The Somerset reporter., 1897-09-02
About Dairying.
Turf Farm and Home.l

Dairying is an important industry,
much has been said and written about 1t ;
about the feed and treatment of cows,
care of milk and cream, the making Of
butter and cheese and the packing and
sale Of the product. This instruction
has been helpful and has had for its OBJ
ject more system, better methods and a
finer article at reduced cost. And not
withstandng the full treatment the sub
iect has received, the correct rules laid
down and the proper methods that must
be followed, fully explained, Maine has
never acquired a high reputation as a
dairy State its butter selling from one
to three cents pound less than the but
ter made In Vermont or New Hampshire.
And why should 1t be so? The natural
conditions, as relate to climate, soil,
water and feed, are very nearly If not
exactly the same. 1t Is reasonable to
conclude that the inferiority of our but
ter is due to ill kept tie-ups, filthy COWS
and improper handling of milk, cream
and butter. Long ago, before the adj
vent of the creamery, Maine had no rep
utation as dairy State Ii would seem
that the first settlers of Maine, imbibed
different habits from those who made
their homes in Vermont. They did not
like TO have too much care, did not form
the habit of taking pains and doing
things well. Only In this way can we
account for the low quality in Maine
butter.
To make nice butter all previous pro-
cesses must be correct, and the butter
maker should work by system that al
lows no failure. Some things pertain
ing to dairying are settled. To make
good butter of the right flavor cleanliness
must prevail all along the stages OF pro-
duction. The tie-up is filthy, the cows
are not kept clean. the milk is tainted
and the butter is off in flavor. And I'M
til Maine farmers and dairymen learn to
keep filth from their milk, by keeping
their cows clean and tidy, their dairy
products will not take high rank. 1t is
not very difficult to keep the cows in
proper condition even if you have not a
modern stable and a patent stall. Use
card and brush twice a day, and remove
all filth, dust and dirt each time you
milk If the udder and teats are much
daubed wash with cloth or sponge and
water. If you decide to keep your cows
clean, are patient and perseyeriLg and
make use of the necessary means you
will without any sort of doubt succeed
and make several points in improvement
in civilization and add something to
your manhood. The idea or notion or
habit or custom in this age of the world,
that tOlerates mixing manure with milk
from which comes articles of food for
civilized human beings is preposterous.
In the warm season of the year it is
deemed best to allow the cows to lie in
the yard. 1t is cooler, the udders re-
main clean, the air is pure and the cows
are more comfortable, and comfort is
very desirable condition to reach in the
management of dairy cows. Ii it rains
hard or the yard becomes wet, then keep
in the barn few nights. Clean up the
yard each day, making piles at con
venient points in the yard. By mixing
loan or muck and plaster and other ma
terials, compost piles could be made and
but small loss of manurial elements be
sustained.
Some questions are unsettled. They
are ever coming to the front. They are
obtrusive and constantly demand con-
sideration. Such questions and of
greater significance perhaps, are en-
countered in political affairs where hu-
man rights have been imperied and were
settled only through long struggle Of
war and diplomacy. In dairying one
very important question that is not
settled but should be at once, is wheth-
er we shall conf1ne the cows in the barn
all winter, giving no exercise, no out
door air. In my Judgment no more
cruel, inhuman treatment could be de-
vised IL is so senseless, so unnecessary,
so much at variance with natural law
that it Is difficult 10 have patience with
the advocates of close stabling and give
them fair hearing. 1t Is affirmed that
close confinement in a warm stable en-
ables GOV to make more butter aud
hence there is more profit in this method
or course of management, This Is about
all that can be said In favor of this sYs-
TEN of continuous stabling. But what
are the tendencies and what are the re-
suits already observed? Such treatment
tends TO degeneracy, disease and death;
and one result is tuberculosis. Any
animal that has the power of locomotion,
has lungs for respiration and blood to
circulate, to be healthy and vigorous
must have exercise and pure air to
breathe much of its life. II it has no
exercise the muscles shrink, the lungs
are not duly inflated and hence less air
is inhaled, less blood Is purified and it
moves SIuRKllsIiy III lIS CiiduutlS, ulRts-
tion is imperfect and less food is assimi-
lated, and the whole system is enfeebled !;
degeneracy begins and is transmitted to
its offspring. There is no doubt what
ever but that this course of continuous
stabling in close tie-ups with liberal
feeding on rich foods has caused the de-
velopment and dissemination of tubercu-
losis. And it will never be eradicated
until our dairy herds receive rational
and humane treatment. Turn the cows
out into the yard every day unless very
stormy. Let them drink, move about; ;
have untrammeled freedom for a while,
initiate the lungs, start the blood In the
arteries, breathe some pure air and they
will return to the barn refreshed and
invigorated.
The chief aim of all dairymen in this
State of Maine, should be to improve its
dairy products and give the cows such
treatment and care as will conduce TO
health and vigor and will tend to eradi-
cate and prevent the spread of that
dreaded disease, tuberculosis.
ALOEZo SMITH,
| Revere, Me-, June 1897.