The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-08-25
THE FARM DAIRY.


That Useful Branch of Farm In
dustry.
There are few farms upon which at
least a few cows are not kept. These
COWS are expected to provide milk,
cream and butter for the use of the
family, and usually they are expected
to furnish surplus of the latter, to be
exchanged at the store for sugar,
coffee, rice, tea, spice, etc.
If one or two cows will not answer
these demands, the number is in
creased until they fill the requirements.
Too frequently cows are found that
will not give sufficient returns to pay
for the food they consume. In such
cases they are not only kept at a dead
loss, but they reduce the profits from
those that would otherwise bring good
returns. The true policy would be to
detect these poor COWS as soon as pos
sible, and dispose of them. Better
build up a good herd, or none at al.
Where convenient, it is safest ard
quickest to buy a few choice cows to
start with; but since choice COWS
usually command fancy prices, it is
thought to be running too much risk.
But where the herd is to be built up,
remember that it is essential to breed
only to wellbred males.
A mistake quite frequently made is
to suppose that if one has a good COW,
she may be bred to most any kind of a
male, and thus produce good offspring
But while it is important that both
should be well-bred stock, it is of
special Importance that the male
should be Of good blood.
In selecting a male to head your
herd, inquire particularly as to the his
tory of his dam. The characteristic
traits are said to be transmitted from
mother to son, and from father to
daughter Therefore, if you want
male that can transmit the qualities OF
a good mixer to his daughters, see IT
he possesses a good mother from which
to inherit these qualities. Otherwise
you may not breed up in years.
The first year that young heifers are
MIXED they should be kept in milk as
long as possible, to reduce, If possible,
the property of persistent mixers. An
other important factor is that the heif-
ers should come in with their first
calves in May and June. The udders
can be much better developed and
greater flow of milk secured than if fed
upon dry proyender.
The milking should always be we'll
done, thoroughly done, and, ii possible,
by the same individual each time. me
last milk drawn is much richer in but
ter fat than that first drawn. Some
people do not believe this, but 1T is
nevertheless true. A cow that tested
SO butter fat to every 100 pounds of
milk was half MIXED, and sample
Of the milk then taken. She was then
thoroughly MIXED and sample taken
from the very last drawn. The first
showed only %, While the last showed
12.2.
Good shade, pure water and salt
should always be in access of the COWS.
Many times all of these are unknown
to cows except on rare occasions, but
we cannot expect a COW TO give us good
results unless she be given the proper
attention. The common barrel salt is
better for COWS than the rock salt,
which has been so highly recon-
mended. Rock salt will answer for
sheep or young cattle, but for milk
cows it does not fill the requirements.
In tests we have made in the matter,
it is shown that as much as 20 per cent
better results were obtained from the
use of common salt than were secured
by careful weighing when they had
access to rock salt alone, and fire.
quently we have noticed a shrinkage
in the flow of milk when the common
salt was exhausted even though an
abundance of the rock salt were still
remaining in the salt box.
Constant watchfulness is essential if
we would reap the highest results in
and it usually pays to see
that every condition is complied with
John l.. Shaver in Farm and Fire
side.