1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



13 



and, at the same time, to convert the stores of flesh 

 and fat of the animal itself into that desirable li- 

 quid ; which being done, the cow, greatly reduced 

 in flesh, and no longer profitable, is sold to purchas- 

 ers in farming districts where food is cheaper, to 

 be fattened for the butcher or for another terra of 

 service with the city dairy keeper. 



Mr. H. is not a city dairyman. He ftittens his 

 own cows, and purchases others to fatten. Much 

 of his dairy produce is converted into butter. The 

 objects, therefore, at which he aims, are quality as 

 well as quantity of milk, and the production 

 of beef ; and his study has been to combine in the 

 food of his cows, those substances best calculated 

 to produce rich milk, and, at the same time, an im- 

 provement in the condition of the animal. Starting 

 with the principle, that substances peculiarly rich 

 in nitrogenous or other elements have a higher val- 

 ue for special than for general purposes of feeding, 

 i.e., food rich in albumen has a much higher value 

 for the production of milk than for fattening, or 

 beef-making, — he sought assistance from what are 

 usually termed artificial feeding substances, and 

 Tvhile paying a strict regard to their comparative 

 cost, he selected such as are rich in albumen, oil, 

 and phosphoric acid, and other substances which 

 analyses showed to be necessary to his purposes. 



After various experiments and modifications, he 

 has for the two past years adopted the following 

 "bill of fare" for each cow : rape-cake, (an article 

 generally used for manure, but which, by being 

 steamed with the bran, &c., is rendered palatable) 

 5 lbs., and bran 2 lbs., mixed with a sufficient quan- 

 tity of bean-straw, oat-straw, and shells of oats, in 

 equal quantities, to supply them three times a day 

 with as much as they will eat. The whole of the 

 materials ai-e blended together, and, after being 

 well steamed, are given to the animals in a warm 

 state. Eean-meal is added to the various messes, 

 in proportion to the milk given by each cow, in 

 such a manner as to give those in full milk, 2 qts. 

 each per day, while those that give but little milk 

 get but little or no bean-meal, which is added dry 

 to the messes as fed out separately. When this is 

 eaten up, gi-een food is given, consisting of cab- 

 bages, from October to December; Kohl rabi, till 

 February ; and mangold till grass time. With a 

 view to nicety of flavor, green food is limited to 30 

 to 35 lbs. per day, for each, and turnips are entirely 

 rejected. After each feed, 4 lbs. of hay, or 12 lbs. 

 a day are given to each cow. They are allowed 

 water twice a day. 



During May the cows are turned out on a rich pas- 

 ture near the homestead ; towards evening, they are 

 again housed for the night, when they are supplied 

 with a mess of the steamed mixture, and a little 

 hay each morning and evening. During June, when 

 the grasses are better grown, mown grass is given 

 to them instead of hay, and they are also allowed 



two feeds of steamed mixture. This treatment is 

 continued till October, when they are again wholly 

 housed. His stalls are kept during the winter at a 

 temperature of nearly 60 degrees. 



Under this treatment, very satisfactory results 

 are claimed. The whole stock is weighed month- 

 ly. The cows in full milk, 12 to 16 quarts a day, 

 vary but little — some gain, others lose a trifle. 

 Those giving 12 quarts and down to 5 per daj', 

 when free from ailment, gain without exception. 

 This gain on an average of 8 quarts of milk per day, 

 is at the rate of 7 to 8 lbs. per week each. A cow 

 intended for fattening, continues to give milk from 

 ten months to a year after calving, and is then in a 

 forward state of fatness, requiring but a few weeks 

 to finish her for sale to the butcher. 



A great variety of statements are given to show 

 the improvement made in the quality of the milk, 

 by this system of feeding, which are summed up by 

 the remark : — "I therefore assume in my calcula- 

 tion 16 quarts of milk as yielding a roll (25 ounces) 

 of butter." To show that this is a large proportion 

 of butter, a great number of cases are quoted from 

 books, &c. A Mr. Young, an extensive dairy 

 keeper in Scotland, and a "high feeder," obtained 

 20 ounces from 16 quarts. A Mr. Rawlinson 

 churned 20,110 quarts of milk, and obtained 14 

 ounces per 16 quarts ; and again, 23,156 quarts av- 

 eraged over 16 ounces of butter to 16 quarts of 

 milk. In Mecklenburg, Prussia, Holland, &c., 14 

 quarts of milk yield, on the average, one pound of 

 butter, and in rare instances 12 quarts are found to 

 yield one pound. On inquiry in his own neighbor- 

 hood, Mr. HoRSFALL found it computed that each 

 quart at a milking represents one pound of butter 

 per week. Thus a cow which gives 4 quarts at 

 each milking will yield 4 pounds of butter a week ; 

 equal to one pound of butter to 14 quarts of milk. 



No definite statement of the average quantity of 

 milk per year, produced by this system of feeding, 

 is given, because a portion of the cows are bought 

 when nearly dry, and fattened. But the writer 

 says : — "The cows I buy as strippers, for fattening, 

 giving little milk, from neighboring farmers who 

 use ordinary food, when they come under my treat- 

 ment increase their yield of milk, until after a week 

 or two they give two quarts per day more than 

 when they came, and that, too, of a much richer 

 quality," 



The effects of this mode of feeding on the fertil- 

 ity of the soil of the farm is alluded to with much 

 satisfaction. The improvement in the condition of 

 his pastures, the writer says, is apparent. But we 

 must not follow him into details here. With the 

 statement of one individual, who, with a neigbor- 

 ing farmer, procured a steaming apparatus, and 

 adopted the system of Mr. Horsfall, we must close 

 our notice of this very interesting paper. We quote 

 his words: 



