590 Home Nature-Study Course. 



into butter; the curd supplies muscle and the lean meat of the animal 

 and is the main ingredient of cheese, although cheese to be good should 

 contain a full amount of butter fat ; the ash which may be seen as 

 residue when milk is evaporated builds up the bone of the animal. The 

 best butter cows are those which give a large per cent, of fat and a small 

 per cent, of curd, like the Jerseys ; the best cheese cows are those which 

 give a fair per cent, of fat and a larger yield of curd, like the Ayrshire 

 and Holstein. 



A cow to pay her way in producing cheese should give at least five 

 thousand pounds of milk per year, and she is not a profitable cow unless 

 she gives seven thousand pounds; a butter cow, a Jersey for instance, 

 should produce five thousand pounds of milk per year to be really 

 profitable. 



The stable where milch cows are kept should be thoroughly cleaned 

 before each milking and should be swept each day ; the cows' udders 

 should be brushed and the milkers should wear clean aprons and should 

 wash their hands before milking. Milk should never be strained in the 

 barn, but in some place where the air is fresh. If milk is perfectly 

 clean, it will keep sweet much longer ; sterilized milk put in bottles 

 will keep sweet for weeks and even months. Loud talking should not be 

 permitted in the stables while the cows are being milked, and each cow 

 should be milked by the same person for the entire season. 



Every child should know that milk to be legally sold in New York 

 State must possess 3 per cent, of butter fat. For upper grades or first 

 year work in the high school there could not be a more profitable exercise 

 than teaching the pupils the use of the Babcock milk tester. Read Milk 

 and Its Care in "Agriculture through the Laboratory and School Gar- 

 dens," Jackson and Dougherty. 



LESSON CLX. 

 the care of the milch cow. 



Purpose.— To teach the pupil the proper care of the cow. 



The importance cannot be over-estimated of teaching the pupils in 

 rural districts the proper care of cattle for the production of milk. The 

 milch cow is a perfect machine and should be regarded as such in 

 producing milk. First, she should have plenty of food of the right kind, 

 that ij;, a well balanced ration. Second, she should have a warm, clean 

 stable and be supplied with plenty of good, fresh air. A cold stable 

 makes it necessary to provide much more food for the cow ; a case on 

 record shows that when a barn was opened up in cold weather for 

 necessary repairing, the amount of milk from the cows stabled in it 

 decreased 10 per cent, in twenty-four hours. There should be a pro:- 



