FARM ANIMALS 



339 



Care of Dairy Cows. Modern methods of dairy- 

 ing call for the best care of the dairy herd. The best 

 conditions demand a separate building for the cows 

 on the ground level, with no manure cellar beneath, the 

 barn being light, dry, high, and roomy, with ample 

 ventilation provided. Individual stalls wide enough for 

 the comfort of the cow and the milker are deemed 

 essential. Some dairymen object to any form of stan- 

 chion for cows, substituting for it a wide strap or light 

 chain about the neck as allowing more freedom of move- 

 ment. 



Dairy Products. -- The care of milk and the manu- 

 facture of its products, butter and cheese, especially 

 butter, are among the most important affairs of the 

 farm, even though the growth of creameries and cheese 

 factories is taking away the manufacture of the two 

 products from the farm. There still remain many 

 farmers who make butter for market and home con- 

 sumption, but cheese is now almost entirely a factory- 

 made product. 



Whether the butter is made on the farm or in the 

 creamery, the milking of the cows and the care of the 

 milk are farm business demanding the greatest nicety 

 and pains. 



Yield of Milk. From what has been said of the 

 different dairy breeds, we know that the amount and 

 quality of milk obtained from a cow depend somewhat 

 upon the breed. But this is only one of the determin- 

 ing factors. Good feeding will affect the yield of milk 

 so greatly that it is held next in importance, if not 

 equal to breed in affecting results (see Chapter VIII). 

 The next factor entering into the milk yield is the care 

 of the animal in housing as to space, cleanliness of sur- 



