Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-08
Talks on the College Farm.
BY AN EX-FRRSHMAN.

BY AN EXFRRSHMAN.
"Mister, is this the college where
the boys learn to pillow in silk hats
and stiff collars, and the girls to wash
dishes with gloves on their hands,"
There were two of them. Jake
and Dock, they called each other
Both were big burly young men, ap-
parently right from the harvest field,
and they winked ominously at each
other as they looked at me for an an
swer
"Gcntlemen, you have made a mis-
take. This is not the place you are
looking for.
"But," said Dock, ''there was Il
man down here on the road said so.
He said the boys husked corn on stills
to keep them out of the mud. They
MIXED with gloves on to keep their
hands nice; they sometimes wore
polished boots and stand-up collars
in the harvest field. Anyhow, strang-
er, we want to look at your fine stock.
Got any Durhams or Berkshircs?
| reckon they'll be pretty fine if they
are nicer than some of the old mans"
Every well, we will take a look at
the bulls. And first comes Sam, the
Short horn. Rather handsome, isn't
he? Stand one side and see how
straight his back is. What a square
bullock! What hind quarter.
Therein hes the beauty OF a Short
horn. He is large right where we
cut the choice steak. He was pur-
chased while calf of Bill King, of
Minnesota. King may not be first
class Congressman, but he does have
a weakness for nice stock Sans
stock is first class, and what is more,
he has pedigree that any brute
might be proud Of"
"Pediyree.'" said Jake, "what is
that"
DWELL, sir, the pedigree of such an
animal is Il very important matter |
can't take time to explain now. If
you should visit the class III stock
breeding some time you might learn
all about it."
"But let Us look in the next pen"
"Sec here, stranger" said Jake, 81
hope you don't pen up that bull be-
cause you think he is extra stock?
Sam is 4 leetle ahead of anything on
place but there amt a scrub on the
farm that can't beat that bull all hol-
low"
"Ah, yes, my friend, but that is a
Jersey bull. And for one Of his
breed he is handsome. You see the
Jerseys are bred for the dairy and not
for beef. They are small and ugly
looking, and ugly in disposition,
too-see that rascal paw and hear him
below! But-never mind he won't
harm you-did you ever drink coffee
with Jersey milk or eat the butter
from a Jersey cow"
"No."
"Then you don't know anything
about it. Such rich butter and thick
cream can't be found where there are
only scrub cows. That bull is simply
apiece of apparatus. We teach stock
breeding here. We can't allow young
men to graduate and be ignorant of
the difference between Jersey and
an Ayrshire, OF who can't tell Berk-
shire pig from a Chester White"
"What was that other kind of stock
you named?"
"Were you raised on a FARM"
eyes, sir"
'Don't know Devon from an Ayr
shire? All, well, my young friend you
don't look well making fun of the
Agricultural College. Here is Lad
O'Kyle in the nest pen. He IS Il
thoroughbred Ayrshire, and fine
one too. Another animal for the
class to study. Halo, there comes
two of the students who attend to the
milking! Look too nice for you, do
they? How do you like their old
boots and jean work-suits? They
are fixed up for business. They don
their old boots, draw Oft their coats
and 60 ut their work as though they
were used to it. And the beauty of
it Is that those boys are just as good
in the class room rs ont of it. They
can milk cows, solve problems in
Euclid or make tirst-class speeches in
the literary society. would be glad
to show you the Berkshires to-day,
but time will not permit. Step over
and let me show you 4 squad of Col
lege boys harvesting. My friend, |
presume many of those boys could
show you how to bind wheat. The
Farm Superintendent says the boys
are just as good workmen as he can
get. Some are young, and allowance
must be made for them. But the
great majority are earnest, faithful
workers. Not few are working out
during harvest in order to make
money enough to carry them through
the year. They will be back soon,
bring up their studies and finish the
term. BY the way, did you notice
what an excellent barn we have
About il hundred head of cattle can
be kept in the basement alone. Above
are the granaries and storage room
for the hay. How do You like the
way those stalls are made? And did
you notice how easy the stock can be
fed. The feeder does not need to 90
behind the cattle at all. One man
can care for q hundred head here as
easily as for ten in stable built on
the old plan, Do you think u young
man would be likely to go home and
farm and keep cattle in the slovenly
old way, after he had tended stock
here for q while" And Jake thought
not and suggested to Dock that per
haps the sold man" would let them
60 to College just little while.
An able writer IN the Coumtry
Gentleman contends that the time is
not far distant when all meat cattle
will be bred without horns. He con-
tends that the expense of repairing
the injury done by means of the