Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-01-09
Modern Methods of Dairy Practice.

The dairy business is in a sense a
manufacturing business. The cow is
the machine which converts the raw
material represented by grain and for
age into milk. All lines of business
including agriculture, have been com.
PEELED to adopt modern methods. Tile
dairy business, however, requires a
large degree of intelligence in that 1t
is governed by natural laws which are
not rs constant as those governing
the manufacture of iron and steel prod
ucts. Success in dairyiDg today de-
perds upon two conditions: First up
on the reduction of the cost Of pro-
duction and second the Improvement
of the quality Of the products. In tue
first instance the dairyman must thor
oughly understand the feeding Of cows
the milk and its care, the marketing of
butter and cheese, the cow herself, and
must have thorough knowledge Of
the various feeds needed.
The difference III COWS is nicely IL
lustrated by two Cows at the New
Jersey experiment station. During
the past Year these cows ate practl-
caly the Same amount Of feed-$4O
worth. They received precisely tile
same care, and We're looked after by
the same attendant. One COW pro-
duced $4,000 pounds of milk, which
sold for s120, thus giving profit Of
$50 above the cost of the feed. The
other cow produced 4500 pounds Of
milk, which sold for SIS and returned
a profit above the cost Of the feed Of
only $5, difference of SIS in favor Of
the first cow. The amount Of milk.
however, Is not the only consideration.
The $4,000 pounds Of milk produced
by the first cow contained only per
cent. Of butter fat, which if made into
butter would have been worth S140, the
profit being 500. The other cows
milk contained 6 i-2 per cent. of but
ter fat, which, if made into butter
would have been worth $S5 and left q
profit of $45 This illustrates the neces:
sity Of choosing a cow Of maximum
capacity for milk or butter:
The matter of feeding COWS is a
very complicated one AS d general
thing balanced ration is best, but 1t
s best only when it is cheapest. A
wider ration will answer when it will
produce butter cheaper than a narrow
ration. 1t has been found that ra-
ton consisting Of. silage, corn stalks
and brewers grains with a nutritive
ratio Of 1-5.4. The basis IL this ration
was the food value only. In tests at
the New Jersey experiment station, 1t
wassfound that good corn silage, being
more palatable, was from 10 to IS
per cent more valuable than the same
amount of corn fodder.
The second consideration, that Of
making high-grade product, is Of
very great Importance. Uniformity Of
milk and butter is absolutely neces-
sary to a business success. A few
ears dSO TIC ANCh uSloSs tApeIIIueuI
station began dairying in a small way
with grade COWS under conditions as
found on the ordinary farm. The milk
sold reasonably we'll, but at theu end
Of the first year there was IN increase
of not more than per cent. in the
amount consumed.
The second year. modern dairy
house was erected where it was pos
sible to handle the milk properly. The
COWS were also we'll cared for and Well
led and bedded. At the end Of the
'irst six months. of the second year..
The sale of milk had increased 80 per
cent. and 20 per cent. more during the
second six months. at the end
Of the fourth year further
increase of Is per cent was noted.
Not only this, but a cash
business was done and the milk Is
low selling for eight cents per quart,
while ordinary milk brings only four
cnts. Not only did the sales increase,
but the families who first bought in
:reased their consumption Is per cent.
Professor f. B. Voorhees,, in the
New England Homestead.