The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-12-25
CALIFORNIA DAiRYiNG.

Methods In Vogue the Psc fic COsat-
Pecuiia rifles or tbs System In tho Hut
ter Department.
Like most other branches of farming
in California. the dairy business is con-
dncted on large scale. Extensive acres
Of fertile land are given up wholly as
ranges for milch cows, and an enormous
quantity of butter is produced annually.
while much cheese Of good quality is
also made.
There are two distinct methods Of
dairying in practice here. The common
method is to depend so'e!y upon the rich
natural feed, such as alfalfa, bunch
grass. etc, which is at its best in the
winter and spring months. Under favor
able circumstances these natural grasses
will furnish an abundance of green food
for about six months, say from Novem-
Der till May. This is tho dairyman's
harvest here, and when the grasses dry
up in the summer no attempt Is made
with slices or otherwise to furnish the
cows with green food, and they are al
lowed to dry up It is thus seen that
the California dairyman's summer cor
responds to the eastern winter in great
degree.
This method Of dairying may be said
to have descended from the old Spanish
practices. and like many OF the customs
which had their origin in the early his
tory of the State, it is gradually giving
way to more intelligent methods. In
localities where irrigation is practiced,
it is possible. by growing alfalfa. beets
| squashes. etc, to furnish the cows with
an abundant su ply Of fresh food the
year round. The flow Of milk may thus
be regulated SO as to be- nearly uniform,
while advantage may be tasen of the
high prices that prevail during the sea-
son when the natural grass dairies are
are at rest
The process OF milking is a novel one.
The mixers are all Chinese, and il
there is any thing in the world that
Chinaman does not understand how to
b indie, it is California COW. Conse-
quently a series of chutes are con-
structed into which the animals are
driven and so closely confined that there
is no opportunity for them TO stir from
certain position. A rope or rawhide
RATA is passed about their hind logs.
and the animals thus being held inn
movably in position, the mixers are en-
abled to perform their task by means of
an opening in the side OF the stall.
This may seem . rather p imitivc plan
to the eastern dairyman accustomed to
gentle cows, but is is great improve
ment upon the old method that still OBJ
tains in many parts OF the States This
method, the Spanish style Of milking
as it is called, is thus followed:
TIE cows are never broken to give
down their milk without first allowing
the calves share. A calf corral, as it
is called. is built by the side Of the
large milking corral When COW is to
be MIXED she is '.laSsed" with RATA
to post and then her calf is let into
the corral and allowed to suck until the
mother gives down her milk freely.
When this point is reached, tho calf is
dragged away with another RATA and
turned out on the range. This process
is all easy enough until the calves get
to be several months old. after which it
requires no small amount OF strength
and patience. Remarkable as it may
seem, it is still adhered to on many
dairy ranches whore hundreds of
cows are kept, and it is the exception to
see cows thoroughly broken to milking
here as they arc at the East
popularity about dairying hero is
that all butter is put up with mods into
rolls which are nominally two pounds
in weight and are sold as such. Really.
however. they never exceed Ia pounds
and are frequently only ~ pounds in
weight These rolls are packed on end
in large shallow boxes containing about
100 pounds each. A large share of the
butter used in this city is shipped by
steamer from points on the coast, and it
Is no uncommon sight to see the greater
portion OF vessels cargo made up OF
boxes of butter. Owing to the cheap
ness Of feed and the abscrce Of any
necessity for providing against the long,
cold winters of the East, the cares of
the California dairymen are light ter and
his profits will average larger than
those Of his eastern confrere.