466 



NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Oct. 



are considerable items in favor of the cheese 

 factory. 



Mr. Wilcox reminded the advocates of the 

 summer dairy system that if it cost more to 

 make and dispose of milk in winter, they also 

 got a greater price for it. He milked on an 

 average twenty-nine cows last year. He sold 

 from them 16,486 gallons of milk, which 

 brought him $2, 544. He raised and sold 

 calves which brought him $125 — a total of $2,- 

 669 from his dairy. During five months he 

 shipped his milk to Chicago ; the balance was 

 sold at the condensing factory here. He fed 

 his cows pretty strong. When he first com- 

 menced in the business, he thought it would 

 answer to feed them on hay and corn-stalks. 

 He soon learned differently, and added bran 

 to the feed. Found this increased the milk, 

 but ran down the cows. He then commenced 

 grinding corn and oats, using one part oats 

 and two parts corn. Finally, he added to 

 these one part of bran, and fed four quarts of 

 this bran to each cow, twice a day. This pro- 

 duced a steady flow of rich milk, and kept the 

 cows in excellent condition and healthy. He 

 was satisfied it was profitable to feed cows well. 

 Other gentlemen testified in favor of the 

 summer dairy system, and conceded the great 

 benefits derived from the creation of a home 

 market for their milk, by diverting a part of the 

 product from Chicago. 



J. M. Treadwell had been in the business 

 ten years. He had been particular to buy 

 young cows; can get more milk, of better 

 quality, and at less cost, from them than from 

 old. Milks at regular hours ; aims at this 

 time of year to finish before sunrise in the 

 morning ; in winter, gets through milking be- 

 fore five o'clock ; divides the day nearly etiual- 

 ly as to time of milking ; does not allow milk- 

 ers to wet cows' teats when milking ; it is a 

 dirty practice, and has turned off milkers who 

 persisted in doing it; washes and wipes his 

 cows' bags when they need it before milking ; 

 uses tin pails to milk in ; does not use wood ; 

 examines carefully all utensils before using 

 them, to see that they are not tainted ; uses a 

 sieve strainer with a white worn fiannel be- 

 neath it : does not use cotton strainers ; pre- 

 fers worn iliUUK-l because it does not full up ; 

 is particular about the cans ; washes them in- 

 side and out with soap and soft water, and 

 then scalds them thoroughly with hot water; 

 is carelul to scald the neck of the can, because 

 that is where the taint is, if there is any ; boils 

 the cover some minutes in cleansing; with 

 these precautions he loses no milk. 



He cools the milk before shipping It; has a 

 vat of cool water in which he sits it ; takes the 

 covers from the cans during cooling process; 

 does nut stir It wliile cooling ; does not mix 

 warm milk and cool milk together; water 

 passes around and beneath the cans In the vat; 

 salts cows every five days in summer; aft(!r 

 salting, the milk increases from two to five 



gallons ; cows will not eat salt much oftener 

 than once in four days. 



He fed his cows bran all last summer, with 

 profit ; last winter fed barley meal and bran ; 

 has no fixed rule in feeding, but feeds each 

 animal an amount proportionate to her size, 

 the amount of milk she yields, and his esti- 

 mate of the requirements of her nature ; such 

 as need most he gives most ; feeds one part 

 barley meal, or corn, and one part oats, and 

 adds one part bran ; oat meal yields the most 

 milk ; barley meal Is as good as corn meal ; 

 aims so to feed as to keep the cows thriving ; 

 the better humor cows are kept in, the more 

 milk they give, therefore feeds just before 

 milking, and sometimes during milking ; never 

 allows a cow to be whipped ; does not milk 

 cows out of doors, summer or winter ; can 

 milk them in less time when in the stanchions. 

 A. D. Gifford, of the Hanover factory, stat- 

 ed that he found no difference in breeds as to 

 milking qualities ; cuts hay when it is In blos- 

 som ; Tikes corn-stalks, if cut early and well 

 cured ; would as soon have half clover as all 

 timothy ; second growth of clover makes the 

 most and best milk of any hay he ever used ; 

 is going to raise his own cows, breeding to 

 sires of good milking families ; finds there is 

 only about one good cow for sale to every 

 three dairymen who want her; regards the 

 fact that the sire's parents were of good milk- 

 ing breed important in breeding; believes it is 

 as well, or better, to have heifers come in at 

 two years old, if the feed given them is suffi- 

 cient to keep them thriving, as it should be. 

 Two years ago, winter milking was profitable, 

 because feed was cheap and milk high ; but 

 those who fed and milked last winter barely 

 paid expenses ; would have a cow go dry at 

 least two months. 



ISIr. B. Duff, from Huntley, stated that the 

 farmers in his neighborhood had tried to in- 

 duce men of experience In the cheese dairy 

 business to start a factory, offering them in- 

 ducements to do so. Failing, twelve of them 

 gave $100 each, built a factory, and were now 

 receiving more milk than they could manufac- 

 ture, and had that morning been compelled to 

 refuse to receive a large (juantlty. 



HOW TO MAKE TTJKKEYS USEFUL. 



In Normandy, France, where the Crevc 

 Coeur hens are j)rlncipally raised, they have 

 a curious fiishion of hatciilng the eggs. As 

 the hens are seldom intliurd to sit, and 

 are at l)est only ordinary mothers, the good 

 women of the peasantry have a fashion^ of 

 ])ressiiig yotmg lien tiirke\ s Into the service. 

 This they do In the following way: Take a 

 leinale turkey of the preceding year that has 

 never laid, and put her In a basket containing 

 jilaster eggs. Cover this basket with a strong 

 linen cloth. It will be from four to six days 

 before she will overcome her natural disincli- 

 nation to set, and become attached to the eggs, 



