The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-27
AGRICULTURAL.
WINTER DAIRYING IN SOUTH.

WINTER DAlRYING IN SOUTH.
 While the south and southwest, from Southwestern Missouri south, could and should be made a great dairy country the whole season, yet winter dairying m these sections certainly appeals strongly to our people as one of the most pront- able of all farm industries. Dairying, like all other stock growing in this section, has been more or less neglected There are several reasons for this. one of the most common being the prevailing idea that grass for pastures could not be ad- yantageously grown in the south and that pastures could not be maintained
 Another thing that has retarded this profitable farm industry Is that our peo- pie of the south have not been educated for the dairy business as have the people of other sections But the time has come in this section when people are begin ming to think and act in these important farm industries Experiments made at various experiment stations in the south (especially in Alabama and Mississippi have proven conclusively the adaptability of the south for profitable dairying but 1t appears to me that the ideal season for dairying in the south is the winter season.
 The Natural Advantages.
  over the great dairy sections of the north and west Here a man can get around to good advantage all the winter and he has ample time to care for his cows and keep them in perfect order. When our southern farmers get to farm ing less land, growing more and better grasses and clovers, and get to keeping fine dairy herds on their farms-when these conditions come the southern farm CT will gather greater crops from less land and these crops will all be gathered early and stored in silos, barns and sheds where the feed may be easily fed to the stock with more economy and profit than ever before. The farmer should build comfortable sheds for his cows, for a COW will not give milk in paying quanti- ties unless she Is protected from the cold winter rains which are so common in the south.
 The dairy industry will furnish the whole family employment during the winter months and the. time that is now wasted on many farms could be turned to good advantage. There is always plenty of water in winter and no flies to contend with. Besides this, there is always a ready market right at hand and dairy products always bring the highest prices in the winter.
 But these are only few of the many advantages that the south possesses for profitable winter dairyIng. The matter of cheap feeds, an abundant supply of win ter pasture, which 1t is possible to have all the winter and which greatly reduces the expense of feeding, together with the great line of forage crops. which can be grown no where else as cheap as in the south. add quickly to the profits of the business and where all the conditions are taken advantage of as they should be the farmer is independent of competition in dairying. Another great advantage is that the milk and butter can be much cheaper cared for In the winter season. Again. I think that cows are healthier in the winter than in summer. There are no flies to worry and bother them and where they are properly cared for and managed the flow of milk should be greater and richer in winter than in sum- mer In fact, think that the months when the dairy business In the south would give the least profits would be July, August and September During these months our pastures and water are low. flies are bad and if the flow of milk is kept up we have to feed heavily and protect the cows from the flies There is still another important profit to be derived from the dairy industry. The by-products are worth as much as the cream sold from the cows. Tn the south the fertilizer from the dairy COW Is worth at least $20 on the farm and here Is another great advantage of win ter dairying. The farmer has more time then to look after and save every par ticle of fertilizer from the herd. Then there is the skim milk which Is worth at least fifteen cents per houndred pounds for feed for the calves and pigs. Hog growing should go hand in hand with the dairy business.
 I have before made mention of the prosperity of the states where the dairy