364 
MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY STOCK. 
MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY STOCK. 
I recommend the following mode of manag- 
ing a milk stock, the principles of which are 
followed by the best milk-selling farmers. 
Curry and wisp the cattle once a-day, give wa- 
ter twice a-day, when in the stall, and an hour's 
airing in the yard, Let the food be given to 
them at exactly the same hour every day, and 
likewise the water. When food is given, and 
any cow does not take it readily, take it from 
her and let her be without any until next feed- 
ing time (this is the way man should do to re- 
main in health). 
Never pamper immediately after calving. At 
milking time, the master or mistress should as- 
sist, or be present, in order to see that the milk- 
ers milk briskly and without talking. A great 
deal depends on these two points. A milker 
may sing or whistle, but not talk, but then it 
must be tuneable. There is an old saying, that 
the " last drop is the richest," and should be drawn. 
This is wrong, for the last drop from a good 
milker never does come. I have seen milkers 
pulling at the udder for the " last drop," while 
a weakly-constituted cow has been nearly sick. 
A mother who has suckled children can under- 
stand this, and yet I have known thoughtless 
mothers to forget it when milking cows. In 
dripping a cow, (stripping,) a milker finishes 
with his right hand, by taking the teats in rota- 
tion, and getting what he can out ; and when he 
gets hold of a teat, if he can get milk twice, he 
must try that teat again after he has gone them 
round ; but if he can only get milk once, he 
should give up; for the last drop which ought to 
be taken is then come ; and if more after this 
is got, it is a pull upon the milk veins, and is no 
richer than milk taken at the first, or rather, it is 
of an average quality. 
If a milk farmer intends to follow his business 
to the best advantage, either he or his wife must 
themselves milk, or be present during the time 
of milking. One of the best managers I am 
acquainted with, always did the dripping him- 
self, and left the others to do the regular milk- 
ing. — Agricultural Gazette. 
A CONVERSATION WITH MR. ROLLING, OF VIR- 
GINIA, ABOUT FARMING. 
Drilling Wheat — A Fair Experiment. — Mr. 
Boiling, of Virginia, informs us that he selected 
four acres upon his plantation, at Sandy Point, 
and gave Mr. Pennock choice of one half, which 
he sowed with his drill machine, five pecks to 
the acre, and the other was sown at the same 
time, with the same quantity and kind of seed, 
in the usual manner, broadcast — the labor being 
just about equal. The two acres drilled pro- 
duced 34 bushels, and the two acres sown broad- 
cast, 35 bushels. Notwithstanding this seems 
in favor of broadcast sowing, Mr. Boiling re- 
commends the use of the drill by all farmers 
not provided with an ample supply of laborers ; 
for the reason that the operation of sowing can 
be carried on advantageously with a less num- 
ber, by the drill, as the ground being previously 
prepared for the drill, two hands are sufficient 
to carry on the operation of sowing. 
Mr. B. is of opinion that the yield, when well 
put in, whether by drill or harrow, will not 
vary materially; the sole advantage of drilling 
being in the labor of sowing, which will enable 
small farmers to put in more acres, and thereby 
increase the crop. 
Harvesting Machines. — Mr. Boiling has hereto- 
fore cut his wheat mostly by hand labor ; but, 
in consequence of the great improvement lately 
made by Mr. Hussey,in his harvesting machines, 
he intends to make use of them another year, 
largely. 
Threshing by Steam. — We asked Mr. B. if he 
still continued strongly in favor of steam power 
for agricultural purposes. " Sir," said he, " if 
my engine were about to be taken away, and I 
could retain it by paying $10,000, I should cer- 
tainly do it. It is not only a labor-saving ma- 
chine, but a wheat-making machine. If it were 
not for my engine, I could not fallow my land, 
unless 1 kept a double force of teams, and that 
no farmer can afford to do. Now, while my 
regular plow teams are at work, other hands 
that would be almost unemployed, are con- 
stantly engaged at the threshing barn; by 
which I am not only able to sow more acres, 
but do the work better, because I am not hur- 
ried in the operation, as many farmers are ; for, 
while the plowing goes on, my crop is getting 
ready for market in the most economical and 
expeditious manner." 
What about danger of fire, in using steam 
power for threshing? Do you find that the 
prevalent objection among farmers against 
adopting this kind of power is well grounded? 
" Not in the least. My engine room is at one 
end of the barn, with brick floor, and plastered 
sides and roof, and I have not adopted the com- 
mon precaution of carrying offa horizontal flue 
to the chimney stack, because my chimney 
does not emit sparks of any account. I use 
pine wood, and the bark, only, of that will give 
off sparks. From coal, there would be none. 
I consider the risk of fire so trifling that I do 
not insure my barn, while I do the dwelling 
and other buildings, where there is really more 
danger; for there the servants do not use so 
much care and watchfulness." 
Why is it then that farmers are so slow to 
adopt this great improvement, when they can 
get such excellent engines as are now built, of 
any power they desire, from one horse to a 
hundred ? 
" Why, Sir, because they are so much like the 
terrapin, that will only begin to move after he 
feels the fire coal the boy puts upon his 
back to make him crawl." 
This burning illustration -of a remarkable 
fact, we were constrained to adopt as a very 
truthful one. 
Profits of Sheep in Virginia. — Mr. Boiling's 
farm is not a grazing one. It consists of 2,700 
acres, % (see Agriculturist vol. viii., page 254,) 
divided into five parts, two of which are in 
wheat, one in corn, one in young clover, one in 
fallow or volunteer clover, every year. As hi3 
land improves under his system of cultivation 
every year, he has been obliged to increase his 
