PRODUCTION OF MILK. 123 



the character and the quantity of the food employed. Most con- 

 clusive experiments, conducted by Mr. Horsfall, in England, upon 

 this subject, have recently been presented through the agricultural 

 press. Mr. Horsfall's conclusions are, that with the proper food, 

 proper conditions of temperature, and other circumstances being 

 taken, into account, as good butter, and as full returns can be 

 secured in the winter as at any other season of the year. 



In producing milk for different purposes, we must consult the 

 different conditions required to be fulfilled. If we wish to make 

 milk for cheese alone, it is our object to make milk when we 

 can make it cheapest. In cheese dairies, beginning in the spring 

 and running through to autumn, leaving the cows three or four 

 months to recuperate, and to pass along without giving milk, is 

 considered as the most economical system. If you make butter, 

 you are encouraged to extend the time of milking by employing 

 extra food, and to protract it even into the winter. As it is 

 demanded for family use or for market, you are obliged to furnish 

 a supply throughout the whole of the year, and an* entirely differ- 

 ent system of feeding, and a different class of animals, and another 

 form of management, are required 'to accomplish this result. The 

 subject came up with regard to close feeding of pastures yester- 

 day, and changing stock from field to field. 



There are some things to be said on both sides of that subject, 

 but still I may present some facts upon it. For feeding beef cat- 

 tle, high pastures seem to be desirable, and that the grass should 

 get considerable growth ; but for the production of milk, short 

 pastures are considered to be desirable. Short, fresh, close grass 

 will give you more milk than where you allow the clumps of 

 grass to run up and obtain considerable firmness and size. And 

 especially is this grass more productive in milk when it is fresh ; 

 when it is green, as was said here the other night, than when it is 

 allowed to grow to considerable height, so that it is white or 

 yellow below, and has become sour by reason of moist weather. 

 Even with the most abundant pasture, 1 have noticed our cows fall 

 off when there comes a warm, sultry, damp time, in which the 

 grass in the pastures is growing most luxuriantly, and there is a 

 great abundance of food, because it becomes soured by getting 

 too rank ; it gets ahead of the cows. That is by no means a de- 

 sirable condition for dairy pastures. 



With regard to the changing of stock, there are reasons why it 

 is desirable to change. The manure is more evenly distributed 



