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cows, averaging five or six Scotch pints each per day, or elevenEnglish quarts overhead ; hut both quality and quantity dependmuch upon the kind of food.
When there is more new milk at any time than supplies thedemand, part is put in the milk-house till next day, when theskimmed milk is sold at half price (for which there is a greatdemand), and the cream sold at 3s. per Scotch pint. When anycream is left, it is put in a churn and made into butter, once aweek or fortnight. Mr Harley gives a decided preference to theAyrshire breed of cows. They are bought chiefly at countryfairs.
With,regard to food; during summer the cows are chiefly fedwith cut grass and green barley mixed with old hay ; and duringwinter, Mr Harley uses a good many turnips and potatoes, allof which are steamed, and mixed with cut hay and straw ; alsodraff and distillery wash, when these can be got.
The cows are bought in generally either newly calfed, or afew weeks before ealfing, and never turned out till they go tothe butcher.
A table of regulations has been adopted for the times of feed-ing, milking, currying the cattle, cleaning the house, &c. &c.Each person has a curry'comb and haircloth for cleaning the cowstwice a day, a mop and pail for the house, which is washed andsanded twice a day.
The following abstract will show the advantage of this systemto the owner of the cattle ; but the benefit of a liberal supply ofgamine milk to the community at large, particularly to children,it is not easy to estimate.
The cleanly state of the cattle and house makes it a treat forvisitors to see the establishment; and the way the vessels andmilk-house are kept, have made some people fond of milk whoformerly were disgusted at it, from the manner in which manytown dairies are conducted.
The advantage of irrigating grass lands with the cows’ urine,almost exceeds belief. Last season some small fields were cutsix times, averaging fifteen inches in length at each cutting, andthe sward very thick. The soap-suds of a public washing-houseare applied to the same purpose with considerable advantage.
Mr ITarley sums up the advantages of his management in thefollowing manner.
fo the general health of the cattle by ventilationlo the prevention of a disease called grainsick- /
ness, when fed on grains - - - >15 per cent. *
To the prevention of swelling, by eating young \
and wet grass ----- j
* Mr Ilarley has not had a single cow injured in any of these ways since“ e commencement of the establishment.