B. F. I.— 243. 



A SUCCESSFUL DAIRY TAKM." 



By L. G. DoEKJE, Si'ietttilic Assishml, Fdnn MniKU/nnnil InieatigadoTis. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In Dolawaro Count}-, N. Y., i.s a farm of 200 acres, owned by John 

 T. McDonald and nianaged by him as a dairy farm. Al)out half of the 

 hind is meadow and half is permanent pastur(\ A small portion of 

 the meadow is each year plowed up for other crops— a few acres of 

 corn for soiliiio- and a few acres of pinis and oats for hay. This farm 

 lies in the valley of a ti-ibutary of th(^ n«>laware River and extends up 

 the hills on either side, .so that the tillajrc land is gently rolling, while 

 the pasture is comparatively steep. The soil is a reddish brown loam, 

 originally lilled with fragments of shale rock. The dwelling house, 

 l)arn, and dairy are located on the highway at a little distance from the 

 creek, and the mill and tenant houses near the road cro.s.sing the creek. 

 (PI. I, tig. 1.) The water supply is abundant, coming from several 

 springs nearly lOO feet higher than the buildings. The shipping point 

 is 5i miles distant, over an easy road. 



The dwelling house of the owner is provided with good plumbing, 

 is well heated, and is lighted by electricity. The barn contains 124 

 cow stalls on the main floor and has a manure cellar ))elow. The sec- 

 ond floor can be driven upon also, and has six hor.se .stalls and a grain 

 room, while most of the remainder is used as a hay loft. The dairy 

 building adjoins the barn and is equipped with steam power and the 

 necessary machinery for butter making. A small mill for sawing and 

 planing and for grinding grain is run by water power from the brook. 

 In this building is a small dynamo, also run by water power, which 

 furnishes light for all the buildings, including the cow and horse 

 stables, the dairy building, and the three small houses for the farm 



«This article is one of a series issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry giving the 

 results of the study of systems of management on successful farms of various types. 

 The cropping system on the farm here described is unique, in that half the land is in 

 permanent pasture and half in nearly permanent meadow. Each year a few acres of 

 the meadow that seem most to need resetting are broken up, sown to peas and oats 

 with which grasses and clovers are seeded, or planted to corn for soiling, this to be 

 followed by peas and oats with grasses and clovers. The special lesson to be learned 

 from this farmer's practice is the method of managing permanent grass land to main- 

 tain its productivity. — W. J. Spillman, Agriculturist in Charge of Farm Management 

 Investigations. 



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