94 

 THE CAKES COW 



BY J. I). W. FRENCH, OF NORTil ANDOVEK. 



In the fourtli Report of the Agriculture of Mai?sachusetts, 

 hx Henry Cohnan, published in 1841, may be found an ae- 

 ctmnt of this famous coav. This cow was owned in Danvers, 

 and produced in 1813, 180 lbs. of butter ; in 1814, 800 lbs. ; 

 in 1815, over 400 lbs. ; in 181 G, 484 1-4 lbs. During this 

 time, one quart of milk was reserved for family use, and 

 s<lie suckled four calves for four Aveeks each, in the course 

 of those years. She produced in one week IJ) 1-4 lbs. of 

 f nutter, and an average of more than IG lbs. a Aveek for three 

 months in succession. The largest amount of milk given in 

 one day, A\as 44 1-2 lbs. She Avas allowed 30 to 3;") bushels 

 Indian meal per year, all her OAvn skimmed milk, and most of 

 her buttermilk. At one time the OAvncr gave her potatoes, 

 which increased the milk, but not the butter. In tlic autumn. 

 he gave her about G bushels of carrots. 



After reading this, Ave umst admit that she Avas an extraor- 

 dinary coAv : but at the same time Ave must admit that she had 

 extraordinary feed. Cnn it be possible tliat more than fifty 

 years liaAC gone by, and Avith all our l)oasted im|n-o\ements Ave 

 liaA'e nothing equal to her? I for one do not believe it possible. 



In the Country Gentleman of Dec. 30, 18Gi*, may he 

 found an account of a cow, named Sybil, owned by Ilemw 

 Saltonstall. of Peabody. This coav Avas 7-8ths Jersey and 

 l-8th Ayrslm-e : Aveighed H.jO lbs. She calved April 7, 18G.S, 

 and gave from that time until A})ril 7, 18GI>, 13,0G5 lbs., or 

 more than G 1-2 tons of milk. In July, on poor and dry pas- 

 ture alone, this milk made 12 1-2 ll)s. butter a Aveek, or 1 lb. 

 for 12 quarts of milk. Her food Avas poor iqiland pasture, 

 helped out for six weeks with green corn fodder, about a bushel 

 t»f grain in all, between grass and roots, and in Avinter, dry hay 

 and one })eek of roots a day. She gave in the rest ot^ — 



