The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-08-02
A GREAT DAIRY FARM.

The Forest Hill Farmers Club met on
Saturday evening last at st. Omer." the
residence of Mr.. Joseph r. Hopes, near
Hickory. with the following mem bers present:
Mr.. William Michael and wife, Mr.. David l..
Tucker and wife, Mr.. J. Ruff Street, and Wife
Mr.. William II. Tucker and wife, Mr. G. k.
Rradehaugh. wife and son, Mr.. John Smith
and wifc;-visitors, Messrs. l. L. Nc
Cormick. Robert and Wilmer Hopes, Dr.
Herbert Hopes and ]. d. Worthington. The
club in a body made q most interesting tour
OF inspection. visiting first the new hennery,
which is II by 20 feet, two stories high.
plastered throughout, the upper story divi-
ded into seven compartments and complete
in all its "details. Mr.. Hopes already has
several hundred white leghoruS on hand and
expects to make poultry raising Il valuable
adjunct to his large stock farm. The club
then visited the Berkshire hogs.-somc fifty
in number-all registered stock. and fine speci-
mems OF their breed. In connection with his
large hog pen, which has recently been fitted
with cement floor, he has erected corn crib
made rat and mouse proofby completely
lining it with wire netting.
The club next visited his alfalfa field. from
which two crops have already been harvest
ed, and opinions differed as to the advis-
ability of disking the ground at to
check the growth of fall grass, or leave it I'M
touched. Mr.. Hopes thinks thereis no food
so valuable as alfalfa, and that the reward in
having alfalfa hay will fully pay for all labor
and expense incurred in securing 1t.
short walk brought the Club to the corn
fields, which had been planted early with
western seed, but it had entirely failed to
terminate and were again planted, June
II and Is. with Hartford seed The present
stand is magnificent, is about three feet high
and for fear of early frost will be put in
the silo
An alsyke clover set, OFF of which a heavy
crop of hay had been harvested was being
plowed for COW peas for the silo. Passing
over the greensward which covered witt
4 velvet verdure of white clover and English
green grass, and pausing long enough to
club reached the barn, where milking was in
full operation Each individual Jersey had
its particular admircr and the whole herd
WAS worthy OF unstinttd praise.
The barn Is fitted with all needed appli-
anccs for the economical management OF a
large dairy. An abundant stream of spring
water first supplies the horse stable on the
second floor and then each COW and the dairy
room below. large engineis always ready
to furnish all the motive power desired. A
huge stone sio with a capacity of 300 tons
is an invaluable adjunct TO the barn and is
annually filled with alternate layers of corn
and cow-peas. The floor to the manure re-
ceptacle under part of the barn has Just
been cemented adding according to scientific
calculations from 33l3 to 90 per cent. to it's
fertiliZing value.
After a bountiful repast. the club waa EN-
tertained by Professor J. W. Nelson. native
of Utah, now of the Department OF Soils, of
Washington, whose especial territory is
Pennsylvania, Virginia. West Virginia. Mary
land, Delaware and New Jersey. Professor
Nelson spent sometime in Hartford. and has
been during the past month on the eastern
shore of Maryland, about whose wonders
and possibilities ior the future he told the
club in detail. He is ready talker, with Il
wide range OF scientific, well practical
knowledge, and is anxious to render the
farmers of his section all the service in his
power. ~ -
contains 300 acres of tillable land, which at
present support 1IJ head of horses and
cattle, 80 head of hogs and several hundred
chickens, producing for them all the food
needed. except a protein ration OF about $50
per COW per annum. In addition to it's crops
raised for the live stock, Il large and varied
! selection offruit is cultivated, including 600
York Imperial apple trees, which just
coming into bearing. The backbone of the
| business is
| In 1873 its present proprietor secured few
| thoroughbred Jerseys, and his herd. through
| natural growth, slowly increased until 1913,
| when, being convinced of the possibilities OF
Thoroughbred over grade stock, he purchased
| two carloads of heiterS from the famous farm
! of =. ]. Cogswell, of Rochester, New York,
| and laid the foundation of his present herd,
| which now numbers
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE
MILKING COWS
| besides a large line of young stock and drys.
At present the entire output of his dairy Is
converted into twenty-five per cent. cream,
| the past winter Mr.. HOPES sold eighty
gallons of cream per day. over hall of which
| was produced by his avn herd. 1t present
| q test for the advance registry taking in IL
| cows and hefcrs will be partially completed
| in September, and the result is looked for
| with great interest. In such a herd II is
| difficult to select individuals, but may
| mention G.. X. Ms Hattie, six years old
whose milk has tested eight per cent. and
| a number of cows have tested over seven pc,
cent. when fresh.
| ENILE'S LADY LIVINGSTON
| has given forty-scven pounds ofmilk in a day,
and made over seventeen pounds of butter
| per week she gave II ,l2+ pounds of milk in
| a year. her grain ration never exceeding eight
pounds per day for eight months, no graiv
| during four months of pasture. Three otcd
| bulls reside at st. Onler Farm, Sc. tlmer >
| X ing being considered the mead of the herd
| many of the hefers now in the test are his
| otfSprings.
| THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
| DIR. Herbert Hopes has charge OF the
| health of the herd. In 1897 lie discovered that
| tuberculosis was making serious inroads
| into the herd. which was treated with the
| hcroil step of Strengthening disposnG OF
| thirt y-two head OF fine animals, and not one
| has been lost from tuberculosis since. During
| his six years of supervision, not a COW has
| died from milk fever, the average hefore that
| hcing not fewer than ak cows per annunl.
| All stock sold is tuhcrc lin tested before 1t
| lcaVes the place and all purchased treated III
| the sane way, although only q few outside
| catt.e have been added in recent years.
| To manage this large plant an average Of
| twelve men is required throughout the year
thus Mr.. Hopes cirCulates large amount
| OF money in a farming section besides being
| of incstimable value to the daryiug interests
of the county by the introduction of so much
| rich blood into many different herds.
1t is estimated that each yields ar
| average income of ) 100 and sales OF stock
for six or eight years past have averaged
| is being carefully sprayed, is expected to be &
| valuable adjunct TO The revenue.