The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-30
FACTS ABOUT DAIRY FARMING.
Address of Mr.. Benninger, of Pennsyiva-
MIA, Before the A. & M College
Students Recently--Agri-
cultural Depression.

1 have before me to day it is necessary
for me to give some explanations; first,
because am not a professional orator
and, second, because am not grad
uate of any school, but what lutte l
am going to say to you is from actual
experience.
1t is true I have given Agricultural
Economy considerable thought for the
last number of years. cave spoken
at a great many grange meetings,
Farmers Institutes, ETC., and have
given more thought to the depressed
condition of agriculture than any other
subject, and am firmly convinced that
the paramount cause of the Depressed
| Condition of Agriculture" is due to
| ignorance, and am further convinced
that if every farmer and farm laborer
was the fortunate pc Cssess)r of college
diploma, I do not care of what profes
sion or school, that the state of affairs
would be entirely different. l am,
therefore, pleased to say that the peo-
pie of North Carolina, have taken a
grand and noble step in establishing
this college to educate the farmers
SONS, and want to say to my young
friends that there is a bright and prom
isng future for the young and intelli-
gent farmer, for we will surely turn
the tide, and hope and pray that you
will all stick to the farm after you have
finished your course.
When 1 say that the great cause of
the depressed condition of agriculture
is ignorance, mean to say that while
the farmers, agricultural class and
laboring people were faithfully per
forming their duties in the field, the
educated, sharp and shrewd capi
talists, such as first national
bankers. appropriations and monopo
lists in general, have, through class
| legislation, obtained favors in their
interests and against the masses and
working clssses. One more thought,
after which will confine my remarks
| TO the dairy interests, and that is that
the American people must first learn
the question of money, or they perish.
However, while agriculture is in this
lamentable condition, and while farm
ing looks blue to some farmers, want
TO say that farming can still be made
remunerative in s Ome branches. Now,
| living near the coal mines, find that
when the owners have an overpro-
duction they shut down their work
to half time, and some seasons Of the
year shut down entirely, and it works
to great advantage to the operators,
and believe it would pay the farmer
to shut down on raising wheat, cotton,
etc., when they find it don't pay, and
turn to branches of farming that are
more remunerative.
am almost ashamed to say that my
crop of wheat did not pay me for
harvesting, threshing and marketing,
/ and I am sure that there were thou
sands of acres of cotton that did not
pay for the picking and marketing. I
am convinced by actual experience
that the best branch for the people of
the South, more so than of the West
or any other section, is dairying in all
it's branches, for that has been the
only branch of farming that has been
profitable all over the country, and I
am glad to say that the profits are on
the increase and not on the decline; !;
but let me say to you here that dairy
ing requires more practical knowledge
and closer care and attention to bust
ness than any other line of farming.
In order to make dairying profitable
you must first have the right kind of a
COW, and it is most important that the
dairyman should know how to select
good dairy herd. The first considera
tion should be the breeding. You should
first select animals that are out of
ancestors that have been good perform
ers, more SO of the sire's side tben of
the dam. Not only select t+~SS@SS @SSooosssSS = . ssS
a good COW, but also from a good line
OF blood on both Sides
A good COW must be decidedly femi.
nine In appearance; long from the eyes
to base of the horns; her eyes should
be large and mild meek should be nearly
free from dewlap, of good length, mod
erately thin; shoulders should be even
over tops, lower than higs, moderately
thick. deep and broad the chest should
be low, deep and broad; barrel should
be very round with large abdomen /;
line and higs broad, full long and level; j;
rump high, broad and level; TANKS
fairly deep and full; legs should be
short, clean, tapering with strong arm +;
Dosition firm and wide apart; tail