602 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 5 
DIARY OF A DAIRY FARM. 
GETTING INTO THE MILK BUSINESS. 
[This article was written last winter. It lias 
been held until now in order to call attention to 
some of the necessities of winter dairying. We 
hope for a continuation of the story later.—E iih.] 
First, let me state that I am not a 
practical farmer, but a clergyman, and, 
therefore, not in a position to give a 
farm constant, personal attention. Some¬ 
thing like 14 years ago, a stony, hillside 
farm of about 200 acres in Columbia 
County, N. Y., came into my possession, 
and has since been used rather as a place 
on which to spend the summer months, 
than as a source of revenue. A tenant, 
known to me from childhood, worked 
the farm for a period of years on shares, 
putting in general farm crops, keeping 
three or four sows, about 50 breeding 
ewes and six or seven cows, from which 
butter was made and sold in the general 
market. During all these years, no net in¬ 
come to speak of, was-received from the 
farm, and I noticed that its producing 
capacity grew steadily less until, in years 
of drought, it failed to pay expenses. 
One or two changes of tenants made no 
difference with the general result, and, 
therefore, tenant No. 1 was reengaged, 
and remained until April, 1895. These 
tenants were all honest, most of them 
economical and hard working, but con¬ 
servative and content to go along in the 
good old ways of their fathers. 
The year ending March 31, 1895 was 
the most disastrous in our farming ex¬ 
perience. The sheep industry had been 
ruined, the general depression had ham¬ 
mered down the price of most farm 
products below the cost of production, 
and the prolonged drought joined hands 
with both to torment and impoverish 
landlord and tenant alike. It became 
evident that some change must be made 
or our summer vacation would become 
altogether too expensive for a far from 
princely salary. Just about this time it 
was rumored that a milk station wouid 
be erected at the railroad depot, a mile 
away, if a sufficient number of patrons 
could be secured to warrant the outlay 
and assure its success. A canvass among 
the adjacent farmers disclosed a willing¬ 
ness to give the project a year’s trial, 
and a building—small and rough, simply 
intended as a shipping station — was 
erected. Feeling kindly inclined toward 
the new departure, I consulted the ten¬ 
ant about embarking in the business of 
milk production for the New York mar¬ 
ket, but found him utterly unwilling to 
entertain the idea. “ It required too 
great an outlay” ; “ was too laborious” ; 
“feed cost too much”; “it demanded 
seven days’ labor in the week,” and 
various other reasons were urged against 
it. 
Hut what was to be done ? We could 
not go on as in previous years, for some¬ 
times we ran at a loss, and all the time 
the plant was being gradually impaired. 
Just how to arrange with a tenant in 
changing from butter, sheep and grain 
farming in the middle of the year—for 
sheep and lambs must be kept until 
marketed, and cows could not be pur¬ 
chased until after that event—was a 
question. So badly, also, had tenant 
farmers fared during the preceding 
year, and so suspicious were they of 
the new enterprise, that it was well- 
nigh impossible to secure a suitable 
man to work the farm on shares. Two 
men, therefore, well recommended and 
said to be reliable, were hired by the 
month, but neither men nor myself had 
had any practical experience in milk 
production, and were compelled to feel 
our way gradually, profit by mistakes, 
and pay for all knowledge gained. 
This, then, was our condition April 1, 
1895: A stony hillside farm of about 
175 acres of arable land, fences in a tum¬ 
ble-down condition ; soil considerably 
impoverished by long-continued crop¬ 
ping and slight returns in enriching 
material, pastures and meadows thinly 
seeded and eaten down to the very 
roots because of drought, and no green 
forage crops the fall before ; no hay in 
the barn or grain in the bins, except a 
possible 150 bushels of oats ; a stock con¬ 
sisting of three horses, one pair of work¬ 
ing cattle, three sows, 45 ewes, thin 
and weak, and seven cows, spring poor. 
My first care was to purchase hay and 
grain feed for the stock, and caution 
the man to give them his whole atten¬ 
tion. Under his treatment they began • 
to improve, but feed and care came too 
late for the sheep, as only 31 lambs 
could be saved by the most painstaking 
nursing, though many more were 
dropped, some still born, others living 
a few hours or days but all too weak 
to survive. The sows, likewise, proved 
to be so weakened by inbreeding, that 
only one farrowed and she but four 
pigs. 
It was of the cows, however, that I 
started more particularly to write. April 
1, 1895, we had six cows in milk, most of 
them fresh along in the early winter, 
and one other due to drop her calf the 
same month. This herd consisted of two 
registered Jerseys and five high grades 
of the same breed. After considerable 
thought and much advice, 1 decided not 
to purchase any more cows at that time. 
The price of milk was low, we still had 
our sheep and lambs on hand, pastures 
and meadows were certain to be short, 
and besides, I was convinced that a win¬ 
ter dairy would be more profitable. Not¬ 
withstanding this resolution, however, I 
did buy two heifers—one a two-year-old, 
due to drop her calf in June, and the 
other a yearling—from a neighbor who 
had no fodder, and who offered them at 
a reasonable price, though I am now 
convinced that I made no money by the 
operation. 
And now we were ready to send what 
milk we made to the creamery ? Hardly ! 
for some place to cool it, with cans, 
strainer, etc., must be secured. We were 
fortunate in having a spring near the 
barns, of sufficient capacity and cool¬ 
ness that we need make but one trip a 
day to the milk depot. Two or three 
chestnut logs taken to the sawmill fur¬ 
nished plank and timber for vat and 
frame, and $5 to $6 worth of lumber, 
with about the same amount for a car¬ 
penter, fitted up the milk house. The 
purchase of three cans and a second-hand 
harness and wagon, completed the out¬ 
fit, and we began to take the milk to the 
depot. 
Our feed, at this time, consisted of a 
mixture—five or six pounds daily—of 
two x )arts fehipstuff to one of hominy, 
with good Timothy hay, no other being 
available. The first month disclosed the 
fact that our cows were not a success as 
milk producers. Indeed, I had long 
doubted that they were profitable as 
butter makers, but bad been unable to 
get a test made at any time. The pro¬ 
ceeds for milk in April, at two cents per 
quart, amounted to $19.50, which was 
better than the butter returns had been, 
as our half from seven cows barely sup¬ 
plied the table. In May, under the stimu¬ 
lus of better care and feed, and with a 
run in the swamp during the latter part 
of the month, the cows — though far 
from satisfactory—did better, turning 
off $29.97 worth of milk at 1% cent per 
quart. In June, at 1>£ cent per quart, 
the returns were about the same, lacking 
a few cents, for while a few of the cows 
gained on pasture, those longest in lac¬ 
tation did not increase, and even failed 
in quantity. In J uly, notwithstanding 
that the two-year-old heifer bought in 
the spring, was now in milk, the shrink¬ 
age was quite marked, the proceeds be¬ 
ing only $23. 
In the latter half of this month, we 
began to supplement the pasture, brown 
and burned with the prolonged drought, 
with a nightly feed of oats and peas, 
which had been sown with this object 
in view. The oats and peas were con¬ 
tinued during the first part of August, 
until they became too ripe for green 
forage, when the rest were cut and 
cured for hay. We had planned for, and 
expected to have, plenty of corn fodder 
to follow the oats and peas, but the 
sheep broke over into the sowed corn 
got a taste of the fresh, green blades, 
and, notwithstanding every one was 
poked, fences repaired, and lambs and 
sheep sold as fast as fit for market 
they continued to get into the corn 
almost nightly, and destroyed every 
possibility of a fodder crop. Dur¬ 
ing this month, therefore, pasture ano 
water were both short, but we supplied 
their place as best we could by openin, 
springs, feeding what corn stalks we 
had, and the oat and pea hay. In spite 
of all this, the milk yield from six cows, 
with the price at two cents per quait. 
netted only $19.44. 
(To be continued.) 
COST OF SCRUB OR THOROUGHBRED 
Does it cost more to raise a well-bred hog 
horse, sheep, cow or fowl to maturity 
than it does to produce a scrub of the 
same age ? 
To breed and raise a good animal, the 
cost of the service of the male, the money 
invested in the dam, the care and atten¬ 
tion are all greater than in raising a 
poor one. On the othei hand, in the 
case of those animals which are raised 
for the flesh, the good animal will pro 
duce more pounds of growth or increase 
per unit of food than the poor one. Good 
animals imply better sires, more ex¬ 
pensive dams, better food, proper care 
and environment, all of which cost 
money. On the other hand, the product 
of good animals costs less for the food 
consumed than that from poor ones. 
i. P. KOBEBTS. 
After the foundation stock is estab¬ 
lished, it costs no more to raise a well- 
bred animal than a scrub. In fact, when 
the well-bred animals and scrubs are 
raised on the same feed, and run to¬ 
gether from calves up, the highly-bred 
one is usually larger, more thrifty, and 
(Continued on next page). 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Bubal New-Yokkkb. 
The 
ti 
SMALLEY 
Our 
Silo 
Outfit 
at Wort 
Our "family" comprises for’96, Ensilage and Fod¬ 
der Cutters, Corn Shredders, Feed dlills, 
Ear Corn Grinders, Knot. Cutters and Pow¬ 
ers lor operating. Onr pamphlets should ho 
read by every "up-to-date” stock-raiser and dairyman 
in U. S. No. 1. “The Model Round Silo and howto 
build it.;” latest reports from practical stock-feeders 
on the silo. No. 2 tells about “Corn-Hay,” the new 
fodder product—its market and feeding value and 
how to make it. Free with catalogues if you 
name this paper. 
SMALLEY MFC. CO., Manitowoc, Wls. 
UECDIICD’C Patent level-tread 
HttDTltn_o horse- Pqwer 
With 8PEED REGULATOR^ 
Fori, 2 and 3 Horses.. 
LITTLE GIANTt hreshlng Machine.* 
Threshes Grain, Rice, Flax, Millet an 1 GrasHbeed. Fully 
Warranted. Feed and F.nsilaKeCutters^eed Grmdere,<S:o 
U UK HA Ell & SO AS, ljitnHilale 9 ra. 3 U.S.A* 
Feed Cutter. Fodder Shredder and Feed Grinder 
Three Machines In One. 
Made in several sixes, and at 
far less cost than three sep¬ 
arate machines Also manu¬ 
facturers of all kinds of 
Farming Implements. 
Write for prices. 
Address 
ANN ARBOR A'G'L CO., 
Ann Arbor, Mich. 
ENSILAGE ANI) 
FEED CUTTERS, 
CORN CRUSHERS 
and CORN 
THRASUERS. 
New and Best, with 
largest capacity of 
any made. ill. Cat. 
free. Address 
E. A. PORTER 
& BROTHERS, 
Bowling Green. Ky 
FRENCHBUHR 
2 S sizes and styles. Every miU warranted. 
For All Kinds of Grinding. 
A boy can operate and keep 
order. “Book on Mill 
and sample meal FREE. 
All kind, mill machinery. Flour 
mill, built, roller or bulir system. 
Reduced Prices for’Dfl. 
N0RDYKE & MARM0N CO., 
270 Day Street, 
Success in 
Stod< Feeding 
assured if you use :::::::::::: 
The Granite State 
toiler and Cool<er 
Thousands of stock-feeders use them, 
'flic apparatus is simple, strong—will 
last a lifetime—and very cheap. The 
boiler can be used for cooking, boiling, 
heating water, preserving fruit, and 
sugar ing-off in the maple sugar season. 
Stewart, in his book on “Feeding 
Animals," says that “the value of corn 
meal is doubled by cooking.” 
Our pamphlet on “ Cooking Food for Farm 
Stock ” tells all about it. Sent free. Address 
GRANITE STATE EVAPORATOR CO. 
20 i Main Street, Marlow, N. H. 
the 
QUAKER CITY 
GRINDING MILL 
ForCORN and COBS, 
FEED, and TABLE 
MEAL. ■ mproved for ’96-’97. 
Send forall mills advertised, 
p the beBt—return all others. 
.W. STRAUB & CO. 
l’hlltidat., and 41 S. J idlertton St., Chicago, ill- 
THOMPSON’S 
ROOTS 
CUTTER 
1 Cuts all kinds of roots & 
1 vegetables for STOCK 
FEEDINC. The only 
i machine made with self 
, feeder. Warranted to do 
Perfect work. Feed 
left in shape to prevent all dan- 
• ger of choking. Used every- 
I where. Catalog FREE. Address 
> O. E. THOMPSON & SONS, 
1 17 IliverStreet, YPSILANTI-MICH. akix 
BANNER 
BEST 
COOKER 
made. Write for full 
information. 
MITCHELL 
MACHINECO., 
Kendallville, Indiana. 
ENSILAGE. 
If you want an Ensilage Outfit that will work 
why don’t you buy a 
ROSS? 
Don’t buy “any old thing” because it is 
cheap. You want a cutter that cuts. Look 
sharp for frosts and order early. The Ross 
Company are already working night and day 
anticipating a large demand. Prices and goods 
strictly right. 1896 Catalogue free. 
THE E. W. ROSS COMPANY, 
SPRINGFIELD. OHIO 
