MILCH COW,-. 283 



he, or others who feel a just pride in producing- the best butter, 

 would also take a little pains in marketing it, they would be 

 more justly paid for their exertions. His cows are all described 

 as " natives." We suggest to him to add one Aldcrney to his 

 herd. Her cream will give color and character to his butter, 

 and enable him to advance his prices from one-third to one-half 

 in a market where it would be appreciated, and where there is 

 a demand far exceeding the present supply. Mr. Viles, of 

 WaJtham, exhibited a dairy of eight cows, partly natives and 

 partly grades of Ayrshire. His account of their produce 

 was truly extraordinary. The dairies of Mr. John B. Moore 

 and of Mr. George M. Barrett, of Concord, were of a high or- 

 der, showing well-selected stock and great production of milk. 



And here we may be allowed to express some doubts wheth- 

 er the statements of extraordinary produce of cows, as given 

 by amateurs in the public prints, and which sometimes find 

 their way into agricultural reports, have not done something to 

 discourage the efforts they are intended to stimulate. In a 

 late number of the journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of 

 England there is a communication from Col. Le Couteur, of Jer- 

 sey, giving the produce of his celebrated prize cow " Beauty," 

 and of several others of the best specimens of the Jersey or 

 Aldcrney cows. He says that "Beauty," in her best milk, 

 yielded eleven pounds thirteen ounces of butter a week from 

 one hundred and thirty-three quarts of milk, (nineteen quarts a 

 day,) being a pound to about eleven quarts. Some of the other 

 cows gave twenty-six quarts of milk a day for a short period, 

 and fourteen pounds of butter a week, or a pound to thirteen 

 quarts of milk. 



This contrasts strangely with the frequent statements made 

 of the products of the same breed of animals here. From four 

 to six quarts of milk, it is often said, give a pound of butter; 

 and these statements come from parties whose accuracy and 

 truthfulness no one can for a moment doubt. But what are 

 the circumstances ? Is this extraordinary amount of butter 

 made soon after the dropping of the calf and on good pastur- 

 age only ? or is it made from farrow cows, or the strippings 

 or morning messes ? and are the cows highly fed with stimu- 

 lating food? No doubt these statements, made sometimes 



