Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-20

carrier. and along the line of this and
supplied with track and convenient
switches are, in order, the ice-house
and creamery, the herd-barn, the call
barn, the test Darn and the elevator.
The barns and outbuildlngs are
painted red, apd the carrier-system
posts are all painted white, which
makes a pleasing contrast and adds to
the looks of the place The floors OF
tie barns are all cement, the newer
buildings are heated by standard hot
water systems, and they have the
King system of ventilation. The test
barn is supplied with window shades,
screens to keep out flies, and | noticed
a number of fly-trapS about the floor.
All harms are supplied with automatic
" Altering devices from an outside sup
ply.
The litter used is baled shavings, and
all droppings are gathered as made
and conveyed to manure-sheds at one
end of the buildings, from whence 1t
goes direct to the fields.
Within the herd barn, where the
cows are handled very much as the
herd of any other milk-producer, the
milk sheets. under the signatures of
Bill. Tony and Bill Bughouse, show
Just about the same milk yield as |
have seen on the sheets in other
barns. ranging from to 1872 pounds of
milk per COW; and it seems to be the
system here to build up the general
health Of the cows, then when one
shows rather better than the average
to put her in the test barn and feed
her for all she is worth.
In the test barn the stanchions are
divided by partitions into sections of
two and each COW under test is given
one of these sections, free from re-
straint literally bedded and induced
to do her very best for the time de-
voted to the test.
Each day the COWS are turned out
for a time in the sunshine when the
weather permits, to the Improvement
of their health, and il was a matter of
comment that the cows lin test"
looked rather better than an average
COW in health and vigor. - HfsHfs
The cows in test are fed and MIXED
four times per day, at ten and at four.
The feeding and milking was being
done at the time of my visit by Tony,
a Lithuanian from the southern part
of Russia, an excellent workman who
had the welfare of his charges at
heart.
The foundation COW of the herd was
Euphrasia A, an imported COW of
whom no production record obtains,
and the herd bulls at present in stud
are Friend Hengervild De Kol Butter
Boy and a son, Pontiac. both bulls of
great scale and splendid conforma-
ton. The animals of the herd all run
large, some of The cows running to eX-
coed 1900 pounds Banostine Belle
drawing right at this figure and High
Lawn at 1.s50 There is a splendid
bunch of young stuff coming on, twos,
yearlngs and season calves, whose
weight would be questioned were | TO
give It, all in splendid condition. all
showing excellent care and plenty of
feed.
The basis of all the feeding on this
farm is alfalfa. Alfalfa hay from the
bale, alfalfa-hay cut and mixed with
stock molasses; in some form 1t goes
into almost, if not quite, every meal
from calf to COW, helping to build
those wonderful frames and the con-
stitutional vigor so prominent.
In the calf-barn racks hold an album
dant supply to which the calves have
constant access. and at one end of the
barn is a trough wherein the feeder
dumps ground feed of various sorts
| by the bagful for the calves to help
themselves. They also have free ac-
cess to a salt box, which is kept sup
piled with stock salt.
EnsiIage is fed by the ton, from
| thu ee large wooden slices. filled in sea-
son with corn grown on the place. A
start is being made toward the growth
| of alfalfa. which will probably be sue
cessful.
| was informed that the grain ration
consisted OF ground oats and bran, but
| a sample which / carefully examined
seemed to contain small amount of
cottonseed- meai in addition; this is
| fed to the cows under test up to their
| ca pacities, as is the beet-pulp, which
lis moistened from one feeding period
| to the next. The cut alfalfa-hay is
placed in a large tub, and molasses
lsolution is poured over it-one part
molasses and four parts water-which
also soaks from one period to the. next.
No limit is placed on the cows con-
sumption of alfalfa hay. They are
supplied with all they can eat. If any
is rejected, it is removed and fed to
young stuff or the herd cows. About
an ounce of salt is placed in each ra-
| ton of beet-pulp at the extreme, and
as little as quarter ounce to others,
depending on the COW. Some green
cut common red clover was being fed,
apparently with relish, as lending va
riety to the diet.
Tony was weighing three pounds of
fgrain into a ration which at four feed
| ings per day would make days grain
run to twelve pounds.
| On such a ration one would expect
much milk. / scanned the milk sheet
tackled up in the barn, and by adding
the four miikings Of the highest COW
| in the test of eight found that she had
produced 52.2 pounds of milk in "a
hours. This was her highest yield in
four days under test
The secret of the work lies in having
the COW able to handle the feed. a
great big machine. Then feed her right