Oxford Democrat., 1921-12-13
Dairy Farming In Fiiesland.

Dairy Farming In Ffiesland.
Since time immemorial Friesland has
been q district where cattle breeding ha.
been carried on successfully. Natural
oircumstances have contributed to this,
90 that cattle farming has become the
most important source of wealth to this
province. About 600. 900 acres, or more
than two thirds OF the total area Of Fries
land, is permanent meadow land Of ex-
cs.lsnt quality, on which Is grased Q cat.
tie stock OF about $50, 900 head OF horned
cattle, 81, 900 horses, and 100000 sheep,
Although the character Of the soil OF
Frlesland varies considerably, tho heavy
clay districts, found In wide "trip along
the coast in the north and west and the
low fen districts In the center and south,
are Of the greatest importance for cattle
farming. Friesland has damp, cool eli.
mate, very we'll suited to grass growing.
That cattle farming In Friesland is car
ried on by very intensive methods 10 sp.
parent from the fact that q normal Frie-
sian farm consists of about 80 acres Of
land, on which 20 milch COWS and 20
young stock are kept.
The greater number (about 65 per oent)
Of Friesian farmers are not owners, but
tenants of their farms. II We remember
that the rent for Q Q acres Il hectare) Of
ground is about FL. 250-($100 . year. 1t
will readily be seen that economy has to
be observed to the utmost limits to make
the industry paying one.
The cattle are driven into the mead.
ows about the beginning of May and re-
main there until autumn. In October
or November. depending on the weather,
the animals are taken back to the sta
bles, but young stock are often left out
In the open until winter really sets In, in
order to make them healthy and hard.
ened. Generally third of the area of .
Friesian farm Ia reserved for grazing cat.
tie, two-thirds being mown for hay,
which 10 the chief feed Of the cattle dur
ing winter. The Friesian farmer lives
with his cattle, in the winter months
even under the same roof, 80 that he
knows every animal Of the herd individ.
ually and keeps the best producers for
breeding purposes.
Generally speaking, the COWS In Fries.
land oalve In the early spring between
the middle of February and the middle
OF May. Directly after birth the calf 10
taken into barn where loose boxes have
been constructed, usually In the vacant
space where hay was stored during the
winter. Careful breeders provide the
calf with proper muzzle and disinfect
the navel to prevent infection from bac-
terra, feeding with beestings has also q
preventive effect. During the first few
days the calf receives Its mothers milk
three times day and after that for two
or three weeks, fresh milk. Then the
fresh milk is gradually replaced by but
termilk or centrifugal milk, so that after
month the calf gets no full milk, but
only buttermilk or skimmilk to which
linseed meal is often added.
About the middle Of May the calf 10
generally taken out into the meadows
and 1t now gets at regular intervals
drink of whey mixed with some fresh
milk, buttermilk, or skimmilk with some
kind of meal. II there is any sleeps
milk to be had; that Is often given to the
calves.
The calves are taken back to the sta.
bles together with, or httle later than,
the cows, and during winter they live
chiefly on hay, sometimes oil cakes are
given as we'll. In spring the young cat
tie again 60 out to Craze, often together
with young bull, SO that In the follow.
ing winter, when they are two years
old, they will oalve generally. Towards
that time they are fed on oil cakes and
hay.
After the birth of the first calf 1t is
tried at once II the young COW will allow
herself to be milked; II this succeeds,
she is MIXED after 12 hours and this IL
repeated twice day regularly; It 10 only
seldom the COW 10 MIXED three times .
day. Generally speaking, the milking is
done with extreme care In Friesland.
The farmer and bis family, assisted BY a
man or milkmaid II necessary, do the
milking themselves, and divide the labor
30 that each person has only . limited
number OF cows to handle, this limita-
tion securing the most careful milking
Of even the last COW. Special attention
is paid to milking the COW dry for the
last drops contain the largest quantity
of butterfat.
After calving the COWS are we'll fed
with plenty OF hay and oil cakes, the
amount Of which varies between one and
four Kilograms, according to the quality
of the hay and the quantity of the milk.
Although there are other sorts of cattle
feed now in use, the Friesian farmer still
prefers the old fashioned linseed cakes
which 60 30 we'll with the hay. In sum.
msr when they are out In the meadows,
the cows get nothing but grass.
In Frlesland there is very close con-
necti0n between cattle breeding and dairy
industry. The Friesan farmer has al
ways applied himself to the making Of
butter and cheese and, although some
twenty years ago the dairy manufactur.
ing industry passed almost entirely from
the farms to the modern dairy factories,
milk production has remained Of undi-
minished Importance. The object of the
Friesian breeder is to breed COW which,
under normal circumstances as regards
feeding and treatment, will during Q Sc
ries OF years produce such large guam.
tity OF milk and cream that the sale OF
the dairy produce yields q good profit
while at the Same time the cattle stock
10 every year enriched by the addition of
q calf. The farmer, moreover, wants his
cattle to be healthy and strong, and for
slaughter purpose to supply meat that 10
not too fat and of excellent quality.
Why Are Apples lmperfect7
Complaints come from many of the
most careful and scientific orchardists
about the poor quality of their apple
crop this fall. Even where they are sci.
entifically sprayed, manured and cult.
vated, what little fruit there is has moro
or less worms, scab or 10 misshapen or
knurly. Some of this trouble may be
due to the cold wet spring which Killed
most Of the blossoms and probably weak
ened those that did set. But why should
| the fruit be 90 infested with worms? Ia