The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1910-08-26
foPULARlzlNG BEEF INDUSTRY
FOR SMALL GEORGIA FARMERS


we are pleased to note your edi-
.orlai IN regard to the cattle-breeding
INDUSTRY IN Georgia, and particularly
Tue reference to cooperative owner
sup OF sires, writes Milton p. Jarna-
gin, Animal Husbandman, University
Oh Georgia, Athens, Ca, in The Con-
stltutlon. We have been advocating
thls policy for the past two and one
nalf years before the State Dairy and
Live Stock Breeders Association. two
meeting of the Cotton Seed Crushers'
association, and in many farmers in
stltutes in various sections of the
state. Your Endorsement of this poll
cy should go long way towards pop
ularizing 1t and bringing it to the at
tention of many farmers in different
sections of the State, whom we have
not yet reached. The plan, as we out
lined it briefly, is this:
We go into a community. hold a
meeting to arouse enthusiasm, and
discuss the Importance of live stock
breeding, and where we can find own
ers OF forty cows who are willing to
entertain such a proposition, organ
lie club and get them all to agree
on the breed of cattle which would
likely prove most profitable under the
specific conditions. 1t is essential
that there should be concerted action
in choosing the breed for obvious rea-
sons, which will be discussed later.
This is not always an easy task. Per-
sonal likes and dislikes do and should
govern in this matter, but since there
is such similarity in characteristics
in all of the breeds belonging to the
beef type, If there is any feeling of
cooperation the minority are usually
willing to be governed by the desires
of the majority and decision is thus
reached.
After the first club is organized we
go to the next community and per-
suade the owners of forty cows to or
ganize similar club, and so on with
a third community. This group of
three clubs representing 120 which
are to be bred to, say a Hereford
bull, if it is beef-producing centre,
or Jersey bull, if it is dairy-produc-
ing section, gives desirable number
of animals for a satisfactory begin
ming.
A constitution and bylaws is
adopted and officers duly elected. 1t
is the purpose of these organizations
to raise funds for purchasing and
maintaining the sires. The college
finds the place where three sires, de-
sirable as to pedigree and individual
ity, can be secured and the prices that
prefer the local societies to make the
final negotiations and purchase the
animals. After these sires are placed
in the various communities it will be
necessary to choose or designate one
man in each for keeping the bull,
and it will be best for him to be as
centrally located as possible. Fur
thermore, he should be compensated
for his trouble and expense necessar-
lily incurred.
The bylaws provide for each man
to sign an agreement to mate GER
tain number of cows with the bull
each year, and furthermore, it has
been found more satisfactory for the
to agree to pay a service
fee of 81 and charge non-members
81. These fees go into sinking
fund for defraying expenses, and by
the time it is necessary to purchase a
new sire they will have amounted to
a sufficiency SO that it will not be
necessary to make any more assess
ments.
The imperative reason for organ
zing three such localities at one time
and purchasing three sires is because
at the end of two years it will be
necessary to change sires in order to
prevent in-breeding. Past experience
has shown that after a meritorious
sire has been used in herd until q
arge number of his daughters have
,ome into profit and it is no longer
advisable to continue him at the head |
Il the herd, in most instances 1t Is eX-
,eedingly difficult to make satisfac-
ory sale of him, so that each year
nany tried sires, with rent-paying,
profit producing daughters meet an
end on the butchers
flock. This point is frequently
cached by the time the bull is not
more than five years old, whereas
With proper care he could be counted
N to do good service in improving
vher herds for from five to seven
ears more.
At the end of the first two years
he bull in group No. l Is transferred
0 group No. 2, the bull in group NO:
10 transferred to group No. 3, and
=, ,.o,n No 2 comes to group