The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-29
TYPE MORE THAN BREED
PROF. HACKER TALKS ABBOTT
DEVELOPMENT OF DAIRY cows
Interesting Account of Records
Made by Him in Working Ont
Cost of Milk Production and
Proper Methods of Feeding Ear
Rest Results.

Prof. T. L. Hacker of the state agri-
cultural college, is credited with having
done more to improve dairy cond tions
In this state than any other one man.
1t is said that the wonderful development
Of the industryein Meeker county is owing
largely to the fact that Prof Haeckler
spent more personal attention to that
county than to any other. Discussing
the much agitated question of the aver
age yield of Minnesota cows, which sew
eral buttermakers have declared is TAR
too low, Prof Hacker says:
Before taking charge of the dairy nerd
of the Minnesota experiment station, 1
Travelled extensively over the state, look
ing up its dairy interests, and the pros
all dairy products, little knowledge
among the dairymen, and a type Of
cows not suited for the business the
rule, When ] went to the station / de-
termined to work out the cost of produc-
ton, and since / have been there we
have weighed every pound of food the
animals were, fed, known its cost, weigh
ed all the milk received and tested It
We fed each cow all she can con-
sumo and assimilate At the end of the
first year We found that some COWS
charged us It cents for butter made from
twelve cents, and others ranged between
these two sums. The breed made no
difference; some Shorthorns made cheap
butter, and some Jerseys cost ybutter
Breed has nothing to do with the cost,
it was all in the COW. Size or color had
nothing to do with it. We put all the
cows that made cheap butter on one
side, and ranged the cows who charged
the most for butter on the other side.
Each side, no. matter what breed, Show
ed similar charac teriStics. Those that
charged a high price were sleek. nice
looking animals that would answer the
description of the general purpose cow,
While those that made butter cheap had
the genuine dairy type, the light quar-
rel. Every pond of food consumed was
put to good use
How Food Is Used Up.
It takes just about Sc much food to
run the machinery of every COW. The
question is, what does she do with the
rest OF her food? If she returns it to
you in the form of milk she may be a
profitable COW; if she lays it on her back
as fat she is not q dairy COW. Always
avoid the COW that has a tendency tc
| lay on fat if you want cheap milk pro
duction / am going to tell you how to
know a good COW. It's a simple matter
One or two signs tell a good COW as
we'll as twenty. In a poor cow the thigh
runs down straight. SO there is no space
between the thigh and uGder. on one
side, and the tail or the other. There
should be plenty of daylight between
the udder and the tail One of the best
ways to tell what kind of a COW you
have is by her temperament. A good
dairy type has a sharp spine, strongly
developed nervous system, and SHARP
bones A good cow has a large and pow
erful digestive system to use her food
quickly and make the best returns for it
Some OF the animals the first year made
but little over 2Cs rounds per COW, while
others gave over 399 pounds We have
kept up these records every year, and
| the last year our cows averaged SO!
pounds per COW and at a cost of only
Az cents per pound of butter for feed
| One cow gave US 52 pounds during TIL,
| cows, but the common run of the dairy
|