The morning news., 1889-01-21

u n
-, -..r,e of the writer should accompany
tha 1e++er or article, not necessarily lor pun
,.,a-ton but as an evidence OF gooo Ia4tn'
0airv Farming in Georgia.
,s,rorincr the question, "What advance
-, made in dairy farming in Geor-
l'-7 -, Mrs B. W. Hunt says in Hoard's
ga E...aaon. TIE county 1 reside in is
..,,rsnhicallv the center of the state of
sarrgjs and lies in that "black belt" $50
sara5 because the negroes far out number
49,, ,rbitesl. devoted exclusively to cotton
.-l+,,-a extending from Virginia to Texas.
Tha soil originally fertile has been much ex-
bo1sted by the ruinous system of farming
Ii,,C,-,-r os ''clean culture" So deadly and
-,a,.sistent a fight having been waged for
raars against the two enemies OF the cotton
y,sn+ grass and shade, that our once rich
ffIa,+atons have long been in danger OF be-
r., +ransformed into arid deserts.
Ten years ago my husband purchased
Nth and brought here small herd of
Torsavs and we began selling the butter
o,,d increase from the herd, under the diff
o,Ities of acclimating the animals and con-
trailing the thermometer in this semi
tropjcal region. From our little expert
roan+ however, such results have followed
that must impress the most confirmed and
bordaned disbeliever in that "specialized''
animal. the butter COW! Let it be borne in
mind that at the time, 1876, we brought our
Jerseys to the county, the small amount of
brtter made here was principally consumed
IN +he farms where the animals were
raised only an insignificant portion finding
i4s way TO market The native southern
cow was wretched creature, poorly fed
aud cared for, and managed and milked by
ignorant negroes, who starved and beat her
without mercy, her unhappy offspring also
coming in for its share of abuse. No calf
was raised on the basket or pail. The
negro allowed it to suck to start the flow of
milk and then drove it from its mother
with blows, and this sucking and beating
continued during the whole process of
milking varied by occasional whacks on
the COW wnen she did not give down her
milk This mode of treatment, coupled
with insufficient food and exposure to in
clement weather, did not produce breed of
cows calculated to make dairying a safe or
profitable business in the southern states.
The result was, taking my section as typi-
cal. the south drew large butter supplies
from the north, it being generally conceded
that this commodity must be always i'm
ported here, as neither grass for the making
nor ice for the saving were indigenous to
"dng cotton"
\ wonderful revolution, however, has
taken place in ten years, in ideas and
methods agricultural in my section; and
while it is due in part to the general break
ing up throughout the south of princely
plantations into small farms, and the turn
ing of attention to diversified industry. the
introduction here of the Jersey COW" has
been the greatest factor In producing the
result. Once acclimated she has thriven on
the tropical grasses through the long sum-
mers Of this latitude as though to the manor
born, and by that subtle alchemy known
only to her kind, she has transmitted the
gold of southern sunshine through her but
ter into the farmers pocketbook.
My county, that so short a time ago i'm
ported its butter, now manufactures all its
home supplies, and exports largely.
l quote from the books of the express
company here From April l, 1886, tC
March 81, 1887, exported $4,000 pounds
from Oct l, 1887, to Sept. 80, 1888, exported
$4,000 pounds. An increase of so per cent. in
one year, and the demand has fully kept up
with the increased supply l reiterate the
statement the introduction of that little
butter machine the Jersey cow, has &C
complished these results in a few years un-
der untold disadvantage
Every dairy in the county that is making
money, has now its herd Of Jerseys, pure
or graded, and the breed once tried has
never been abandoned for any other. The
Sl1rthorn, Devon, Ayrshire and Brahmen
nave all been successively, if not success
lluy, employed; but it was left for the
little Jersey" to put dairying on a paying
basis in the south.
remembering that our county ships more
outter than any other in the state, these
IacJs pay eloquent tribute to the profitable
ness OF this breed. With the introduction
oi these valuable butter cows has come
naturally an appreciation of fine pastures,
ana OF all grasses that are Indigenous to the
clilate' Or are capable of cultivation here
anu WIN grass has come shade, moisture,
tssV and fertility to tie worn out cotton
aeias The hitherto worthless Bermuda
ANUS are proving a source of greater rev.
'tue 10 the planter than all his proud acres
VI nescy staple, "and plantations run over
"i'n 'nS pest" %, that were once offered,
I-,, u ,la' account, lower than others, are now
neid at higher prices.