On the Production of Butter, 



71 



according to their individual capacities. A cow is considered a 

 good milcher if she yields six quarts at a milking when in full 

 milk, but the quantity of milk varies in every individual cow, 

 owing to an infinite variety of circumstances quite beyond the 

 power or the skill of man to anticipate. 



Mr. N. Le Beir, honorary secretary of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society of Guernsey, has obligingly furnished me with some 

 particulars respecting the Guernsey cow, which may be intr^ 

 duced in this place : — 



Tlie Guernsey Cow. — " The Guernsey cow," says Mr. Le Beir, *' is small, 

 a good deal in appearance like the Brittany, but very much superior in quality- 

 The produce in two cases is thus publicly stated in the Agricultural Reports 

 of the island. Sir William Collings names a young cow that gave from the 

 14th July, 1843 (time of her first calving), to the same date in 1845, 716 lbs. 

 (Guernsey) of butter, about equal to 800 lbs. English, of a rich yellow quaiitj. 

 Thomas Priaulx, Esq., also gives the following return of one year's produce 

 from 1st January, 1847, to the 31st December, of five cows keptand accoualead 

 for bylhis farmer, on the metayer or half-and-half principle : — 



" Butter, 1340 lbs. (Guernsey), average 1*. ^d. per lb. • £86 10 10 



Milk sold . . . - ^ . . . 4 3 S 



One fat bull-calf . . • . . . 2 8 10 



Four heifer-calves, valued ISs. each . , . . 3 0 <J 



Buttermilk, valued i<i. a quart ) . . . . 113 0 



£107 5 11 



" Each cow thus producing 21Z. 95. 2d. The farm is of sixteen acres. 



" The average produce of the island is not of course so high ; it is estimated 

 at about 200 lbs. a year for each cow ; only the good ones are kept, the inferis3ff 

 being at once fattened. 



" The manner of feeding is as follows : — The cows are tethered in the fields 

 with about a twelve-feet rope all the year round, but housed at night in winter 

 and on very rough days. Tliey are milked three times a-day in summer, 

 the peg changed five times, in fine clover about two feet each time ; in winter, 

 except a short time after calving, they are milked only twice : in that seasoa 

 they have roots constantly given. The cream is yellow and very rich : in some 

 cases about seven quarts of milk will produce a pound of butter. Cows have 

 sometimes given twenty-four quarts of milk a-daj^, but then it is not so rick^ 

 eighteen quarts is considered very good, The whole milk and cream is 

 churned. In England they are hardly estimated to their real value ; their 

 small size, on account of the meat, being objected to. Besides, they never 

 bear flesh like the English cow ; what food this turns into meat, the Guernsey 

 cow turns into butter. It is not much known that a good milcher is often kept 

 from fifteen to eighteen years, and on that account, as well as consuming less 

 food, must be a desirable acquisition to the English gentleman and to tlie 

 dairyman. 



" N.B. 102 lbs. Guernsey weight is equal to 112 lbs. English. 



"N. Le Beir, Hon. Sec, R.A.S.G. 



Guernsey^ 22nd February , 1851." 



The Food most likely to produce an abundance of milk must 

 specially occupy attention. Dorsetshire is favourably situated 

 as a butter-producing county. Its pastures are sweet, and the 

 great quantity of moisture impregnated with salt w^hich ths 



