554 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MILCH KINE. 



charges of management are not included, and 

 dairy produce was then high. 



In one superior Epping dairy, where much at- 

 tentio!i had been paid to the selection of the stock, 

 the North Devon breed is considered superior to 

 both the short horned and tiie Leicester for the 

 richness oi' the milk, though the cjuantity is one 

 fourth less ; tliey bear hard living better in the 

 winter, and their calves are found to excel others 

 both in the disposition to fatten, and in the color 

 and quality of the meat.* 



It will, however, be generally fonnd, that, sup- 

 posing the food to be the same, those cows which 

 yield least in quantity, have the richest milk. Yet 

 both quantity and quality constantly var}', even m 

 individuals of the same breed, age, and appearance, 

 and are always affected by the mode of feeding. 

 When kept on old meadow, the butter will have a 

 better flavor than when the cows are fed on artifi- 

 cial grasses, or even on land that lias been newly 

 laid down to pasture, and although grains, cab- 

 bages, turnips, and other succulent roots will in- 

 crease the quantity of the milk, yet hay and corn 

 will add most to its richness. Lean cows never 

 yield either so much, or so good milk, as those 

 which, without being actually flit, are kept in pro- 

 per condition ; and all gradually fall off' in quantity 

 after calving, until they become dry. 



Whatever breed may be selected, there is still a 

 material distinction to be observed between the 

 form of a cow intended for the dairy, and that of 

 one intended for fatting. While the latter should 

 possess, as nearly as possible, all the most remark- 

 able points, already described, of the best oxen, 

 the milch cow should, on the contrary^, be thin and 

 hollow in the neck ; narrow in the breast and point 

 of tlie shoulder, and altogether lirrht in the lore- 

 quarter ; with little dewlap, and neither full-fleshed 

 along the chine, nor showing, in any part, much 

 indication of a disposition to put on fat. The hide 

 should be thin, the hair fine, and the tail small. 

 But, especially, the udder should be full and round, 

 yet thin to the touch, and should be of equal size 

 and substance throughout. If it sliows more be- 

 hind than before, it is deemed a sii^n of the milk 

 falling off soon after calvi})g ; and if it feels coarse 

 and lumpy, the bag will be found not to contain a 

 large quantity. The teats should stand square, at 

 equal distances, and should neither be very large, 

 nor very- thick towards the udder, but nearly equal, 

 yet ending in a point. Another very material 

 consideration is the temper; for kindly cows will 

 not only give less trouble than those of an oppo- 

 site disposition , but they are generally remarked 

 to possess a greater quantitj' of milk ; and, from 

 parting with it more readily, they are less subject 

 to fall off' in their milking. 



Of the pasture and other food best calculated for 

 cows, as it regards their milk. 



As the nature of the grass, or other vegetables, 

 has a very considerable influence on both the qual- 

 ity and the quantity of milk which cows produce, 

 the attention of the -industrious farmer will, oi 

 course, be directed to this point; for, as instances 

 have occurred, where six milch kine, fed on some 

 pastures, have yielded as much milk as nine, or 



* Agricultural Survey of Essex, Yd. II. pp. 281, 

 290, &c. 



even a dozen will afford on inferior ground, it is 

 obviously his interest to have his cows well fed, 

 rather than to keep up a particular number, with- 

 out heeding v/hether they are properly supplied 

 or not. Hence, it will be proper to suit the milch 

 cows to the nature and fevtility of the soli ; and on 

 no account to purchase them from pastures supe- 

 rior to those desiined for their reception. 



The feeding of milch kine is divided into two 

 branches, viz. pasturing and house feeding. 



In order to obtain an abundant supply of good 

 milk, where the pasturing of cows is adopted, it is 

 not alone requisite that the grass be plentifully pro- 

 duced, but also that it be of that qualitj^ which is 

 relished by the cattle ; and this property Avill ge- 

 nerally be found in some old natural ];astures that 

 have been properly managed. JNJuch attention, 

 however, is necessary, in order to eradicate the 

 crow-garlic, or garlic-hedge-mustard, and similar 

 weeds, which, when eaten by cows, uniformly 

 impart a rank flavor to their milk, and consequent- 

 ly to the butter which is made from it. It is like- 

 wise worthy of note, that though the long, rank 

 grass, growing in orchards or other places, in ge- 

 neral feeds Avell, and produces a flush of milk, yet 

 such milk will neither be so rich, nor carry so 

 much cream in proportion, as the milk of those 

 cows which are fed upon short fine grass ; nor, of 

 course, will their butter be so good. 



The quality and quantity of milk is materially 

 affected by driving them to a distance fiom one 

 pasture to another; hence it will be proper to have 

 the cow-sheds in as centrical a part of the farm as 

 possible. It is also of essential importance to have 

 pastures well sheltered and inclosed, as the pro- 

 duce of milch kine will be greatly improved, or 

 deteriorated, according to the attention or disre- 

 gard bestowed on this point ; for, when confined 

 withhi proper enclosures, they not only feed more 

 leisurely, and are better protected against bad 

 weather, but are also less liable to disturbance 

 than when they wander into other fields ; and both, 

 moderate warmth and quiet are mainly conducive 

 to an increase of milk. 



With regard to the housing of milch kine dur- 

 ing summer, the general practice is. where there 

 are proper enclosures, to send them out in the 

 evening, in order that they may lie out during the 

 night, while, during the day, they are kept more 

 cool and quiet in the cow-sheds than in the fields. 

 The advantages thence resulting are, that they 

 breathe a purer atmosphere, and there can be but 

 little doubt that, at that season, they yield more 

 and better milk than if they were wholly confined. 



Indeed, in some of even the most exposed situ- 

 ations in the west of Scotland, the cows are turned 

 into the fields every day throughout the year, un- 

 less in the most stormy weather, and some per- 

 sons even keep them constantly out, both day and 

 night. Although we cannot recommend the lat- 

 ter practice, yet it is certain, that animals thus 

 treated are nmch more hardy, and less exposed to 

 injury from sudden changes of the weather, than 

 when they are kept warm. They are also said to 

 }ield more milk ; in proof of which assertion is 

 the common observation, that when cows, accus- 

 tomed to lie out, have been housed at night, they 

 have been found more dried up in their milk on 

 the following morning, than others that had even 

 been exposed to a storm. 



In the A\inter, however, milch kine are usually 



I 



