150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



consumed than any other breed, and this is the very point on 

 which the profits depend. 



The Jersey cow, if not taking- the first rank, most assuredly 

 deserves a rank in the first class for the richness of her milk ; so 

 much so, that I find many of the farmers in our part of the State 

 are keeping one or more of the breed to improve the quality of 

 their butter. 



The Shorthorn is quite a favorite with many of our farmers, per- 

 haps not so much on account of the great flow and quality of their 

 milk, as for their stock. For mixed, arable and dairy farming, as 

 in our section of the State, where young stock is reared, they are 

 not second to any breed for their yield of milk and capacity for 

 large stock. 



Very much depends upon the management of dairy cows ; so 

 much so, that it has now become a very important point with the 

 dairyman, to see that his cows have both warm barns and regu- 

 larity in their feed, as upon this, much depends the quantity and 

 quality of their milk. 



That a mixed system of dairying and tillage fai'ming has long 

 been practiced throughout this and other New England States, 

 beneficial to those who have had proper care for their dairy cows, 

 there can be no doubt. The dairy process of converting milk into 

 butter and cheese is no new invention, but a very ancient discov- 

 ery, and in common use in patriarchal and pastoral times. As with 

 Abraham entertaining his guests with milk and butter while on 

 their way to visit the cities on the plain, frequent mention of 

 butter and cheese is made in scripture. 



Among the New England and many other States, as with the 

 European agriculturists, the root crops are grown and fed not only 

 to the cow, but to the other stock upon the farm, as a nutritious 

 food, and that they will yield more nutritious feed to the acre for 

 stock than any other crop, be it for flesh or milk, has been to my 

 mind proved beyond a doubt, both in this and the old countries. 

 Fjrom the Agricultural Reports, we notice numerous instances, both 

 in this country and Europe, where 1000 bushels of carrots and the 

 same of parsnips have been raised on one acre, and as liigh as 

 1200 bushels of beets and the same of turnips to the acre. With 

 proper care for our cows, we can usually obtain all the milk from 

 the cow at the age of ten years as at the age of twelve years. 

 And here let me say, by proper care is meant everything essential, 



