DAiET FEEDING.] CATTLE, AND THEIE VAEIETIES. [dairy feediko. 



titv rather than the quality of the milk. The 

 town dairyman who sells his new milk to daily 

 customers, increases the bulk of his milk by 

 such succulent food, and thus renders it thin, 

 without afterwards diluting it with water. 



In the Cyclopaedia of Agriculture, an account 

 is given of the cost of producing a gallon ot 

 milk, according to different modes ; and, though 

 it may be a somewhat vague instance, it so 

 nearly approximates to the spirit of truth, 

 that we deem it worthy of being laid before 

 the reader. 



The Gloucestershire system, where the cows 

 are fed on grass and hay, and sold lean wheji 

 unfit for dairy purposes, involves a cost, per 

 gallon of milk, of Q^d. The Ciieshire system, 

 in which a few turnips are added in the winter 

 keep, costs Qld. The Fifeshire system, of grass 

 pasture in summer, and nine tons and a-half 

 of turnips in the winter, with oat-straw, 

 amounts to Sfo'. ; and Mr. Young's plan, in 

 the same county, with a more liberal allow- 

 ance of extra food, as bean-meal, linseed, &c., 

 costs 5f(^. Now, though w-e might have ex- 

 pected a greater difference in the last two 

 cases, and in favour of the very last in pref- 

 erence to the former, we still see that it is the 

 dearest way of all to starve the cows ; and that 

 a moderate degree of attention and care is 

 necessary to the most economical produce of 

 the milk-cow, whether it be in milk or butter. 

 When the pastures begin to fail, it is usual to 

 turn the cow upon the fog or aftermath — say 

 in the month of October — for nearly all cow- 

 keepers have, of necessity, a quantity of grass- 

 land producing hay; and the aftei'-eatage of 

 this land affords the best possible food for the 

 milk-cow, whether butter or cheese be the 

 object sought by the dairyman. When this 

 runs short, a little " hand-meat" — a few turnip- 

 tops, or rape, or even a little bran-mash — will 

 be well bestowed ; for if the milk does go down 

 at this period, it is never regained in winter 

 by any care which can be exercised. If town 

 milk is the object, a few brewers' grains would 

 be the most advisable addition to the eatage 

 which could be made. If the weather should 

 still be open and favourable, the pasture, freed 

 in October, will have grown up ;i ilLile, and 

 will afford a very useful turn-out for the cow ; 

 for she must, usually, be housed at night, when 

 the fog is finished. In the house, she should 

 G70 



either have hay and mangel-wurzel or turnips ; 

 or, if she have straw, she sbould have cooked 

 linseed, or oat or bean-meal mash. The chaff' 

 of the barn, after winnowing, may be collected, 

 as free from dust as possible ; or, if mixed 

 therewith, it may be sifted and laid by. A 

 bushel of linseed may be added to two bushels 

 of barley or oats, or even wheat, or any other 

 grain, grown in the ordinary way. This mnj 

 be boiled in a common boiler, taking care to 

 keep it well stirred, to prevent its "setting 

 on" at the bottom of the boiler. After boiling 

 a quarter of an hour, if this be poured upon 

 the chaff in the proportion of one-and-a-half to 

 two pounds of the meal, and a gallon of water 

 to one bushel of chaff, one of the most useful, 

 and certainly the cheapest adjuncts to milk- 

 cow and store-stock feeding which can be con- 

 ceived, will be adopted. The great objectiou 

 to turnips, at least iu large quantities, is the 

 flavour they impart to the milk and the butter. 

 This is a difficulty which can only be partially 

 removed. It is surprising, however, how few 

 turnips or roots will be required if a compound 

 system be adopted; and this quantity being 

 so small, it is easy to vary them, by giving 

 potatoes, carrots, mangel-wurzel, &c., in an 

 ever-changing round. It is a question whether 

 hay need ever be given, if this system be 

 adopted. If it be not, the cows must have a 

 libei'al allowance of hay. In Norfolk, oats, 

 barley, or bean-meal, is mixed with chopped 

 hay. It is questionable, however, whether the 

 cow has not more gratification, and hence more 

 advantage, from selectiug and masticating the 

 hay alone, than can be derived from the cutting 

 and mixture, which at least is a costly and 

 laborious process. A small quantity and a 

 great variety of food will, on the whole, 

 produce the most favourable effect on milk- 

 cows. In a Prize Essay of the Yorkshire 

 Agricultural Society, the Eev, Eobert PuUeine, 

 of Kirby Wiske, thus describes his very 

 successful method of keeping dairy-cows in 

 winter: — "In the management of dairy-cows, 

 during the winter season, it is of the greatest 

 importance to have a dry, well-ventilated cow- 

 house. The side walls should not be less 

 than seven feet in height; and, in the two 

 courses immediately below the top course, 

 every alternate brick should be left out to 

 itisure a sufficient ventilation. A rough board, 



