The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-06-21

erS anu SCOCk IoeuorS. subsequently
they were advised by their experts to
weigh the milk Of every cow night and
morning and to keep record of it and
to keep heifer calves only from what
were known to be their heaviest milk
ing cows. This expert advice was right
and prevailed, though some thought it
unnecessary, and at the present time
there are few Danish farmers who
could not give the annual yield in their
herds for several generations back.
The result of it all was that probably
no COWS in any country had such a
mark.
AS an example of what had been
done by selection and breeding the late
Mr.. E. c. Tisdall told him that when
he was purchasing the best heifers he
could get their average yield was 426
gallons per annum for the first ten
years of his experience. Heifer calves
were kept from the best of these, and
in q short time the average of the
heifers was 600 gallons in the year,
and in 1896, the end of the third period
of ten years, he had ten heifers which
averaged 800 gallons in one year. Mr..
Tisdall also told him that the system
of feeding was practically the same all
the time.
The selection Of the sire to mate with
the COWS kept was also point of first
Importance. This was specially so be-
cause of the fact that the bull would
regulate not the milk of one cow only,
but would influence for good or bad
that of every animal bred from him.
It was therefore most important that
every stock bull kept for service in a
dairy herd should be out Of the very
best milking cow procurable.
Their attention should also be direct
! ed to keeping COWS only whose milk
contained a high percentage Of butter
fat. They should not delude them
selves with the idea that if they had
cows giving plenty of milk all that
they required to do to get plenty Of
butter fat was to feed them we'll. By
all means feed them well; but they
might rest assured that no amount Of
! feeding would raise the percentage Of
| fat in the milk of q cow which was
naturally low to equal the milk Of d
cow whose produce was naturally rich.
! Two COWS could quite easily produce
| the same quantity OF milk in the year,
vet when that milk was turned into
| butter the one cow might have produc-
! ed 100 pounds more butter than the
, other That was not all, for the cow
! which had the 100 extra pounds of
! butter had not probably cost any more
to keep than the other. When the COW
| came to within a fortnight Of calving,
she should be brought into the house
and kept there till she calyed. This
was particularly necessary if food was
! abundant, and especially so after mid
summer and during early autumn.
After being brought into the house
| the cow should receive two or three
mashes of bran and treacle daily, with
! a little hay and what water she cared
! to drink. After the COW calved she
should not be MIXED completely dry
for several days. A little milk could
| be taken away as often as one liked,
but only just a little to relieve the I'D
der. Until a week after calving the
udder should never be completely emp,
tied The object of this was to pre-
vent milk fever. In winter when in
calf COWS should be put out every day
for little exercise, fresh air and what
green food could be picked up on the
pastures. If any grass was to be had
plenty of good hay was all that was
required. If no grass was available, q
few turnips, potatoes or cabbages serv'
ed to keep the bowels in good order
AS to the relative merits Of crushed
or ground and whole grain Mr.. Speil
said that if grains were merely, crushed
they would be found to give as gooo
feeding results as if finer and that al
the same time they would not run into
dough, in which condition they were
sometimes dangerous. Tests made a
various times had shown that wheI
grain was thoroughly soaked in watel