DAIRY FARMING ON LIGHT LAND.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 445, 17 November 1875, Page 4

DAIRY FARMING ON LIGHT LAND.

(From the Mark Lane Express.) To keep a heavy stock of milch cows on a farm which is worked to the last acre on an intelligent and regular system of convertible husbandry, if not in itself au embodiment of commercial success, is at least one of the surest methods of farming, available to the ordinary working tenant, by which this important element may be attained, Dairy produce being in continual demand for daily consumption, is subject to comparatively little fluctuation; and under whatever form it may be offered for sale, if of first rate quality, commands a high market value all the year, and it is at all times saleable, either in large or small quantity, requiring no pushing or business-like energy to get rid of it, but invariably placing itself, and thus in another way commends itself to the man of moderate means, by bringing in a continuous stream of money to meet current expenses. When the dairy has become thoroughly organised, the stalls full of the right kind of stock, and the cropping so arranged as to provide ah abundant supply of food at all seasons, the people charged with its management intimately conversant with its details, taking an absorbing interest in their duties, and a laudable pride in turning out produce of the very best quality, difficulties vanish, and the entire business goes on with surprising smoothness and accuracy. Highly important as it undoubtedly is to have a rich piece of old meadow or permanent pasture on which the cows may be put to graze, if only for a few hours each day, dairying can yet be carried on successfully without it, and excellent results can be obtained, even although they have no better run than what is afforded by the young grasses and clovers of the rotation. To those who dispose of the milk as drawn from the cow this system especially commends itself, the succulent food, given regularly, forcing the animals to give all the milk which their system is capable of yielding, the quantity given for the season rising above the average more in consequence of the flow being steady, and continuing as long as it is safe or advisable to milk them, rather than by a perceptible increase in each day’s produce. As a rule, a noticeably heavy milker does not continue so for a very lengthened period after calving but after a couple |of months begins to lessen, and will probably be completely dry five months before she is again due. A moderate milker that goes on Steadily, and gives milk until within as many weeks of her time, will thus completely distance the cow of much greater promise, and although at her best time giving but four and a-half gallons a day, will often give a great many more gallons throughout the season than her comrade that made a wonderfully greater show, by beginning at seven gallons. Further, a particularly good cow, that milks close to the period of parturition,*is not to be judged by her performance immediately after calving, as, if fed regularly in and out, as here recommended, her system will be strengthening for a good many weeks, and her energies fully renewed ; it will frequently be found that she is milking better three months after calving than she did at only three weeks, The arable farmer who sells his milk direct from the cow, has, unless in some exceptional cases, the best opportunity p£ any for extracting the largest possible

profit from his dairy stock ; as, first of all, having nothing to do but get the milk drawn from the cows, and send on to a contractor or a factory, as is the case in districts where the process of preserving milk is carried on, or to a public institution, his expenses are reduced to the lowest limit. Again, he is not subjected to annoyance on account of quality at any season, as, if he feeds with nutritious food in proper quantity, the milk will have body, and no objection will be taken to its flavour, whatever the quantity or kind of roots used in feeding. Those who have had opportunities of trying the different modes of disposing of dairy produce invariably give their testimony in favour of getting rid of it at once as it comes from the cow, the receipts being not only larger, but the working expenses and anxieties in connection with its manufacture vastly lessened. As it is evident, however, that only a very small proportion of those who keep cows can avail themselves of this way of turning their product into money, it is well that other modes of doing so are open to them, by which, if they cannot be quite so successful, they may yet, by careful management, clear all expenses, and still have a fair margin left for profit. In the absence of a market for the sale of large quantities of new milk, the farmer who keeps a full stock of milch cows must turn his attention to butter-making, which is the next best thing he can do, when he has no permanent pasture or rich old meadows on which to graze his cattle. On an arable farm, with no available ran for the cows but two, or at most, years’ old seeds, butter-making would be anything but profitable but for the abundant house feeding, which it is here assumed is grown and given to the cows every day throughout the year. Although the pasture may but do little more than afford space for air, water, and exercise, yet the cattle may be kept in full milk for a lengthened season, and give it of a quality but little inferior to that yielded by cows fed on the finest old pasture. By making a comparison during the first four months of the milking season between a dairy of cows whose produce is sold direct off the farm, and another where it is retained and manufactured into butter, the difference in favor of the former would appear so great as to make it appear to the uninitiated or inexperienced a wilful throwing away of money to dispose of the produce in any other way than pure from the cow. To find out the actual truth, however, the comparison must be carred out to the end of the season, when it will be found that, after the first flush of milk begins to wane—probably about four months after calving—the butter dairy picks up wonderfully, and recoups itself so largely during the later months as to come much closer in the monetary receipts to the amount realised by the sale of new milk than could, judging by first appearance, have possibly been expected. This is easily explained in practice by the fact of the milk of continually well-fed cows, although inevitably falling off in quantity as the season advances, being richer in quality, and, in consequence, turning out a larger weight of butter to the measurement of milk than was done during the warm months. And again, the quality and texture of the butter being at its beat in August, September, and October, and the quantities sent to market getting gradually less, this article of farm produce attains its highest value during these months. Of course this comparison refers only to country districts, where the facilities presented for the sale of new milk are not of the highest class, as, in the neighborhood of cities or large manufacturing towns, no form of dairy produce can compete with the unmanufactured article in the amount of money it can make, however excellent may be the quality. On a farm cultivated on a regular system of husbandry, and green crops necessarily entering largely into the course, and occupying each year a considerable breadth of surface, rearing live stock becomes a matter of vital importance to the farmer; and the mode of dairy management which enables him to keep his farm continually stocked at least expense, and with the least po-sible trouble, must be especially favored, even although in some ways it might appear scarcely so moneymaking. In such a case the butter dairy especially recommends itself, as not only will each cow make a considerable sum per annum by the produce sold, but also making a large additional sum by rearing her calf, when the breed is the right sort, a little linseed put through the milk strengthening it, and compensating so well for the removal of the cream, as to build up strong, healthy, young cattle, su ted for any purpose for which they may afterwards be required. This part of the subject naturally leads to the best breeds for the double purpose here indicated, the dairy and cattle breeding. For merely dairy purposes, it matters little what breed, or mixture of breeds, is patronised, providing the animals, under the influence of liberal treatment, can be forced to milk largely ; but as in the system now advocated a much more important question is involved, the milking property can scarcely be allowed to take other than a secondary position. Most practical men who understand this subject, and who have for a series of years tested it by actual experiment, are agreed that a cross bred cow combines the two much-desired and valuable qualities in a greater degree than can possibly be attained by any pure animal of the standard breeds. As an example of the deep-milker, the Dutch cow takes a leading, if not first, position, giving milk, under the influence of good feeding, in extraordinary quantity, and continuing it far into the season. Her milking capacity is so enormous that she recommends herself in an especial manner to those who supply milk in large quantity to public institutions ; but with this single feature her usefulness begins and ends, as she is a hard feeder, consuming food in excessive quantity, and scarcely at any age compensating her owner for his trouble and outlay in feeding her. The exactly opposite quality is found in the Shorthorn, the tendency to lay on flesh being in the superlative degree ; while the milking property, unless in some exceptional strains of blood, is not to be depended on, the cow of this breed, however freely she may milk for a short time after calving, being extremely apt to run dry long before the expiration of the season. Whatever the alloy, the shorthorn must now be taken as the standard breed of the kingdom, its blood being largely infused into every herd from which a profit is expected. Where dairy business and the breeding as well as the feeding of stock are all carried on together, a three-quarter bred shorthorn fulfils as nearly as possible the whole of the conditions necessary to success in each department, as any slight deficiency in one qualification is more than counterbalanced by the extraordinary aptitude to reach early maturity which is evinced by her offspring. The breed used to somewhat check the running to flesh, to assist the milking capacity, and

retain it farther into the season, may be found nearly in every district, often under no distinctive name but that of the common cattle of the country, and although somewhat coarse and strong of bone, will not on that account prove the less valuable, as their descendants will retain a portion of the hardiness of constitution and free milking quality, for which features they were originally selected, long after the unmistake able impress of the shorthorn sire has been indelibly stamped on their outline and general character.