The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-05-24
THE SWISS DAlRYMAN,
Lessons Which Ills American Brother May
Learn From Him.

SVvtSS 0eAbo U"SAsNs
Lessons Which His American brother May
Learn From Him.
The Swiss dairymen are not given to
high feeding with special feed such rs
roots, oil-cake, cotton-secd meal. ETC..
as the American dairymcn are, and
yet their success under their peculiar
style of feeding and dairy manage
mcnt is study for those who believe
that extra feeding is an absolute re-
tquirement of success. With few eN-
ceptons the Swiss dairymcn, and
even those from America that are con-
Quoting the business in that country,
feed only grass and hay, summer and
winter, a fact that is worth bearing in
mind, and this is what American dairy
men would call undcr1ceaing, and yet
remarkable success is attained. 1t
may yet be demonstrated that for
health aud ,igor of animals. stufling
may be no better for animals than for
the human family.
In one thing the Swiss are scru-
pulously exact, that is the warmth and
cleanliness of their stables. an impor-
tant feature of their dairyiuy, and ono
which is worthy of imitation. Their
stables are almost universally long,
low attachments to the barns, arc
usually built Of stone with walls one to
two feet thick. These are usually
'ccilcd overhead and often plastcrcd
throughout. The floors are likely to DO
Of stone or cement, and the single door
at the end of the stable rs tight fitting
rs the doors Of peoples houses. They
are quite dark, and the excuse for con-
lining animals in SO close quarters is,
'it saves feed" also ''the cows
give more milk and 'there are
no flies to worry them" Ordi-
;narily the cows remain in the stables
summer and winter, only when led out
water. The stalls are clean and nice to
beyond comparison, being swept and
Uttered two or three times day. The
belief is general that high feeding with
artificial food or vegetables does in
crease the quantity of milk. but that
the quality is reduced thereby.
A gentleman who has had experience
in this country as well as his own. con-
siders the hay and grass of Switzer-
land little, if any, better than ours,
but that moving and grass lands re-
ceive better attention, remarking that
..if Americans would turn their atten-
ton less to fancy feeding and more to
draining, fertilizing and improving
their meadows. they would have more
and better milk"
Mr.. Byres, the consul to Switzer-
land, states that three causes impressed
him as furnishing the foundation of
dairy success in that country, viz: l..
Good. sweet grass; :. Pure running
alter: 3. Systematic economy.
Mr. Page. the Director of the Cham
Condensed Milk Company, and who
withal is an American. approves heart
lily of the Swiss practice of feeding
cows in the stalls, although he believes in
giving good amount of exercise.
A considerable proportion Of tho
milk produced in Switzerland goes to
the condensing factories. The Anglo-
Swiss Condensed Milk Company at
Cham uses the milk from not less than
5000 OF 5000 COWS, and ut their cstab-
lishment in England as many more, so
that from the figures of these establish
ments aud from figures in this country,
are obtained means of comparison. In
1881. from 5000 TO 5000 cows. grass
and hay fed, MIXED nine months, were
obtained on an average 1915 pounds
of milk per COW. or 9.S quarts per day.
From an equal number of the famous
short horn COWS, whose milk was
furnished the English branch, the
average was 4,66s pounds per cow,
showing difference of 6I7 pounds in
favor of the Swiss cows and Swiss feed
ing. According to the report of tho
Department of Agriculture of the United
States in 1875. the average highest Of
milk from the best dairies of the State
of New York was 4,ooS pounds, a
difference of 1907 pounds in favor OF
the Swiss cows. More recent figures
may reduce this difference. but it will
then leave for general consideration
the fact of the remarkable success az
tanned ubon simply natural fresh or dry
feed. 1t suggests to American farmers
the ACCESSIBILITY of improving and fertil-
izing their meadows, having warmer
stables. giving better care, and prac-
Using more sensible economy. The in-
creasing interest in dairying demands
all the light that can be secured. - VIM.
II. Yeondas, IN n. J.. ObscrUer
-Smith-"Brown is 4 mere bag Of
wind" Jones-"lIow can he be any
thing else? His wife is always blowing
him up