The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-05-21
THE DAIRY.

OF fat to $40 Of solids in Jersey milk,
and one pound Of fat to 3 3 10 pounds of
solids in the milk Of Short Horns
There are hundreds Of cows that arc
kept for dairy purposes that last year
paid less than twenty-five dollars per
head. ! cannot see the benefit Of that
kind OF business. Let every man that
keeps dairy invest fifty cents in grad.
ing tumbler, fill it two-thirds with milk
and the rest with water not warmer
than fifty-eight degrees. and in five to
six hours he can tell whether that cow
will pay to keep for butter purposes or
not.-Farm and Home.
| A machine is said to have been pat.
ented In England whereby cows can be
MIXED much more promptly ar Il easily
than by hand. A number of cups arc
connected with a general conducting
tube, which conveys the milk into a
large vessel where the suction is made.
| 1t IS claimed that the cows rather like
the process than otherwise. and that
four or five of them can be disposed Of
in as as many minutes, the quantity of
milk not being affected.
SPRING TREATMENT or COWS.
How to Fortify Them Against the III. Of
That Season.
The summer usefulness of a COW will
depend largely upon the condition in
which she reaches grass. A mich cow
always requires care. 1t is not safe to
neglect her at any season. The heavy
draft on the system Of the cow in bear
ing her annual calf and giving milk for
nine or ten months in year. is calcu.
lated to reduce the health and vigor of
the most robust. The product of the
COW that is not in strong. vigorous
health partakes of her feebleness or dis
ease. II the milk. butter or cheese are
not unhealthful as a diet, they are at
least deficient in nutritious qualities.
Cows are liable to become run down
in March and April They are then
heavy with calf, and frequently reduced
by too long milking. No other farm
stock is SO likely to suffer from unin-
territorial neglect as the cow. If once
permitted to fall away it is exceedingly
difficult to restore her to good condition
while in full flow of milk. The sections
of the COW that is lean and poor carry
nearly all the nutrimcnt of the food
consumed to the formation Of the calf.
We have frequently noticed that cows
In this condition bring larger calves
than those that arc in good order The
calf is no better for it, and it is worse
for the COW. Such COWS usually drop
calves week or ten days earlier than
If they were fat. Nature is unable TO
longer support the burden. and although
the calf may appear perfect to the eye,
the various organs and functions are
not SO fully and perfectly developed as
if its birth had been deferred short
time. 1t sometimes happens that in
such cases the calf is dropped before
the uddcr is fully filed oat, in which
case the yield of milk is less, and this
deficiency may continue through the
season.
The custom, general among dairymen,
OF milking late in the season, and oil
then feeding high to recruit the cow, we
strongly condemn. That terrible
scourge. the milk fever. as well as gar.
get, is often caused by this manner Of
feeding. Mich cows should be allowed
to go dry from one to two months. The
food during this period should be all OF
the good hay the cow will eat. with a
few roots, enough to keep the bowls in
good condition. As the time of parturi.
ton draws near. diminish the amoun,
of roots SO as to guard carefully against
too great a secretion of milk. In regard
to the length of the period of CESSATION,
the longest is 3Ol days. while the short
est is "a days: the most common length
Of time is as3 days.
Dairyman should be very careful
about sailing their cows regularly. Ma
ture seems to have provided all domcst-
ic animals such as stock. with an in
stinctive desire for salt: though many
herdsmen claim that it is not essentially
necessary. In England it is ascertaiued
by experience that sheep require half u
pound week. which is twcnty-siy
pounds per annun. Cows require u
bushel and a half per annum; draft
horses and draft cattle a bushel: colts
and young cattle from three pecks to
bushel each per annum. 1t is also GUS
tomary to use in curing a ton of hay
ten or fifteen pounds of salt. Whether
it would be best to use a like amount in
olv hay-mows, and what is the
best method of sailing cattle
are | think practical subjects of
inquiry. Farmers sometimes neglect
their cows until nearly time for them to
calve, and then on opening their eyes
to the fact that they are lean and weak,
put them on liberal or heavy feed sud-
denly. This is very injurious to
both cow and calf. The good feed
should be given before hand and the
cow kept in such condition that she
may he put on lighter feed few days
before calving. if there is tendency to
caling in the bag.
The udder should be looked after a.
the time approaches for the calf to
make its appearance. If there is nm
usual heat and hardness. indicating in
nammation. the parts should be bathed
in tepid water, or warm water in which
half an ounce of saltpetre has been dis
solved: wipe dry, and rub thoroughly
with the hands. The milk should also
he drawn. The cow should be confined
in stall or pen by herself, free from
currents of air and with a good bed OF
straw. If the calf is to be raised, the
sooner it is separated from the COW tho
easier it will be to teach it to drink,
and the more quietly the mother will
bear the separation. 1t is our custom
TO milk the COW from three to six times
a day for a few days, until all infam.
nation Of the udder. if any exists. has
subsidized. Ii there is some infiamma-
ton, we give light doses of saltpetre,
say half or quarter of an ounce dis
solved in water, three times a day, and
battle with the same. Give bran mashes
warm drink and relaxing food for few
days after calving. II the cow persists
in refusing to drink warm water it must
be given cool. not cold, and in very
small quantities. being first allowed to