PRACTICAL FARMER'. 



133 



find experience in the keening of stock, in a cli- 

 mate, where, on an average, dry fodder is required 

 to he given more than seven months in the year, 

 has given us an opjjortunity to test tiie value of 

 the several modes of feeding ahove mentioned. 

 We were first induced to try the experiment of 

 feeding twice in a day only, from information 

 communicated to us hy a very intelhgeiit and suc- 

 cessful farmer, in a ncighhoring town. • He said 

 he had a few years hefore occasion to call on a 

 farmer's widow to aid in the appraisal of several 

 cows, and found them near the end of the winter 

 in such high order as to draw his particular atten- 

 tion. 



He inquired of the widow, particularly, the 

 ina'nner in which they had heen kept, and found 

 she had given them nothing hut hay through the 

 winter ; and that in consequence of having no 

 man or hoy to tend her stock, she had been ob- 

 liged to do it herself; and being in rather feeble 

 Jiealth, she had never fed them but twice in a day. 

 This led him to examine, particularly, as to the 

 kind and quality of the hay with which the cows 

 had been fed. He found the hay not so good as 

 his own, while the cows were in much higher 

 crder than his, thougli lh s had been fed five times 

 a day through the winter. 



Froui a knowledge of these facts, he afterwards 

 adopted the same mode of feeding, giving his cat- 

 tle just so much, twice a day, as they would eat 

 up perfectly clean, and no more ; and has since 

 found it, by experience, both a saving of fodder 

 and a benefit to his stock. From this information 

 we adopted the practice of feeding but twice in a 

 day, something more than ten years ago, and have 

 found the same favorable results. — JVorther7i Far. 



On the Feeding and Management of Milch 

 Cows. — It is of great consequence in the man- 

 agement of a dairy that the cows should be treat- 

 ed with gentleness, so that they may not be afraid 

 of being milked, or dislike the milker. A cow 

 will not yield her milk willingly to a person she 

 fears, hates, or apprehends ill treatment from. 

 Young cows, in particular, may have their char- 

 acters for gentleness and good milkers formed by 

 the manner in which they are treated. This 

 truth, of much importance to all concerned in a 

 dairy or its products, is well established and illus- 

 trated by a communication from Mr Riissel Wood- 

 ward, published in Memoirs of the New York 

 Board of Agriculture, in substance as follows : — 



Having formerly kept a large number of cows, 

 I observed many amongst them dried up tireir 

 milk so early in the fall, that they wei-e not profit- 

 able, while others with the same keeping, gave 

 milk in plenty until late in the season. I likewise 

 have often heard my neighbors observe, that some 



of their cows, though very good in the forep.trt 

 of the season, dried up their milk so early that 

 they were unprofitable, and they would have to 

 put them off; I accordingly found it expedient to 

 find out the cause, if possible : and when I brought 

 to mind the ways that some of my young cows 

 had been kept and milked, I attributed the cause 

 to the milking of them the first season they gave 

 railk ; and by many experiments since, I have 

 found that young cows, the first year they gave 

 milk may be made, with careful milking and good 

 keeping, to give milk almost any length of time 

 required, say from the first of May to the first of 

 February following, and will give milk late always 

 after, with careful milking. But if they are left 

 to dry up their milk early in the fall, they will be 

 sure to dry up their milk each succeeding year, 

 if they have a calf near the same season of the 

 year ; and nothing but extraordinai-y keeping will 

 prevent it, and that but a short time. I have had 

 them dry up their milk in August, and could not 

 by any means make them give milk much past 

 that time in any succeeding year. I had two 

 heifers, which had calves in Ajiril, and after get- 

 ting them gentle, I set a boy to milk them for the 

 season, (which is often done the first season on 

 account of their having small teats:) he was care- 

 less, and dried them both up in August. Although 

 I was satisfied I should lose the greater part of 

 the pTofit of them afterwards, yet 1 took it upon 

 me the following year to milk them myself and 

 give them good feed, but to no j)urpose. I could 

 not make them give milk much past the time they 

 dried the year before. I have two cows now 

 that were milked the first year they had calves, 

 until near the time of their calving again, and have 

 continued to give milk as late ever since, if we 

 will milk them Gen. Far. 



(From the New York Farmer and Gardener.) 

 SAXONY SHEEP. 



Mr Editor — Having heard much of the cele- 

 brated flock of Saxony sheep, of the pure Electo- 

 ral breed, kept by Mr Henry D. Grove, of Hoo- 

 sack, Renssefeer county, and wishing to improve 

 my present stock of sheep, I resolved to pay that 

 gentleman a visit. I accordingly availed myself 

 of a leisure time, and set out with a determination 

 to purchase a few, and gather information from 

 his experience. Accordingly, after a speedy pas- 

 sage of two and a half days, I found myself, an 

 entire stranger, at the house of Mr Grove. I was, 

 however, received with the kindness and welcome 

 I might have expected from an old acquaintance ; 

 after an hour or more of chat, we took a ramble 

 over his farm, which I found in excellent order, 

 although upon which perhaps considerable im- 

 provements might be made, as he informed me 



