Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-27
The Dairy in Winter.

The Dairy in Winter.
In former times farmers who depended
solely upon domestic effort for the manu-
facture of butter arranged, if possible, so
as to have their cows run dry during the
winter season, but since the advent of as
ISOLATED dairying as conducted upon the
creamery system there is a change, and
COWS in full milk are fully as DIES rable in
winter as in summer. The only obstacle
In the way of dairying in winter is the
additional attention that is required in
the matter offeed 1t is fixed fact that
the best butter that it is possible to
make comes from full, rich grass feed
But there is only a portion of the year
that the luxurant grass is at its best,
and a considerable portion when there
is no green grass, and the chief depend
ence IS upon dry fodder. AS a conse-
Quence, under the old system in the
case of milk continuance through the
winter, the change from green grass to
dry fodder brought a diminished flow
of milk with corresponding diminish
ing of value of cream.
So, if butter production winter is
practiced there arises the necessity for
improved feeding.
1t is very certain that with the best of
COWS coming from the best of breeds, so
far as butter production is concerned,
little need be expected unless the feed
ing is made to correspond to some ex-
tent to the object desired. The cow is
a machine for the transformation of fod-
der material into milk. possessing a max
lmum quantity of butter substance; now
if the feed is deficient in this the end
cannot be accomplished. Experience has
proven that simple dry hay, even of
Ifrr
desirable richness to cream. 1t must be
supplemented with grain and vegetables,
or, as some practice, with ensilage.
In the tables given for feeding stand
ards, may be found a statement of the
substance required by mich COWS, based
upon each 1000 pounds of live weight.
a feeding ration should contain Gibbs.
of organic substance, of which the nutri-
tive digestible portion should contain
% lbs of protein, 1875 lbs. carbo hy-
drates, and O.4O of fat This has nu-
tritive ratio of 1.54.
With tables of analysis of fodder sub
stances any farmer can fill up such a ra-
ton as his fodder will admit of, and
which will fill the conditions necessary
for the case.
Professor Stewart, in his valuable work
on Feeding Animals, gives the follow
ing:
u lbs. average meadow hay,
" Oat straw,
20 " mangOdS,
p " brewers grains,
" cotton seed cake.
Professor Johnson gives a formula for
feeding rations calculated from the
tables, as follows:
20 lbs well cured corn fodder,
B - rye straw,
" malt sprouts
- cotton seed meal.
Below is also another by the same
eminent practical chemist:
u lbs. corn fodder,
" wheat bran,
" malt sprouts,
- corn meal
. " cotton seed meal
To feed for a specific purpose, or to
secure the best results, is an important
study, and it is believed that the
economy that comes from intelligent
feeding will pay for all the time required
to study the question. Thorough in
vestigatiOn is throwing a vast deal of
light upon some of those practical ques-
tions of agriculture of which the
farmers in the past were in comparative
ignorance. Farming, when directed by
intelligence, becomes one of the most
satisfactory employments in which man
kind Can be engaged. -NslO York o.
SeTrer.