TESTING COWS FOR A BUTTER DAIRY. (" national Lire-Stock Journal.")

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

TESTING COWS FOR A BUTTER DAIRY. (" national Lire-Stock Journal.")

We were pleased to receive the statement of Mr H. B. Gurlcr, in our last number, on this subject. He illustrates in hi* experiment what we *were well aware of —that the percentages of cream and butter are not always alike, and that the percentage of cream alone is not sufficient to determine the exact quality of the cow. The test which we proposed iv the May number for weeding out inferior cows, was intended to be so simple that it could be applied by every dairyman, and would give trim the quantity and a general test of quality— suoh at percentage of

cream and color — which would enable him , to make an intelligent comparison between the members of his herd. But when he seeks to know the exact performance of a cow in butter, he must churn each cow's cream separately. We were desirous of calling the attention of dairymen to their extreme carelessness in keeping unprofitcowb year after year without really knowing their character. The dairyman should have a general stan Jard, below which no cow should fill without being told. In producing milk for cheese, no cow should be kept that docs not give 4,0001 bs., and ' this standard is so low tint if it cannot be increased the cow should nerer be kept beyond the second year. There is really no profit in 4,0001 bs. of milk per year. 5,0001b5. will aift>rd a small margin of profis, but the standard should be set at fl.OOOlbs. for the whole herd. There can be no profit in a cow that will not make 2001 bi. of butter, Jf she will make tbis from 4,0001b*. of milk her milk must be of good quality. Common stock cows bare made as low a reoord for butter as a pound from 201b*. of milk, bat the average requires 23lbs. of milk to one of butter ; therefor it would require 5,0001b5. of milk to produce 2001 ba. of butter. A dairyman at Craftsbury, Vt., lately stated in the "Country Gentleman," that be had two native cows which produced, the one 6331 bs., and the other 5041b5. of butter in twelve months. This is, perhaps, the most remarkable statement on record ; and although such a figure can be reached for a herd, yet by selecting the best, there have been herds averaging 3Oolbs of butter per head. A cow may be quite unworthy to be kept in a butter dairy that gives even 8,0001b5., for it may be so poor in oil an to yield no more than 4,0001 b«. from other cows, or the butter may be of a disagreeable flavor. The most profitable ! butter dairy must be selected for quality a« well as quantity. The cow of large yield and poor quality should be sold tor I cheese making. Her milk might be expected to be rich in cheese. The difference in the flavor of cream is of ten very marked, and to determine the quality of the. milk of each cow, it must be Ret and decided upon its own merit?. The bad flavor of the cream of a single cow may lower the standard of butt#r from a whole herd.