The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-06-12
Live Stock.
PROF, sOULE REPLIES TO TAR HEEL
FARMER.

est to Stock Growers.
correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
In your issue of May 22nd, of
which you kindly forwarded me a
copy, a "Tar Heel farmer takes me
to task about a recent press bulletin
issued from this Station. Iappre-
ciate that the criticism was made in
no "captious'' spirit, but for fearmy
position may be misunderstood, 1
beg to present the following state
ment:
l. I did not intend to intimate that
there were no fine cattle in Tennes-
see. Every person knows that some
of the finest Jersey cattle produced
in the world come from Tennessee,
but as compared with the number of
cattle in the State, the number of
world heaters" is very small.
?. The fact thas so many dairy
cattle have been shipped from Ten
nessee has naturally resulted in the
poorer COWS being left at home.
From actual experience in purchas-
ing dairy COWS for u herd at the
Experiment Station, he have found
it almost impossible to secure a COW
giving as much as 5000 pounds of
milk "a year, even at a good price.
While a good many COWS producing
1900 to 5000 pounds Of milk a year
could be found, they are below our
standard, and they are below the
standard of any dairyman who hopes
to make d reasonable profit in the
business.
With regard to our need of i'm
proved stock, 1 referred especially to
beef cattle. The fact is the Jerseys
have had such a run in Tennessee
that they have been SO largely
crossed on the old ShOrthorn fOunda-
ton stocks that the quality of beef
has deprecated in recent years. As
beef making in the nature of things
must be one of the great industries
of East Tennessee in the near future,
it is necessary that we have early
maturing cattle, that we have cattle
that yield the highest per cent. of
dressed meat to live weight, that we
have cattle that will make the best
use of the food fed, etc. In order
to do this it is necessary to cross up
or grade up u native stocks, with
the best possible beef sires obtain
able.
1t was in this sense that / stated
we were handicapped for the need of
improved stock and the facts will
amply justify my statement. In at
tempting to purchase cattle for a
b~eef-feeding experiment last fall,
we found it very difficult to find cat
tie of even moderate quality for this
purpose. For dairy production our
standard can be greatly improved
and must be improved if we hope to
keep in the race with Northern pro-
ducers. I admire all the good quail
ties of the Jersey cow, but for beef
production she is not in the same
class with the essentially beef herds.
3. With regard to the balanced
ration question. It has been demon
strated so clearly by the experiment
stations time and again that some
rations r better than others and
that a balanced ration has its value
as well as its limitations, that 1 will
not discuss that question here.
4. Your correspondent evidently
thinks I am off On a balanced ration
for a dairy COW. I will state that
we fed the ration as published in
our press bulletin with great success
to our dairy herd the past winter.
All cows may not eat this ration and
all COWS + not expected to. A
ration is nothing more than zee