Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-12-24
Light on Dairy Problems.

Light on Dairy Problems.
The New England dairy man is facing
perhaps one OF the most critical situa-
lions ever experienced in the history of
the industry. Expenses are uncommon
" high for reasons known to all. With
the advance in the price of grains, labor
and the short silage crop has not come
the relative advance in the price of milk.
With the average quality Of cows, or
even cows above the average, the dairy
man cannot help but produce milk at
loss during the coming winter. Perhaps
il is too late to make any radical changes
for the present season, but it is high
time for the dairyman to look about
him and see wherein he can better his
for the future. believe the
first step toward meeting the prevailing
conditions is in wedding out the small
producing cows, and keeping fewer and
better animals which will give much
larger quantities Of milk. 1t seems to
me that we must keep the minimum
of cows and get from them
maximum production.
l believe that there is no cow on the
face of the globe so we'll fitted to meet
the conditions in New England to-day as
the Holstein. She has the ability and
the disposition to produce enormous
quantities of milk for long term of
years and at a very moderate cost for
feed and labor. New England is rapidly
becoming a great milk section OF the
United States. There is a constantly
demand for pure milk for
To meet this demand We
must have cows which will give us a
arge quantity of milk of suitable fat
and solid content While the laws OF
some states have shut out, to some ex-
tent, the sale of Holstein milk, because
Of its low fat content, nevertheless, it is
a fact that Holstein milk comes nearer
10 natures standard than that from any
other breed of cows. Holstein milk is
rapidly becoming recognized as the ideal
meal by leading physicians everywhere,
and when more light is thrown upon the
subject and the public becomes educated
up TO the facts, Holstein milk will come
TO be more and more in demand.
WHY HoISTEINs ARE PREFERRED.
The reasons why | believe the Hol-
stein is to be the great boon to the New
England dairymen are: She is very
vigorous and hearty; she will take the
roughage grown upon our farms and
convert it into milk better than any
other breed. She is prolific and breeds
true to type, which is very valuable
point in the raising of good animals.
Her term of usefulness is much longer
than the average of the other breeds.
Her disposition is of the best and she
readily adapts herself to varying con-
ditions. The frame of the Holstein is
large and capacious and when her term
Of usefulness as dairy animal is passed,
she can be readily fattened into beef of
a good quality. While nothing perhaps
is gained in cross-breeding, the Holstein
male makes good cross on some of the
other dairy breeds.
While it is not within the means Of
every dairy man to own a pure-bred
herd, still believe it should be the aim
of every young dairyman in New Eng
land to own herd of pure-bred cattle.
The value of the pure-bred calves alone,
over the grades, is quite financial rea-
son for raising pure breds. Then, too,
there is a feeling of interest and devo-
tion in raising pure -breds that cannot
come from raising grades. 1t seems TO
me that the wise way for the man OF
limited means to get start in pure
breds, is to buy from a reliable breeder
a well-bred bull calf. One that is back
ed up on sire's and dams sides by large
records and good breeding and an ami
NAL in itself first-class dairy individual.
CAREFUL BREEDING, KEEPING THE
BEST.
Then in the course of year, when the
offers, buy two or three
pure-bred heifers, which show good
breeding and individuality and which
have been bred to some tirst-class sire
and are soon to freshen. With ordinary
good luck, one will soon have some
young cows ready to go into the herd
and produce good profit. One will
also have some pure-bred calves which,
if heifers, will be raised, and If bulls,
can quite readily be sold 10 head some
neighboring herd and at quite remuner,
ative prices.
By selling the poorer grade cows as
opportunity offers and replacing them
with good, young, pure breds from large
producing cows, one will soon have the
foundation we'll laid for valuable herd
One may need to study the laws ol
breeding considerably, but he will find
the study interesting and it will bring
him nearer to nature and her laws than
perhaps anything else can.
PROPER CARE TO GIVE.
Having gotten the foundation for 8
herd well laid, one should aim to con
stantly increase it's productive capacity
This can be done by careful selection OF
the male, and by judicious feeding. AL
ways feed literally, yet carefully. Keel
the young animal in stage OF rapid
healthy growth from birth to maturity
| believe one of the great secrets In
feeding for heavy production is in get
ting the heifer well used to heavy pro
tein feeding before she drops her frs
calf. Give her chance to grow and de
velop a strong constitution and develop
a large udder and milk veins.
The mature cow also needs an abun
dance of nutritious food at all times whel
she is dry as well as in the full flow o
milk. She cannot develop a strong cal
while she is giving large flow of mill
unless she is generously fed. In breed
ing pure breds, as in any other business
one must attend TO it thoroughly II
every detail. / believe there are grea
possibilities in the Holstein cow for tn
New England dairyman who has brsins
narsauaranca and cnnraOa-R K Buell