Ch. XXXVI.] ON MILCH COWS. 403 



have not heard of Mr. Cramp's cow, vvliich during four years — from 1805 

 to the end of 1808 — yielded the extraordinary amount of 23,559 quarts of 

 milk, producing- 2132 lbs. of butter, and various instances of nearly equal 

 productiveness have been cited in many publications. The largest average 

 product which has been stated by any writer in whose practical experience 

 confidence can be placed, is, however, that of Mr, Alton, who rates the 

 yearly average return of the best kyloes at 4000 quarts within 300 days, or 

 until they run dry : thus — 



First fifty days, 24 quarts per day . , . . 1200 



Second ,, 20 ,, .... 1000 



Third ,, 14 ,, .... 700 



Fourth ,, 8 ,, .... 400 



Fifth ,, 8 ,, .... 400 



Sixth ,, 6 ,, .... 300 



•And he cites an extensive Ayrshire dairyman, as saying — " That he would 

 not keep a cow on his farm that did not yield her own value, or her weight 

 in sweet-milk cheese, every 5'ear." He, however, admits — " That many 

 cows will not yield more than half that quantity ; and that, probal)ly, 600 

 gallons in the course of the year may be about a fair average of tlie Ayr- 

 shire stock*:" if equalled, we believe it will not be found exceeded by any 

 other breed in the kingdom. The average quantity of milk yielded by dairy- 

 cows is stated by some of the County Agricultural Surveys to be — 



In Devonshire . 121 



Cheshire . 8 > quarts per day. 



Lancashire . 8 to 9 J 



Good cows of the common description may, indeed, be generally sup- 

 posed to yield from about eight to twelve quarts on the average in the 

 course of the day-]-; though, unquestionably, some prime animals, in full 

 milk, and in the height of the grass season, will afford much larger quanti- 

 ties. Thus, in some trials made at Bradley Hall, a seat of the Earl of 

 Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, it was found that, during the height of the 

 season, the milk and butter produced per day, by different cows, was — 



By the Holderness, 7 gals. 1 qtt. — 38^ oz. 

 By the Ayrshire, 5 „ ,, — 34 „ 

 By the Ahierney, 4 ,, 3 „ — 25 „ 

 By the Devon, 4 „ 1 pt. — 28 „ 



but this only lasts for a short time, and such extraordinary supplies soon 

 fall olf : in fact, the nature of the land, the oldness of the pasture, the 

 age of the stock, and the state of the season, have each a separate influ- 



* Survey of Ayrshire, p, 464 ; and Treatise on Dairy Husbandry, p. 45. 

 f Five short-horned cows, of the ordinary quahty of that breed, are stated to Iiave 

 given, in one year, as follows — 



One, which did not go dry at all . . 4S57 wine quarts. 



, , dry eight weeks .... 3985 , , 



,, do. six do. .... 3987 ,, 



, , do. do. do. .... 3695 , , 



, , do. eighteen do. .... 3383 , , 



These cows were in summer out at grass, and in the winter on hay and turnips, with 

 two months on hay alone. 



Others, chiefly of the short-horned breed, produced, on an average of the whole year, 

 9J quarts per cow per day ; and three small Scots, with an equal number of the long 

 and short-horned breeds, gave an average of eight quarts: thit is — supposing the cows 

 to have been dry about forty days in the year, which thus adds one-ninth to the real 

 quantity produced when in milk. — Dickson's Surv. of Lancashire, p. 547. 



A large dairy of long-horns and short-horns at the late Mr. Curwen's fiirm of 

 Workington Hall gave, upon aia average of four years, about 3700 quarts each. — Farm. 

 Mag., vol. xiv., p. 23. 



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