Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-10-04
IMPROVEMENT OF the DAIRY.

iMFNOVGWeNt VI tHe UAnN.
During the past fifteen or twenty
years. while theologians have been dis
cussing the subject Of evolution, the
farmer has proved the theory in the de-
velopment Of the COW. The change that
has been made among the herds Of the
country has been enormous. Not more
than 3 decade ago, we very seldom met
q farmer who knew anything about the
pedigree Of his cows, and most Of them
could scarcely guess at what they would
produce during the year. At the pres
ent time Ii Ia no uncommon thing to find
herd OF thoroughbred and high grade
cows to each Of which the farmer has at
tached very appropriate name and can
talk by the hour Of the remarkable ac-
complishments Of each one Of the herd
and long list Of ancestors before them.
How different Is the high toned Great
ure OF to-day from the old Brindle Of
fifteen years ago, whose ancestry was
unknown and her performance uncertain.
A large msjority Of the farmers In all the
states are yet keeping herds which do
not pay their board, but the change for
the better is, all things considered, very
satisfactory. No one can 90 among the
farmers OF this state without realizing
that great interest In Improvement Is
prevalent almost everywhere.
Farmers are rapidly learning that the
cow Is simply machine, the correct
working OF which largely affects his
income, and he begins 10 realize that IL
is just as impossible to obtain satisfac-
tory results with poor machinery In his
tie-up as IL Is by using the machinery Of
his fathers upon the field. All recOg-
nize the fact that the difference between
the spring tooth harrow and the spike
tooth drag is the difference between sue
cess and failure Ia these times OF sharp
competition. Our improved machinery
enables US TO produce the crops OF the
field with half the cost of labor Of few
decades ago, but the improvement Is no
greater In any other branch OF sRri-
culture than may be noticed upon the
dairy farm.
The Babcock Test has wrought great
change in dairying since IL enables the
farmer 10 understand the individual
product OF his herd with little trouble
and less cost. And, knowing the value
Of each COW, he gives much more
thought To Improvement, and men are
selling cream To the c-eameries OF the
state from cows whose milk tests more
than per cent.
Such COW need not give very large
mess of milk 10 produce from two TO
three pounds OF butter per day or from
four TO five hundred pounds per year.
but the difference between this result
and that of the cows which make from
$50 to 200 pounds Of butter per year, Is
very great. This spirit Of improvement
has BY no means. taken ss deep hold
of most farmers as IL should. The sub
ject should be constantly agitated among
the people until all are brought to un-
derstand the difference between the
present and the possible results Of the
dairy. IL cannot be accomplished In a
month or year, though the change for
the better Is working with unusual
rspidity. Ii always takes u good deal
OF time to accomplish much in any line
of Improvement, otherwise the inhsb-
itants Of this mundane sphere would be
far better than they are to-dsy.-Maine
Farmer.