The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-07-14
Scrub Cows Don't Pay.


If any of the great throng of farm
ers who are blindly adhering to scrub
COW breeding were asked why ne does
not keep pure breds he would reply
that 1t cost too much to start, and
that the purchase of a new bull every
two years would eat up a good share
OF the profits. Here are two fallacies
that require some attention. There
are many farmers who will not allow
themselves to think beyond the first
cost of pair of registered calves.
They can not see" S100 in a heifer
calf, and wonder how any one can be
so foolish as to throw away" so
much money on a calf that the butch
er would think dear at $40. But the
buyer of such a calf is not viewing
| the question from the butchers stand
point. He does not propose to make
meat of a registered heifer, but he
| looks ahead to the time when he will
| have whole herd of registered
COWS, any one of which will be worth
more than double as much as the
scrub, whether for dairy purposes or
to sell.
This question of beginning right Is
very important one in all walks of
life, but especially to the breeder of
live stock, as the increase in the herd
soon grows by leaps and bannds and
the frst outlay is as nothing compared
to It The Increased returns in the not
distant future. The writer knows a
dairy farmer who figured out a dead
loss from scrub cows-practical ex-
perience and no guess work. He
made a study of the official butter
records of the different dairy breeds,
and on the strength of that knowl-
edge he invested 500 in three heif-
ers that were closely related to the
best COWS of the breed, and that aver
aged less than thirteen months old.
That was less than five years ago, and
he now has nice little herd of pure
bred cows. His cream checks are
opening the eyes of his neighbors,
and he has sold more than $500
worth Of registered stock at prices
very much lower than ne paid to get
his start. He is booking orders for
heifer calves before they are born at
SIS each, and future prospects are
bright for nice profits from cream and
calves.
He reminds his friends that the
man who pays $50 for an ideal ear
OF corn is not expecting to feed it to
the pigs, but that he coolly computes
its worth as a breeder of high-class
corn. and he is far-sighted enough to
see its influence on future crops.
Doubtless there are many farmers
| who take a similar view of the grain
and live stock problem. They are
thoroughly convinced that it pays to
have the best, but they are Just too
timid to make the start. They may
be brave soldiers, they may be heroes
In many places Of danger; but they
have yet to learn that there Is such a
thing as cool, business bravery
There are places for brave men be.
sides upon battle fields. This is not
a plea for the reckless expenditure OF
money with ones eyes shut, but for 9
judicious expenditure after carefully
considering the probable returns, not
within six months but within a rea.
sonable time.
Regarding the outlay for bulls
there are some wrong views enter.
tanned. 1t is not always necessary tc
buy a new one every two years. II
he Is of good vitality and free from
undesirable qualities, his choice
heifers may be bred back to him with
no fear OF bad results. When the
time comes to dispose of him, he will
bring enough from the butcher, Il
in proper condition, to pay for a bull
calf; SO that the total cost OF bull.
may be figured in advance to the
price paid for the first one plus tht
cost OF feed thereafter. This may
be reduced by the service fees from
the neighbors who are willing to pa,
for the use OF a good bull.
This cost OF bulls may be alto
, gether eliminated by breeding to ,
neighbor's bull IL there should be on,
of the right breed and valu,
, within convenient reach. Communit,
, breeding, that is, all the people II
one region deciding upon one breed
i will very materially lessen expenses
but this is too large a problem to con
: slider here.-W. II. Underwood, In tt,
I. Indiana Farmer.