DAIRYING 



1688 



DAIRYING 



AIRYING, or DAIRY HUSBANDRY, 



is that branch of agriculture which deals 

 with milk and its products. In the various 

 countries of the world local physical condi- 

 tions have determined in each case the animal 

 best suited for dairy purposes. The Arabs of 

 the deserts obtain milk from their camels, and 

 the Laplanders of the North keep reindeer for 

 their milk. Some of the Tartar tribes of Asia 

 to this day keep mares for their milk, and in 

 many parts of the temperate regions the milk 

 of goats and sheep is a staple article of food. 

 In India the natives get their supply of milk 

 from the buffalo. But of all the animals whose 

 milk is used for food the cow is the most com- 

 mon, and it is the only one which need be 

 considered here. The dairying industry is con- 

 cerned exclusively with -cows. 



Dairy Management. To conduct a dairy 

 successfully requires a variety of knowledge 

 and careful attention to certain principles of 

 management. Careful selection of the herd, 

 properly-constructed stables and other build- 

 ings, proper feed and pasturage, and lastly, 

 facilities for storing and marketing the prod- 

 uct, are the principal points to be considered. 



The Herd. The cows should be selected 

 with reference to the main purpose for which 

 the dairy is conducted. If the dairy supplies 

 milk to city markets, the quantity of milk pro- 

 duced should be the determining factor, and 

 if the dairy supplies butter the percentage of 

 butter fat in the milk should be the principal 

 factor to consider. It is the general experience 

 of dairymen that the Holsteins and Ayrshires, 

 being cattle whose milk contains only small 

 globules of fat, produce large quantities of 

 milk. The Jerseys and Guernseys, on the 

 other hand, provide milk which is much richer 

 in fat, and are therefore the best breeds if 

 the dairy is primarily a butter producer. 



On a good dairy farm a daily record is kept 

 of the amount of milk obtained from each 

 cow. Any cows which do not maintain the 



required standard should be sold or fattened 

 for beef and their places taken by other ani- 

 mals. Only the calves from the best milkers 

 should be retained for additions to the herd. 

 In this way the herd will be strengthened from 

 year to year. The record should give the 

 daily quantity of milk given by each cow, as 

 well as the total for six months or a year. The 

 most profitable cows are those which give a 

 uniform quantity over a long period of time. 

 The record should also include the results of 

 tests for the amount of butter fat, These 

 tests should be made by experts, if possible, 

 but if this is out of the question the dairy- 

 man can get directions and assistance from 

 any agricultural experiment station. 



The Stable. The proper housing of cows is 

 usually the most important factor in preserv- 

 ing their health. Tuberculosis and other dis- 

 eases are frequently the result of filthy and 

 poorly-ventilated stables. The stables should 

 be well-lighted, and should always have an 

 abundance of fresh air. The walls should be 

 kept free from accumulations of dust, and 

 should be whitewashed frequently. The floors 

 should be kept clean and should be covered 

 with fresh litter every day. Partitions made 

 of piping or iron railing are better than wooden 

 ones, because they catch less dust and are 

 easier to clean. The grounds in the vicinity 

 of the stable should be kept as clean as the 

 interior, and rubbish or manure heaps should 

 not be allowed to accumulate. 



The Feed Problem. Fresh grass is generally 

 regarded as a most desirable feed for milch 

 cows, but it seldom happens that the avail- 

 able pasturage is sufficient to feed a large 

 herd. Some other source of food supply must 

 be available at all times of the year, and during 

 the winter months the cows must be fed en- 

 tirely from this other source. Once the proper 

 ration is determined, the most economic 

 method of supplying it should be installed. 

 Most farmers now use ensilage, or silage, as it 



