Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-12-21

Also please state which are the best
cows for milk production, and how
much good ones will cost per head.
Also please state how many gallons
day q good cow will give during the
year, if properly fed and cared for.
/ z. Wind.
From western New York to north
ern Iowa is far cry, and the pro-
FOUNDER of the above questions is To-
Gated at the third point of this hypo-
thetical geographical triangle when
his queries has outlined to the writer's
view. And replies can only be approx
innate and not in any sense specihc' LOT
the reason that he has had practical
experience in Iowa alone. Now, as 10
whether it will pay for the New lork
farmer to produce milk and sell IL at
ten cents per gallon will depend more
upon the farmer and his methods than
on the money value of the land wnere
his operations are conducted. lie mas
the land, and it must be utilized, ana
II he cultivates 1t in business-like
manner it may be assumed that milk
can be produced and sold at ten cents
per gallon. In order to do this there
must be strict economy and close
watchfulness over all the details con-
nected with the work. The 1000 re-
CURED should be grown, so far as pos
sible. on the farm. Intensive, and not
extensive, farming, as we see followed
in many places, must be followed. III
the past, when Iowa lands had value
Of, say, twenty dollars per acre, IL
was good policy to make land take the
place of labor-gathering crops from
extended areas which by more carefui
cultivation could be secured from
much less land. But with land values
at about fifty dollars per acre, as II
now is, a different system ought 70
prevail. Yet 1t is matter or regret
that improved cultivation OF the SOIL
has not kept pace with the increase IN
price Of land. And in making his nrst
trip eastward few years ago the writ
er was astonished to see that In west
ern New York it was not uncommon
to see the manure from COW stables
thrown out Of windows and left ex-
posed to sun, wind and rain. The low
priced surplus corn, oats. mill by
products, etc., go eastward to FEED 1--we
stock in those regions. and unless the
excrement from animals consuming
the same is saved and applied to the
land, not only will the principal profit
expected from it's purchase be lost,
but the land from which the main sup
ply of food is taken for use OF such an
finals will be steadily Impoverished
and depleted. And this is as true OF
the rich lands of the Mississippi val
ley as of Genesee or Mo, yk valleys
of New York state. An acre of good
land. either in New York, Iowa, or
Missouri, planted to corn, in such
manner as to get the best results, will
produce all the food Of this class as
an average COW requires in years
time. And in New York peas can be
successfully raised to supply the nitro
genous food needed to balance corn as
a ration for cows giving milk. The
best cows for milk production are such
as will give the largest yield of stan
dard milk or milk Of richness required
by law. And cows of this class are
found in nearly all breeds. They are
also found in astonishing numbers in
that much despised race characterized
as common, or scrub cows. From the
milk sellers standpoint choice may be
had among cows having Shorthorn,
Holstein, or Red Poll blood in their
makeup. A COW that will give 5000
pounds Of milk during the year may
be called a good cow. Yet there are
those that yield considerably more
than this quantity, and should be
priced accordingly.