- 
?| OOT. 23 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
DOINGS OF THE VERMONT DAIRYMEN’S 
ASSOCIATION. 
TVe have received from the Secretary. O. 
S. Bliss, the. sixth annual report of the Ver¬ 
mont D ilrymeu’s Association. It contains 
several interesting papers read at the last 
winter meeting, among the most valuable of 
which a.e those by Lewder Wetheuell of 
the Boston Cultivator, Prof. E. W. Wicksox 
of the Uric i Herald and Mr. E. W. Stewart 
of the Buffalo Live Sto k Journal. Mr. 
W etherell takes up the subject of “Dairy 
stock aud dairy husbandry,” in which is 
presented much useful butter concerning 
the breeding of (Short Horn stock. Evident¬ 
ly Air. WKrHERKi.L thinks there is no better 
sto k f ir dairy purposes, on good, rich, na> 
ural blue grass pastures, than Baort-Horns, 
and their crosses, for he says “ No breed of 
cattle that t have seen equals some families of 
Short-Horns ta c inverting forage into milk, 
unless it be the Hohtoins, imported by W. W. 
Chkxerv of Belmont, Miss. Cross, as I 
have indicated, such balls on good, well-se¬ 
lected cows, regardless of breed, and cows 
are produced that w,ll average 395 eight- 
qnarr. c in of millc per annum, and will pro 
duce from till to 890 pounds of cheese per 
season, with a veal calf worth $'20 and up¬ 
ward.” 
In comparing dairy husbandry with grain 
growing, for keeping up the fertility of the 
soil, the ad vintages of the former arc very 
clearly put—for he says, a dollar's worth of 
cheese removes far less plant food from the 
soil than a dollar’s worth of wheat or corn. 
“Five hundred pounds of cheese contain 
about 35 pounds of ui rogen and 30 pounds of 
mineral matter ; a cow making this amount 
of cheese is supposed to eat six tons of hay 
or its equivalent in grass per annum. This 
feed would yield 31 I pounds of nitrogen and 
810 pounds of mineral matter. Or in other 
words, a cow consumes 310 pounds of nitro¬ 
gen, aud 55 pounds arc removed in cheese, 
about 1<n ' pgr cent., an l of mineral matter 
about 2;per cent. If it requires three acres 
to produce this food, there will be SVpounds 
of nitrogen removed by the cheese per acre, 
while thirty bushels of wheat par acre would 
remove in the grain 33 pounds of nitrogen 
and 10 to 15 pouuds in the straw ; bo that a 
crop of wheat removes from the soil some 
live or six times as much nitrogen, as repre¬ 
sented by a chemist, per acre, as a crop of 
cheese ; the removal of mineral matter be¬ 
ing quite insignificant in chnese, as compared 
with wheat or corn.” 
The advantage of the dairy in keeping up 
the fertility of the soil, as compared with 
grain raising, is scarcely ever estimated at 
its true value. Those who have had experi¬ 
ence in renovating lands worn out from long 
cropping with grain know the cost and labor 
required to get the land back to its original 
fertility. The dairy farmer, thou, iu making 
up his estimates of the year’s operations, 
should consider this item of gain as an im¬ 
portant one. If his farm has lost little or 
nothing of its fertility his capital in lands re¬ 
mains unaffected, while with the grain 
grower the annual depreciation in the fer¬ 
tility of his soil, must, as the years go by, 
make a sensible decrease on his annual prof¬ 
its from grain growing. 
Prof. Wick sox’s address on “ dairy statis¬ 
tics” are of much interest and value. He 
presents figures drawn from the actual re¬ 
cords of the yield of more than 38,001) cows 
and in upward of ninety cheese factories. 
The average yield per cow iu these factories, 
during the season of 1874, amounted to only 
$39.57. He says : “ In the individual faeto- 
tories the highest average per cow reported 
is $55.07, and the lowest per cow, in a fac¬ 
tory running the same number of days, is 
$31.23. Taking all the cows into account, 
it appears the average return per cow, for 
the season of average length, is J3D.57. These 
figures are factory averages, and not average 
yields iu single herds.” 
Taking these ninety factories, it appears 
that the average return to patrons per 100 
pounds of milk has been $1.33. The highest 
net yield is $1.33, and the lowest 93 cents. 
In the factory reporting the highest aver¬ 
age per cow ($55.07.) the selling price of the 
season avetagei 14 11, and the milk taken 
was 9,76 pounds to a pound of cheese. Com¬ 
paring this with the lowest average per cow 
($31.22,) he finds that the. latter sold cheese 
for one-quarter of a eeut less per pound 
through the season, and used nearly one- 
half a pound more milk to a pound of cheese 
on an average. But this difference in manu¬ 
facture and price, he says, can form only a 
very small part of the difference between 
®hi| H^dsman. 
the low mark of $31.00 and the high mark of 
$55.00. An l he very justly concludes that 
the profits of dairy husbandry are vested in 
the farm, and not in th .■ f ictory, as he shows 
from the following figure* : Of the dairies 
sanding milk to the sixty fa Stories, the best 
season’.s average porciwis $83.17, aud the 
av -rage of all the highest, dairies reported by 
the factories Is $50.04. Toe lowest yield in a 
single dairy carrying to the factory during 
along season is $1150 average money to a 
cow, and the average of all the poor dairies 
reported is $2.0.34 per cow. The difference, 
perhaps, will he more perceptible if we take 
ft dairy of 40 cows. At $14.50 per cow such 
a dairy wouid yield only $5S0, a sum scarce 
ly sufficient to pay expenses, while if $S3.J7 
be reached we have from a dairy of the size 
named, $3,286,80, which evidently ought to 
briug a profit. Again, taking the average of 
all the poor dairies reported at $20 34 per 
cow, and the 40 cows yield but $1,173 60, the 
greater part of which, we should say, would 
be absorbed in conducting the business. 
These figures, it seems to us, are valuable for 
d airymen to study, anl m ay, perhaps, lead 
some into a proper explan avion of the rea¬ 
son why their dairy operations have not 
paid. 
Prof. WiCKSOX gives an instance of a dai¬ 
ryman in «lie town of Cuba, Allegany Co., 
N. V , whose receipts from the factory alone 
were $90.50, and when the sales of early and 
late butter, and dear >a skins were added, 
the real receipts from the dairy figured up 
within a fraction of $109 per cow. The dai¬ 
ryman making this return from a dairy of 
18 cows is Mr. C. M. M iruax, and the price 
obtained from each 190 pounds of milk was 
$l.2<i, which is only a few cent j higher than 
the average price obtained by the whole 90 
factories, and consequently below the high¬ 
est net yield of some dairies. 
Evidently the way to make dairying pay, 
is to increase the product of the animals, and 
by economy in farm expenditures. 
Mr. Stewart’s address is upon “cooking 
fool for animals,” the arguments used iu 
support of this practice being those employed 
by him, and which h ave appeared in print. 
The Vermon6*Datryarjn’s Association has 
done a good work in Vermont, aud Mr. O. 8, 
Bliss, the Secretary, is to be commended 
for hissnceessful management of the Society, 
and especially for his very able reports. 
-♦♦♦•-- 
DAIRYING IN MAINE. 
It is only quite recently that cheese dairy¬ 
ing hasbeen established In M aims, and where- 
ever introduced, we are Informs!, it has 
proved a success. At the la‘6 State Fair dai¬ 
ry products ware shown in good amount, 
and among ths cheese factories represented 
were the Auburn, Andoon, E.na, Pownal, 
Turner, Phillips & Avon, and Winthrop. 
Farm dairy cheese was also shown b,y sever¬ 
al manufacturers. 
Large tracts of land in M line are well 
adapted to dairying, and we have no doubt, 
from the little nucleus of factories now 
started iu tli3 State, this branch of industry 
will be widely spread over her territory. 
Toe Maine Dairymen’s Association was or¬ 
ganized April KLh, 1873, and has a fair show 
of m unbare. 'The offl *ers are SEXAtth DtLL 
of Poillip’s, President ; J. W. Laxo of Brooks, 
Vice-President, and J W. North of Augusta, 
Secretary. The quality of Mxinu butter, has, 
wj are informed, greatly improved of late, 
the result of incre ased knowledge in the pro¬ 
duction and handbag of milk, and the time 
can not be distftut when Maine will bo noted 
for “gilt edged” dairy goods, for she has all 
the elements for success in this department. 
•-♦♦♦—__ 
GOATS FOR CHvJRNINl. 
Dtrnixo our reeent visit to Otsego County 
we found goats in use, to some extent, for 
churuing in the farm dairies. It is claimed 
by those having experience with goats for 
this purpose, th at they are the cheapest and 
best animal power for driving a churn that 
can ba bad. A goat does not tire like a 
sheep, or dog. It will thrive on the coarsest 
herbage, and, therefore, costs little for its 
keep. It is easily taught to work, and the 
power is strong, universally healthy and long 
lived. 
Oa all these acc aunts they are recom¬ 
mended for small farm dairies where ani¬ 
mal power is employed for churning. One 
objection, perhaps, ought to be noticed in 
this connection. The goat is a destructive 
animal among shrubbery. It climbs and leaps 
fences with great facility, and, from its 
mischievous habits of nibbling almost every¬ 
thing that falls in its way, extra care must 
be taken to prevent its depredations. 
CARE OF HEIFERS. 
Mr. Orcutt who contributes some ex¬ 
cellent items to the Hartford Courier, thus 
describes hi3 method of treating heifers and 
their first calves : 
Our position in regard to suckling calves 
upon young heifers—their first one or two 
calves 3uy— is that this n atural action encour¬ 
ages the mothers in giving milk. The idea 
may seem novel to some, and then there is a 
difference in heifers. Some are more “fool¬ 
ish” aud sentimental concerning their off¬ 
spring than others. In breaking a heifer to 
milk t aiu apt to mix in with her calf a good 
deal, endeavoring to associate myself in the 
minds of both as a familiar object, so that 
my little stripping passes as a matter of 
course among the new and bewildering cir¬ 
cumstances. As in times of general excite¬ 
ment, shrewd managers are very likely to 
be found—stripping the public purse. Barr¬ 
ing the opinions that may obtain with the 
selUsh and abort sighted against the policy of 
developing the lacteal secretions in this 
natural manner—by allowing a heifer to 
“ fus3 around with a young calf”—the plan 
must look quite reasonable. It Is certainly a 
time honored practice among careful farm¬ 
ers, and a good deal of observation aud some 
experience will warrant me in asserting that 
early indulgence in the cares of maternity is 
no detriment to the future productiveness 
of the grosvn-up cow. Shrewd cow-buyers 
—milk-men and others, go a-picking among 
the stock that has been bred and fed iu the 
plainest normal farm fashion, preferring to 
add the extreme themselves. After three or 
four years of age, when the milking habit is 
formed, calves may bo “deaconed” with 
less feeling on the part of the mother. Sli e 
is used to the hand of man aud becomes hy 
habit reconciled to her lot. Your old cow is 
not a romantic or sentimental animal. I 
made a vist lately to our eldest cow, Clover, 
sold last spring. She wouldn’t even look at 
me, or scarcely stop gathering grass long 
enough to smelt of nay hand whon I lifted 
her head by the horn. This may not be pre¬ 
cisely like refusing to look at her calf, but if 
you knew the intimacy formerly existing 
between us, you’d allow it was somewhat 
like. But this animal never showed much 
affection for her calves at any time. 
-♦-*--*-- 
LOSS IN FEEDING. 
From the always thoughtful and suggestive 
columns of the Vermont Watchman and 
Bfcate Journal we copy the following practi¬ 
cal and timely article : 
The question is often asked, “ How much 
fertilizing m iterial is lost from any feeding 
crop in its passage through the bodies of the 
animals to which it is fed !" The answer to 
this question is on a of the most important 
practical m atters to be considered on the 
farm. It will not ba the sams under all cir¬ 
cumstances. 
Mature animals take nothing out of 
their feed th at is of any mauuri al value, pro • 
vided they are yielding no pro In ;t, such as 
milk or wool, which is txksa off the laud. 
This is true whether they are layiug o.n fat 
or not, since fat is composed of materials in 
the food that have no ra inn rial value. An 1 
if the milk is not c arried a way, but only its 
fatty portion separated; a id sold as butter, 
while the skim mdk is fed to mature animals 
that are fatting, there is no loss. Bat if this 
skim milk is fed to young animals that are 
growin;j, and are to be sold away from the 
land, then the loss is nearly as great as if all 
the milk were sold in the first place. If the 
digestive power of these young animals is 
perfect enough to take out all the food ma¬ 
terial from the milk, tbeu the loss is just as 
great. 
When cheese is made, the loss is nearly a 3 
great as when the milk U sold, since the 
whey contains but a small part of the ma¬ 
norial value of the milk ; and if this wliey is 
fed to growing animals, the loss is to "ill, or 
very nearly so. 
Unwashed wool takes away a considerable 
amount of fertilizing material that has been 
derived from the fool consumed by the 
sheep from which it came. B it if this-wool 
has been tub-washed, aud the wash water 
added to the compost heap, the loss is great¬ 
ly reduced, since nearly all the potash (aud 
the quautity is large) which unwashed wool 
contains, is washed out and saved. The 
amount of fertilizining material left in wash¬ 
ed wool is very small, compared with the 
total amount of food consumed by the sheep 
during its growth, and hardly ueed be con¬ 
sidered in an estimate of profit and ios3. 
Young animals take from their food all 
the phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash re¬ 
quired to form their hones, flesh and other 
tissues. From a farm where many young 
animals are raised and sold off, the drain of 
these valuable elements is very heavy, and 
only the richest lands can endure It for any 
length of time. And since milk contains all 
those elements which go to make up the 
bodies of young animals, (otherwise it could 
not serve them as food,) the loss in selling 
milk is quite as great as in breeding and sell¬ 
ing animals. Aud this loss is the same, or 
nearly the same whether the milk is sold 
directly or manufactured Into butter or 
cheese, the skim-milk or^whey fed to grow¬ 
ing pigs or calves, and they sold off. Nearly 
all the mauurial value of the milk is lost to 
the land in either case. But if the butter 
alone is sold, an l no young animals fed upon 
the skim and buttermilk but such as are 
consumed on the farm, then there is no loss. 
Unless pork aud veal are high, therefore it 
is quite as economical to throw all the dairy 
waste not required for feeding calves to be 
retained ou the farm, or pigs for home use, 
upon the compost heap, as to feed it to pigs 
or calves for sale. 
All of the above statements must, how¬ 
ever, be understood as stan ling upon the 
supposition that none of the excrement, 
either liquid or solid, of the animals fed, is 
lost by draining away, leaching or ferment¬ 
ation. 
The only question to be considered in re¬ 
gard to the waste of mauurial value in rear¬ 
ing young animals (whether upon milk or 
other foo l produced .upon t he farm) is, 
whether we are going to got enough for 
them, when sold to replace thephcsphoi ieacid 
anl potash an! nitrogen they have carried 
away, and leave a profit or not. If we can 
do that, a id then do not neglect to bug book 
thorn articles either in fertilisers or feeding 
material, we are not exhausting our land. 
Certainly, a wise dairy fanner will spend 
every cent he receives for pork and veal in 
grain for his cows. It will pay botli ways— 
in an increased product of butter, and in 
compensating the loss of fertilizing matter 
carried off in the meat. 
■ — ♦»» - 
STOCK RAISING IN TEXAS. 
There Is no bettor stock-raising country in 
the world than Texas. The cattle of the 
country require no other food in summer or 
winter than the nutritious prairie grass. In 
Western and Northwestern Texas the early 
and jointed mesquit and the gramma grass 
are quite sufficient to keep the cattle in good 
condition the your round. Tho price of 
stock cattle is from $5 to $7 a head, taking 
the whole herd, or “the brand” as it is 
technically called. Fat beeves command 
from $29 to $3 I per head. Tho increase is es¬ 
timated at 33 ';; per cant. per annum. Beef 
of the very first quality is retailed in all the 
principal towns iu Texas at from live to 
seven cents a pound, aud in the stock-raising 
counties of the Btatc at from two and a half 
cents per pound. On the hoof the price is 
one and a half to two cents. 
It is to the foreign market, however, that 
tho stock-raiser looks. Before Texas had 
railroad connections with the markets of 
8t. Louis, Chicago, New York and Philadel¬ 
phia, or by steam ship lines with those of 
Europe, stock-raliing was very much less 
profitable than now. But with railroad 
facilities rapidly Increasing, by the exten¬ 
sion of the Texas Pacific R ailway through 
the magnificent stock region King between 
Port Worth and El Paso, the business of 
cattle-breeding must become one of great 
profit and of national importance, since it 
is scon that the three-quarters of a million of 
beef cattle which Texas has scut for the last 
three or four years annually to the markets 
of 8t. Louis ami Chicago have not in any 
material degree, diminished the price of 
butchers’ meat in the markets of the chief 
cities of the Union. With a quadrupled pro¬ 
duction even, the demand, and consequently 
the price, would without a doubt keep pace, 
since Texas is now shipping immense quanti¬ 
ties of canned beef to Europe.— Pleasanton 
{Texas) Stock Journal. 
- — ■» » ♦-—- 
THE YOUNG HEIFER. 
So far as it can be controlled, the period of 
dropping the first calf should be arranged to 
take place in the mouth of May or June, so 
as to induce the largest possible How of milk, 
beginning about the second week after calv¬ 
ing, when the grass is green and succulent. 
The milk glands are now hr a condition of 
growth to be easily influenced by food, and 
a greater development of the maimnarv <-r 
glandular system takes place than if the ani¬ 
mal came in on dry food. This for the young 
heifer is extrernly important, as it will not 
only secure the largest possible flow of milk 
at that age, but create the capacity for large 
secretions all through the life of the animal. 
A cow coming in tho first time in May or 
in June, will be worth a good deal more 
than the same cow would be to come in at 
any other season. l aj 
