Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-09-16

{ l6, 1903. w
make 1t more productive SO as to get
better returns from the labor incident
to dairying. Tais would to Il great
extent counterbalance the objection
urged against the confining nature OF
the work
we have frequently referred to the
fact that the average herd is Il Very
unproductive one and that /, srest
ntany men keep cows. entire herds
even, that do not pay for their board.
This fact was brought out in a very
striking manner by the buttermaker,
II. A. Storwick, of Lake Mills Co.
Operative Creamery in Winnebago
County, Iowa, some time ago in an
address to the patrons of that cream
cry at their annual meeting. Mr. Stor-
wick has kept an accurate record of
the majority of the herds of the pa
irons of his creamery for year. AS
result of this he told his patrons
that only three of the herds that sup
piled milk to the creamery had aver
aged over 200 pounds butter fat per
COW during the year; that u herds
averaged over $50 pounds, As herds
over 125 pounds, 100 herds over 100
pounds, and 81 herds less than 100
pounds. The best herd produced an
average of 262 pounds of butter fat
per year and returned gross income
of $79.14 per COW, whereas the poor
est herd yielded only 3S pounds of
phtter fat per COW during the year
and returned gross income of So
~. Thus there was difference in
the gross income per COW in these
two herds amounting to no less than
s69.S6. The herd that yielded 262
pounds of butter fat did it at Il cost
OF 11.5 cents per COW, while the poor
est herd charged COS cents per pound
CT butter fat produced The gross
returns as mentioned do not include
the value of the skim milk which was
returned to the farmers, They take
account ouly of the amount received
for the butter fat by the patrons.
This is another instance showing
very strikingly that the average man
is not making business of dairying.
One would think that he is keeping
COWS merely for the sake of having
plenty to do and that he istnot very
particular about getting pay for his
time. Just what sort of cows the
patrons of the Lake Mills Co-Opera-
tive Creamery keep we do not know.
That is to say, we are not informed
as to the breeds that are represent
ed; but whatever the breed it does
not pay to keep cows OF that kind
Just think of 1877 herds out of 24S
producing not to exceed leo pounds
OF butter fat in a year, and nearly
one half of that number producing
less than 100 pounds. We. have fire.
fqnenrly nearr farmers complain thar
Idairying is not profitable because
they do not get enough for their pro-
diets. There may be times when
they don't get what they ought to
have, but as a matter of fact the
reason why dairying is not profitable
with the average man is because he
does not get enough for his butter
fat, but because he does not keep
the right kind of cows, or else he
does not give them the right kind of
care. A man who produces butter
fat at cost of COS cents per pound
can certainly not expect the cream
cry to make dairying profitable for
him. He ought to study his end of
the business and, if necessary pay
less attention to the creamery end of
it. 1t would pay great deal better
in the long run.
Mr.. Storwick has managed the
creamery referred to in Winnebago
County for term of nine years, and
1t is known as one of the best in the
state. From this it is reasonable to
infer that Mr.. Storwick understands
buttermaking and that he also knows
something about how COWS should be
managed to get the best results. We
therefore, take pleasure i'll quoting
1 from the address he made to the pa
irons of the creamery at the time of
the annual meeting. In speaking of
the management of COWS, he said in
Part:
1T takes certain amount of feed
for maintenance; what COW receives
Iovcr this amount is returned to you
If you keep dairy COW you can ex-
pect this retu,i in milk. and ii yod
keep a beef COW she will put it ON
her own back, and to realize this re-
turn you have to put her over the
block. fear too many of you are
keeping this last mentioned. kind OF
COWS for dairying, but let me tell yor
that this is as absurd as it would b,
to enter the race track with 1,50t
pound horse and expect to win race
A dairy COW for dairy purposes ant
: beef COW for beef purposes"
Which kind of COWS do you keep.
Do you keep the kind that cores
pond to the beef COW as the draftel
does to the roadster, or do you keel
the kind that are especially adapted
for milk and butter production? Their
may be difference of opinion as tt
; whether beef cows can produce but
ter fat at profit. There may be ;
difference of opinion as to whethe
il is desirable to keep special-pur
pose dairy cows on Iowa farms or OIL
farms in adjoining states. but ther
can be no difference of opinion as t.
4 I---f q