Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-04-09
FOR THE FARMER.
Some Practical Advice to PersOm1a
Who Contemplate Dairy Farming.
Wind-breaks Necessary for OrchArdl
in Cold Climates.
How to Cultivate Walnut Trees
Shade Trees.
PREPARING FOR DAIRfING.


PREPARING FOR DAIRYyNG.
Many persons who have had n lox1>
and quite successful experience ia ge;tS
eral farming have failed when tisq3
abandoned grain-raising for mill pre-
duction and the manufacture Of btitt
and cheese. Their yield of grain ha3I
fallen of. and they thought chana 4
desirable. They read the accounts XB
the large gains OF some dairy farmonk
aud they resolved to henceforth p1
y Il = "A = = l1
crops. As The business promises to be
very remunerative. they conclude that
they had better engage in it rs soon as
possible. They are in hurry tocom-
mence. They do not take sufficient
time to acquire the requisite intorma-
tion or to make the necessary changes
On their farms. They buy cows
enough to sock place. but display
want of knowledge in their selection
They build cow-stablcs only to find
th&t they are far more costly ald less
suitable TO the wants of the auimais
than they supposed. They seed down
some fields long devoted to raising corn
and small grain for the production Of
hay and pasturagc. They SOW princi-
pally the seed of timothy and red oy-
er. They sink wells and put in pumps
to be run by wind power. The cows,
buildings and the extra work in fitting
up the place cost large sum of mon.
ey. most of which has been borrowed
at q high rate of interest. The borrow
er, how evcr, thinks he shall soon be
able to repay it from the sales of his
milk, or butter and cheese. He hires
some hands principally to do the milk
ing, but partly 10 assist on the farm
and in the house. They are almos un-
acquainted with the care of cows, and
some of them have never MIXED one
lefore. 1t is supposed, however, to be
an easy thing to learn how to milk.
The farmer makes arran gements to
dispose OF his milk, and starts n with
ardent hopes OF success. Matters do
not move on as satisfactorily as was an
ticipated. TIE land recent y seeded to
timothy and red clover produces an
abundance Of feed, but it is not of the
best kind for the production of milk
The stalks and leaves of the plants
grow rank and arc not relished by the
cows. Many of the cows are found to be
very hard to milk. Some of them have
an ugly habit of Kicking over the milk
pail. Some of them give but very little
milk. Few of them arc well-ochaved
cows. Their habits do not improve in
the hands Of awkward and inexpcrienc.
ed mixers. Some of them ''hold up
their milk and others do not furnish
much to ''give down" The Weld is
about half what is reported of several
dairies that have been extensively
wri ten up. The yield. small as it is
during the best season of the year,
rapidly diminisLes leward The latter,
part ii tho simmer. When tho anniial
drought comes on the owner Of lie
cows finds that he has neglected ia
make provision for suitable seed that
the pasture does not supply. He made
no arrangements for partial soilinc
when the grass should begin to fail.
He has no grain 10 feed, and is Obliged
to buy bran and shor or allow the
cows 10 dry up" In either case the
COWS cease TO bc profitable. During
the entire season the complaints abou,
the condition of the milk have been
betn impe:frctly strained and cooled
The time 10: delivering it has varied.
The mix producer almost comes 10 the
conclusion that he shah be obliged to
start a factory OF his own or manufact.
ure it into batter and cheese ut home.
The cost of doing SO, however, and the
money be alreaGF' owes prevent him
from engaging in new enterprise.
His first years experience serves to
convince him that milk production is
very contin:ny and Il together unproh.
table branch cf iusbanary.
The disappointment, the trouble, and
the failure might all have been saved
by taking more time to make the
change from grain and meat to milk
farming. In about three years time
the condition Of the farm might have
been changed mt very small cost 10
meet the requirements of the new
branch OF business. A sod Of good,
fine grass could have been established.
The additional wells needed TO supply
stock water could have been dug when
little labor was required in the fields.
Many of the cows required to form a
dairy herd should have been raised on
the place. Some prom sing heifer
calves could have been bought from
farmers who preferred steers to raise
for beef Being brought up on the
place they would be attached to it and
consequently more docile. by COM
mencing with a smaller number of
cows, mixers would be gradually cdu-
Gated in drawing their milk and taking
suitable care of it. The entire business
of managing milk farm would have
been learned by degrees.
The farm would fmvc continued to be
profitable for the production Of meat
and grain ill it was devoted TO the pro-
duction of milk. Dairy farms general
ly pay much better than grain farms,
and are conducted with less labor.
The knowledge and experience that one
gains in general farming are Of COM
para,ipely little value, however, in con-
ducting Il dairy farm. IL is another
branch OF kusbandrv that must be
learned by itself. Much information
can be derived from books, current
publications, tho reports of dairymcns'
associations and conversation with dali
rv farmers. In many parts OF the
country it is advisable TO introduce
milk production on farms that have tor
several years been devoted to graia
growing. The change, however,
should be made gradually and in ac-
cordancc with well formed plan.
Some OF the mummies in the British
museum have false teeth. Ih's throws
the origin of the railway sandwich
away back into the murky clouds OF
antiquity again.
A poet hath remarked that "All
paths lead to the grave" He undoubt-
edly referred to allopaths and homeo-
paths and hydropaths and the rest Of
the Nj d. paths.
Bacon said that reading makcth
full man." but Bacon appears to be
oblivious OF the fact that many other
things are more often used than read.
e. ~