The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-09-01
THE DAIRY
Starting a Dairy Herd.

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The young farmer is constantly ask
ing himself if it will pay him to invest
his money in dairy. Of course, no
outsider can tell for certain whether 1t
will or not, for so much in every bus
mess depends on the man himself.
But one thing is sure all over the
country. There is no method of farm
ing that pays better to the well-posted
farmer than the dairy. 1t is only nee
essary to ride through the dairy dis
tricts of the state to see where the
thrifty live. This fact has become an
accepted theory among political econ
omists not only in our states, but they
also apply it to nations. Wherever
the COW flourishes the people are well
to do. and it is pity that the dairy
districts in some parts are so limited.
Nowhere can milk be made cheaper
the year round and COWS thrive as
well. when care is taken to keep the
tick and other pests off of them, and
it is only carelessness that lets them
get on the COWS.
The young man who intends to be
dairyman, and especially if he is in
moderate circumstances, must depend
for success very much upon his own
wits and Judgment He must know or
will soon learn that his success Will
depend in a great measure upon the
quality of the COWS he keeps. He must
either buy them or raise them, ana
we all know that no one will sell MS
best COWS except at long prices, while
raising them takes more time, but
time is something the young man has
more of than money, while he also
needs experience There is no great
er mistake than to buy up a large
herd before you learn how to handle
the COWS. For this reason 1T is far
better to go slow and raise all your
COWS. Get your herd and your eXper-
fence at the same time. You had bet
ter follow the practice of your neigh
bors. who in the great majority OF
cases may be using Jerseys.
For money-making, grades are often
inst as good as full-bloods, and far
cheaper to buy. Use your best Judg-
ment in buying springing heifers and
use on them a young thoroughbred
bull from the best COW you can find.
With this practice, in few years you
will be able to secure fine and prof.
liable herd that will pay you we'll.
By raising all the heifer calves you
will get many large mixers that can
be used in your own herd or sold at
fine profit to other dairymen. SO long
as the bull produces a fair majority
of good heifers, keep him in service,
but if in your opinion he proves a TALL
ure, as some of them do, then do not
get discouraged, but buy another, but
always have the bull thoroughbred
animal and from a thoroughbred dam
that has a record for fine production
of milk and butter. Keep your prac-
tice true to this principle of breeding
and you can hardly fail in the long run
to so establish a reputation for your
herd that it will insure you good sales
of cattle along with a good profitable
yield of milk.
Never indulge in that foolish prac-
tice of which farmers are so fond
-cross-breeding. No matter what
breed you start WITH no one has ever
vet been able to combine the good
points of two breeds in one. You
simply, by this practice, spoil both
breeds in crossing, soon sending them
hack to scrubs. Stick to the breed you
start with or sell out and begin anew
Establishing New Creameres.