MILCH COWS. 149 



what, ag'e she ceases to be profitable, as many dairymen believe, 

 especially in England and Scotland, that the younger the cow the 

 richer the milk, that is, from three to six years old, taking into 

 account both quantity and quality of the milk ; while there are 

 others who believe that from six to ten years old the cow yields 

 the largest flow of milk, retaining its quality, and at that time, if 

 judiciously fed, she will have ceased her flow of milk and ready 

 for the butcher at a small expense. My experience and observa- 

 tion in the matter coincides with the latter, in good milkers, as a 

 rule, although I have known the former most true, not doubting 

 the older cow consumes the most food. Neither would I consider 

 it advisable after she attains the age of ten years, as a rule, to 

 retain her longf^r for her milk, — First, because her milk is failing 

 both in quantity and quality ; and second, she is becoming of less 

 value every year ; and lastly, which is an item too often over- 

 looked in good cows and a point I doubt not I shall be sustained 

 in by every good and observing feeder, that the older cow 

 requires much more food than the younger one. 



The dairyman, however, has his favorites in his herd, not only 

 for her quality and flow of milk, but as a stock breeder, for you are 

 aware that the cow best known for the greatest flow and quality 

 of milk, is not always the best for the rearing of stock, although 

 of the same breed ; and much depends upon the capacity of the 

 cow when turned out to pasture to shift for herself on the grazing 

 lands. If the pasture has not been overstocked, the flow of milk 

 will run very even for ten or twelve weeks, and whenever you 

 begin to perceive a falling ofi" in the flow of milk, then feed with 

 some nutritious substance to make good that which the pasture 

 fails to give ; a change in the pasture as often as ten or twelve 

 days tends very much to keep up the quality and flow of the milk, 

 and this gives the grazing lands time to grow the grass, leaving 

 it clean and sweet, and thereby creating a change as often as the 

 herd is shifted, and a point worthy of notice, not only as regards 

 the quantity, but as much so in the quality of the milk. 



The first and important thing to be considered, when the far- 

 mer is about to stock his farm with cows, is the breed, both for 

 dairy and stock. For dairy purposes the Ayrshire cow deserves a 

 place in the first rank for her large yield and quality of milk ; and 

 perhaps, as many dairymen say, who have had long experience on 

 this point, gives a larger return of milk on the whole for the feed 



