kept
not only for convenience and the perpetu-
alton of cattle. but also for profit. To
do this, they should have food enough,
not only to sustain life and keep their
bodies in a healthy condition but also
something extra to produce flow of milk.
When a man buys farm, he expects
not only to obtain living from it. but add
to its value, and thus increase the means
from which his profits are to be derived.
If he works il just enough to live, his pur-
pose is not attained, but if he had spent
little more time and care in developing its
latent resources. his profits would have
been assured. OF course. unlike other
kinds of business, there is limitation in
feeding cows, beyond which you cannot
go. with profit; but good feed and plenty
of it, with warm quarters. will show it.
self in the smooth and sleek appearance
of the COW and in the increase of milk.
Your native COW may be a good one, and
it is a mistake not to give her as good care
and food, as you would a thorough
bred, herd-book animal. The mod
crate farmer should study the econo-
mics of life in all the relations to his busi-
ness: and it is certainly poor economy to
keep a poor COW year after year, when
good one could be kept on the same ex-
pense with a fair margin of profit. 1t is
poor economy for the moderate farmer to
pay 5000, 800, or $50 for the service of
thoroughbred bull. as in great majority
of cases, he will be likely to be disap-
pointed in the result. The service of
good Ayrshire bull can be had for one
dollar; and when breeding for dairy pur-
poses, you can do no better, as it is con-
ceded that the Ayrshire COW holds her
milk better than almost any other.
Breed from the best, keep the best, sell
the poorest for veal and beef; and with
good feeding and care, in few years,
you will have the satisfaction of seeing a
marked improvement in your cows, and a
larger yield of milk and butter.