The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-04
The Quality aud the Management.

Although the best mich COWS are the re
suit OF good breeding and possess valuable
inherent characteristics, there is not one cap
able of fulfilling the expectations OF her
owner unless he performs his part in the
matter of enabling her TO produce the great
est quantity ct the lowest possible cost
Within the past ten years many xperimen :
ers have sought to arrive at a knowledge OF
the correct manner Of feeding cows for the
the production of butter and milk, aud thu
experiments have eisJ included the digestive
capacity OF the animal aud her ability To
convert food into products.
The first consideration in feeding is ID
supply the animal waste. 1t is not until the
bodily warmth and materials for the repairs
OF bone and tissue we'll as force, hsye
been supplied thst We can get milk or butter
The product created rs from tho supply lei
over after appropriation for immediate an
II al necessities. The food should consist o
variety, in order to promote health, and e..
this is very important in inducing full flow
Of milk many dairymen find ensilags an as
sisiant in furnishing green succulent matte-
during the winter season.
The greatest danger is in changing thu
food. Where COWS have been fed on q Tega
lar diet of certain food q change often less
ems the flow of milk, even when the change
is to a more nutritious kind. The reason o.
this is that some COWS do not immediately
relish a change, and will not partake of the
what accustomed to il. In the meantime
they fall Of in yield, and some Of them do
net recover the loss until they come in again.
This is one of the difficulties with beginners
who feed ensilsge. Instead of gradually al
lowing 1t to the COWS, full feed is given al
every meal. and the cows fall of II gradu-
ally allowed, however, so as not to deprive
the cows OF full supply of the iced that is
being given, they are not affected by the
change, and the daily quantity may be in
creased until the entire food is is completely
changed, if desired. Anv sudden change
from one food to another viii cause falling
on In milk. and when putting the COWS Oh
grass IN the spring the bowels will become
disordered unless the pasturing Is done
gradually.
In addition to hay and ensilsge, straw and
fodder may be fed, especially if passed
through fodder cutter. The bulky food
however, serves rather for distension than
otherwise. aud in order to provide material
from which to make milk and butter, con
centTafed food should be given, either alone
or mixed with the course material. Some
dairymen have found good results from s
mixture OF two parts ground oats one part
bran and one part corn meal in such qusnti-
titles as will satisfy the appetite al each
meal. Oilcake and cottonseed meal are also
made part OF the ration, but the quantity
for each cow should be moderate
The most essential requisite in the dairy is
cleanliness of the stallsan milk looms Any
odors in the stables is quickly absorbed by
the milk, and the ease and facility of churn-
ing depends upon the system and arrange
ment for keeping the milk. The best quality
OF butter is not produced from special breeds
Of cows, as many suppose, bat by manage
ment "Gilt edged" butter is not obtained
from the Jerseys exclusively, for the best
butter providing COW will furnish an infe-
rior quality OF butter If the food given her is
inferior. A herd of dairy cows are machines
for the conversion Of food into milk, and the
products OF the milk-butter and cheese
depend for quality upon the skill of the
daiJyman. There is no monopoly ia the
production of the ''gilt-edged" article