Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-31
Prof. Hacker Answers Mr.. Daggett,

Prof. Hacker Answers Mr.. Daggett.
My attention has been called to a let
ter written by H. B. Daggett, of Lake
/ Mills Wis, making certain criticisms
Of my work at the Minnesota Expert
ment station, taking for his text ex-
tracts from an article published in
/ Farm. Stock and Home, and copied by
Hoard's Dairyman, with favorable ed
ltorlal comment As q rule I am not
averse to having my work critically re-
viewed when it is done fairly, intelli-
gently and in friendly spirit. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the critic had not
read my bulletin and based his criti-
clsms upon an article | did not write.
1t was an editorial and was by mistake
placed in the dairy department of
which have charge. The compliment
tary manner in which the article in
tai N, Stock and Home refers to bull
letin 81 should have been sufficient ev-
ldence that it did not come from my
pen.
Mr., Daggett is very unfortunate in
his illustration. He takes for example
two cOws--a Holstein and jersey
and makes comparisons. But he fails.
to state that the Jersey is credited with
only part Of her period of lactation-
She dropped her calf in another state
and later made a long journey to Min
nesota, and the 313 pounds of butter
was what she made from the tim she
arrived at the Minnesota Expert
ment station until she went
dry He credits her with 4,775
pounds of milk, when her yield
during the time stated was 1864
The Holstein yielded II 726 pounds and
+! Mr.. Oaggett credits her with 12,776
pounds. If he wished to make COM
parison between two COWS of different
breeds, why select the record of the
only Jersey in the lot whose condition
was not common to the other members
OF the herd? Why did he not make
comparison with Fortune, that yielded
450 pounds of butter or Houston, that
yielded 512 pounds? Why did he take
! Topsy as the representative Holstein,
when her dam was short horn
Why did he not take for illustration,
the registered Hoistein, The Countess.
with her record of 2S6 pounds of but
ter in a year, or the Holstein, Onidee.
with her yearly record of 279.5 pounds
of butter? Did he fear that it would tell
too much truthP And by not doing it
Mr.. Daggett's letter is 'sleft in such
shape as to be actually misleo ding to
/ the average reader"
/ He also assumes that the COWS were
not credited with the skim milk, while
! the fact is. they We're credited at the
rate of 10 cents per hundred pounds,
after deducting one eighth for cream.
! They were also credited Is cents pei.
pound for butter, which is a fair
price creamery patrons received net
for their butter. But allowing 20
/ cents per pound for butter and taking
! he first record we have of full period
of lactatlon of the Jersey COW referred
to by Mr.. Daggett, we have the fol-
lowing:
| JERSEY cow
493 8 lbs. butter at 20c..... $50. .... S9S rs
1925 lbs skim milk at 15c per 1OO 10 So
s1oe a
Net profit. 90
|
$50 lbs. butter at 20c. .$1O4lO
O621 lbs skim milk. ....... Is 80
S119 49
Less cost of feed..... ..... 81 Sc
| Net profit .,........S ST e3
| have made no account of calves,
because we did not sell them, as both
! were heifers; they are the kind we
! keep. However. we had no difficulty in
! disposing of the one the Jersey dro D.
ped the year before at $50 when a
mere calf. get as much for the Jer-
sey calves as | do for the HOlsteins.
The fact that | have devoted eight
years to investigation in milk produc
tiOn and that the work is still being
prosecuted on large scale, is ample
evidence that am at least making an
effort to carry the work far enough to
arrive at some definite facts. And
when | consider that applications have
been received for over IL 900 copies of
the bulletin, besides the IA, 900 sent out
to our regular subscribers, | can af-
ford to pass without comment the fur
ther stat ement of my ungenerous crit
ic that ''results are left in such shape
as to be misleading to the average read
er." | have issued only two bulletins
since | ha 1e been in Minnesota. 1t
has been my aim to wait until | could
give some definite and useful facts; to
put them in such plain and simpe
form that all could understand, and
| not to thrust upon the public. at gov
errment expense. mere assertions and
opinions. This is, as [ understand,
the promise of an investig ator.
T. L. HACKER.
Minnesota Experiment Station,
9 a - e ~ H. L. A-.
Bears the ~ The Kind You Have Always Poughs