Agriculture for Beginners Part 30

A badly balanced ration does harm in two ways: first, the milk flow of the cow is lessened by such a ration; second, the cow does not profitably use the food that she eats.

The following table gives an excellent dairy ration for the farmer who has a silo. If he does not have a silo, some other food can be used in place of the ensilage. The table also shows what each food contains. As you grow older, it will pay you to study such tables most carefully.

=============================================================== | DIGESTIBLE MATTER |---------------------------------- FEED STUFFS | Dry |Protein|Carbohydrates| Fat |matter| | | --------------------------------------------------------------- Cowpea hay = 15 pounds[1] | 13.50| 1.62 | 5.79 | .16 Corn stover = 10 pounds | 5.95| .17 | 3.24 | .07 Corn ensilage = 30 pounds | 6.27| .27 | 3.39 | .21 Cotton-seed meal = 2 pounds | 1.83| .74 | .33 | .24 --------------------------------------------------------------- Total = 57 pounds | 27.55| 2.80 | 12.75 | .68 ===============================================================

[Footnote 1: Alfalfa or clover hay may take the place of cowpea hay.]

=Care of the Cow.= As the cow is one of the best money-makers on the farm, she should, for this reason, if for no other, be comfortably housed, well fed and watered, and most kindly treated. In your thoughts for her well-being, bear the following directions in mind:

1. If you are not following a balanced ration, feed each day several different kinds of food. In this way you will be least likely to waste food.

2. Feed at regular hours. Cows, like people, thrive best when their lives are orderly.

3. Milk at regular hours.

4. Brush the udder carefully with a moist cloth before you begin to milk. Cleanliness in handling makes the milk keep longer.

5. Always milk in buckets or cups that have been scalded since the last using. The hot water kills the bacteria that collect in the dents or cracks of the utensil.

6. Never let the milk pail remain in the stable. Milk rapidly absorbs impurities. These spoil the flavor and cause the milk to sour.

7. Never scold or strike the cow. She is a nervous animal, and rough usage checks the milk flow.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THREE GENERATIONS OF HIGH-BRED COWS]

SECTION LXI. MILK, CREAM, CHURNING, AND b.u.t.tER

=Milk.= Milk is, as you know, nature's first food for mammals. This is because milk is a model food--it contains water to slake thirst, ash to make bone, protein to make flesh and muscle, and fat and sugar to keep the body warm and to furnish energy.

=The Different Kinds of Milk.= Whole, or unskimmed, milk, skimmed milk, and b.u.t.termilk are too familiar to need description. When a cow is just fresh, her milk is called _colostrum_. Colostrum is rich in the very food that the baby calf needs. After the calf is a few days old, colostrum changes to what is commonly known as milk.

The following table shows the composition of each of the different forms of milk:

======================================================= | DIGESTIBLE MATTER IN 100 POUNDS |---------------------------------- COMPOSITION OF MILK | Dry |Protein|Carbohydrates| Fat |matter| | | ------------------------------------------------------- Colostrum | 25.4 | 17.6 | 2.7 | 3.6 Milk (unskimmed) | 12.8 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 3.7 Skimmed milk | 9.4 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 1.3 b.u.t.termilk | 9.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 1.1 =======================================================

A noticeable fact in this table is that skimmed milk differs from unskimmed mainly in the withdrawal of the fat. Hence, if calves are fed on skimmed milk, they should have in addition some food like corn meal to take the place of the fat withdrawn. A calf cannot thrive on skimmed milk alone. The amount of nouris.h.i.+ng fat that a calf gets out of enough milk to make a pound of b.u.t.ter can be bought, in the form of linseed or corn meal, for a very small amount, while the b.u.t.ter-fat costs, for table use, a much larger sum. Of course, then, it is not economical to allow calves to use unskimmed milk. Some people undervalue skimmed milk; with the addition of some fatty food it makes an excellent ration for calves, pigs, and fowls.

Along with its dry matter, its protein, its carbohydrates, and its fats, milk and its products possess another most important property. This property is hard to describe, for its elements and its powers are not yet fully understood. We do, however, know certainly this much: milk and the foods made from it have power to promote health and favor growth in a more marked degree than any other foods. It is generally agreed that this is due to the health-promoting and health-preserving substances which are called vitamines. Men of science are working with much care to try to add to our knowledge of these vitamines, which have so marvelous an influence on the health of all animals. Unless food, no matter how good otherwise, contains these vitamines, it does not nourish the body nor preserve bodily health as it should. A complete lack of vitamines in our food would cause death. Since, then, milk and its products--b.u.t.ter, cheese, curds--are rich in vitamines, these health-giving and health-preserving foods should form a regular part of each person's diet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 270. AIRING THE CANS]

=Cream.= Cream is simply a mixture of b.u.t.ter-fat and milk. The b.u.t.ter-fat floats in the milk in little globe-shaped bodies, or globules. Since these globules are lighter than milk, they rise to the surface. Skimming the milk is a mere gathering together of these b.u.t.ter-fat globules. As most of the b.u.t.ter-fat is contained in the cream, pains should be taken to get all the cream from the milk at skimming time.

After the cream has been collected, it must be allowed to "ripen" or to "sour" in order that it may be more easily churned. Churning is only a second step to collect in a compact shape the fat globules. It often happens that at churning-time the cream is too warm for successful separation of the globules. Whenever this is the case the cream must be cooled.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 271. A HAND SEPARATOR]

=The Churn.= Revolving churns without inside fixtures are best. Hence, in buying, select a barrel or a square box churn. This kind of churn "brings the b.u.t.ter" by the falling of the cream from side to side as the churn is revolved. Never fill the churn more than one-third or one-half full of cream. A small churn is always to be avoided.

=Churning.= The proper temperature for churning ranges from 58 to 62 Fahrenheit. Test the cream when it is put into the churn. If it be too cold, add warm water until the proper temperature is reached; if too warm, add cold water or ice until the temperature is brought down to 62. Do not churn too long, for this spoils b.u.t.ter. As soon as the granules of b.u.t.ter are somewhat smaller than grains of wheat, stop the churn. Then draw off the b.u.t.termilk and at a temperature as low as 50 wash the b.u.t.ter in the churn. This was.h.i.+ng with cold water so hardens the granules that they do not ma.s.s too solidly and thus destroy the grain.

=b.u.t.ter.= The b.u.t.ter so churned is now ready to be salted. Use good fine dairy salt. Coa.r.s.e barrel salt is not fit for b.u.t.ter. The salt can be added while the b.u.t.ter is still in the churn or after it is put upon the b.u.t.ter-worker. Never work by hand. The object of working is to get the salt evenly distributed and to drive out some of the brine. It is usually best to work b.u.t.ter twice. The two workings bring about a more even mixture of the salt with the b.u.t.ter and drive off more water. But one cannot be too particular not to overwork b.u.t.ter. Delicate coloring, attractive stamping with the dairy owner's special stamp, and proper covering with paper cost little and of course add to the ready and profitable sale of b.u.t.ter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 272. A POWER CHURN]

DAIRY RULES

_Stable and Cows_

1. Whitewash the stable once or twice each year; use land plaster, muck, or loam daily in the manure-gutters.

2. On their way to pasture or milking-place, do not allow the cows to be driven at a faster gait than a comfortable walk.

3. Give abundance of pure water.

4. Do not change feed suddenly.

5. Keep salt always within reach of each cow.

_Milking_

1. Milk with dry hands.

2. Never allow the milk to touch the milker's hands.

3. Require the milker to be clean in person and dress.

4. Milk quietly, quickly, thoroughly. Never leave a drop of milk in the cow's udder.

5. Do not allow cats, dogs, or other animals around at milking-time.

_Utensils_

1. Use only tin or metal cans and pails.

2. See that all utensils are thoroughly clean and free from rust.

3. Require all cans and pails to be scalded immediately after they are used.

4. After milking, keep the utensils inverted in pure air, and sun them, if possible, until they are wanted for use.

5. Always sterilize the churn with steam or boiling water before and after churning. This prevents any odors or bad flavors from affecting the b.u.t.ter. All cans, pails, and bottles should also be sterilized daily.