THE FAK3IERS' REGISTER. 



Vol. IX. 



JUNE 30, 1841. 



No. 6. 



EDMUND RUFFIN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 



ON DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 



irom llie Transactions of the Essex (Mass.) Ayricullural !?o- 

 cifty. 



To J. IV. Proctor, esq. — iS/r— llaving been 

 uriaUie lo alteutl ilie nifeiiiiif of ilie bohrJ ol 

 irusiees in December, i siibniii the Ibllowintr con- 

 siiler.iiions leldiiiii^ lo llie tnaiini^enieiii ol dairies. 



Tlie lirsl Hinl iiiost eticieniidl puml lo t)e gained 

 is to procure good cows, ll cosis no more lo leed 

 a good cow, Hum a poor one. And ibe compara- 

 tive cesull ol'llieir produce al ibe close ol the year, 

 makes u most e!^senllal diliereuce in llie proiils ol 

 the tanner. iSuppo^e one cow to give one quart at 

 a milkmg, or two (juaris per day, more than ano- 

 iber, tbe milk being of equal quality ; and tuis 

 milk lo be estimated worili two and a iiall cents 

 perquari, and ihid lo continue 20U days — here 

 would be a diHerence of ten dollars in (be f)roduce 

 ol' tbe two cowis. Tins rule applied to a dairy of 

 til'ieen cows, would be equal the sum of ^150 — 

 hair as much as the net annual income ol a ma- 

 jor! ly ol the larmers in the county. 



The quality of the milk is a consideration not 

 less impurianl than ilie quantity. Those who 

 never have tried (he experiment ol' setting ditie- 

 renl cows' milk separaie, have very imperfect 

 ideas of iheir comparaiive value. 1 have known 

 some cows that five or six quarts ol iheir milk 

 would raise cream sufficient to make a pound of 

 butler. 1 believe ihis was staled lo be true of 

 the Oakes cow, from tiie milk of winch was made 

 twenty pounds ol' butter a week lor several suc- 

 cessive weeks; and I have heard ilie same of 

 others. But, ordinarily, it takes ten quarts of 

 milk to yield a pound ol butter. It therelore be- 

 comes a point of great importance, in selecting 

 cows lor the niaking of butter, lo obtain those 

 whose milk is adapicd lo ibis purpose. 



The 7«a?i,/ier vj feeding cows is a point not lo 

 he neglected, in the management of a dairy. 

 Good leed not only increases the quanilty of the 

 milk, but it improves the quality; and of conse- 

 quence the buder and cheese produced therefrom 

 are better also. The kind of fond usedis also to 

 be regarded. Every dairy-woman knows that 

 the milk will indicate the kind of Ibod used, 

 therelore those kinds of fjod which leave ihe 

 besl flavor in the milk shoidd be selected. 'When 

 cows have been lisd on cabbaires or on turnips, 

 who has not tasted the peculiarities of thet^e 

 vegetables'? When they are lisd on Indian meal, 

 on carrots, or ou beets, — it is lair to presume that 

 these articles become incorporated with the milk 

 also. I do not presume to say which of these 

 articles is the most valuable lo be cultivated for 

 the feeding of cows ; though I hope in this age 

 of experiments, with so many inducements as 

 are now held out for the trial, it will not be long 

 before some ol our farmers will give us satislac- 

 tory information on this subject. 



The manner of milking also demands attention. 



Cows should be milked about the same time each 



day; and they should be milked quick and clean. 



If a portion ol their milk is suffered to remain, this 



Vol. IX.-24 



will soon diminish the quantity, and the cows will 

 ' dry up. It IS bad policy to trust milking to child- 

 ren, lor they usually do it moderately and imper- 

 lecily, and more is lost thereby than would pay 

 I llie L)csl of laborers. 



The place for the setting of the milk, is also 

 ; worthy of attention. This snould be cool, well 

 ! ventiiaied, and exclusively appropriated to this 

 ' purpose. Foril it is |jermiited to be occupied in pait 

 j lor oiher purposes, some things will hnd their way 

 there winch will be injurious to the milk. It 

 should also be properly lighted. Cream will rise 

 more lavorabiy m a hglii tliau in a dark room, and 

 the quality ot it will be better. Therelore a dairy 

 ; room above ground ib prelerable to a cellar. The 

 room should be carefully guarded, by the use of 

 wire gauze, or some other substance at the win- 

 dows, against ihe approach of insects or intruders 

 of every kind. The milk should be set in pans 

 uncovered ; as the cream will not rise so freely 

 ' when there is a cover over the pans. Care should 

 tie taken not to fill ihe pans lull, especially in warm 

 weather, as the cream will rise quicker and belter 

 ' when Ihe milk is spread over a larger surlace. 

 j||l'he sooner it iises and is removed liom the milk 

 ilbfebeiier; and this should always be done belore 

 I the milk begins to i urn sour. When the cream 

 IS taken oti', ii bhouid be kept in tight covered ves- 

 I seis, in cuol places, unlil the churning process ; 

 anJ this should always be belore any souitiess or 

 I mould is discoverable. 



j Much care should be taken to separate the but- 

 ter-miik thoroughly f.om the butter. More de- 

 |)ends on this than any other part of the process 

 in making good butler. Unless this is done, 

 it will be impossible to preserve itsweet and good. 

 If our dairy- women would apply double the la- 

 bor 10 half the quanliiy of their butler, and there- 

 by thoroughly remove all panicles of butter-milk, 

 this one half vvould be worth more ihan the whole 

 in the condition it is usually sent to the market. 

 As this is a matter that interests every farmer, 

 and every lover of good butter, (and who does not 

 love It when il is lair and nice 7) I have presum- 

 ed to forward these remarks. Vou will use them 

 as you think proper. Joseph How. 



Meihuenj Jan. 6, 1841. 



Note. — What I have said in relation to the 

 working of butler, is to be underc-tood in relation 

 to such butter as had the proper previous manage- 

 ment. For if the butter comes soft, it may be 

 worked ever so long, and not become hard and 

 iiood ; although il may be improved by working. 

 Butter that comes well will be fit lor immediate 

 use with very little working. But if it is to be 

 kept, care should be taken that the buttermilk ia 

 throughly removed. 



Il was ray intention to have said something on 

 the feed of cows. But my remarks have already 

 extended so far, I will simply say, that there is no 

 feed on which cows can be kept, that will make 

 belter butter, than a first rate pasture ; such as 



