1869. 



NEW ENGLAlfD FARJklER. 



163 



jurious to their interests. He divides his pas- 

 tures so that the stock goes into a fresh lot 

 once in each four days, remaining in the pas- 

 ture through night and day. In this arrange- 

 ment he is able to allow about eight days of 

 uninterrupted growth to the grass, so that the 

 voots are strengthened, strike deeper into the 

 soil, and thus sustain the herbage through dry 

 periods. The feed is consequently thick and 

 fresh, and as many cows are put upon it as will 

 prevent a too luxuriant growth ; for he does 

 not believe that rank feed is good for making 

 milk. 



He Plants Southern Corn. 

 To meet the contingencies of a dry time, he 

 plants Southern corn, beginning about the 10th 

 of May, and continues to plant each week un- 

 til the first of July. By these frequent plant- 

 ings, he is able to commence feeding it out 

 about the first of August, and has it fresh and 

 juicy until frosts come. Feeds sparingly at 

 first and increases^he quantity as the cows be- 

 come accustomed to it. Feeds it in the stable 

 twice each day, probably morning and night, 

 as the cows are always milked in the barn, al- 

 though they are in the pasture all night. This 

 fodder corn is grown upon land highly ma- 

 nured, so as to secure a heavy growth that will 

 be juicy when young and tender. This being 

 added to the usual rotation in grazing, the 

 pastures are not reduced, and the cows have 

 more time for rumjnation and rest. He thinks 

 pure, running water of the highest importance 

 in making milk, and has secured it in each of 

 his pastures. When the fodder corn is ex- 

 hausted, he feeds green rowen morning and 

 evening, as much as the cows will eat, though 

 they still go to their pastures as usual. Another 

 object in view, in feeding the fodder corn and 

 rowen, is, not to reduce the pastures so much 

 that he cannot keep them in good condition 

 by the use of plaster and wood ashes. He 

 finds no difficulty in keeping the mowing lands 

 in good heart, but some in keeping up a proper 

 fertility in the pastures. 



Fall Feeding and Drying the Cows. 

 When the grass has become brown by fre- 

 quent frosts in the mowing lots, he turns the 

 cows upon them, but continues to feed liber- 

 ally in their stalls, on roots, rowen and Eng- 

 lish hay, and continues to do so as long as they 

 yield a fair flow of milk. When this ceases, 

 and it is time for drying them, he feeds mod- 



erately on a poor quality of food, and exam- 

 ines their bags from day to day to see that they 

 are in proper condition. This care he will not 

 leave to any other person, as it is one which 

 demands a certainty of attention. 



Many of the numerous cases of difficulties 

 in the udder of cows, undoubtedly grow out of 

 inattention in this particular. 



How he Avoids Swelled Udder. 



Two things are habitually done by many 

 farmers to their cows, which Mr. Ellsworth 

 most carefully avoids doing. One of these is, 

 to feed a cow highly for some days just before 

 she is expected to drop her calf, and the other 

 — which is still more injurious, — to give her 

 meal, or other stimulating food, immediately 

 after she calves ! Neither of these should ever 

 be done. For a period of one week before 

 calving, he withholds all food that would tend 

 to make milk fast, watering freely, a little at 

 a time, immediately before and after that event 

 takes place. For twenty-four hours after the 

 calf is dropped, gives nothing but a little dry 

 hay, and no grain until the cow and udder are 

 all right. Washes a swelled bag with warm, 

 instead of cold water. Feeds a weak cow 

 with oats, as they stimulate, but do not heat as 

 corn meal does. Allows the cows to go dry 

 nine to eleven weeks, as cow and calf demand 

 that time of rest. Under such circumstances 

 the cows are strong and their calves healthy. 



How he Tends and Feeds in "Winter. 

 When the cows are no longer allowed to go 

 to the fields, they are regularly fed twice each 

 twenty- four hours. The first feeding com- 

 mences as soon as it is sufficiently light in 

 the morning to attend to the work. They 

 are fed on hay a little at a time, and the poor- 

 est quality used is given them first. In about 

 two hours they will eat all they care for ; but 

 before they are all through, watering them is 

 commenced by turning out as many as can 

 drink at once, while some one stands by them 

 to prevent quarrelling or accidents. They are 

 then returned, and other sets follow until all 

 have drank. The leantos are now all cleaned 

 out, the cows are full and usually lie down and 

 chew their cuds until half past two, P. M., 

 when the same process is gone through with 

 again, and they have nothing more to eat until 

 the next morning. Thus the cow has had two 

 good meals, has drank twice, and has plenty of 

 leisure to convert a portion of what she has 



