The Dickinson press., 1911-03-11
BUILDING u 4 DAIRY NERD.
" Order 10 Make Industry Probable
Low Producing Animal Must
Be Eliminated.
(By q. L.

(By q. Ii MARTINI
The popularity Of the dairy COW was
never keener in the northwest than at
the present time. This Is due some
what to the partial failure of the grain
srop the past year, together with the
prevailing high prices for dairy prod.
bets and the quick continuous returns
which this industry insures.
The average COW found on the farms
throughout the northwest is largely of
the scrub type. A great many Of these
have descended from the beef types
Of cattle that prevailed on the ranges
previous to the period of settlement.
As a result the common COW is not
we'll adapted to meet the needs under
the present conditions. Because Of
the high price Of feeds and labor the
COW that returns but 5000 or 5000
pounds Of milk per year is no longer
profitable, 80 the low producing COW
must be detected and eliminated in
order to make the dairy herd pro1ta.
bio.
For the average farmer it Is not ad-
visable to buy expensive pure-bred
cows. The fact that a COW Is pure
bred does not necessarily make her a
profitable animal. There are a great
many registered animals that are
worse than scrubs. Likewise thes1
ne many grade cows that are high
producers, SO the only reliable way ID
for each farmer to test his own cows
periodically or belong to a testing as
ISOLATION. This is the only practical
way to detect the "boarders" and raise
the standard Of the herd.
, The most economical and practical
way to build up a dairy herd is to start
Neh the common COWS and use a pure
bred sire Of some recognized dairy
breed. Where a farmer attempts to
build up a herd by purchasing pure.
pRsd so1s 10 usually finds it rather OK.
psnsavs and unsatisfactory. Every
breeder Of dairy cattle Is endeavortns
10 build up his herd by cutting out his
poorest COWS and keeping tho best
bnes az foundation for his herd. Often
whore attempts to purchase pure.
bred COWS he pays high prices for the
poorest animals upon the reputation
ustainsd by tho best Individuals in
he herd.
The most reliable way for tho aver
~ farmer to do IL to begin with the
COWS already on hand, Gull out the I'm.
profitable ones and keep the heifer
calves from the best ones an a founda.
ton for his herd. By using the milk
scales, tester and record book, 1t may
easily be determined the quantity Of
food each animal consumes, the
amount Of milk returned and a test
for the same. The profitable COW
quite often is not the best looking ami.
NAL, but the one that has the inherent
ability to utilize her food to the best
advantage and bring the largest re-
turns. The same thing holds true with
COWS as with other animals. Two race
horses may look exactly alike, eat the
same amount of food and receive like
care, but the only way to determine
which is the superior animal is by use
Of the stop watch. Results are what
count, whether it be or the race track
OF In the milk pail.
The Importance of using a good sire
cannot be over-estimated. It has been
said "the sire is half the herd" A
good n is even more, since the first
o. imparts to the offspring half the
characteristics Of the sire, the second
cross three-fourths, etc. The best au.
thorities on breeding agree that a sire
by virtue of having a long line Of
breeding back Of him will stamp his
characteristics more firmly upon the
offspring, heuce the advisability Of
having a pure-bred animal. Many good
herds are being built up in this way
all over the country, and quite often
the, grade cows prove to be. superior to
the pure-breds az profitable milk pro
ducers.
The principal drawback for most
farmers in Improving the dairy herd
is the lack of a record of what each
COW is doing. In too many herds cowd
are being kept at a loss without the
owner e suspecting it. The poor
COWS are eating up the profits of the
good ones, SO the herd as a whole ID
improbable. Cow test associations
r doing a grand work in many
states. Their chief advantage lies in
the supervisor being a trained mar
who comes into personal contact with
the COW owner and is able not only ia
instruct in selection, care and manage
ment of the dairy herd. but can bring
the people together in one common in.
terest, which,; after all. is the big thing
in all lines Of advancement. II there
Is any n thing above another thai
will aid in building up the dairy indus
try It 10 the detection Of the unproit
able cow. In short. It ID the applioa
ton Of business methods in farming.
Grazing Hogs.
+. M. Sumpter Of Sumner county,
Kansas, says he raises and markets
Aun~n Enn - Rnn tAno nwo~av n nm. ~