The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-11-06
WINTER PRECAUTIONS.

How to Make tho Dairy as Profitable In
Winter N In summer.
The farmer should remember that
comfort Is rs essential to profitable
milking as feed or water, and should in
the first place provide warm dry
stable in which there is abundant VEN
can be observed. The feed should be
nutritious, easily digested and album
dant. As milk contains large proper.
ton of albuminoids and phospates any
food that contains enough Of these sub
stances to meet the demand for milk. in
addition to what is required to supply
the wastes OF the body, will keep up
good flow OF milk. But If the food does
not contain enough of these substances,
or sufficient quantity is not given, the
flow OF milk will be diminished. In
either case the farmer is wintering his
COW at loss. There is this fact that
the farmer should remember-his cows
can not give milk unless the raw ma
terial be given them to manufacture it
lie also should remember that heat and
wastes of the body must be kept up.
The food of the COW should consist,
first, of a portion OF corn or corn-meal.
then good portion of nice. well-cnred
hay, or well-cured fodder: clover hay is
also an excellent feed. Sweet corn fod-
der. grown to maturity--that is the
blades--and carefully cured, will make
more milk than an equal weight of hay.
Sorghum fodder il we'll cured makes a
good feed. Some farmers object to it
and think it will kill cows to eat it, but
/ have fed it to stock several years and
it proved to be q good, nutritious food.
/ have observed wheat bran to be one of
the best feeds for mich cows. ga!-
Ion at each feeding, with little salt
mixed with it, is fine to keep up the
flow and give flavor to the milk. Salt.
Of itself. given at milking time, will
aid in keeping. up the quantity of milk.
Cabbage furnishes another resource
for milk not appreciated by the average
farmer as it should be. There are few
vegetables that contain rs much nutri-
ton, pound for pound, as cabbage
head. So rich a milk producer is cab
bage that it pays to raise this vegeta BILE
solely to feed mich cows. When cab
bage is worth ten cents head in market.
the true economy is to feed the wasted
leaves. Some may object to the flavor
cabbage imparts to milk. but feed in
small quantities at first and after milk
ing.
Whatever food is given, feed it three
times day. II large quantities OF food
are crowded into the stomach the di-
gestive organs are too severely taxed
and the ease and comfort Of the COW are
interfered with. To get the best flow of
milk the cow must be at ease in every
respect. An uncomfortable cow or .
wearied or a frightened COW will not
give good flow Of milk. The most per-
feet digestion goes on when tho COW is
ut perfect ease and quietude.
A regular and ample supply of water
is IS necessary as the supply of food.
Few farmers ever consider water to be
food, but itsupplies an important part Of
tho animal nutrition. Every one, Of
course, considers water necessity. hut
that it should be pure and given regu-
lar. ", and not SO cold as to lower the
temperature of the body when taken
freely, is not thought of. When the
cow is not frequently and regularly
wstered a large quantity will be swal-
lowed at times, which if cold gives to
the vitality Of the COW such a shock as
will require the consumption of extra
food to restore. There Is more profit to
be gained from two cows we'll cared for
than three cows with the care and feed
of two cows divided between them: be-
sides there is q third more risk to run
from disease and death. Not only this,
but she is the farmers property, is en-
dowed with sense Of feeling, and self
instinct and humanity demand good
care for her at his hands. -Thos. ID.
Rsird, in Ohio Farmer.