254 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEBRUARY 20, 1833. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR3IER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEB. 20, IR33. 



FARMER'S WORK. 



Milch Coivs. The following, according to the 

 " Farmer's and Grazier''s Guide," is the manner in 

 which cows are managctl in the neighborhood of 

 London, for the purpose of furnishing milk for 

 that metropolis. 



The cows during the night are confined in 

 stalls ; about three o'clock in the morning each 

 has half a bushel of grains. From four till half- 

 past six, they are milked by the retail dealers. 

 When the milking is finished, a bushel basket of 

 turnips is given to each cow, and soon afterwards 

 the tenth part of a truss of fine soft grassy hay. 

 These feedings are all given before eight o'clock 

 in the morning, at which time the cows are turned 

 out into the farm yard, or home stead. At twelve 

 o'clock, they are again confined to their stalls, 

 and a similar quantity of grains allotted as in the 

 morning. At half-past one, the milking again 

 commences, and lasts till about three, at which 

 time the same quantity of turnips, and afterwards 

 hay, is given as before. This mode of feeding 

 continues during the whole of the turnip season, 

 which is from September to April or May. During 

 the other months of the year they are fed with 

 grains, cabbages and tares, instead of turnips, 

 •with the same quantity of rowen or second-cut 

 meadow liay, and are continued to be fed and 

 milked with the same regula;-ity as before de- 

 scribed, until they are turned out to grass ; when 

 they continue in the fields all night, and even 

 during this season grains are given to them, which 

 are kept sweet and palatable, by being buried in 

 deep pits for that purpose till wanted. - 



The calves are generally sent to Smithfield at 

 two or three days old ; when they are bought by 

 jobbers and others to be reared and fattened for 

 the butcher. Those cows that give the most 

 milk are not foimd, in general, sufficiently pro- 

 ductive to be kept longer than three or four years ; 

 when they are fattened and sold to the butcher. 

 The quantity averaged from each cow is estimated 

 at about nine quarts per day. 



Besides the keep already mentioned, the cows 

 on these two dairy farms have a portion of dis- 

 tillers' wash, now and then mixed with their dry 

 provender. Their food is also occasionally varied 

 with j)otatoes and mangel wurtzel, great quantities 

 of which are now consumed by the cow-keepers 

 in the vicinity of the metropolis, and sometimes 

 procured from places many miles distant. 



The milk is conveyed from the cow-house in 

 tin pails, which are carried principally by strong 

 robust Welch girls and women, who retail the 

 same about the streets of the metropolis. It is 

 amazing to witness the labor and fatigue these 

 females will undergo, and the hilarity and cheer- 

 fuhiess whichprevail among them, and whicli tend 



greatly to lighten their very laborious employment. 

 Even in the most inclement weather, and in the 

 depth of winter, they arrive in parties from diflfer- 

 ent parts of the metropolis by three or four o'clock 

 in the morning, laughing and singing to the music 

 of their empty pails : with them they return loaded 

 to town ; and the weight they are thus accustom- 

 ed to carry on their yokes, for a distance of two 

 or three miles, is sometimes from one liundred to 

 one himdred and thirty pounds. 



The quantity of turnips, mentioned above, (two 

 bushels a day, besides grains and hay) is, we be- 

 lieve, much greater than what Vve are accustomed 

 to allow to milch cows in New England. But 

 perhap.s, more liberality in that respect might lie 

 goodeconomy. With warm, dry, wholesome lodg- 

 ings, and plenty of roots or other nourishing food, 

 cows may be made to give nearly or quite as 

 much milk in winter as summer ; with much less 

 injury to the constitution of the animal than is 

 sustained by milking them when poorly fed. 



For the feeding of dairy cows tiic following di- 

 rections are given to the cow-feeder in an im- 

 proved dairy establishment near Farnham, in 

 Surry, England. 



Go to the cow-stall at six o'clock in the morn- 

 ing winter and summer ; give each cow half 

 a bushel of the field beets, carrots, turnips, or po- 

 tatoes cut ; at 7 o'clock, the hour the dairy maid 

 comes to milk them, give each some hay and let 

 them feed till they are all milked. If any cow re- 

 fuses hay give her something she will eat, such as 

 grains, carrots, &c. during the time she is milk- 

 ing, as it is absolutely necessary that the cow 

 should feed whilst milking. As soon as the wo- 

 man has finished milking in the morning turn the 

 cows into the airing ground, and let there be 

 plenty of fresh water in the troughs ; at nine 

 o'clock, give each cow three gallons of a mixture 

 composed of eight gallons of grain and four gal- 

 lons of bran and pollard ; when they have eaten 

 that put some hay into the cribs; at twelve o'clock 

 give each three gallons of the mixture as before ; 

 if any cow looks for more, give her anot,hcr gal- 

 lon ; on the contrary if she will not eat what you 

 give her take it out of the manger, never at one 

 time letting a cow have more than she will eat up 

 clean. Mind and keep your mangers clean that 

 they do not get sour. At two o'clock give each 

 cow half a bushel of carrots, field beets or turnips; 

 look the turnips, &c. over well before you give 

 them to the cows, as one rotten turnip, &c. will 

 give a bad taste to the milk, and most likely spoil 

 a whole dairy of buttei". At four o'clock put the 

 cows into the stalls to be milked ; feed them on 

 hay, as you did at milking time in the morning, 

 ever keeping in mind that the cow whilst milking 

 must feed on something. At six o'clock give each 

 cow three gallons of the mixture as before. Rack 

 them up at eight o'clock. Twice in a week put 

 into each cow's feed at noon, a quart of malt dust. 



Dirr.etions to the Dairy Maid. Go to the cow- 

 stall at seven o'clock ; take with you cold water 

 and a sponge, and wash each cow's udder clean 

 before milking ; dowse the udder well with cold 

 water, winter and summer, as it braces and repels 

 heats. Keep your hands and arms clean. Milk 

 each cow as dry as you can morning and evening, 

 and when you have milked each cow, as you sup- 

 pose, dry, begin again with the cow you first 

 milked, and drip them each ; for the principal 

 reason of cows failing in their milk is from negli- 

 gence in not milking each cow dry, particularly 

 at the time the calf is taken from the cow. Suf- 

 fer no one to milk the cow but yourself, and have 

 no gossipping in the stall. Every Saturday night 

 give an exact account of the quantity of milk each 

 cow has given in the week. — Farmer's Mag. 

 vol. V. 314. 



For the A\'w England Farmer. 

 ORCHARD GRASS. 



SoriiF. difficulty having been experienced with 

 Orchard Grass on account of the seed not growing 

 well, it may be useful to mention an easy mode of 

 preparing the seed so that it will come up and 

 grow as well as any other grass seed. It is only 

 to moisten the seed before sowing by spreading it, 

 not very thin, on a floor, and with a watering pot 

 sprinkle the seed pretty well, then mix all well to- 

 gether with a rake ; if it does not ajipear damp 

 enou^'h next day add more water, (the seed being 

 light .iiid chafly it will absorb a good deal,) and 

 imnirdiately before sowing spread as nmch plaster 

 of I'iir'i* as will bring it to a good state for sowing. 



In tins manner I prepared some and sowed, with 

 barley, and some alone, in an orchard, which all 

 iircw freely ; part was sown with clover, for which 

 it is an excellent companion, and part without. • 

 The hay from that ])art mixed with the clover was 

 excellent, and nmch easier cured than clover alone, 

 or mixed with timothy, or as you call it herds grass. 

 That without the clover was short, and did not 

 produce much the first year, but now covers the 

 ground completely, and looks likely to produce a 

 large crop the present season. The great dura- 

 iiility of this grass, and its known excellence for 

 pasture, make it pccidiarly valuable, and with the 

 above precautions in sowing, it may be as easily 

 raised as clover or other grass. 



Hugh Hartshorne. 



Rahway, .y.J. Fch. Uth, 1833. 



Jl^ricidtural papirs are coming into existence 

 in various quarters of the Union, and, we believe 

 bid fair to become as prosperous as they are use- 

 ful. We hail their appearance as auxiliaries and 

 fellow laborers with the New England Farmer in 

 the great field of cultivation ; and our companions 

 in the pleasing profitable pursuits of the rural econ- 

 omist. Though some, who have been accustomed 

 to lend us a helping hand, and to enrich our col- 

 umns with the fruits of their science and experi- 

 ence may transfer their patronage and correspon- 

 dence to some of our "co-working men," yet we 

 shall be gratified so long as the public is benefit- 

 ted. If the light does but shine we care but little 

 from what quarter it radiates ; and if the objects 



