48 



Farming — Coirs. 



Vol. XI. 



roughly pulverized earth, with every vestige 

 of vegetable matter packed into the bottom 

 of the furrow, the Moore plough turns the 

 soil close and smooth, and but little deeper 

 in staple than before the earth was removed. 

 So that time, which proves all things, will 

 enable us to hold fast that which is the best; 

 no one, it is presumed, wishing for more 

 than a fair opportunity to form his judgment; 

 and that he will obtain, at the hands of the 

 best men, engaged in the performance of the 

 best work, on their own account. 



W. D. 



Brandywine Hundred, Del., Aug. 2Jst, 1846. 



Farming — Coavs. 



Nothing upon a farm is so valuable as a 

 good cow. And it should be a constant ef- 

 fort with every true farmer to seek the best 

 breeds and to feed in the best manner ; for 

 herein lies the soundest economy. Very 

 much has already been accomplished for this 

 important interest ; but much remains to be 

 done. While we are strongly inclined to 

 believe that no better cows can be found — 

 we mean for milk — than selections from the 

 natives, we feel quite sure that great advan- 

 tage is also to be derived from the best im- 

 portations, provided the mode of keeping be 

 imported and understood also. For here is 

 the real secret — the feeding and keeping of 

 the animal. And strange as it may seem, 

 nothing is more difficult than to ascertain 

 this. 



Of the imported breeds, we have the opin- 

 ion that the Ayrshires are to be preferred. 

 They are the best stock in Scotland, and are 

 generally regarded in the same light through- 

 out England. They are not so large or hand- 

 some as the Durham; but they are a hardier 

 race; keep themselves in good condition, and 

 are easily fatted. Mr. Phinney declares them 

 to be, from his experience, greatly superior 

 to the Durhams, for dairy properties. There 

 have been numerous importations of the Ayr- 

 Bhire breed into our State; and the last year, 

 a large importation was made by the State 

 Society. 



To show what can be accomplished, and 

 the manner of doing it, we refer to the fa- 

 mous case of the Cramp cow in England, of 

 the Sussex breed. During her first year for 

 milking she produced 540 lbs. of butter; the 

 largest amount in a week was 15 lbs. In 

 forty-seven weeks her milk amounted to 

 4,921 quarts. In her third year she pro- 

 duced 5,782 quarts of milk and 675 lbs. of 

 butter; the largest amount of butter in a 

 week was 18 lbs. In her fifth year, her 

 milk was 5,369 quarts, and her butter, 594 

 lbs. Largest quantity of butter in a week, 

 17 lbs. 



The feeding of this cow was, in summer, 

 clover, lucerne, rye, grass, and carrots — at 

 noon, four gallons of grains and two of bran 

 mixed, in winter, hay, grain, and bran, five 

 or six times a day. 



The famous Oakes cow, owned in Dan- 

 vers, in this State, may be mentioned also 

 as very remarkable; she produced 19^ lbs. 

 of butter in a week. In 1816 her butter 

 was 484^ lbs. She was allowed 30 to 35 

 bushels of Indian meal a year; she had also 

 potatoes and carrots at times. 



A cow owned in Andover, in 1836, yielded 

 $67 38 from the market, besides the supply 

 of the family. The keeping was good pas- 

 ture, the swill of the house, and three pints 

 of meal a day. 



A cow owned by Thomas Hodges, in North 

 Adams, produced in 1840, 425 lbs. of butter. 

 Her feed was one quart of rye meal and half 

 a peck of potatoes daily, besides very good 

 pasturing. 



Putnam cow, at Salem, averaged for a 

 year 12 quarts daily. In 1841, witJi two 

 quarts of meal daily, she averaged in one 

 month 18 quarts daily. 



A cow owned by S. Henshaw, formerly of 

 Chicopee Falls, gave 17f lbs. of butter a 

 week, and in one case 21 lbs. This was a 

 native without any mixture. 



A cow in West Springfield is recorded as 

 having given in sixty days 2,692^ lbs. of 

 jmilk, which is equal to 22^ quarts daily, 



A cow owned by O. B. Morris, of Spring- 

 field, some weeks afforded 14 lbs. of butter, 

 'besides milk and cream for family. Her 

 jfeed in winter was good hay, and from two 

 !to four quarts of rye bran at noon ; in sum- 

 mer, besides pasture, four quarts of rye bran 

 ■at night. Judge remarks, in the account of 

 jhis cows, that "many cows, which have been 

 considered as quite ordinary, might by kind 

 and regular treatment, good and regular 

 feeding, and proper care in milking, rank 

 among the first rate." 



J. P. Gushing, of Waterton, has several 

 native cows, which give 20 quarts a day. 



Dr. Shurtlefl^, of Chelsea, owned a small 

 cow which gave 21 quarts daily. The Ho- 

 bart Clark cow, at Andover, gave 14 lbs, of 

 butter a week. 



A cow of W. Chase, Somerset, R. I., in 

 1831, gave most of the season 20 quarts of 

 milk daily; averaged nearly 14 lbs. of but- 

 ter during the season. The Hosmer cow, 

 at Bedford, Mass., gave 14 lbs. of butter a 

 week. 



The foregoing list consists of natives. 

 We may also add, that there is now in West 

 Springfield a cow owned by an excellent 

 farmer, which has aflbrded 19| lbs. of butter 

 a week. But we are not informed whether 



