Farming Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 50, 28 August 1893, Page 3

Farming Notes

Feeding for Milk and Butter.— Dairy farmers arc asking thcmselve?. as never before, " Is it possible to feed cows on any food ihwt will increase the amount of butler fat in milk ? ' Put such a que* tion to the arerage dairyman, nnd lie will nay : " Well, I practically can. 1 can feed my cows on certain grains and other rationt which will increase the yield of bnt ter fat." Now that statement looks reasonable, and would bo supported by mo«t people who hare had experience in feeding cows for tbe production of butler, but it needs aome qualification. In certain places where the milk of a cow has been tested, it has been found rery low cpmliiy, and the owner has declared the animal to be no good, and that he would keep ber t»«- longer. But a cow should not be judged by one test. One day sho may five 4 per cent of butter fnt, and another day she may give only 3} per cent. There are two things which go to make up a good milking cow-— first, the quantity ; and second the quality. You may own a cow that averages only 3 per cent of butter fat, and another that gives 6 per cent ; but the latter does not yield more baiter than tbe animal giving the smaller percentage, for that animal gives a larger quantity of milk. But while certain remit* of tbat character have been arrived at under certain lines of feeding, it would not be sole to say that uuder different conditions and with different cow* widely different results would not follow. Tbe peculiarities of the animal and the character of her sur* rounding* mutt be considered as welt as the mere feeding when the quality of her milk is under consideration. Ripening Cream for Churning. — A proper decree of acidity in the cream is required io prod uce the brat quality of butter. It matters not how this acinity is pro duced, whether by time or the mixture of some form of lactic acid, lt may be produced by tbe addition of sour milk t" the fretdi cream, in quantity of lot of the milk to lOgals of cream, and thoroughly stirring to diffuse the acid, which at onoe begins to act upon the sweet cream, and in 24 hours brings it iuto the riuht condition for churning. On prin.ciple tuts it precisely the same as mix ing the uewly-»kitmned sweet cream with the older and sour cream, by which the former is acidified, and the acid of the latter i* neutralised to some extent. The practice of slowly stirring the cream in the jar when the fresh cream is added, is therefore not to be neglected, as it not only hastens tbe ripening of the fresh cream, but it retards that of the older. Tho Chief Inspector, in hia annual repori says : 1 regret to say that thero has been considerable mortality amongst the hoggets in some districts. The excessive rainfall has, no doubt, much to do with this, causing, aa it has, an overabundance of grass, combined with tbe presenco of internal parasites. A great many remedies have been tried for theße parasites, but without much, if any, effect, and a thorough and exhaustive investigation is urgautly needed. I am of opinion that tlie system of farming must be changed, and instead of so many sheep being crowded on to the rich pastures, a certain proportion must be grassed witb cattle and sheep alternately. A small quantity of chaff wonld be a great help to the young sheep during the winter and spring months, and could be supplied at a cost of, say, 1« to ls 6d for each hogget for ten weeks. It is also of the utmost importance that an abundant supply of pure water ahould be provided. It is a wall known fact that many parasites are found in stagnant water, and an eudeavour should therefore be made to have either a running stream, or water sup. plied in troughs, from wells, or by draining springs or swamps. This latter method, where practicable, is strongly recommended, as, besides reclaiming the land, a pure supply is always fs available tn little cost.