3S DOilESTIC AXIM^VLS. [Chap. I. 



erinains, lie Ii:ul separately tested tbc milk of his cows, and found that the 

 bad quality of it was 6wiiig to one cow only, and that the milk of the others 

 yielded good and abundant butter. It was, therefore, clearly established tliat 

 the loss he had so long sustained was to be attributed to this cow only. lie 

 at once administurcd the remedy recommended by M. Deneubourg, which 

 elVectcd a cure. 



3G. Winter Feed of Orange County Dairy fows.— Mr. C. Edward Brooks, 

 one of the best dairymen in the county, claims that rye makes more milk 

 than corn or oats, or other meal. Brewers' grains were fonuerly bought so 

 as to cost 6 cents delivered at the farm, but now, at 12 cents, they are 

 uot so jirofitable as rye feed at 75 cents per bushel. Oats he esteems 

 the poorest kind of grain for milk. He thinks that by currying a cow, and 

 keeping her and her stable scrupulously clean, she will give her full quantity 

 of milk on half the feed required if she is neglected. Ilis daily allowance 

 to each cow is five pounds of meal, either corn, corn and oats, or buckwheat 

 or wheat bran, changing the kind frequently — for practice approves what 

 theory teaches, that animals thrive best on a frequent change of diet. The 

 animals are fed and milked at regular hours — generally at four o'clock in 

 the afternoon and six in the morning; in winter, somewliat earlier in the 

 afternoon and later in the morning. Care is taken to observe great punctu- 

 ality as to time of milking, for the animals give much less trouble and thrive 

 better. Mr. Brooks chafls his hay, steeps it in warm M-ater to soften it, and 

 sprinkles the meal over it, mixing it thoroughly. Throughout the day as 

 much long hay is fed as the cows will eat. The feed is mixed in a long box, 

 shaped like fin ordinary bath-tub, which runs on small iron truck-wheels, 

 one at either end, and two at the sides, half way between. This is a verj- 

 convenient method for carrying the whole mess along the passage between 

 the stalls, and with a wooden scoop giving to each cow her share as her stall 

 is passed. The water to steep the hay is heated in a caldron, in a small 

 out-building, and conducted to the gow-stable through a small tin pipe. 



Mv- Seeley C. Eoe, near Chester, a large dairyman and an intelligent 

 farmer, thinks that half-clover hay, well made, and half grain, is better for 

 milk production than twice as much timothy with grain. lie does not cut 

 and steep his hay, but dampens it with cold water, and adds meal, as iisnal. 

 He finds it an excellent plan to feed buckwheat whole, and prepares it by 

 boiling the grain with the hulls on, and when it has become thoroughly 

 soaked, ])uts it into the feed-box at the rate of two quarts to each cow. He 

 adds to this two quarts of dry meal, and the heat and steam of the cooked 

 buckwheat cooks the meal. Four quarts of this mixture are allowed to 

 .-uch cow — two in the morning and two at night — and the animals are kept 

 on this feed nntil turned out to grass. 



Mr. Gregory has an eight-horse power engine for cutting hay, threshing, 

 grinding, etc., and uses the waste steam for steaming his hay. He has 

 constructed a large chamber, capable of holding one hundred bushels of 

 cut hay, which, before being steamed, is dampened. The steam-pipe from 



