Vol. LVI. No. 2467. 
NEW YORK, MAY 8, 1897 
*1.00 PER YEAR. 
A GOOD GUERNSEY COW. 
MORE ABOUT UDDERS AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
Importance of Good Breeding. 
I have been much interested in the study of the 
articles in The R. N.-Y. on the Udder of the Cow. I 
believe that a large percentage of our dairy cows are 
unable to make mil* to their fullest capacity, simply 
on account of defective udders ; either naturally so, 
or have become so through improper care. The udder 
is a wonderful piece of mechanism, and we, as dairy¬ 
men, must become better acquainted with the cow’s 
udder, that we may know how to improve it in breed¬ 
ing, how to grow the calf and heifer that her dairy 
tendencies may fully develop, and then how to main¬ 
tain and improve its condition and capacity while 
working it under full steam. And of more import¬ 
ance in breeding is it to know how to select a sire 
strongly prepotent in this direction. In these times 
of small margins, we must study closely to cheapen 
our product, and no better place of beginning can be 
had than to learn how to raise and select cows with 
good milking machines. 
I wish that The R. N.-Y. would continue the dis¬ 
cussion of this subject by showing us more 
explicitly the power the nervous system 
exerts in the working of the udder and 
digestive apparatus, and how important it 
is that it, too, should be highly developed 
and kept in prime working order. It is 
not always the cow with the most capa¬ 
cious udder that will produce the most 
butter fat, or with the largest belly that 
will assimilate the most food. Her capa¬ 
city depends as much upon her haviDg a 
strong and well-balaDced nervous system 
as upon the size of these special organs. 
One who is trying to compound his cows’ 
rations by their weight will soon discover 
this. Did you ever see a “ great cow ” but 
had an expression of intelligence, of 
“business” in her countenance that at 
once stamps her as exceptional ? I am 
aware that this idea in its development, 
will oppose the level back ” and smooth, 
regular outlines of our score cards. But I 
find that the most profitable cows have a 
large, prominent backbone, somewhat 
high and sharp over the withers, with 
coarse, rising pelvic arch. 
The cow shown at Fig. 130 well illus¬ 
trates your theory. The development of 
her fore-udder is remarkable, though the 
position does not shown it plainly. She has four 
evenly balanced quarters with four good handles; 
largo, tortuous milk veins divide into three branches 
near the udder. The lean face, large brain and large 
eyes, with a prominent, rugged backbone and fine 
handling qualities, plainly indicate prominence of 
the nervous temperament. Dolly’s Ada, 9289, is a four- 
year-old Guernsey. When fresh, her udder measured 
62 inches around, and the line of attachment to the 
body is 30 inches. For seven days beginning January 
18, she gave 276 pounds of milk testing 5 3 per cent or 
14.63 pounds of fat, equivalent to 17 pounds of butter. 
She ate during this time, 52% pounds of bran, costing 
26 cents ; 17% pounds of cotton-seed meal, 17% cents ; 
14 pounds of corn meal, 7 cents ; 228 pounds of en¬ 
silage, 34 cents, and 49 pounds of oat and pea hay, 
19% cents ; a total cost of $1.04. The food cost of the 
butter was a trifle over six cents per pound. You 
will observe that this is only an ordinary ration, the 
same we are feeding all cows that are in full milk. 
She would handle considerably more. Our experience 
has been that Guernseys usually have good, square 
udders, are remarkable for being free, rapid milkers, 
and furnish a large percentage of profitable cows. 
Perry, N. Y. g. b. t. 
CREAMERY OR HOME DAIRY. 
BUTTER MADE FOR FOUR CENTS A POUND. 
On page 196, the following statement was made by 
a subscriber in Vermont: 
A creamery one-quarter mile from me that was built last year, 
makes and sells our butter for four cents a pound, and pays the 
patrons every month. We think that is doing better than to 
make it at home, and then trade it out at the store, or send it to 
some commission house and then, perhaps, lose it all. 
The following notes of discussion have come from 
readers: 
A Question of Arithmetic. 
The Vermont creamery question resolves itself into 
a problem of simple arithmetic which every man must 
solve for himself. Multiply the average amount of 
butter made per day by 365, and the product by four ; 
this represents the cash paid the creamery and for 
which the same must be debited. Debit it also with 
the value of the time consumed in delivering the 
milk. Add the two items together; then credit the 
creamery with the value of the time consumed in 
churning, marketing, etc. Ascertain whether the 
more improved appliances at the creamery will yield 
more butter than one can get at home from a given 
amount of milk. If so, we must credit the creamery 
with the value of the gain in butter. Which is ahead, 
the debit or the credit column ? It will be found that 
scarcely two men, though possibly handling the same 
quantity and quality of milk, will get the same 
figures. It is, therefore, not so much a qviestion of 
the price charged per pound, as a question of net re¬ 
sults. Note how long it takes to churn and finish the 
work connected therewith. Multiply the pounds of 
butter made by four ; the product will be the pay for 
the time spent at the work. Is the time profitably 
spent ? These and a host of other matters must be 
considered, and no man can answer the question for 
another with a categorical yes or no. I buy new 
shoes because I can buy them cheaper than I could 
make them. I put on new soles because I can do the 
work cheaper than I could have it done. During a 
shower, I can thus earn just about half what I would 
have to pay another, and I am that much ahead. I 
give myself the job and pay, too. So in this creamery 
matter, all the pros and cons must be weighed lest we 
give a job to some one else the pay for which we our¬ 
selves might earn without detriment to a more im¬ 
portant matter. j. c. sengeb. 
Virginia 
The Home Dairy Side of It. 
I agree perfectly with the Vermont subscriber who 
thinks that it pays better to pay four cents a pound 
to have his butter made and sold, than to make it at 
home and then trade it out to a store or ship it to a 
commission merchant. But why is it necessary to 
trade out the butter ? Is it so poor when made at 
home that there is no chance to sell it to private 
customers at a good price ? If that is the case, the 
subscriber, evidently, has not been a subscriber for a 
long time, or he would know better. I will give my 
experience in the dairy business : I began by taking a 
dairy farm on shares, and drew my milk to a creamery 
which was about one-half mile from home. The 
creamery was run on the old plan, that is, the milk 
was weighed, and each patron credited with the num¬ 
ber of pounds he brought, regardless of quality. The 
man who managed the creamery owned a Babcock 
tester, and from time to time, tested the milk from 
the various herds, just out of curiosity. My dairy 
was one of the largest, and the milk averaged about 
four per cent butter fat. Another large dairy aver¬ 
aged about three per cent. I figured it out as closely 
as I could, and I found that, if only this man and 
myself were taking milk to this creamery, 
I would be giving him about $200 a year. 
This was very nice for the other fellow, 
and from it, we may draw the conclusion 
that, if our milk is very poor, it pays to 
take it to the creamery and thus rob our 
neighbors of part of their earnings. 
Wishing to do more as I pleased than I 
was able on a rented farm (and finding a 
man who would lend me some money), I 
next bought a farm and began making 
butter at home. At first, I sent it to a 
commissionman, and it generally sold at 
top creamery prices; but I wished to do 
better than this, for I found that many 
people near home were willing to pay 
more for butter that suited them than it 
sold for in New York. The next thing 
was to get started with a home trade. I 
took two or three jars to a neighboring 
village and tried to sell it, and the first 
trip did not succeed in getting any one 
even to look at it. This was a stunner ; 
but I tried again. I went to the printing 
office and got some neat business cards 
printed, and armed with these, made an¬ 
other trip. This time I called on some of 
the wealthiest and most influential fami¬ 
lies of the place, simply made my bow and 
let my card do the rest. This time I sold my butter 
and have been selling all I could make ever since. I 
put it up just as each customer wants it, salt it to suit 
every one’s taste, and try to please them in every way. 
Last year, my cows turned me $83 each, which, I 
think, is as good as I could have done at a creamery. 
Now we will compare the cost of making butter at 
home and at a creamery. When I started to make 
butter, I bought a Crystal creamer, at a cost of $25. 
This was a $65 creamer, and as good as new. I 
bought it of one of the dairymen who think that mak¬ 
ing butter doesn’t pay. I use this creamer now, and 
think it ahead of a separator for making fancy but¬ 
ter, for, mind you, it is quality not quantity that I 
am after. I use ice in warm weather, and it takes 
myself, man and team about five days to fill the ice 
house ; but next year I shall build a dam across a 
brook in my pasture and get ice in less than half the 
time. 
My wife skims the milk by turning a faucet in the 
bottom of the can, and letting the milk run off, and 
then draws off the cream. She also washes the cans 
and other dairy utensils. I spend about an hour 
every other day in hot weather, and twice a week in 
winter, churning and packing butter, also from one- 
A GUERNSEY COW WITH GOOD UDDER. Fig. 130. 
