Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-21
ESTA BLLSHING A DAIRY HERD
P1RT II
PART II

In establishing herd, the writer
would not hesitate to use the founda-
ton stock in the vicinity of the place
where the operations are to be COM
menced. BY means of the Babcock test
the undesirable animals can be quickly
eliminated, and If a good bull IS placed
at the head of the herd, Il will be COM
paratively short time until large num-
Der or dairy heifers out of the choicest
cows are available for use in the herd.
The difficult in establishing a herd is
not as great as has been painted, pro-
vided the owner goes about 1t in an in
telligent manner and gives the business
his personal attention. He should be
fairly good Judge of animals with
knowledge he may have acquired through
long years of experience or through the
courses of instruction Offered in our
colleges of agriculture.
Where one can secure good founda-
ton stock at a cost of $50 to $40 per
individual COW, the net earnings OF
which where milk is sold should amount
to 500, the investment required to es-
tabhshed the business will not be ex-
cessive. and it is within the reach or
many who are now seeking opportuni-
ties along animal husbandry lines. 1t
is not necessary TO have 80 or SO ami
mails to start with. The man who has
had comparatively little experience viii
make serious mistake by undertaking
to launch his operations on too large a
scale Ten, Is or 20 COWS will be an
ample number TO start with. OF course,
a sanitary barn must be provided, and a
good sio. This is one of the chief items
of expense, though the construction of
barn to meet the needs of a mild eli
mate lessons the cost very materially.
The outfit required for the handling OF
M - .4 I.tfF axs fc
neither expensive nor difficult to keep
! in repair Any one desiring to engage
! in the dairy business can now secure
information as to how to build suitable
barns and silos without cost through
any of the agricultural colleges, and adj
vice and suggestions will also be fur
nished as to the equipment needed and
the best plan of organization to follow:
AS to the form of dairying which shall
be practiced that depends good deal on
the location. The largest profit will be
made from the direct sale of whole milk.
To do lnis economically the dairy should
be located as close a. possible to a
good consuming center Where the farm
/ is located some distance from town
or city butter making should be prac-
ticed. There are thousands Of springs
/ in the Piedmont section particularly
which viii provide an ample supply of
cool, pure water for use on the farm
and in the dairy, thus limiting the use
of ice which is an important considera-
ton
DAIRY BREEDING
A third form of dairy industry may be
practiced with great advantage in the
south at the present time and tnat is
the breeding of dairy animals.The CEN
sus reveals the fact that southern cities
have grown enormously in the past dec
ade Their growth will be even more
/ surprising in the next ten years all
agree who are familiar with the tre-
mendous development of Industrial OPP
erations now in progress in the south
This means that as the years go by an
increased number of dairies will be con-
conferred in the vicinity of towns and
cities and land, values will rise TO such
an extent that the dairyman will find
it more profitable to purchase many OF
the COWS used in his herd rather than
breed them himself Without further
concentration than now exists there is
demand for thousands upon thousands
of good dairy cows for family use in
towns and cities, and for supply tile
needs of the dairies already existing
With much cheap land still available
which in period of two or three years
may be completely sodded i'm Bermuda
grass, and which is naturally we'll wa
ted by living springs, the finest oppor-
tunities imaginable are offered for the
breeding of dairy animals. Tt is true
that the dams will need to be milked
and cared for and butter manufactured
but instead of increasing the herd from
year to year, the plan would be to sell
the surplus. Good dairy heifers al
\ two to two and a half years will bring
from $50 TO 500 apiece and the only eff
\ fort required on the part of the owner
would be to see that they are protected
from ticks, if the land is not already
free from this pest, supplied with wa
| ter and grass in the summer and with
silage and a little grain in the winter
In many sections where this plan is fol
Il lowed, vetch and burr clover on other
area sown on the Bermuda sod, anc
4 rye, barley, oats and vetch Of other areas
in the early summer, and thus pasturage
i secured practically all the year round.
/ Where milk is produced for sale it will
be better to have a silo. as silage coupled
with cotton seed meal and a small guam
tity OF dry roughness will produce an
ideal ration for the winter season. Those
who desire to use some concentrate in
combination with cotton seed meal will
find, If proper rotation is instituted
on their farms, that they can produce