« 
NEW 
« TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND THE MIND.” 
SERIES. 
VOL. III. 
ALBANY, JANUARY, 1846. 
No. 1. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
Is 'published on the first of each month, at Albany , N. Y., by 
LUTHER TUCKER, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 
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MILCH COWS. 
WITH A PORTRAIT OF MR. DONALDSON’S PRIZE COW. 
We herewith present our readers with a fine steel 
portrait of the native cow « Kaatskill,” belonging to It. 
Donaldson, Esq., Blithewood, Dutchess county. The 
plate, which was executed expressly for the Cultivator, 
exhibits in the background, some of the beautiful 
scenery for which Blithewood is distinguished. It is a 
view of part of a fine stream which winds romantical¬ 
ly through the northern portion of the grounds, and 
forms, in the space of half a mile, several charming 
cascades, one of which has a perpendicular fall of up¬ 
wards of sixty feet. In Mr. Downing’s Landscape Gar¬ 
dening and Rural Architecture, there are representa¬ 
tions of other views belonging to the same locality. (See 
pages 308, 336.) In our August number of last volume, 
accompanying the portrait of Mr. Donaldson’s bull 
Prince Albert, we gave a more extended notice of this 
place and its numerous interesting associations. 
“Kaatskill” received the first prize of the New- 
York State Agricultural Society as the best Dairy cow 
exhibited at Poughkeepsie, in 1844. We are unable to 
refer to the original statement furnished the society by 
Mr. Donaldson in regard to the produce of this cow, 
but can say that satisfactory evidence was given that 
she had yielded, when kept on grass only, 38quarts of 
milk per day, and that from the milk given by her in 
two days, 6^ pounds of butter were made, being at the 
rate of 22| pounds per week. Her appearance fully 
corresponds with the account of her produce. It is 
proper to state that while her milk was measured for 
the purpose of accurately ascertaining the quantity, she 
was milked four times every twenty-four hours. 
It is a matter of regret that in breeding stock, so lit¬ 
tle attention is paid to the improvement of the milch 
cow. Almost every farmer may have noticed some of 
his herd that yield a much larger proportion of butter 
than others. It is not unfrequent that the difference in 
the amount of produce between the best and poorest of 
a lot of only eight or ten cows, amounts to one half, or 
more; and this too, without any perceptible difference 
in the quantity of food they eat. It is true that ih the 
common mode of keeping stock, the relative amount of 
food consumed by the different animals is not accurately 
known; but there can be no reasonable doubt that the 
variation in their actual profit, is as great as we have 
stated. 
We are aware that some have objected to the practi¬ 
cability of improving the breed of dairy stock—that 
“ milking qualities are a matter of chance ’’-—that though 
“ you can breed fatting stock, you cannot breed a good 
milch cow;” but we think these conclusions have been 
adopted without due regard to the grand law of the ani¬ 
mal and vegetable kingdoms, “ like produces like.” 
We cannot discover any natural barrier or obstacle to 
improvement in this case any more than exists in refer¬ 
ence to breeding animals for any other purpose. When¬ 
ever the object of improving dairy stock has been un¬ 
dertaken, and judiciously and perseveringly carried on, 
we think a success correspondent to similar attempts 
for the improvement of other descriptions of stock, has 
been realized. But it is a fact that but little systematic 
effort has been made in this country in reference to this 
object—at this time there are but few breeders within 
our knowledge who regard dairy qualities as of prima¬ 
ry importance; and we fully believe that a skillful 
breeder of dairy-stock who would engage earnestly in 
the business, and prosecute it with energy and judg¬ 
ment, would confer important benefits on the communi¬ 
ty, and would ultimately receive abundant pecuniary 
recompense. 
POINTS OF A GOOD DAIRY COW. 
It is admitted that cows are sometimes met with which 
give large yields of milk and butter, that have few or 
none of the points usually considered indicative of ex¬ 
cellence. Some farmers, indeed, seem to consider 
beauty or symmetry wholly incompatible with good 
milking qualities, and, judging from their own herds, 
believe that the more ugly and uncouth the shape and 
appearance of their cows, the better they are. 
Although in this case the breeder should regard dai¬ 
ry qualities as of the first importance, he should by no 
means be satisfied with these. His cows may give a 
large quantity of milk under circumstances which par¬ 
ticularly favor them, and yet lack some of the essential 
requisites of profitable stock—such as constitution, and 
an ability to sustain themselves under disadvantages 
of food and climate. A weak constitutioned cow, when 
highly fed and well protected, frequently gives much 
milk, though it is apt to be deficient in richness; and 
notwithstanding she requires more and better food, and 
more care in sheltering, &c., than a hardy one, she 
will not last long, but will fail at an early age. Her 
weakness also exposes her more to the attacks of vari¬ 
ous diseases, which, as she has not the energy" to resist 
them, are likely to prove fatal. Thus, excepting for 
use in the dairy for a short time, she is nearly worthless. 
Her progeny usually inherit her feebleness, requir¬ 
ing, if reared, very careful nursing, and in the end 
seldom prove profitable. Hence the breeder of dairy 
stock should endeavor to unite in his animals all the 
qualities on which their aggregate value depends. 
The points of a perfect milch cow are—the head 
small; the muzzle fine; the face rather dished; and 
the space between the eyes wide. A wedge-shaped 
head should be avoided,, as indicating weakness of con- 
