1860. 



NEW EXGLAXD FARMER. 



275 



Fur the Neu' Enuland Farmer. 

 SPAYING CO-WS. 



Messrs. Editors : — Public attention being at 

 this time awakened to the subject of "spayed 

 cows," I propose in this article to give you my 

 own experience, thinking it may perhaps be of in- 

 terest to the farming community. 



I have in my herd 13 cows, which have at dif- 

 ferent times been subjected to this operation for 

 the purpose of rendering them permanent milk- 

 ers ; the operation being performed by Dr. Geo. 

 H. Dadd, of Boston. Sufficient time has not yet 

 elapsed, to enable me to learn whether all the ad- 

 vantages which are promised as the results of 

 spaying, will follow, such as duration of milking, 

 fattening, &c. 



I will, however, lay the matter before your 

 readers, and let them judge for themselves, 

 whether it is for their advantage to have theii- 

 cows spayed, or let them remain bearing calves, 

 as is the usual custom. Of course, this Avill de- 

 pend on the purposes for which cows are kept, 

 whether for milk, butter and cheese alone, or for 

 raising stock. 



It is now a year since the first three cows were 

 spayed, one in July, and four in October last, and 

 five on the 11th of the present month. The ages 

 of these cows vary from five to thirteen years, 

 and in every instance, the younger the cow, and 

 the greater her natural milking qualities, the 

 more favorable have been the results. They have 

 all continued to give an uninterrupted yield of 

 milk, varying with the season, and succulency 

 and richness of food. A slight improvement in 

 the quality of the food, immediately increases the 

 quantity of milk. 



As I sell my milk in the Boston market, I have 

 but slight opportunity of testing its quality, ex- 

 cept through my customers, and in every instance, 

 ■where I have been able to supply them with milk 

 from spayed cows, it has given entire satisfaction. 

 In June last, I made one experiment in making 

 butter, and from forty-three quarts (wine) of the 

 milk of three spayed cows, which before the oper- 

 ation Avere not noted for their butter qualities, 

 were made 5\ pounds of butter. This is not equal 

 to the reputed yield from Alderney or Devon 

 cows, but I believe it is much better than the av- 

 erage of cows in the State. None of the eight 

 cows have given at any time during the winter, 

 less than six quarts of milk per day, and the 

 youngest and best not less than eight quarts. 

 Their average yield during the past three days, 

 fed on good hay and one quart cotton seed meal, 

 and J bushel of parsnips each, has been as fol- 

 lows : 



Spaijeclin Wihinst. %lst inst. 22diust. 



No. 1, aged 13, April, 1859. 14 lbs. 15 lbs. 14 lbs. 



" 2, " 13, " 15 " 15 " 15 " 



" 3, " 13, " 19.1" 234" 21i" 



" 4, " 12, Oct., 1859. 18 « 17J " 17 J" 



" 5, " 9, " 23 " 20"" 20'" 



" 6, " 6, " 20 " 21i" 2U" 



" 7, " 8, July, 1859. 25 " 27 " 25 " 



None of these have as yet shown any tendency 

 to fatten. If milk is the object desired, we wish 

 all the food given to cows to go to milk, and it is 

 not to be expected, nor is it desirable, that cows 

 giving a full yield of milk, will take on flesh very 

 rapidly. I know of one instance, however, where 

 a spayed cow, after having given an average of 



over eight quarts per day for three years, had be- 

 come exceedingly fat. 



There is no danger Avhatcver attending the op- 

 eration. The cows require moderate feeding and 

 good care, and in four weeks, the wounds are en- 

 tirely healed, and there is generally but slight 

 loss in their yield of milk immediately after the 

 operation. Three of the cows spayed on the 11th 

 inst. gave respectively 10, 13 and 19 pounds of 

 milk the evening previous, and 7^, 9-\ and 15 

 pounds of milk 24 hours after the operation, and 

 have given a larger quantity at each milking, 

 since. The fourth was more affected, and did not 

 do so Avell, while the fifth was a farrow cow, 

 spayed for fattening alone. 



I am so well satisfied with the result of my ex- 

 periments, that I intend to have most of my cows 

 spayed, as they come into full milking, and I can 

 especially recommend any one, who keeps a sin- 

 gle cow for family use, to do the same, as there 

 can be no doubt of the superior quality and 

 wholesomeness of milk from spayed cows, espe- 

 cially for children. 



For the information of any one wishing to try 

 the experiment, I will state that the usual time 

 for spaying cows is from three to six weeks after 

 calving'. Edward R. Andrews. 



West Roxhunj, April 23, 1860. 



EXTBACTS AND KEPLIES. 

 RAISING LAMBS BY HAND. 



I wish to inquire through your paper the meth- 

 od of raising lambs by hand ? It often happens 

 that the supply of milk is cut off, by some reason 

 or another, so we are obliged to feed the lamb 

 with cow's milk, and just as sure as we do, just 

 so sure the lamb dies. Is the trouble in feeding 

 it too much or too little ? 



Any light upon the subject from any one will 

 be very gratefully received by 



Woodstock, Vt, 1860. A Young Farmer. 



Remarks. — We have often saved Iambs under 

 such circumstances by coaxing another sheep to 

 nurse the unfortunate lamb with her own. Two 

 or three years since we brought up a fine pair of 

 Spanish merino lambs entirely by hand, and on 

 cow's milk, by diluting it and feeding them sever- 

 al times each day. We began by filling a bottle 

 with milk and stretching over the mouth of the 

 bottle an India rubber tube. The lambs soon 

 learned to suck through this, and after two or 

 three weeks the milk was given in a basin, and the 

 finger introduced into the lamb's mouth, which 

 he would suck, drawing milk at the same time. 



bucklin's improved harrow. 



Being a well-wisher to all useful and valuable 

 improvements, I wish to say a few words to our 

 brother farmers about Moses Bucklin's Harrow, 

 through your valuable paper. I bought one last 

 spring of Messrs. Hobert & Spaulding, of Pep- 

 perell. 1 put it on sward land first, going with 

 the furrows, then across them, which made it mel- 

 low as an old field. I then split my corn hills two 

 furrows in a row deep, then crossed the furrows 



