SWITZERLAND. 299 



the u AngloSwiss Condensed Milk Company " at Cham. Perhaps no 

 more reliable statistics as to milk production exist in the world than 

 the books of this company. It is, in short, the largest milk-condensing 

 company known. 



It uses the milk of not less than from five to six thousand cows at the 

 principal factory in Switzerland, and of as many more at the company's 

 condensing establishments in England. 



The company's director, Mr. George H. Page (an American), feeds (as 

 private property) the very finest herd of the Brown Schwytzer cows I 

 have found in the country. Mr. Page keeps his herd of thirty cows in 

 a large rectangular house, with brick walls and tile roof. The very 

 broad ceiling is unsupported except by outer walls. It is very high, 

 and the whole immense room where the herd stands is plastered through- 

 out, and furnished with every modern improvement as to mangers, 

 floors, ventilation, &c. This fine herd ranges in age from three to five 

 years ? few being over three years, and the cows average in weight 

 1,400 English pounds. One of them, a four-year-old (an exception of 

 course), weighs 1,810 English pounds. The cows of this herd are, per- 

 haps, in all respects above the average of Schwytzer, as they were 

 mostly choice selections, and paid for accordingly, at prices reaching in 

 single cases $200 to $240. 



Mr. Page feeds only grass and hay, summer and winter, and that is 

 worth bearing in mind. His cows are taken out to exercise daily, but 

 never graze. Twenty-six of these three-year-old heifers produced in 

 April, May, and June' (after first calf) 28,076 liters of milk, or 12 quarts 

 per cow daily; a large average when it is remembered that it includes 

 almost every cow in the herd, and that none were at the best milking 

 age. Mr. Page counts on these twenty-six cows averaging 15 liters 

 daily, this coming year 1883. Three of the two-aud-three-fourths year 

 old "heifers gave at highest points 19J quarts daily, and averaged 10 

 quarts the year through. Three others, after second calf, gave 24 

 quarts daily for three months, and maintained a high average through- 

 out the year. It will be most interesting to see the coining year's rec- 

 ord of these Swiss cows stalled and fed on common-sense principles. 

 The reports of the milk and butter of the many thousands of cows con- 

 tributing to the condensing factory of Cham are most interesting. 



In the year 1881 the condensers used the milk of between 5,UOO and 

 6,000 grass and hay fed cows. They were milked about nine months, 

 and produced on an average 5,315 pounds of milk per cow ; that is, 19.7 

 pounds or 9.8 quarts of milk per cow daily, for the milking season. 



In England, last year, 5,000 to 6,000 of the famous Shorthorn cows 

 furnished to the English branch of the establishment an average of 

 4,668 pounds milk per cow for the milking year, showing a difference in 

 favor of the Swiss cows of 647 pounds of milk per year. 



The English farmers add oil cake, roots, and other artificial food to 

 the hay of the cows, but they do not stall them so warmly in winter. 

 In general, the milk supply is better in Switzerland in winter than it is 

 in England. According to the report of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture of the United States in 1875, the highest average of milk received 

 at the best dairies of the State of New York reached 4,008 pounds for 

 a high-fed cow in the year, a difference in favor of Swiss cows, without 

 extra food, of 1,307 pounds per year. The average of fat contained in 

 the milk of these thousands of Swiss cows is 3.3 per cent., though single 

 cows show 4 to 4J per cent, fat, or oil, in the milk. 



The terms " fat " and " butter " are used synonymously, for while there 

 is more butter than fat or oil contained in the milk, the butter cannot 



