The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-02-22
DAIRY IMPROVEMENTS.
system of Feeding and Caring for Cows
that Bring Good Results.

System of Feeding and Caring for Cows
that Bring Good Results.
We were very much interested in the
annual report of the West Branch
creamery, and we think the associa--
tlon is on the road to success. We
| congratulate the association on being
fortunate in getting a good butter
maker, but farmers must bear in mind
that it is impossible to make good
butter from poor COWS. While the
milk and cream test at the creamery
was very commendable, yet it ought
to be better. A COW whose milk tests
less than four per cent and cream less
than 81 per cent should be disposed of
and her place filed by better COW.
AS has been stated in previous arti-5
Giles, an improvement can be made
with very little trouble and expense
by the use of a good thoroughbred
male of a buttermaking breed, and
raising calves from the best COWS.
! But there are many other things that
are as essential to successful dairying
as good COWS. A good COW can be
made proftless by neglect. In order
to make dairying a success stock must.
have warm, dry quarters in winter,
and have proper feed. A silo is a
good thing to have, but ordinary
farmers think the cost is more than
they are willing to incur. There are
other methods of feeding that are
also beneficial. I will relate what
came under my observation one vim
ter few years ago while working for
a dairyman. He kept twelve COWS,
some young stock, and two-horse.
team and had another hired man be-
side myself. He had a barn large,
enough to hold hay sufficient to win
ter his stock. He sold milk, and milk
ing had to be done early in order to-
have the milk ready for the milkman.
His COWS we're tied in stancheons and
bedded with sawdust. The first thing
done in. the morning was to sweep.
every COW clean with broom and
then scrape the ,droppings through a
trap door into a basement. After the.
milking was done the stock was fed
hay, the milk was made ready for the
milkman, and by that time breakfast
was ready. After breakfast the pro-
prietor and one hired man would go,
to the woods while the other hired
man would do the barn chores, which
was first to feed the COWS grain-us--
ually a mixture of corn meal and cot
ton seed meal-and then another feed
of hay. There was a driveway
through the barn twelve feet wide.
and the stock was all fed from this.
driveway. The owner had a hay
cutter and cut all of his hay. He also
had large mixing box, and as he
had no facilities for steaming his cut
hay he would dampen it with hot
water and mix in bran and shorts
When all was thoroughly mixed it was
covered tight and left for the nights
feed. After this work was done the
stock was watered, bedded and tied
up. The water was kept in the base
ment, which was frost proof. 1t would
be about 10 O'Clock by the time the
work described above was disposed
of and this man would also repair to
the woods and work until 3 O'Clock.
when he would return and go over
the same work again by reversing and
watering first and feeding last. Now
some will ask, ''Did it pay to feed in
this .way?" Yes it paid so per cent
more than the usual method of feed
ing. This is the best method for feed
ing that can be adopted aside from the
silo method, and it will pay every
farmer to adopt it. It also will pay
every farmer to feed some of their
oats to their COWS instead of selling
them. Speltz is another excellent
feed for mich cows.
If farmers would feed more ground
oats, speltz and little corn meal
they would see a great improvement
in both quantity and quality of their
milk, and the same men who now
patronize the West Branch creamery
and are receiving S18,65S year from
their dairy products would soon have
the amount increased to $4,000
year. @
Now that the creamery is proving a
success-bringing prosperity to it's
patrons-the improvements in the
method of dairying and buildings sug-
gested in this article will soon be
forthcoming.
HOPEFUL HARRY.