The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1903-01-11

Department Of Animal Husbandry.
Auburn. Ala. Jan. 10. 1908.
Editor The Advertiser:
The writer addressed letters to q NUM-
Der o. directors Of experiment stations
and TO- experiment station and agricultu-
RAJ college workers asking them to reply
F1rst-is department of animal hus-
pandry essential to an agricultural col
iege ana experiment station?
seconds such q department In O coli
live stock interests OF a state?
Thtrd-What will 1t cost to establish
such department?
give us some ideas or reasons why Ala
oama should establish such a department
az Auburn and support the district
branch agricultural schools. In Alabama
with % per cent of her. population follow
ing agricultural pursuits as means of
living. should We not think on the facts
presented In this letter from one Of the
best authorities.
c. A. Cary.
Madison, Wis, Sept 80. 1902.
Or. e: A. Cary. Alabama Polytechnic In
sutute. Auburn. Ala:
dear Sir-Replying to yours Of Septem-
per ~ win say that with us in Wisconsin
animal husbandry and dairying are the
easy leaders In both our college and sta
tion efforts. This Is because our State
could not prosper II we were to attempt
70 sell the raw products We produce on
the farms. To sell corn, wheat oats and
barley. hay. ETC., and keep little or no
i've stock. would soon ruin Wisconsin
farmers and Wisconsin SOIL Instead Of
selling these grains we are raising them
and feeding them to our cows steers, pigs
ana sheep. and disposing of the animals
az good prices. while leaving practically
all OF the fertility on the farms. Then
we buy tens of thousands of car loads Of
bran. middlings, etc., from the milling
CenteTa nnFth of and
feed these To our stock. We even buy
Iowa corn to some extent TO feed to our
stock. As result OF buying feed from
outside the State our agricultural lands
are actually growing richer year by year.
we probably do not pay $4,000 year in
the whole State for commercial fertiliz-
ers. nor is there any need Of doing so.
Our agricultural college has pushed an
tmai husbandry and dairying until we
now have about a million cows in the
state and about 1900 creameries and
cheese factories. Our dairy products are
worth between s2O,OO0,ooO and $50, 600 an
nually besides the milk of cities. Then
We sell about sl5,OO0O0O worth of hogs
ana some several million dollars worth of
rat cattle and sheep. AS a result of these
conqitions our lands are growing richer,
money. Practically the only mortgages
on Wisconsin farms are those where am
bilious young men have purchased farms
ana began in debt for q part Of the pur-
chase money: These mortgages represent
ambition and faith in farming, and not
| deterioration and despair. Money loans
on farms at from to IL per cent. Tens
or thousands OF farmers are money lend
ers Improved farms are worth from $40
TO 800 per acre.
And all of this In spite of our short
seasons where We can only Craze cattle
| Tor from five to six months in the year
and must keep them housed in the stable
\ the rest of the year. The soil freezes
| -FOUR to Ave feet in fha rxyOfaV op nd
Ice Is twenty inches thick on lakes and
| rivers. Last year we had 446 bona fide
students In the college of agriculture;
| most of them were short course and dairy
students who intended to go back to the
farm, creamery or cheese factory when
| through with their studies. We have
started two County agricultural schools
In the State, the counties having put up
buildings for the purpose az a cost of
| about $4,000 each. The farmers realize
that their sons must be educated agTicul-
| turally, ana see that we cannot accom-
modate all who should attend here at the
| University. When we have more County
/ agricultural schools we shall raise our
| standard for admission as there will be
| no need of giving some of the element
| airy instruction which we now do.
We sink about $4,000 a year in instruc-
| ton and experiments in animal husband
| ~ and dairying. This is about half of
/ what we should be spending. AS our
| work pays the state probably 100 per cent
a year. our people could afford to invest
more In this institution IL they only real
lied the facts more fully. The last Leg
| islature increased the income of our col
| lege $4,000 annually and gave us $150, 900
| for new central agricultural college
building. When this building Is complet-
ed We will have 100000 worth Of build
ings devoted exclusively to agricultural
| instruction and investigation.
Yours very truly,
w. A. Henry,
Dean and Director.