AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
77 
HEREFORD COW. 
according to their natural size, or take on flesh 
more kindly. They mature early, hardly so early, 
perhaps, as the Short Horn, although their English 
advocates claim that they do so. Their beef is 
of excellent quality, well marbled, and fine in 
grain. They are hardy, living •'In all climates 
where other English cattle do, and thriving on 
lighter soils than the Short Horns, yet suiting rich 
lands, and abundant pastures. They will thrive 
on any good soils, and pay well. 
AS A WORKING OX, 
the Hereford is unsurpassed, in his good size, 
strength of limbs, and honesty of labor. We have 
seen no finer specimens of working oxen than in 
some mainly of Hereford blood. For heavy la¬ 
bor, they can hardly be surpassed, and seldom 
equalled. 
AS A DAIRY COW, 
the Hereford, compared with others of good 
milking breeds, is inferior. This quality is not 
claimed for her in England, and we have as yet 
seen no evidence that she is a good dairy cow in 
America. We have met with an occasional one 
that gave a fair yield of milk. Her milk is usual¬ 
ly of excellent quality, but inferior in measure, 
and scant in the time of its continuance. She 
gives enough to raise her calf well, and for a 
sufficient length of time to turn it to grass ; but 
beyond that we can hardly venture to warrant, 
and the weight of testimony we have received is 
confirmed by personal observation. 
TO sum up. 
The Herefords have failed to achieve that meas¬ 
ure of popularity in this country that their advo¬ 
cates anticipated. That they are excellent graz¬ 
ing cattle, and capital working oxen, we have as¬ 
serted. That they have held a close competition 
in the fat cattle shows of England, is beyond a 
question ; and that, on the score of profit, in our 
wide grazing regions in the Western States, they 
may hold a close competition with the Short-Horns 
we have little doubt. But, as yet, they have made 
little, or no impression there, although some of the 
best specimens have been exhibited at their great 
Cattle Shows. Their time fora fair trial may not 
yet have come. That it may arrive, and speedily, 
too, we hope. Could the cow, in her feats at the 
pail, compete with the Short-Horn, our hopes 
would be stronger, but, in her deficiency there, 
and the less imposing style and figure of the 
Hereford, with the manifest popularity of the 
Short-Horn already attained, wherever the soil and 
climate is favorable, they will hardly be successful 
competitors. 
In our next number we shall proceed with a 
description of the Devons, and afterwards extend 
our remarks and illustrations to the other princi¬ 
pal breeds. 
--i i --- 
City Folks and Villagers, Keep a Cow! 
AND HOW TO FEED ONE. 
How long have our ears been pained with the 
truthful reports of the great increase of sickness 
and death, especially among children, resulting 
from bad milk—swill-milk from diseased cows fed 
on distillery slops; milk rendered unfit for hu¬ 
man use by a large admixture of chalk; milk 
brought from a long distance in wagons, and over 
railroads, and spoiled, or ready to spoil before it 
reaches the consumer ; mixed milk from a score 
of cows, some of them sick, some fed on one 
kind of food and some on another. These com¬ 
plaints are more frequent in our la-rge cities, but 
they are not confined to these, for there are few 
villages where a majority . of families can obtain 
a full supply of fresh, pure rich milk. 
All agree that really good fresh milk, from 
healthy and properly fed cows, is the best possible 
food for children and youth. But how shall we 
get it 1 This question has been asked of us many 
times lately by subscribers in this metropolis. 
We know of no better answer than to say 
KEEP YOUR OWN COW. 
This is, perhaps, not so difficult and expensive 
a matter as you may imagine ; even a good cow 
costs comparatively little at first. She requires 
less room than one would suppose ; and she will 
almost invariably pay her keep and a profit in 
milk. Let us give an example : 
A neighbor of ours, a poor widow, has a small, 
snug built cow, farrow, (which is a valuable requi¬ 
site in a cow furnishing milk for young children.) 
This cow cost $40. To keep her, aside from 
stable rent, costs about $1,50 per week, for good 
hay, ship feed, and succulent matter, such as cab¬ 
bage leaves, turnips &c. She calved eight months 
since, and now averages six quarts of excellent 
rich milk daily. This sells readily to the neighbors 
for six cents a quart, making $2,52 worth of milk 
a week, which is equivalent to $1 a week, or $52 
a year for the trouble of keeping, or $12 over her 
cost. Of course, in Summer, with green food, she 
gives much more than this. A part of last Sum¬ 
mer she gave 14 to 18 quarts of milk daily. 
Now this cow has no more room at present than 
could be obtained by nine-tenths of the wealthier 
people of most cities and villages. With the 
usual help, the trouble of keeping would not in¬ 
crease the family expenses. And what is a few 
dollars extra, when you are paying hundreds, per¬ 
haps, every year to promote the health and physi¬ 
cal as well as mental developement of your off¬ 
springs 1 
HOW SHALL WE FEED THE COW 1 
ask several city readers of the Agriculturist 
Ans.—If not short of storage room, procure a 
small load of loose hay, as brought to market on 
wagons ; the quality can be better seen than when 
compressed into bales. If cramped for room, get 
a few bundles of baled hay. A straw or hay cut¬ 
ter of moderate size costing from $3 to $6, will 
ne requisite. Straw or corn stalks will answer 
very well as an occasional substitute for alternat¬ 
ing with hay. 
Procure at a feed store, a few bags each of 
ground feed (corn and oats ground together,) and 
as much shorts, (wheat bran,) and you have all 
that is really necessary. It is advantageous to 
give a little green food, such as turnips or po¬ 
tatoes occasionally. Saw a barrel in two, for 
a couple of boxes, one to mix and the other to 
feed in. Cut a quantity of hay and mix about 
half a bushel of it with three quarts of the ground 
feed, and as much of the shorts, wetting it un¬ 
til the meal adheres to the hay. In very cold 
weather it is better to heat the water a little. 
Feed a “mess” Of this kind and amount to the 
cow in the morning, and as much more at evening, 
and fodder with dry, uncut hay at noon. 
Give as much pure soft water to the animal, 
twice a day, as she will drink. It often happens 
that a quantity of turnips, carrots, parsneps, 
cabbages, or beets, are left on the hands of 
vegetable dealers which can be cheaply pur¬ 
chased. They form a valuable addition to the 
“ mess,” cut and mixed with it. 
It is also better for the animal to have an oc¬ 
casional change of diet. Carrots, especially, are 
very good for stock of all kinds, and may be 
fed to milch cows without affecting the milk un¬ 
favorably which turnips will sometimes do when 
fed in large quantities. When turnips are fed 
they should he given at., or just after milking, as 
there is then less danger of their giving an un¬ 
pleasant taste to the next milking. 
A cow provided for as above, with her apart¬ 
ments kept clean, and neat, and well ventilated, 
will furnish a large supply of nice, rich, health 
ful, milk to say nothing of cream for the coffee, 
And unless you give an enormous rent for the 
small space of ground she must occupy as stable 
room, “ she u-ill much more than 'pay her way," 
The Uext Hay Crop. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturst: 
As I am deeply interested in the hay crop, my 
farm being almost entirely devoted to it, will any 
of your correspondents please enlighten me on the 
following points. 
1. When the ground is bare of snow during the 
Winter, has the hay crop generally proved less 
than when the ground was covered with snow! 
2 . Or does the hay crop depend entirely on a 
due distribution of warmth and moisture, from the 
opening of Spring till it is time to cut the grass 1 
We all know that snow to a moderate depth, 
acts beneficially upon all vegetation in three ways. 
It keeps the earth warm, protects the roots of grass 
and grain from the cold and blighting winds, and 
brings down a certain amount of ammonia, which, 
as it melts, is left in the soil to fertilize it. Is not 
snow more beneficial during the freezing and thaw¬ 
ing months of March and April, than the steady 
freezing of Winter! Q. 
Nisstquog, L. I.. Feb. 13, 1858. 
