The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-24
DAIRYING ON THE FRENCH
BROAD.

Located under the butting brow OF
old Dunn Rock is a farm consisting
of over 100 acres of rich river bot
tom land and more. of hillside and
mountain forest. This has been the
site of a. distillery for many years IN
til recently. Now this farm has
been turned to a better S than
growing grain to be distilled: Mr..
Henry P. Clarke, of Columbia, S. c.,
nurchased the Dunn Rock farm and
has re-christened it the Rock Brook
Stock and Dairy Farm. It was MIR
Clark'S intention to come to this
farm to spend the summers but his
family found the place 50 full OF
comfort that he abandoned going
back to the city and stays on the
farm the year round. Here is the
home of that branch of the Short
horn, or Durham family known as
the ssmilking strain" and "milk and
beef" and ''plenty of both" is the
motto.
Here may be found some grand
mixers and some COWS which carry
a wealth of flesh pointing toward a
cornfed existence in the past while
stately Kirkwood Clay, by Roam
Clay, by Dairyman, and out of Kitty
Clay 3rd, one of the pair of full sis
tiers of that name which won dis
tinguished honor in the Columbian
Dairy tests stands at the head Of the
herd. Already Mr.. Clark stock has
attracted attention enough to insure
quick sale of more than his surplus
stock. It is a matter of some regret
to those who would like to see this
rich valley stocked with fine cattle,
and the PidmOnt section filling with
the same. that some of the fine young
bulls are not purchased by North
Carolina farmers. The writer's atten-
tiOnwas called to the fact that every
thing thus far sold has gone away
from the State which proves only
that some other than North Carolina
farmers are appreciative of what can
be purchased at Rock Brook Farm.
The Dairy department is putting out
"a product which ranks with the best
Western Creameries and brings two
cents above the Elgin price for the
best butter on the local market.
Sale for ten times the product Of the
farm at its present rating is assured
near home. This has led to to a
movement to establish some CO-Opera-
tive skimming stations along the line
of the Pennsylvania Railroad, to
have the cream shipped to Breyard,
Brook Farm dairy at a given price
per pound and while thus increas-
ing the trade, give farmers in the
vicinity of this road the benefit of
the trade and high quality of butter
for which this dairy has justly be-
come known. At present writing 1t
is probable that skimming stations
will be started at two or three points.
These are located, one below, and
two above Brevard, n on the eX-
tension of the Railroad now in course
of construction and the other near
enough to take the cream directly to
the Rock Brook Dairy by wagon.
With these skimming stations in
operation there must naturally arise
a new ~interest,in COWS and the dairy
qualities in cattle which this steer
feeding community of farmers has
not before recognized. A few COWS
have been tolerated for u little milk,
and because about half their progeny
can become steers to feed. OF course
the facts in the economic production
of food have been over looked, Or
looked for not at all. A recent writer
in Breeders Gazette IF. B. Linfield,
date April 4th, 1900 says: THE
COW is of the most valuable of
the farm animals rs an economic
producer of food from the coarse and
cheap fodder of the farm. The fol
lowing illustrates this point: One
pound of dry matter in milk is pro
duced from eight pounds of dry mat
ter in food; in beef, from twenty
seven pounds in mutton, from TWEEN
ty-one pounds; and in pork, from
seven pounds" Mr.. L. explains that
the comparison is only fair between
Illuminating ANIMALS and that the pig
is usually fed "almost wholly on
concentrated foods as the various