PRACTICAL HINTS TO AMATEUR DAIRYMEN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3222, 27 October 1881, Page 4

PRACTICAL HINTS TO AMATEUR DAIRYMEN.

We take the following from the catalogue of the recent Birmingham dairy show by Mr Gilbert Murray :—(1) As to breeds — (a) On occupations of any considerable extent, what is known as the home-bred or Yorkshire is highly prized—an animal with a considerable dash of pure Shorthorn blood in her veins, a large consumer and deep milker. The best specimens yield from 900 to 1100 imp. gal. of milk during the year; and well-authenticated instances are on record where, during the height of the season, 3lb of butter per day has been obtained from the milk of a single animal. When discarded from the dairy they are of considerable value for the purpose of the grazier. (J) As the domestic pets of the Buburban resident, or the villa occupant of a few acres, the agile Kerry, hardy Ayrshire, or docile Jersey is the general favorite. They each yield a large return for the quantity of food consumed. (2) As to food. — An ordinary-sized dairy cow in full profit will consume from 65 lb to 70 lb of food per clay—say 20 lb of hay, 40 lb of roots and other green food, 3 lb of decorticated cotton cake, 31b of Indian meal, 2 lb of bran, and 2 lb of bean meal, at a cost of 8s 6d per week. In addition, the cow will require from 3 to 4 gal. of clean water daily. Prudent managers feed liberally and wafer sparinsly during the early part of the day, increasing the water supply as the day wears on. The solid and liquid excrements will average about'9olb per diem, and, if carefully preserved, contain fertilising elements worth 2s 6d per week. The greatest yield of milk is obtained from -well-cooked food, boiled or steamed, given in a sloppy, lukewarm state. For the use of diary cows, the purity of the water is of more impor- , n. rrnonllv supposed Unlike 1 , *-..»' \ fhp ibsov 1 , -i i < i V{u V ; I l - ,* ' f, it. < -i i . f 1 * * ' '~.-» ' • ' ' ■> , ■ (Mil " ' < " jo t >irr n«pd ' ! ' i i i „ i ' p l'ti ten*i ' i «'o'" ur remarks - ( ti > ■i** 1 ' n* i>lv, by fir the < '' I ' * * c iVflmf of stall-feeding* By ♦' i, ' ilt ii ' mem t'uit the nnimal shall ' ji «t mtlv tied up by the neck She 1 ~ i u» t 1 ' i mrrp of a <mi*ill vaid, or v I an liny \ (prt"ir nmouni of eTcrcisc it ' y f ( } >lt!> n\r even increase" tho flow of milk ; the principal advantage of this system is the economy of food ; the grass land, when mown and the produce fed in the stalls, will keep double tho quantity of stock to that it will when fed on the land. The system of tethering which obtains amongst the small holdings of the Channel Islands is a modification of the stall-feeding system. (3) Produce —We have already referred to the maximum yield of a good, cow. An average specimen of any of the leading breeds of cattle, fed in manner we have suggested, will probably yield 750 gallons in twelve months ; the average price may be taken at 7|d per imperial gallon, which gives a gross return of .£23 8s 9d, to which should-be added 20s as the value of the calf. The most correct method of dealing with milk is by weight. An imperial gallon of milk at a temperature of 60deg. weighs 101b. 40z.; 2\ imperial gallons, or 251b. lOoz., will produce lib. of butter 1 quart of cream will yield from 16oz. to2ooz. of butter ,* the character of the animal and j the quality of the food exercise a marked effect on the percentage of butter contained in a given quantity of milk. With liberal keep and skilful management it is possible to produce lib. of cured cheese throughout the year from an imperial gallon of milk. The most profitable method of dealing with the milk depends to a considerable extent on ' local circumstances. Where an average wholesale price of 2£d per quart can be obtained for new milk throughout the year, *.his will produce the greater return per cow. j immmmmmmmmmmmmmimmmf—**