Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-06-02
SPECIAL DAIRY COWS.
They Are an Absolute Necessity for
the Economical and Steady Pro-
ductton of Prime Butter.

We must all recognize the fact that
the cow is the foundation for the dairy
She is the machine with which the dali
ryman does his work. The machine by
which he produces milk and butter.
She takes the raw materials-the- hay,
corn, oats, bran, ETC., and converts them
into the finished product. OF course
she is more than a mere machine as she
reproduces her kind as we'll as sus-
sustains her life. But aside from these
functions, her value is confined to her
power to manufacture milk. This be-
ing the case, the dairyman in selecting
a cow is concerned in the selection of an
animal which is most efficient in this
productive power. The manufacturer
in selecting machinery for his factory
chooses that best adapted for the in
tended work. Economy and efficiency
are the qualities desired, that machine
which will produce the most and best
work with the least waste of fuel and
energy. The farmer or dairyman is as
truly a manufacturer as the man MAX
ing cloth, tools or clothing. His farm
is his factory and his cows his ma
chinery by which he works the raw ma
terial of his farm into milk, butter. or
cheese. The same principles governing
the selection of machinery in the fac
tory, should govern the selection of his
| COWS. He wants, for the economical
production of milk, the COW that will
produce the greater proft-the cow
| that will produce the most and best
| milk at the least cost. In other words,
the COW especially adapted to the pro-
duction of butter-the special purpose
| fal Of
pose cow is giving way before the de-
| mands of more scientific methods of
| farming, although she still has earnest
adherents. Not but they admit that the
! special beef animal will produce more
| and cheaper beef, and the special dairy
COW will produce butter at a less cost
than the general purpose COW, the claim
being that there is greater profits from
combining the two. We suppose the
adhercnts to this idea would advocate
the use of the old-fashioned combined
reaper and mower for grain and grass
Ihe reaper with the rake OF droppel
would not be as efficient in the grain
1leld as the improved self-binders, nor
the mower as economical in time and
horse power as the balI-bearing mower
OF present date; nevertheless one ma
ShiHC COuiO De uSo0 fOF both PURPOSES
Any up-to-date farmer would scott at
the idea of such machine on his farm,
yet the same man will cling to the no.
ton that the double purpose cow is the
most profitable. And why? Simply be-
cause in the one case the advantage of
the special machine is easily apparent.
while in the other case he has not taken
the trouble to know, through investiga.
ton, the value Of one cow over another
But the successful dairyman of the flu.
ture is going to be driven to more in
innate knowledge of his cows. He will
be compelled to exercise the most care
full judgment in selecting a COW that
Will produce butter at the greatest net
profit. Loose and Indifferent methods
in all departments of farming must be
suppianted by the intelligent applica-
ton of the most approved tools and
methods. Dairying is no exception.
The dairyman of the future must of
necessity, we predict, manufacture his
butter with special dairy cow.-G. w
Rulings, in Prairie Farmer.