39 



these 30 cows are kept ; in some 40 or more. By an observing 

 and experienced milk man, llie average produce of a cow, well fed, 

 was rated at five beer quarts per day ; by others at one gallon. In 

 the former case the customary allowance to each cow during the 

 winter was two quarts of Indian meal, and one peck of vegetables 

 per day, and as much good hay as they required. This farmer 

 judges from his long experience that each cow would require two 

 tons of hay in a season. In summer their feed was good pasturage ; 

 and when that failed, Indian corn, which was planted to be fed to them 

 green. In one year from 23 cows he sold ^2,100 worth of milk, 

 at 5 to G cents per quart. 



He has found potatoes highly useful for increasing the quantity, 

 but not for improving the quality of the milk. Other milk men speak 

 of trials with the common blood-beet for the feed of milch cows 

 with great advantage. The cows are dry upon an average about 

 eight weeks, and the calf is usually killed or given away as soon as 

 the milk is fit for use. 



The use of shorts, wheat bran, mashed or grated potatoes, and 

 cut feed mixed, have been found valuable ; and increased economy 

 in the consumption has been deemed a full compensation for the extra 

 trouble of preparation. The consumption of food by a dry cow is 

 much less than by a cow in milk ; but the length of time during which 

 cows are out of milk is a great deduction from the profits of a milk es- 

 tablishment. In the best managed New York milk establishments, with 

 which I am well acquainted, they feed their cows well, and as their 

 milk declines they increase this feed ; they keep them in milk as long 

 as they will pay well for their keeping, not suffering them to take the 

 bull ; and then they dry them off at once. After three weeks ex- 

 tra feeding they are fit for the butcher, and are sold as beef. This 

 management they consider much better than to keep many dry cows. 

 This method would not be so practicable here. It is more easy 

 there to obtain milch cows when wanted than here. A demand 

 here, however, might create a supply. 



At the Theological Institution in Andover, and the same practice 

 is proposed to be pursued at the farms connected with the English 

 and Latin schools in the same town, a considerable number of cows, 

 kept for the purpose of supplying the students with milk, are 



