The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1904-02-15


as possible into the fall, the milk flow |
of the dairy was here and there prac-
ticed by a few dairymen, the idea of
providing winter supply of such feed
for the herd was considered hardly !
practicable. AS soon, however, as it
became recognized by the dairymen
that such feed was indispensable to
successful winter dairying way ap-
peared to secure it, viz, grow roots.
1t was through the liberal feeding of
roots to the COWS in milk that our dis
NAL forebodings regarding our new
enterprise began to disappear, and we
again took on new courage in the
scheme of producing butter fat during
the winter months. The succulent fea-
ture of the roots fed to the dairy re-
ceived credit for the attending benefits
and improvements in the quantity of
dairy products. When fed with the
hay and some mill feed added, we
could barely "hold our own" in the
business. We discovered that we had
thus evolved the 200-pound butter-fat
COW; that with enough such COWS a
man could get along in slow way by
practicing rigid economy in everything,
as well as great deal of self-denial.
ABOUT CulS Iluu0 d. low pIOSI0SolFO
dairymen throughout the country were
reporting their success in their effort
to evolve the 300-pOund butter-fat COW
and how they had brought it about.
These reports gave us courage to push
on in our enterprise of building up a
profitable dairy herd. We observed
that these successes were being re-
ported by men who believed in con-
At. 90, io1
purpose dairy cows. To follow in their
footsteps and their advice meant with
us the disposition of our general pur-
pose COWS and their sire, and squarely
establishing ourselves within true
dairy lines. We decided so to do, and
selling off the old stock, mostly for
beef, we installed on the farm Stoke
Pogis Jersey sire-the first registered
Jersey ever imported to our county
and few first-class Jersey cows. With
the exception of substituting occasion
ally, as good breeding required, new
registered sire, our herd today are the
descendants of this original stock, |
with very perceptible improvements
from year to year. We realize, how
ever, that such improvements are not
altogether due to the line of breeding J
adopted, DuJ are largely Tie ISoulC VI \
better Methods in the matter OF rearing |
the heifers and the general care and
management of the herd-met hods
that are not generally accepted and
practiced because of their Importance
not being believed or understood.
For instance, too many appear not
to realize the great Importance OF
properly feeding and caring for the
calf that has been selected for dairy
purposes. Few appear to realize the
great loss that is sustained by reason
of a lack of continuous thrift and de-
velopment in such calves from baby
hood to motherhood. A calf with an
impaired digestion will seldom make
profitable COW, at any rate not nearly |
so profitable as it otherwise would
have been. We believe that in &C
counting for such improvement due
credit should be given to the practice
of making the COWS more comfortable
and contented We believe that a
dairy COW to do her best ought not
to be permitted to long for something
that is beyond her reach, and that
she cannot get.
Without a doubt the cows stall
should receive far more consideration
than it does as rule. Too often