Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-10
MAINE DAIRYMEN.


IlSure ylelu OH paper, puI VIII VIII AAO
it in the field? Is the lower level Of pro-
duction a necessity or the result OF
failure at some critical point?
To better the crop DIR. Twitchell ad-
vises a thorough preparation of the
soil, by stirring 1t to admit air and
sunlight, and by generous use OF fer
tilizer Then attention must be paid
to the seed, which should be selected
from the most vigorous stalks, thor
oughly cured and shelled only from the
center of the ears, leaving at least an
inch at both tip and butt which is not
used for seed.
The speaker referred to a very inter-
esting experiment by painstaking
farmer. who compared the results from,
seed corn thus selected with the re-
turns from other seed not quite SO care
fully picked out. The results were
amazing. 1t showed an increase of Ii
bushels per acre in favor OF the corn
selected for a single season in this
way.
Further, DR.. Twitchell said that all
seed should be tested IN early spring
to determine it's generating power be-
fore being put into the ground. 1t the
seed is fully nratured, properly cured
and handled practically every kernel
will come, fact proved by expert
ment Another help to better crops is
the visiting of the hills at least thrice
in the season when all off shoots or
false shoots should be removed.
In selecting seed he observed that it
would not do to save ears from the
largest and stoutest stalks at cutting
or husking time. The corn should be
marked from the first. Those stalks of
medium length, stout at the base and
with an abundance of broad, well de-
veloped leaves will mature the best
corn. Nor did the speaker fail to re-
peat the well-worn, but often unheeded
advice, to give frequent, light cultiva-
ton of the soil, both for yellow and
sweet corn. It is only by needing all
of these apparently small details that
success is sure.
The financial value OF the use CT
these methods he showed by saying
that an increase of 10 bushels per acre
year, when corn is selling at 80 cents
bushel, means profit of So per acre,
an estimate which he deems conserva-
tive, as the profit is often four times as
great.
In passing he noted the Importance
cf the ensilage crop in milk production
and said that the recent drought had
caught many farmer without the Ell
silage which would have helped keel
| the milk yield.
Another step toward better corn
| crops is the proposed perfecting of the
| dent corn, valuable for ensilage, rich
! <h1 1tx,k oriot tioe
| and promising a larged yield of she'll
| ed corn per acre.
DR.. Twitchell in closing offered to as
sist in the work of the association, in
| trying to increase the corn acreage and
it's value, by continuing the prizes and
| by personally supplying contestants
with pedigree seed, from which. with
| fair cultivation, he had obtained a
yield of more than 100 bushels per acre
| The second speaker was Prof P. A
! Campbell Of the University of Maine
who spoke on 1.-The Improvement of the
Dairy Cow" saying in part:
Within the past few years phenome-
nal records have been attained in the
| production of milk and butter-fat from
a few individuals among our dairy cat
tie. but the number has been small
and is but a drop in the bucket com
| pared to the 20,000.000 or more cows
doing duty in our dairies. Probably not
more than 9 or 214 per cent. are pure
bloodad or are registered in the herd
books and many of those would have
to be discharged if anything except
pedigrecs was considered.
The science of breeding we know but
little about, Much information has
been gained, great progress has beer
made. but there is a much longer dis
tance to travel. Theories have been Sc,
up, defended, and apparently proven
true, but ultimately have been tori
down, to be replaced by others as un-
| stable No definite rules can be la1o
| down to the breeders of dairy cattle.
| Today we are in an age of speciali-
zstion, and it is an age of specializa-
| ton with the dairy COW as well.
| Formerly before she became known
as a dairy COW her sole work was tc
maintain herself and young. We have
taken away from her some of the
| characteristics she possessed and have
added others to her embodiment unit
now she is what man has made her
We must carry her on to do that spe-
cialized work which we demand of hel
| in the dairy and at the same time te
perpetuate the breed.
Like does not produce like; it is the
variations in nature which allow us to
improve our dairy cattle and it is the
variations also which may prove to be
our stumbling block. Without varia-
tions no improvement could be made
Careful selection must always b.
maintained to make Improvement II
is the results Of the variations in the
| wrong direction and carelessness 1r
selection to which we owe most of oul
Improbable COWS, commonly termed
boarders.
The various breeds were evolved
originally by taking the blood common
to the district in which they originated
and selecting superior animals fol
breeding purposes. AS time went or
the selections were made more rigit
until the animals commenced to take
on type, form and functions for which
they have become known and distin
gushcd by their breed names. Thi
excellence in the various lines ha