The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-29

as upon its development depends an Inn |
portant feature OF agricultural interest to
TINS State. My reference is not to the chy
ualryman selling sweet mix, but 10 the
dairy work on the farm. There is no ques-
Won but that we have In 1'axas the best
dairy State in the Union. Our pastures
are more abundant. heavy crops OF forage
pants are more easily raised Taking
sorghum hay and cotton seed as q basis fer
other conditions. there can not be found
a more economical ration for the dairy
COW. Our climate is more open, ohviating
the heavy expense OF close barns and pro-
ionged housing in colder climates. We
aVold the ietid atmospheres attending such |
barns, which entails heavy loss by way
OF frequent abortions and tuberculosis. our
cows are daily in the open air, tuberculosis
Is almost unknown among them They are |
cleanly and healthy, being In the barn
only long enough to be MIXED and fed.
we nave good market for every good |
pound OF butter that can be made In our |
state. When We reach n surplus, which so |
many are afraid of, We can ship 1t North. |
IN witness OF this latter fact, fully three |
Iourths OF the butter I, y consumed in this |
state is shipped in here from the North. |
II they can make it profitable by selling |
butter which cost them 6isGSc per pound
we should certainly make II pay us when
we can make II for much less than they
| can We unquestionably have the market
right at our door, and it is being supplied
uy people living hundreds of miles away.
| TWO houses alone In the city of Waco sell
sVeV pounds OF oleomargerine each month
IN the year, and doubtless there are houses
IN both Houston and Galveston which
handle more. This is sold and swallowed
as western creamery" and there is no
law In our State which prevents IT,
IN Iowa no oloomargerine nor butterlne
can be put upon the market unless colored
/ n 4
taste nor the smell in the least, but it
publicly brands II as it should be, ana
| practically shuts It out of competition with
| the genuine article. This change IN coior
might come a little awkward at first TO
our $3.50 and So hotels, but doubtless In
lime they could adapt themselves to the
awful fact.
If once the farm dairy is begun, II is
mere to stay; the most prosperous are the
| dairy sections Of any agricultural country
Have you ever figured on the profit in a
| COW, say one that viii give two gallons OF
good milk for ten months in the year?
such one should make 800 pounds OF
butter year, which at 20 cents per pound
Is S0U ut cents Si5 at even 10 cents is
$50, and the skinned milk should raise
Inc calf and some pigs besides. Then there
Is the manure, which. il properly saved
ana applied, will go a long ways towards
paying Tor the feed consumed
All inns is now being practically thrown
away. lust as the cotton seed was in former
DAYS. know OF many farmers who milk
| from SIX to fifteen COWS and sell no butter
actually throwing away more than they
can possibly make on the best black land
farm III the country at the present price of
COTTON Inc dairy could be attended TO in
The cool of the morning and evening and
yet their wives and children are working
in the fields through the heat of long days
| t1 fan 1
pick it, and possibly get cents a pound
for it. They say there Is no market for
their butter. as if the only place on earth
was the town of 1000 inhabitants at which
they trade and whose said 1000 inhabitants
own 1000 cows tmore or less) which pa
rade the streets by day, depredate upon
their owners yards and gardens by night
and the farmers wagons on Saturday OF
, those that do bring in butter, some of II is
good. some bad, and some terrible. 1t all
goes into the big dishpau on the counter
!, together, where it Is exposed to the dust
and flies as long as the proprietor and
clerks can remain in the same house with
it, Then it Is dumped In a tub and shipped
to the city, where 1t is sold for cooking
, purposes at or 8 cents per pound. or for
= soap stock at less price and when Sister
> Jones or Frau Giseneslaw comes in with
a really good butter. he allows her in trade
, according to the price he obtained for the
1, rotten stuff he has just shipped. This has
been persistenty the rule OF our han.
ding country butter that one might as wei
i shake red rag at a mad bull as to men
ton first class country butter to fame!
grocer catering TO the best trade or
hotel which does not use Western Cream
Q cry" And yet | know many farms wher'
there is made as good or better butter thai
1 comes into this State from anywhere, per
t fectly pure and clearly, of good grain
d color and flavor; where the cows run oil
4 good pasture and water. and are MIXED ii
clean lots. This butter can be delivered II
S Houston or Galveston nicely packed /
!. ten or twenty pound butter pals, within
t twenty four hours after churning. Tho
;. would be glad to do so II tnry could &c
Ie 90 cents net. guaranteeing quality and reg
z ularity. Many of them are employing
. dairy apparatus of recent introduction b,
d which they can raise and ripen their cream
= in all conditions OF weather and atmos
n phere, and churn the pure butter fat, FIRE
from sour milk and curds. They are pre-
g pared to pack their butter on the farm AM
: ship direct TO the customer by express
: was recently in the town of La Grange
i which lies in the heart Of one of the fines
II dairy sections in this or any other state
IS naturally 1t is surrounded by a thrift
e class Of German farmers, principally, VIII
have preserved their pastures and own mic
d lots OF high grade cattle. This town coul
c shin 5000 pounds of butter a day and We
y 1t does not ship five pounds on an average
e This is only one instance. There ar
others /" It could easily be made TO amour
< to more than the cotton crop, and yet tn
X employment of the farm dairy would no
H. interfere with the cotton or any other croT
N unless to make 1t better by increased fer
" tilitv OF the soil.
&c Some of my figures may appear over
ne drawn and may awake some criticism.
l. am ready for 1t. Ny own practical expert
ence and statistics from dairy sections wi
hear me out II will not cost much eithe
in time or trouble for any farmer to les
this matter. and II he will attend the con
vcntion at College station on July - he WI
certainly learn something of great adyan
tage at small expense to him. Very re
snsctfully l. II. Porter.