348 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



had been withdrawn. Her weight' on the 6th of February 

 beine still 7 cwt. 2 qrs., and her yield of milk 1 1 quarts per day. 



My cow has gained, in the nine weeks, 56lb8., being 65lb3 

 per week, with an average yield of 14 quarts, the diminution 

 being regular. January 1st, 15 J ; February 4th, 14; March 

 4th, 12|; making an average yield of 14 quarts per day. The 

 whole loss and gam of weight will be in flesh and fat, the cows 

 having kept up their consuuiptlou of food and their bulk. 



The weekly account of profit aud loss will stand as follows: 



8. d. 



Mr. Smitli's cow, average yidd for 9 weeks, 12^1 ■< r, 

 quarts per day, at 2fl. per quart ., ., ..J 



Deduct lo-s in flesh 9ilbs., at 6d 4 8 



9 11 

 Cost of U stones hay, at 6d. per Btene 7 



Profit 2 n 



Mr. PawBon's cow, average during the first five) ,„ , 

 weeks, \\\ quarts per day, at 2d. per quart .. ) 



Cost of 9 stones inferior hay (at 4cl. per stone), "j 



per week Ss.Od. [ 9 2 



Cost 631b. ground oats, 4s. 8d ; turnips, Is. 6d. 6s,2d. } 



Profit 4 3 



My cow, average yield for 9 weeks, 14 quarls per) ,„ . 



day, at 2d. per quart j 



Gain of flesh, 6Jlbs. per week, at 6d .,3 1^ 



19 5^ 



straw and "J 



il,l8. .. 4s. 6id. f 

 bs.; malt- \ 



lOAlbs .. 4s. O^d. ; 



Cost of food : 

 Hay, 631bs., at 6d. per stone 



shells of oats. Is. 3d.; maneel. 

 Rape-cake, 3.^1bs. ; bran, 10^1 

 combi, lOJlbs. ; bean-meal, 



Profit 10 lOJ 



The richer quality of the manure will probably compensate 

 for the extra labour, cooking, and attention bestowed upon 

 my cow. 



Witli a view of extending the comparison I give particulars 

 of the whole of my cows, the weights of which were registered 

 on the 8th of October, aud which were still on hand, free from 

 calf, and in a state admitting of comparison. These were 

 bought at a neighbouring market in but moderate condition : 

 indeed with my mode of feediug I do not attach the same im- 

 portance to high condition as a town-side farmer would. A 

 cow in full condition attains her maximum yield in a week or 

 so after calving, whilst those in lower condition continue, by 

 my treatment, to increase their quantity up to about a month 

 after calving. 



The dates of calving are not precisely those on which the 

 cows calved, but on which they were purchased as new calven 

 cows. The prices named are those paid for the cows without 

 their calves, except in one instance, the cow No. 1 being bought 

 a few days before calving. They are what may be termed young 

 cows, having had two or three calves each. The prices will 

 disclose to those conversant with the subject, that the animals 

 were not in high condition nor of high breed. 



My cows, during the period tinder consideration, were 

 treated as follows : During August and September they 

 were on open pasture by day, and housed by night ; even- 

 ing and morning they were supplied with mown grass, and 

 two feeds of steamed mixture. Towards the close of Sep- 

 tember, green rape was substituted for the mown grass, 

 Wjith the same allowance of steamed mixture : from the 8th 

 of October, when they were wholly housed, they were sup- 

 plied with steamed food ad libitum three times per day. After 

 each meal, 10 to 121bs. of green rape-plant were given ; .and 

 !)lbs. hay per day,till November : from that time, steamed food, 

 with cabbages or kohl-rabi, till the early part of February, 

 when mangel-wurzel was substituted. Itwill be observed that 

 I give hay and roots in limited quantities, and the steamed 

 food ad libitum. I prefer this to apportioning the cake and 

 other concentrated food in equal quantities to each, as this 

 steamed mixture contains more of the elements essential to 

 milk ; and each cow is thus at liberty to satisfy her re- 

 quirements with it. Nos. 2 and 4, which have given the 

 greatest quantity of milk, have eaten more than their 

 share; whilst No. 1, which has given the least milk, has 

 scarcely eaten more than half the quantity of steamed 

 mixture consumed by 2 or 4. The yield of milk and the 

 live weights, on the 4th of February and the 4th of March, 



scarcely vary. During February, 341bs. of mangel were 

 substituted for kohl-rabi. With this change, the cows be- 

 came more relaxed. My experience in weighing, extend- 

 ing over several years, has shown me that when animals, 

 from change of food, become more relaxed or more costive, 

 their weighings in the former state denote less, whilst in 

 the latter they denote more, than their actual gain in con- 

 dition. I have known instances in Avhich a month's weigh- 

 ing, accompanied by some relaxation, has shown no gain ; 

 whilst in the following month, with restored consistency, 

 the gain has doubled. 



The results I have described are wholly over periods 

 commencing from the time of calving, and during the first 

 stages of milk, the longest extending over thirty-one 

 weeks, when the production of milk is at the largest. 



No. 4 suffered from pleuro in September, from which 

 time her yield of milk fell off to less than two quarts per day. 



Nos. 6 and 7 suffered also, and No, 11 "considerably, 

 after their weighing, Oct. 8lh : each of them regained their 

 yield of milk after recovery. It will be clear that their 

 weights would have been greater, had they continued in 

 health throughout. In stating their produce of milk and 

 food, I treat them as if they had remained in health. 



I now proceed to examine the materials of food, their 



