The Republican journal., 1872-08-08
4.VOLUME 43.
improving Dairy Farms

There are more tn an ten million cows in
the United States, the money value of whose
production does not aggregate more than
forty million dollars per annum. Few of
these cows pay their owners any profit; the
vast bulk of the whole do not pay expenses
of feed and labor. This is readily shown
when we come to figure up the cost Of a
years provision for a cow, and allow a fair
margin for the protection of these which
really pay profit over and above the cost of
keep and labor of attention, and preparing
dairy products for market. This, too is ow-
ing to the gradual depreciation of stock for
it is apparent to any man acquainted with
the general run of our stock, that it is not
improving the quality, nor even holding it's
own. Every succeeding year finds dairy
stock increasing, and perforce degenerating
for when no careful selection is made, stock
Will certainly run down. Originally our
stock was the produce of the best obtainabe
from European breeds, for we cannot sup
pose that any but the best was brought by
our first settlers from Europe. And now, al
though much money is being spent in i'm
proving our breeding stock, the wave of inn
prOvement only ripples here and there, with
out affecting in the least the wide general
level Now it is far from profitable to keep
retrograding stock, and dairy stock cannot
Neither can we afford to permit any further
retrogression,o or it would be more profitable
to put our stock out of existence forthwith.
When it is clearly understood it will be seen
how absolutely necessary It is that our dairy
stock should be improved The improve
ment needs to be begun by getting rid, as
soon as possible, of the worst of it, from
which we suffer such a loss as can only be
appreciated when we consider how low an
average is made by including our very best.
All such poor, prOhtleSS cows should be
dried off, and fed for the butcher, and their
places supplied by the most promising hef-
ers. A stop, too, must be put to the prac-
tice of selling good heifer calves for veal,
for here is the chief road we have travelled in
reaching our present stage. Further, i'm
proved bulls must be introduced, either by
ating farmers or by the efforts of our
agricultural societies, and their produce
carefully improved. In this and other ways
that will readily suggest themselves, can
comparatively inexpensive improvements
be begun and continued. A taste for i'm
proved stock has been created in the gen
eral mass of agricultural communities by
the efforts of wealthy breeders, but the idea
is prevalent among farmers that it is hope
less to attempt to compete with them in
raising improved stock, and that men of
ordinary means can never hope to possess
such animals. But it may be done by CO.
operating and combining small capitals of
individuals for their Joint benefit. Ifsuch
efforts are made, and an Improvement be-
gun in this respect, a few years need only
elapse before our dairy products will in
crease annually in value to the extent of
hundreds of millions of dollars. An in
crease of ten dollars per annum in the pro-
duet of each cow would now amount to
800, 900 900. New York Tribune.