Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-02-06
DAlRYlNG IN IDAHO


we'll, Jan. 80.
The climate of Idaho, owing to |
its even temperature and dry at
mosphere creates ideal conditions
for the dairy COW. The long, warm
dry, summers with their cool, re-
freshing nights, and the short
springlike winter combine to make
conditions in which COW can at
tain its best possible results.
The arid climate seems to be adj
verse to insect life, likewise to
germ life. We have all noticed
the almost entire absence of flies.
We do not require nets for our
horses and the fly is no pest to our
cattle. When we consider the con-
ditions so often witnessed in the
East when the COWS and other stock
in the pastures and yards riven
almost wild for several months in
the year, causing them to bunch
up or go into ponds and streams,
jamming and bruising each other in
their efforts to escape the persist
ent attacks of flies and mosquitoes,
then contrast that with our herds
grazing Ill peaceful contentment all
the months of the summer and fall,
we have no doubt that Idaho is
much better place for dailymn We
perhaps do not realize that this fea-
~ d<,,,h1o the htftfer
products of our herds for at least
four months in the year.
We have in our winter months
the moderation of temperature and
absence of storms which reduce the
cost and need of shelter to the min
jmum while our friends in the East
have their dairy barns almost air
tight and have many days when
they cannot let their cows see day
Light on account of storm and cold.
The health of their herds Is thus
greatly impaired. It has been
demonstrated beyond question that
the greater effort given to housing
cattle the more they were exposed
to the ravages of Tuberculosis.
The cold is a very costly item ir
the dairy herd as it requires GER
tain amount of feed to overcome the
= low temperature which food mus
be diverted from milk making t
cold resistance in the animal econ
omy. 1t NAV be possible Tor thu
scientific man to figure out in dol
\ lars and cents the exact cost OF coll
weather in the dairy herd either Il
milk shortage or in increased TOO
or both.
To sum up, we in Idaho, eliminat
the flies in the summer and tn
cold in the winter time and conse
ouently increase the efficiency
our feed and reduce tuberculosis
the minimum if we do not elimin
ate it entirely.
The food for dairy COW is
important an item as fuel TOR tir'
Science 3haa. prepared ration Tor tf
dairy COW that exactly meets he
requirements, and that it will PR
duce the largest amount and II
best quality of milk. Protein
a scarce and expensive article
the community of Eastern dair.
men. 1t is usually purchased
the form of oil meal, bran, or son
other equally expensive produc
whereas in Idaho we have alfal
and clover in almost overwhelmiI
abundance. With clover meadow
producing four to six tons to Il
acre and alfalfa meadows producii
five to ten tons to the acre at
actual cost of not more than 10
dollars per ton to the farmer '
can readily see the great abundan
and the low cost Of protein.
Then when we are enabled,
account of our dry climate, to
cure this hay as to conserve from
to 100 per cent of It's nutritive Y;
ue indeed offer it 10 the COW
green and nutritious as she c
Craze it from the pastures, we
we'll praise the great efficiency
Idaho hay.
Passing to the pastures, the id'
of the dairymsn, we may SO CO
troll them by controlling the wa
for irrigation that the hay wiz
as green and succulent in Aug
and September as in the MISS
sippi valley in the month OF Jul
Under irrigation the blue grass,
white clover, the alsike, flour
and furnish very long season
deed blue grass may be pastured
month in the year thus furnish
suculent feed all the year ro'
without the expense OF S
while owing to the close pastril