The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-06
OA|RY|NG IN THE SOUTH.
BETTER COWS-MORE HOME.
GROWN FEED-A BETTER
PRODUCT.
The Three Main Points that Every
Southern Dairyman Should Bear in
Mind-Work of the Department of
Agriculture. =


Mind-Work of the Department of
Agriculture. T..
A. d. Melvin; Chief of Bureau of
Animal Industry, U. S., Department
Of Agriculture.
Gratifying results are already ap-
parent from the work of the United
States Department Of Agriculture in
cooperation with State authorities
for the development of the dairy tn
dustry in the South. This work has
been In progress three years under
special appropriations made by Con-
gress. The Dairy Division of the
Bureau Of Animal Industry has paved
the way to better conditions by the
introduction OF more practical meth
DDS In the management Of dairy
herds. A. valuable feature of the
work is the keeping of systematic re-
cords which enable the dairyman to
determine which cows are profitable
and which Improbable and to elimi-
nate the latter from the herd. Within
two months after the testing is begun
with a herd the owner usually begins
to call out the poorest cows. and the
next step Of the progressive dairy
man is to procure a purebred bull.
The Government work. under the
supervision OF B. H. Rawl, has been
In the main a personal effort among
the farmers with view to instruct
ing them in better methods. The
Southern farmers have not been slow
to adopt improved methods when the
advantage is demonstrated The idea
that dairy cows do not produce we'll
in the South is incorrect. Success
there. as elsewhere, depends on the
quality OF the cattle and the methods
Of handling them. The South offers
a good field for profitable dairying.
and how to develop the industry is
the problem on which the Depart
ment Of Agriculture is working. A
careful survey has been made to de-
termine the conditions and needs.
The creamery butter production of
the South is inadequate. due to the
small number Of creameries. although
during the past two years several new
ones have been established. The pro-
duct Of the Southern creamery COM
pares favorably with the Northern
or Western products. but shortage
In the milk supply necessarily limits
the number Of creameries, with the
result that large quantities Of print
butter are shipped into the South
from Northern and Western points.
The farm dairy butter varies in
quality. Some OF the better equipped
dairies produce an article almost
equal to creamery butter. The country
butter is Of quite a different grade.
Much of it soon becomes rancid. as a
result Of not having been properly
washed when 1t was churned, and has
to be shipped to the renovating fac
tories.
Less than per cent Of the cheese
consumed in the South is produced
locally. In SO cities in 13 Southern
States and quantity handled annually
amounts to approximately $4,000. 900
pounds. The per capita consumption
is large, especially among the labor
ng classes, who largely depend for
their MONDAY meal on crackers and
cheese; yet practically no whole
milk cheese OF the Cheddar type is
manufactured in the South. A few
small factories in South Carolina,
Virginia. and West Virginia constitute
the source of local output. 1t would
seem, In view of this condition, that
the South presents an attractive field
for the manufacture Of" cheese. Be-
fore a cheese factory could be op-
Grated successfully, however, an ad-
equate supply of milk would have
to be assured.
The consumption Of cream in the
South Is small, due to the scarcity Of
fresh cream rather than to lack Of
demand. The quality is variable,
some being equal only to rich milk
The result is that unsweetened con-