The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-03
BUTTER TALK.
Thomas Parker Feeds Cows on
Buffalo Grass.
Says the Cream Produced is
Most Satisfactory.
EXPERIMENT STATION
Plans to Use a Whole Township
For That Purpose.
Has the Promise of Some Ma
tiOnal Assistance.
EXPERIMENT STATION

Thomas Parker of Hutchinson is one
Of the kings of buttermakers in Kan
sas. He has spent his life in develop
ing and building up the dairy interests
OF this state.
Sitting in comfortable chair in the
Throop lobby today Mr.. Parker told
his opinions Of the natural advantages
offered the dairy business in western
Kansas.
Il have had many years experience
with dairy Cattle he said. land have
used all kinds of feed, but have found
none which imparts so much body to
butter as the buffalo grass which is the
original and native product of that soil.
There are thousands of acres of this
grass IN the western part of the state
and that is the reason why I am eStab-
fishing my business farther towards the
western line of the state I live west
of the section Of the territory which is
devoted to the dairy business, yet be-
lieve that I have secured some of the
best opportunities in the state.
II think the dairy business is the best
adapted to that section of the state"
Mr.. Parker has 35 Skimming stations
or milk stations in western Kansas, the
products of which are shipped to
Hutchinson and made into butter at the
Parker. creameries.
Some people have smiled with incre-
dulity at me when I have said" con-
tinued Mr.. Parker, that I have just
established a skimming station at La
kin. Such a thing in that western end
of the state has not been before at
tempted but I have the products of LOCO
cows which / will forward to Hutchin-
son and the milk product can not be
duplicated anywhere in the state. A
fine growth of buffalo grass abounds in
that county and the butter which is
made from the milk furnished the new
station is first-class.
The stations which I maintain in
other western counties are also doing
we'll The possibilities of the dairy
business in that part of the state have
to my mind, been overlooked but I be-
lieVe the development of the next few
years will recompense the losses of the
past years"
Mr. Parker is the man who, as pre-
viously told in the State Journal seeks
state aid or county aid, in the estab
lishment of a monster dairy experiment
station in the western part of the state
somewhere in territory adjacent to one
at least of the main lines of railroad
operating there
He wants to get a township of land
all of which is 10 be adapted to the de-
mands of the experiment station Dis
cussing this proposition Mr.. Parker
said:
Much land in the western part of the
state and in some of the best counties
has been sold under tax titles. Some OF
it is now offered for sale in the same
way. I have received propositions from
counties which offer the land to me for
the purpose of establishing a dairy eX-
pertinent station.
THE national government has also
offered to aid me in this enterprise,
which is of course at this time only in
the formative stage. What will be done
I can not accurately predict but hope
to carry out the plan within few
years.
My idea of the matter is not equip
ped with utter impossibilities and ex
periments but to me is simple and as
sures success. The first and most i'm
portant thing is the establishment of
the station and stocking it. With the
dairy stock on hand then comes the
proposition of finding feed.
The first is already partially solved.
The head of the national government
experiment station has offered to fur
niSh me free of charge a carload of
male calves which are the result of long
experiments in breeding cattle best
adapted to dairy purposes. These cat
tie viii be shipped to me Immediately
upon my announcement of readiness to
accept them.
THE next, water and feed are not so
difficult as people unfamiliar with the
western part of the state imagine. 1
have experimental in a number of the
coEnties and find that by boring wells
200 feet deep we find artesian water
which in many instances flows over the
top of the ground. In other wells it
comes to within two leet of the top of
the ground.
MY plan is to sink a well on every