Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-09-21
Dairy Notes.


but so thoroughly dries out the pals
and other utensils of tin that the proc
ess of rusting is stopped. Wooden pals
and utensils are also improved by be-
ing submitted to the solar rays. This
of course should be done in the open
air, where the atmosphere is not pois-
oned or impregnated by foul odors, and
where the wind can have a full sweep.
Silage should not be cut too short.
There are certain lengths at which 1t
is digested more easily than at other
lengths. Some years ago at conven-
ton held in Wisconsin an investiga-
tor made a report on the kind of feed
that was found to be easiest digested
by cows. He had examined a large
number Of cows stomachs, and had
also fed silage and cut corn fodder to
cows and noticed at what lengths least
of it showed in the droppings. He
found that when the fodder was cut
short, say half an inch long, much of it
appeared in the droppings, but that
when the fodder was cut an inch and
quarter long, it all seemed to be di-
gested.
In keeping the herd of dairy cows
free from tuberculosis a few general
rules at least should be observed
First, know that the herd is free from
the disease. Then do not bring a new
COW into the herd unless she has been
first tested by tuberculin. If milk is
| taken to a creamery and skim milk
brought back, do not permit it to be
used till it has been Pasteurized. This
will not only make it safe to feed to
calves, but if it is fed to pigs will also
prevent the disease being spread in
that direction, which means its get
ting foothold on the farm. Do
not under any circumstances permit
strange cattle to run in the pastures
or occupy the stables. Above all, do
not permit a consumptive person to
take care of the cows.
We hear a great deal about the 150-
pound COW, the 300-pound COW, the
4OO-pound COW, and so on. 1t is agreed
that it takes $50 ppounds of butter to
keep cow year, and that she must
make at least 200 pounds to make her
really worth keeping. The theory
seems to be all right, but even that
statement is too favorable for the cow
as she is ordinarily handled, or rather,
as her butter-fat is handled. The
above figures are based on the butter
being worth about 20 cents per pound
the year round. But how about the
COW whose butter IS sold for about 10
cents per pound the year round? If
her cost of keeping be $50 per year
then it is evident that it would take
300 pounds of butter to pay for her
support alone, and that she would have
to be an exceedingly good animal to
make any profit whatever. 1t is very
evident that the farmer must either
make butter that will bring a good
price or he must keep cows far above
the average in quality.
Recent experiments show that the
digestibility of milk is not greatly af-
fected by sterilization. The knowledge
of this fact is of immense value to the
dairyman, for he is thereby led to real
lie that the greatest objection to ster-
ilization has been done away with.
And if sterilization is not objection
able, certainly Pasteurization will not
be, for the latter requires the milk to
be heated to only 155 degrees, while
the sterilization of milk requires a
much higher temperature. Even boiled
milk Is declared to be only slightly in
ferior to milk in it's natural state. The
only appreciate difference would be
in the case of feeding the milk to in
valids and children. Some Of the doc
tors who have Investigated the matter
declare that sterilized milk is not even
slightly inferior to milk in it's natural
state. Even if the milk be slightly
harder to digest, that fact is more than
overbalanced by the fact that the ele-
ment of danger to life has been elimi-
mated from it, in the form of typhoid
fever germs, germs of tuberculosis and
of other diseases carried by water and
consequently by milk.
The feeding OF skinned milk to
calves Is thing that has been carried
on with great success by our best
dairymen and stock raisers. Most of
them now regard 1t as a full substitute
for whole milk, even without the addi-
ton of other materials to take the
place of the fat that has been removed
in the cream. Those that are raising
dairy calves say they do not want the
fat in the milk at all, as they are not
trying to make fat, but muscle. But
in the case of calves to be used for
future beef or breeders of beeves it is
perhaps desirable to encourage the fat
forming habit by putting something in
the milk that will give the calves an
abundant supply of fat-formers. In
Holland some feeders put starch in the
milk Potato starch is the kind used
there, but presumably corn starch
would be as good. About one and
three-quarter ounces of starch Is used
to every quart of skim-milk. This is
placed in half the quantity Of milk to
be used and cooked up till the whole
forms a thin paste. This paste is then
mixed with the rest of the milk, and
the whole forms very acceptable ra-
ton for the calves.