88 PROFITABLE DAIRYING 



winter. About December loth is a good time to 

 begin to allow the bull with the cows. Nine months 

 and ten days is the average period of gestation. This 

 brings the first cows in near the ist of October. At 

 that time most of the flies have disappeared, and fall 

 feed is plentiful. The fall fresh cow not only pro- 

 duces about one-quarter more than the one fresh in 

 the spring, but she produces a large portion of it at 

 a time of the year when it is worth 25 to 50 per cent, 

 more than it is in late spring and summer. This is 

 especially true in localities where milk is produced 

 for condensing purposes. 



Where the location will permit of dairying all the 

 year round to supply local butter trade, winter, or 

 year round dairying, is most profitable. Customers 

 are always willing to pay a few cents more a pound 

 where the quality is prime and the supply can be 

 depended upon. In order to hold trade of this kind 

 it is absolutely necessary that the supply be regular 

 throughout the year. When once a customer has 

 acquired a taste for a certain make of butter he will 

 soon prefer it to any other, provided it is of uniform 

 quality and flavor. Three grades of salting will suit 

 the different tastes, salt, medium, and quite fresh 

 one and one-half ounces, one ounce, and one-half or 

 three-fourths ounce to the pound. In some instances 

 the location is such that cheese-making is the only 

 available market for milk. In such case, from March 

 ist to May I5th is of necessity the season for 

 freshening. 



Farmers often say : " My barns are cold and 

 unfit for winter dairying/' In such case dairying is 

 not profitable at all, and the sooner it is abandoned 



