SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



143 



seems almost inexcusable. If condition be lost during winter, little 

 or no profit will be realized in the best part of the succeeding sea- 

 son. In early spring, as the cows come in milk, they should have 

 liberal feeding ; plenty of good early cut, well cured hay, with 

 carrots or mangolds, and perhaps a feed of shorts or other gi-ain or 

 meal, once a day. Oats and peas ground together, barley and 

 buckwheat meal will give a better flow of milk and conduce more 

 to the health of a cow giving milk than Indian corn, which, as 

 some express it, seems to be of " too heating a nature." 



In various ways I have endeavored to illustrate and enforce the 

 importance of liberal feeding and good management, throughout. 

 This is from a conviction that it is the most profitable method. The 

 general practice of the State has hitherto been, to keep too large a 

 number of animals, to winter as many as can squeeze through, and 

 to summer as many as can get along tolerably. Let the practice 

 be changed, and the aim henceforth be — the greatest quantity and 

 best quality of product for each head kept.* 



Swine in connection with the Dairy. — The manufacture of pork, as 

 a side product of the dairy, demands some notice. A very con- 

 siderable proportion and amount of the pork and lard consumed in 

 Maine are brought from the Western States. It is considered doubt- 

 ful whether it be practicable to grow it here on a large scale, in 



* To show what may be done, I quote a statement of the products of a very noted 

 dairy farm in Chenango county, New York, published in the Country Gentleman. 

 The farm embraces only 5G acres of impi-oved land, yet yields more profit than many 

 of double its size : 



Statement of the proceeds of the Dairy of Albert Yale, for 1861. 

 The number of cows I have milked this season was 10, the same as last year. My 



memorandum shows that the first tub was filled March 16. My cows calved, mostly, 



in the month of March. 



Total amount of butter made, lbs., 2,785 



Amount sold, 2,305 



Leaving amount used in family and on hand. 



Amount of sales of dairy, 2,305 lbs. at 23 cents, 



Amount used and on hand, 480 lbs. at 23 cents. 



Eight deacon skins at 50 cents, sold. 



Three calves raised on skim milk. 



Value of pork raised, deducting cost and corn, 



721 10 

 Making the average to each cow ^72.11. Number of pounds to each cow, 278^. 

 You will notice above that there arc 1 1 calves accounted for, and but 10 cows. 

 One cow had two calves. 



