Dairy Farming (Classic Reprint)

Considerable attention has been given, of late, to so systemize the business of dairy-farming, that, while the annual products of the farm may be increased, its expenses are diminished. Dairying embraces a wider field of operations, it is believed, than where almost any other kind of farming is made a specialty; since, in addition to the manufacture and management of dairyproduce, particular branches of farming are also to be regarded as specialties, and being so closely linked together, the success of the dairyman depends more or less on his intelligence in reference to, and proper management of them all. Cheese making, of itself, in all its details, is an art which requires much knowledge, and long, careful, and varied practical experience. And yet the success of the dairy-farmer will not depend, altogether, on his ability to manufacture the largest quantity, and best quality of cheese from a given quantity of milk. Back of this lies the production of milk the breeding care and treatment of stock, and further back, the production of food, the application of manures, and all the various operations of cultivating the soil, and growing crops. It is estimated there are considerably more than one million of milch cows in the State of New York, and the number of acres employed for raising grain, grass, hay, c., for their maintenance through the year, will doubtless exceed four millions, or nearly if not quite a quarter of all the improved land in the State. The capital invested in land, cows, and utensils for conducting the dairies of the State, on the above assumption, will reach at least $140,000,000. While the value of labor annually required, can not fall short of $20,000,000. Thus it will be seen, $160,000,000 in capital and labor, are annually devoted to this business in the State of New York
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

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