Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-04-03

A millionaire, the owner of a large
estate in Pomfret, in addressing a meet.
ing of the Pomfret Farmers Club, stat.
farm $1,000 more than he received, but
found the business profitable. In the
matter of profit he credited the health
of his family with $1,000 and content.
ment of mind with $4,000, in the knOwl-
edge that his methods were fast increas.
ing the fertility of the soil upon few
acres of our country.
1t is conceded that one cannot get i'm
mensely rich through farming and
Thomas Lawson says that an outsider
stands no chance of becoming SO
through stock speculation. The COM
mon farmer must, of necessity, Outstrip
the millionaire farmer in maintaining
the health of his family. fertility of the
soil, contentment of mind, and make the
cash receipts fully equal the expendi-
lures.
The seventh census in the year 1910
gave our town an equal number of cows
and sheep. At the tenth census the
sheep exceeded the cows by more than
a hundred thousand and sheep raising
was the leading industry. To-day their
relative proportion is the same as at the
time of the seventh census and dairying
is in the lead A similar condition
exists in the agricultural towns of
Windsor County.
Edward Y. Dana, a near neighbor, a
few months ago sold ten of his regis
tered Jersey cows at S75 each, and his
apparent good fortune was matter of
considerable comment. Another neigh
Dor who owns herd of grade cows told
the writer that he could i'll afford to
sell his cows at his neighbours price for
the reason that he received $4,000 a
year in sale of butter from his 20 cows.
He received 500 for each COW and kept
them at home ready for the next years
business. This man had only sold cows
from the poor end of his herd and by
strenuous care in selection and breeding
had brought the yearly average up well
towards four hundred pounds per cow.
The butter was manufactured at home
and went to supply special trade.
Perhaps il would be fair to say that al
though his cows were grades, they had
been crossed with the Jersey breed so
many times the per cent of native blood
remaining was very slight.
| have frequently heard grade cows
referred to as scrubs. The term might
not seem so inappropriate if the matter
of registry was guaranty that the
animal was a machine which would
produce four hundred pounds of butter
in a year when fed with balanced
ration. If the registered cow is large in
pedigree, perchance a descendant Of
Ewes Tormentor, but small in udder
with teats resembling warts, she is a
scrub. | have observed case where in
one cross upon native stock OF much
heralded imported strain of blood, the
offspring had small teats, very tapering,
like stake sharpened to drive into the
earth, and in second cross with the
same blood the teats very nearly dis
appeared.
According to published statistics the
average yield of butter per COW in most
states is below $50 pounds. If this is
true the man who has brought his herd
up to 800 pounds need not feel dis
couraged.
The farmer who sells butter is doing
more to maintain the fertility of the
soil than the one who sells milk.
In conclusion, the profitable herd OF
cows, consequently the most valuable,
is the herd which, properly fed, pro-
duces the highest average yield OF but
ter whether we choose to name them
scrubs or thoroughbreds.- E.
Perkins in New England Farmer.