The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-08-02
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.

80
'Homelands," the residence of Mr.. w.
Beatty Harlan, near Churchville, on
Saturday afternoon. The active men,
bers present were: John Moores, president,
Frank H. Jacobs, secretary, Frederick
Lochary, ]. Lawrence Mccormick, Will
liam W. Finney, John D. Worthington,
William Silver of John. Henry B. Bruins,
John B. Wysong, William F. Hays, K.
Harris Archer and G. G. STREET.; the
invited guests being Rev. E. A. Colburn,
Charles w. Michael, Price Hopes, W. S.
Amoss, E. S. Maxwell, William H. Har-
Ian, Judge Henry D. Harlan and DR.. Her
bert Harlan. "Homelands" contains
about 600 acres, $50 of which are in
cultivation. The property originally in
cluded the adjoining farms of Judge Har-
Ian containing 1855 acres and DR.. Har-
lan's $50 acres, making in all over 1000
acres. The home farm is tenanted by
Shade Johnson, who keeps about 10
dairy cows and twenty cattle.
Messrs. Mccormick, Wysong and
Bruins were appointed committee on
inspection. They made a favorable re-
port. Mr.. Harlan has greatly improved
the entrance to the house from the public
road by putting up granite gate posts
with neat iron fence running on either
side; and covering the road with coarse
gravel. The lawn is large and well kept
and he has fine garden with plenty of
vegetables. The thoroughbred Berkshire
hogs attracted particular attention.
The cows belonging to the tenant look
we'll and showed goodjudgment and their
selection. The stock cattle will soon be
ready for the butcher. The view from
Mr. Harlan's house Is magnificent, ex-
tending as far north as the Rocks ofDeer
Creek.
Mr.. Harlan announced the subject for
discussion "The General Utility Cow"
One that will produce more money in re-
turn for the provender fed, in the way of
milk, butter and beef In certain cases
where farmer lives near the city and
has sale for his milk, which must be high
in butter fat and good color, the cow
must be either Guernsey or Jersey or
some special animal. Mr.. Harlan sold
his Jersey cows and bought high grade
short horn and thoroughbred bull. A
cow that will produce 800 pounds of
butter and raise good calf which will
weigh 400 pounds at two years old,
and when she herself is of no more use
will fatten and can DO sold for a good
price to the butcher is the kind to have
that is the line that the farmers are
working on throughout the West from
Ohio to Minnesota. The short horn is
the dairy cow of England today and has
been for years, but in this country having
been bred for beef seems to have lost some
of her milking qualities, but that can be
regained with proper care. We must do
the same as the West-grow our own
beef,
Mr.. Michael thought that the grade
Holstein was a general utility cow ex-
cept the milk did not test high enough.
Mr.. Silver knew very little about the
subject but he had recently sold twin
calves from a short horn heifer for $50.
Mr.. Hopes said that some of the best
cows he had ever seen were a cross be-
tween a shorthorn and Jersey, but that
xx,i11 not hold ont TrooS;nr he
bloods is apt to depreciate the offspring,
Mr.. Worthington said that if the cow
has been found that will produce a fair
return so long as she is in use and fair
percentage when you are done with her,
that is the cow to keep. He thought
that the Guernsey was nearer that
standard than the Jersey. The shorthorn
cow eats too much and thus takes all the
profit.
Mr.. Wysong did not know but what
the Guernsey cow was the best all around
after all, when the question of size and
other matters were considered.
Mr.. Jacobs has both Jersey and Guern-
sey cows. He thinks that the latter will
winter better, grow larger and have
better calves than the former.
Mr.. Mccormick USED to be warm adj:
vocate of the general utility cow, but if
the farmer has sale for milk in the Bal
timore market the Guernsey will fill the
bill better as the milk must be of a rich
color. This breed will also produce but
ter at less cost than the Jersey.
Mr.. Bruins had had no experience ex-
cept in buying and selling cows. Very
fine looking cows are few and far be-
tween. 1t take less to feed the ordinary
cow than it does the thoroughbred.
Mr.. Finney said that it was only last
summer that he discovered that he had a
general utility herd of cows. There were
not only Jersey, shorthorn, Holstein and
Guernsey blood In their veins, but they
were also natural "trotters,"
Mr.. Hays agreed with Mr.. Amoss
that we should breed for beef.
Mr.. Maxwell thought for the ordinary
farmer the grade Jersey was the best.
Mr.. Archer said no doubt high grade
produced size and shapliness, but the
trouble is the uncertainty of what you are
going to get when you cross. The only
way to do is to have some pure breeds
and keep them SO.
Mr.. Moores favored pure breeds. He
had had great deal of satisfaction with
Jersey; has had the same strain of blood
for nearly fifty years. The great i'm
provement in the quality of cows in Har-
ford county has been due to the Jersey