Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-12-31
COWS AND THEIR CARE.
FRESH COWS.

FRESH COWS.
Conditions have changed during the
last twelve or fifteen years. The time
was when February and March were the
best months in the year for selling but
ter. There was scarcity at that season,
and it paid to have plenty of fresh cows.
Now prices begin to fall in January, and
continue to 60 down for several months.
For that reason it is doubtful whether
cows that freshen after the first of De-
cember and before the first of March or
April are as profitable as those that
come fresh the last Of August or
early in September, or even in April and
Nav. September, October and Novem-
Der are months when milk is bringing a
good price, and can be produced at
very moderate cost. From April on
prices are not so high as in the fall, but
the cost of keeping COW for a year, If
she freshens in April or May, is less than
when she freshens at any other time in
the year.
Either early fall or the spring months
are probably the best times to have
cows come fresh. The cows that freshen
in December will do little if any better
in June and July than the one that
freshened in September. Both fall of in
the mess at that season. The August or
September COW is the one that is likely
to 90 dry the shortest time. The Decem-
ber COW must be fed literally all winter
on grain If she is to produce a full flow OF
milk, Just as much as the September COW,
while the latter has already produced
nice lot of milk at a small cost, thus
yielding profit.
WHEN TO STABLE.
We do not like to keep our cows in
the stable nights until the weather be-
comes quite cool, so that the cows are
more comfortable indoors than out.
Sometimes we keep them in earlier, be-
cause we wish to get all the manure we
can for some certain field. If the pasture
is short and the nights not too warm, 1t
is all right. II the pasture is good, it is
doubtful whether there can be as much
milk obtained from feeding sowed corn
without grain as from the pasture; be-
sides the corn is more costly than past
ure. There is nothing better than good
pasture, and on our cheap lands nothing
is so inexpensive for COW feed. The only
excuse for us to grow fodder corn, oats
and peas, etc., for green feed is the fact
that the drought, more or less severe, is
quite liable to catch us most years. Even
then, if we have good range of pasture
and are not overstOcked, we get along
very well with only moderate amount
of fodder corn. find that many farm
ers are expressing doubts about the ad-
visibility of ''intensive" farming on
cheap land, at considerable outlay for
hired labor.
PROFITABLE COWS.
1t isn't always the largest income
that gives the greatest profit. Looking
over list of creamery patrons where the
cost of keeping the cows was given to-
gether with the income per COW, notice
that in different herds the returns for 81
cost in keeping, vary all the way from
so cents to Sl.66. In other words, one
man got back from the creamery SO
cents for each 81 worth Of fodder given
his cows, while another man got $1.66
from the creamery for each 81 worth OF
fodder fed to his COWS. These were
the extremes, but there were many
other examples very similar. Now,
looking over the list carefully, 1t
appears that those who feed the most
expensive ration did not in many in
stances get the best returns. Doubtless
much Of the difference is due to the
quality of the COW, but the dsiryman
needs to look out also for ration that
is not too expensive.-H. H. L. in Rural
New Yorker.