162 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



April 



THE DAIKY BEGIOW IN WORCESTER 

 COUNTY. 



URING our late visit into the 

 dairy region of Worcester 

 County, to attend the annual 

 meeting of the Massachusetts 

 Cheese Ma7iiifacturers'''Associaiio7i 

 at Barre, we found opportunity to 

 look at several fine herds of cattle 

 in their winter quarters, and to 

 raake many inquiries in relation to the manner 

 in which they are fed and tended. 



A statement of the practice adhered to by 

 one dairjman will show the general rule in that 

 region, as far as we had opportunity to learn. 

 Partaking of the hospitality of Mr. J. T. 

 Ellsvforth, enabled us to occupy such spare 

 time as occurred in looking at his stock with 

 some care, and of having free conversation 

 with him in regard to the manner in which it 

 is fed and tended. 



He winters about fifty head of cattle, mostly 

 . cows, and a large portion of them grade Short- 

 horns. Those which have come to maturity, 

 say seven or eight years of age, are of more 

 than medium size whose dressed weight would 

 be seven or eight hundred pounds. They have 

 been bred irom pure sires, and the best giade 

 dams ; dams that have been carefully selected ; 

 that is, the best shaped and most promising 

 calves are never sent to the butcher, but pre- 

 served for the milk pall and to supply the 

 places made vacant by removing the old cows. 

 They all possess the peculiar characteristics of 

 the Short-horn race ; the muzzle fine, the face 

 blightly dishing, the eye full and bright, the 

 forehead broad, the throat clean, the ear of 

 medium size, thin and moving quick, the shoul- 

 ders wide at the tops, brisket broad and low, 

 legs fine and ending with a well rounded foot ; 

 the ribs round and full, and running well 

 toward^ the hips ; the back straight from the 

 [■boulders to the tail ; the hips wide, and level 

 with the back and loins ; the rumps wide ; tail 

 set on a level with the back, small and taper- 

 ing. These are only some of the more prom- 

 inent points, but they are prominent in all the 

 best dairy herds in this region. It is curious 

 to find this sameness in passing from one farm 

 to another. In certain instances, one might 

 fancy that some invisible power had trans- 

 ferred the stock at which he had just been 

 looking, into the next neighbor's barn ! 



Such is a brief description of the animals 



which are to be fed and tended, and to yield 

 a profit to their owner for the cost and care be- 

 stowed upon them. Mr. E. feeds in the spring 

 but twice each day. That is, they are fed for 

 about two hours in the morning, a little at a 

 time, at the end of which period they have 

 generally taken all the food they care for. If 

 the weather is fair they are then turned into a 

 pasture convenient to the barn, as soon as the 

 ground is settled, where they remain through 

 all the middle of the day. TBis course is 

 commenced by the first or middle of March, 

 according to the season. Mr. Ellsworth 

 thinks this is highly beneficial to the cows, as 

 they get pure air for several hours in succes- 

 sion, they get exercise in nibbling the short 

 grass, whether dry or green, and derive some 

 unexplainable good from coming to the hare 

 ground, either in the smelling of it or in some 

 other way. 



After enjoying their recess in the pasture, 

 they are taken to their stalls, and each cow has 

 six quarts of sliced roots, and as much good 

 hay as they will eat. They are then milked, 

 turned out to driiik and then returned to the 

 stable. This is the daily process of spring 

 treatment, and all these operations are done at 

 exact times. When the precise time cooes, 

 the cows flock about the barn, whether the vil- 

 lage bell strikes four or not ! If neglected 

 when the proper hour for watering arrives, 

 they express their uneasiness by signs that 

 cannot be mistaken. Habit has become a sec- 

 ond nature to them, and that habit cannot be 

 broken in upon with impunity. 



When the grass in the pastures has sprung 

 up so as to afford a "fair bite," — not toor.ank, 

 for then the cows do not like it so well — they 

 are turned out and allowed to remain all 

 night unless the night is cold or stormy. In 

 the morning, however, the cows are fed in the 

 stable so long as they eat with a relish. He 

 always milks in the barn, and feeds no grain of 

 any kind. Gives salt as nmch as the cattle 

 will eat at all seasons of the year, but adds 

 very little salt to the hay as it is got in in 

 summer. 



How he Manages his Pasture. 



One of the most striking features in Mr. 

 E.'s plan of feeding, is in the management of 

 the pastures. We take all the more pleasure 

 in recording it, because a diifercnt course from 

 his is so common wicL most farmers, and so iu- 



