The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-12

Before the Leon County Farm.
ers Alliance.
THE COW

ida the COW, mans best friend, Las received
recognition from the legislator. AT its
recent session the Legislature of Florida
enacted law, having for its object the
announcement of the live stock industry,
by bringing about more intimate relations
between live stock and their owners
Stock shall not roam at large, says the law.
This takes in the cow We must keep her
at home where we can daily look upon
her and provide for her wants The effect
of this system is, il it pays US, to enclose,
feed and otherwise provide fol- on: cattle
we will continue the business. On the
contrary, if ii proves unremunerailve, 1t
will be abandoned. So now we arc ia a
position to realize whether there is profit
or loss in the cattle industry, viewed from
the dairy standpoint. Thus circumstance,
no guide is safer than the light which
shines from the lamp OF experience, Lei
us enquire what others have done. Let H.
see what the world to day is doing, IN his
industry, that we may have more cnlight-
ened ideas and stronger incentive TO pro-
coed with our venture under the new order
OF things
In considering the cow | propose 10 pre-
sent her now only in a dairy point ct
view.
TWENTY-FIVE years AGO the dairy was re-
garded throughout the South as an ins e
nificant appcndagc of The talm-many 50
regard it to-day The only attention then
given ii was such spare time IS the cOlorcd
cook could bestow between meal times
Whenever the COWS Were ted at all. il was
done in chance time and in an indifferent
manner. The only protection from cold,
rain and storm was mother earth and the
canopy of heaven. Her milk yield halt
gallon day; butter half pound week.
Ii was below the dignity Of the farmer
to offer Tor sale products of such small mo-
ment.
1t was a reproach upon the man who
struggled with might and main to market
bucket OF butter, which the painstakng
wife had made under adverse crcum-
stances This industry, if thus entitled to
name, was OF such small consequence
that it was wholly omitted in the statistics
of the material wealth of the nation. When
the price of cotton went down until its pro-
duction as the principal crop became mani
festly unremuneratve, then the thinking,
enterprising farmer began casting about
for other sources of livelihood connected
with the farm. Those who gave their at
tention to live stock and the dairy in this
main, have greatly prospered an added
millions to the material wealth of the ma.
ton.
Referring to the U. S. statistical report
recently published, | find the total value
of the dairy products, for the preceding
year, was five hundred millions of dollars.
Are you prepared to believe that more
money was made from the dairy than from
the wheat crop? The dairy product of last
year was twenty million dollars more than
the product of the wheat crop, and the
dairy fell but little short of the corn crop,
which was the highest of all farm pro-
ducts.
The dairy now stands second in Amer-
can agricultural industries, and bids fair,
in tie short future, to lead all Others in pro
gfess and material wealth. Why is this
What has made the change? What agency
has advanced this once lOWlv calling to
such grand prOportiOns-and so rapidly?
1t did not just happen so it has not
been simply matter of luck; it is the
work OF intelligence and enterprise. Wills
we have been sleeping, these forces have
ben awake and upon their metal. Men
who once scOrned the dairy have cultivated
an admiration for the COW as a matter of
profit and a source Of pleasure. Scientific
Investigation and research have been and
still are at work in The development of The
dairy problem. Chemistry physiology,
anatomy and all the sciences are contribu-
ting their forces in furlherance of this
work.
The scrub cow OF a quarter of century
ago has been replaced by such cows AS
Pietertje IL, giving 10 gallons Of milk in
one day, and Princess II, yielding 46
pounds Of butter in one week. These
forces have further developed the fact, tina,
instead of relying on lh' native American
COW as a dairy factor, yielding one pound
of butter only from thirty pounds of milk,
that by the Introduction OF a better tlair,
breed, one pound of butter has been mad
from three and IA halt pounds of milk, a
was demonstrated in public test with the
famous jersey COW Landseers Fancv.'
Yet this industry is in It's infancy The
four million farmers Of this county ngaged
in agricultural pursuits are just waking up
TO tull realiz zion OF The importance o.
the dairy.
You ask how can we expect to succet 4
with inferior native stock The answer is
by breeding and t, eding. Tue inundat,oa
OF ali success in The dairy is found in a
proper know ledge OF The true melh01s OF
breeding and feeding Of animals. Thc,c
two principles 90 together, ale inscparablc,
and must be thoroughly studied and mas
tered, else the venture Will prove a disap-
poinmcnt. An animal intended for dairy
purposes, not highly bred, will prove IA
failure, however abundant lis food may be-
The law of nature that " like beges like "
is a stubborn one. The native American
blood is coarse, but highly susceptible Of
improvement by the infusion of the supe-
rior blood, and quite as susceptible to dete-
rioration when The constant Introduction Of;
better blood is neglected. The native
blood predominates wherever ii exists.
The bull is half The herd. His offspring,
at most, inherit half OF his qualities, the
other half comes from The dam. Where a
thoroughbred bull is used, on a herd of
native cows, the offspring is half breeds
Where half breed bull is nsed, the get is