CHAP. i. VALUE OF THE MILK REGISTER. 247 



milk, it is obviously of most use to dairy farmers engaged in the urban 

 milk trade. It is, moreover, particularly valuable to the farmer in that 

 it shows to him the relative milk-yielding capacities of his cows, and 

 thus enables him to gradually weed out the naturally poor milkers, and 

 replace them by better ones. 



The study of a milk register extending over, say, a year is most 

 instructive. The influence of external conditions on the discharge of 

 the lacteal fluid is clearly indicated. A change in the food supplied to 

 the cows, for example, or the appearance of sharp frosts, as well as 

 other sudden meteorological changes, will be found to be faithfully 

 reflected in the milk-pail. The register may bring out, amongst other 

 circumstances, some sueh useful fact as the following : that of two 

 cows, for instance, one may be notorious for giving at times large flows 

 of milk never approached by the other cow, and may have acquired the 

 reputation of being the better milker, while the register may prove 

 that, when duration of lactation and average yield of milk are con- 

 sidered, the second cow is decidedly the superior. The register will, 

 in fact, indicate unerringly which are the best milk-yielding cow sin the 

 dairy, and which therefore are, with this object in view, the best to 

 breed from. If it is desired to know the richness in cream, then the 

 lactocrite, or some simpler instrument of which there are several kinds, 

 may be called into requisition. 



The simplicity and inexpensiveness of the milk register must not be 

 overlooked. These are features which should commend it especially to 

 the notice of small dairy farmers, for with a moderate number of cows 

 it is particularly easy to introduce the register. But even with a large 

 dairy it will be found that, as soon as the system has got fairly 

 established, the additional time and trouble involved will sink into 

 insignificance when compared with the benefits which cannot but accrue 

 from the intelligent study of a faithfully kept register. 



CHAPTER II. 



OF THE PASTURE AND OTHER FOOD BEST SUITED TO MILCH Cows. 



THE feeding of milch kine comprises two distinct methods, viz., 

 pasturing and house-feeding. 



In order to obtain an abundant supply of good milk, where the 

 pasturing of cows is adopted, it is not alone requisite that the grass 

 shall be plentifully produced, but also that it shall be of such quality 

 as will be relished by the cattle; and this property will generally 

 be found in old natural pastures that have been properly managed. 

 Excellent pasturage is, however, provided on the lighter soils, by 



