Farming of Oxfordshire. 
225> 
times are completed. In very hot weather the milk cannot be 
skimmed more than once or twice : this is a great loss to the 
dairy, but a gain to the pigs, which consequently thrive much 
better in summer than in the winter. It is usual to churn twice 
in the week, and in large dairies there is always a horse-churn 
holding from 100 to 140 lbs. of buttei\ Tlie butter is principally 
sent to London; tlie cost of carriage and selling is lid. per 
dozen lbs., the carrier finding hampers and cloths. The butter 
is generally transmitted by waggon, as there so many trans- 
ferences on the railroad, and the companies' servants are not over 
careful in handling it ; by the other conveyance it goes direct 
from the dairy to the market. No cheese is made in the county. 
A good cow when fresh in milk will give twenty quarts per 
day : some will produce twelve pounds of butter per week for a 
month after calving, but 5 lbs. for nine months is a good average. 
In winters like this, when the hay is so inferior, and, indeed, in all 
years, it would answer tlie purpose to add some nourishing food 
to the poor hay which now furnishes all the provender of cows 
in full milk. Turnips are objectionable as tainting the butter; 
but a few mangolds with a little oil-cake, or bean and oat meal,. 
will considerably increase the supply of butter and milk. Much 
inconvenience and loss are experienced from cows not breeding- 
regularly. Frequently some of the best and youngest cows are 
barren, in which case they are sold to be fatted. And on some 
dairy farms, where there is a good stock and rich pasture, the 
barren cows are grazed on grass, or if not quite beef, are tied up 
for a few weeks in the autumn, and polished off with some roots 
and oil-cake. Cows are considered in good season which calve 
from Christmas to Lady-day ; but it is better for the supjily of 
butter to have a fresh coav every now and then — in fact, to have 
calves all the year round. The best time for rearing calves is 
fi'oni November to April, but some prefer the summer months 
as there is then plenty of milk. The calves suck the cows for a 
week or ten days, and then are taught to drink. The bull calves 
are sold, the heifers mostly kept. At first they have tlie milk 
half new and half flat, or skimmed only once, but afterwards 
they are supplied with hard skimmed milk for eight or ten 
weeks ; each calf is allowed two gallons per day. The milk is 
given just warm. The calves are allowed hay and swedes, and 
are very fond of nibbling wheat straw. In weaning late or 
summer calves, when the milk will not bear heating, it is found 
a good plan to add wheat and linseed meal. A pint of meal is 
put into a gallon of Avater and boiled till it becomes a gruel ; a 
quart of this in a Avarm state is added to a gallon of skim milk, 
and answers admirably. When there is little milk, calves are 
weaned on pounded oil-cake mixed in a similar manner. 
VOL. XV. o 
