The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1905-01-20

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UXPBoFITABLE cows.
The only thing which prevents the
majority OF the COWS kept in Florida
from actually costing more than they
return To their owners. is the fact
that the cost Of their keep is so small
When the keep Of an animal costs
nothing which l. practically the
case with many cows feeding on our
free ranges, it is hard to demonstrate
that she does not pay profit on the
cost OF her maintenance. The cheap
ness Of feed, and the comparatively
small amount Of food consumed in
our climate, make the probabilities
Of actual loss slight. The question
Of economy and profit with Us. there
fore, Is not much a consideration
II the possibility of a COW eating her
head of, as one Of the vastly greater
profit possible should these same
natural advantages OF low cost Of
keep, be utilized by superior ami
mails.
The great six months test Of mich
cows Of the different breeds. recently
conducted at the St. Louis Expnsi-
ZION has developed many important
acts. One of them is Of special
value to Florida stockmen, so that !
wish to quote the language or Prof.
Harrington, director of these tests o.
the four breeds which were entered
for the competition.
THE GREATEST LESSON
% the butter test is that offered by
Table 3, which records the produc-
tiou Of the best, the poorest and av-
rage COW in each herd. The poor
-st mixer in the Brown Swiss herd
made the feed cost of her milk one
third Of cent more per quart than
the best COW The difference in the
HOlstein herd was equally as great,
and the poorest Jersey cost one-fifth
u cent per quart more for food
than the best, while among the
ShOIthOrnS tn re was difference
almost full cent per quart. The
Inference in feed cost of butter, pro-
luced by the best and poorest cows
N each herd. was equally emphatic
The wide variation between indi-
yidual cows is again most powerfully
emphasized in Table 2. 1t shows
that the profit on the best Jersey
vas more than $50 during the four
months or nearly double the profit
On the poorest Jersey. The best
HOlstein shows profit of $40, or near
ly three times as much as the poor
st HOlstein profit of $lS. The best
Brown Swiss profit is about $2S. COM
pared to S2l as the lowest.
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These amazing variations in differ
mt cows Of the same breed are all
fhe more remarkable when it is re-
membered that these three herds
were composed of selected animals
the Jerseys, the most perfect selec-
ton possible. Even the scientific
dairyman would expect such a herd
to show relatively slight variation in
the production of its different MEM
bers The test proves again the
great fact that individuality has
more influence upon butter product
and profit, relatively speaking. than
| breed.
Now the all-impOrtant question is
this: If ia the most carefully select
ed herd it was possible to bring to-
gether, some animals produced fully
TWO times as much profit as others,
now much greater must be the differ
ence between ordinary cows in the
herd Of the average dairyman?
Above everything else, therefore.
he butter test demonstrates the i'm
perative necessity of every dairy
man knowing what each of his COWS
IS doing. Let such a record be kept,
and it is safe to say that it will re-
veal the astonishing fact that at least
half Of the cows on the average farm
are kept at loss And still such
farmers complain dairying does not
pay"
II half the cows on the average
dairy farm, are kept at loss our on
~ salvation, with our inferior stock
lies in the equally cheap feed sup
piled these animals. The all impor-
taut lesson for us lies in the fact that
in these long comparisons of selected
animals of the distinctly dairy
breeds, all animals deemed worthy
Of entering the lists for world rec
)rds, some animals made double as
large profits from the food consumed
than did others of the very same
breed being tested under identical
conditions. How much more profit
able would it be for the average
Florida COW owner to keep good
stock, than the inferior scrubs he is
so often satisfied with?
WARMTH AND EGGS.
We become SO accustomed to con-
slider our climate as always mild.
that We often forget the immediate
"osnlts Of the occasional cold dars
Inevitable to the season. We KIN W
mat IN the north warm hen houses.
sunny exposures, glass sides and ar
tificial heat are considered indispen-
sable to winter egg production. We
observe that with a week of bright
warm weather the hens cackIe for
joy, and vie with the famous pullet
If odd Grimes" in egg laying.
Then comes a day of north wind and
possible frost. We seek for eggs in