ure
Kerrys and crosses with Short-horns and Ayrshires were kept, the
annual produce per cow was returned at 500 gallons, 600 gallons,
675 gallons, and 740 gallons respectively; or an average, on the
four dairies, of 630 gallons per annum for each cow. A dairy of
"pure Kerrys" gave an average of 488 gallons per cow, and another
of the larger Irish breed gave an average of 583 gallons per head
per annum. In the great London dairies, now well-nigh extinguished
by the ravages of the cattle disease, these returns are greatly
exceeded. The cows kept are large framed Short-horns and Yorkshire
crosses, which, by good feeding, bring the returns to nearly
1,000 gallons per annum for each cow kept. The custom in these
establishments is to dispose of a cow directly her milk falls
below two gallons a-day, and buy another in her place.

The following milk return of one of our best managed dairy farms
(Frocester Court) shows the relative produce of cows in the
successive years of their milking. The first lot was bought in
at two-years old; all the others at three years:--

No. of Cows. Year of Milk. Produce per head.

8 1st 317 gals.
15 1st 472 "
14 2nd 353 "
15 3rd 616 "
20 4th 665 "
18 5th 635 "
9 6th 708 "
15 Old 651 "

The maximum reliable milk produce that we have recorded was that
of a single cow belonging to the keeper of the gaol at Lewes, the
details of which were authenticated by the Board of Agriculture.
In eight consecutive years she gave 9,720 gallons, or at the rate
of more than 1,210 gallons per annum. In one year she milked 328
days, and gave 1,230 gallons, which yielded 540 lbs. of butter,
or at the rate of 1 lb. of butter to 22-3/4 lb. of milk. In the
early part of the present year (1866) a return was published of
the produce of a cow in a Vermont (U.S.) dairy, which was stated
to have given, in the previous year, a butter yield of 504 lbs.,
at the rate of 1 lb. of butter to 20 lbs. of milk.[25]

_Preserved Milk._--Various plans have been proposed to render milk more
portable, and to preserve it sweet for days and even m