The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-16

Inc IOllOWiHB dFllCl6 On IHS NEW
Salem Breeding circuit appeared in
the Jan. is issue of The Breeders
Gazette:
The North Dakota Holstein Breeders
association is composed Of fifteen
farmers in Morton county who are
raising Holstein cattle in cooperation
with the North Dakota experiment
station and the United States depart
ment Of agriculture. The department
Of agriculture is interested in this
line of work because when breeding
large Members there is a chance Of de-
veloping some new type that may be
better adapted to conditions in this
country than those already existing.
The plan was developed by w. NJ.
Hays, assistant secretary of agricul-
ture The North Dakota experiment
station is interested from the stand
point of improving dairy conditions in
the state. This gives a chance for
demonstrating what can be done. The
farmers are interested from the fact
that it gives them an opportunity
for improving their dairying industry
by having the services of an expert
in their community.
The members of the circuit have
an organization with a president and
full set OF officers. The president
with a representative Of the expert
ment station and one of the depart
ment of agriculture form the council
who have general charge of the work
of the circuit. buying and selling cat
tie and outlining the policy to be fol-
| lowed. The experiment station and
the department Of agriculture CO.
operate in maintaining a field superin-
tendent. Holsteins were selected as
| the best breed suited to this section.
A few Of the farmers were already
breeding them and others were shipped
in. There are now eighty-five pure
bred IN the circuit. They have also
crossed them on the native cattle un-
til they have been bred so that many
cannot be distinguished from the pure
breds.
Fortunate in superintendent.
The circuit has been fortunate in
| the selection of u. L. Downey as field
superintendent. He is an agricultural
college graduate and has been excep-
| tionally successful in applying his
scientific knowledge to the conditions
existing on the various farms, 50 that
he has the complete confidence of the
members Of the circuit. His visits
are looked forward to with pleasure.
! Mr. Downey visits each farm at least
| once a month, spending a whole day at
| the farm He weighs the feed and
checks up on the feeding and care for
the month. He weighs the milk and
tests it as well as the composite sam
pie that has been taken during the
month. He transfers the records of
the cows from the farmers daily rec
ord to his monthly record and makes
any suggestions that may occur to
him. This Is a fine school for the
farmer. Here he can ask questions
and get lessons in the midst Of his
work
AS result OF the work much more
interest is being taken in reading.
Nearly every family is now taking
daily papers, and all are taking one
or more agricultural papers. They are
| interested in silos and several will be
built next summer. A fine quality of
milk and cream is being produced,
so that in the butter scoring contests
the butter made from breeding cir
cult cream has taken the highest
prizes. Monthly prizes are offered by
the merchants, IS for the COW pro-
ducing the largest amount Of butter
fat and SO for the heifer that has
the highest production. This has de-
veloped wholesome rivalry and pride.
Barns Kept Whitewashsd.
The barns are whitewashed at least
twice a year. Mr.. Downey suggested
getting a machine for doing the work;
some at first objected, but when they
saw how nicely 1t worked they all
wanted to have it. The records kept
are quite complete. taking into ac-
count the food consumed and cost so
the cost OF production can be figured
out. The record for Sally DeKol
Ormsby, for instance, for August. 1910,
as as follows: Pounds of milk 1.519h,
average test per cent, pounds Of but
ter fat GOT, price OF butter fat 80 cents,
value $19.42. Feed Goats and bran)
consumed 24s pounds, worth s2.72, and
pasture at $1.00; total cost for food
1912, profit $3.50. Cost of produc-
ing 100 pounds of milk was rs cents
and Of one pounds OF butter fat cents.
| This COW gave return of $5.22 for
each dollars worth OF feed consumed.
Countess Elgin Belle Pet has the
record for March, 1910: Pounds of
milk 1858, per cent of butter fat Az,
| pounds Of butter fat 52.6, price Of but
ter fat 401z cents, value of butter fat
$3.50. She was fed 800 pounds of mil
let. 300 pounds of prairie hay and 24S
pounds Of corn stover, total cost of
roughage s210 She also had 240
pounds OF oats and bran worth 1884,
total cost OF feed $474 profit 1855.
The cost OF producing 100 pounds Of
milk was 81 cents. and pound Of
butter fat cents. The return for
each dollars worth OF feed was $4.4S.
Some Of the poorer cows returned but
$164 for each dollars worth OF feed.
These were native cows.
An Air of Prosperity.
| Morton county is not in the best