The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-05

Dairy Commissioner Flint OF the
North Dakota Department OF Agricul-
ture, has addressed a communication
to the state board of control In this
memorial he has set out clearly some
needs Of reform and improvements
along lines which the public will at
once recognize after attention is once
directed to them.
Commissioner Flint shows the pos
sibilities of placing dairy stock on the
experimental farms of the state. From
economic standpoints it Is shown that
the state cannot afford to lose so ex-
cellent an opportunity to make her
experimental farms, at least, self
supporting. That they are not; ac-
mentary to them nor the state.
The communication follows:
Board of Control of State Institutions,
Bismarck. N. ID
Gentlemen:-A writer, well posted
on agricultural conditions Of the
United States and other coun1rieO,
says sin no branch of agriculture IL
the United States so backward as in
it's livestock interests" If this is
true of our nation as whole. is 1T
not probable that it applies. in
greater degree, to our comparatively
young state?
We have ub-experimental stations
located at Edgeley. Hettinger, Dick
ingson, Williston and Langdon. AS
late as last March the sum total 0f
cattle kept at these stations, as re-
ported to me by the superintendent,
was seven COWS and one yeariing
One station had none. Nearly all OF
the superintendent stated when writ
ing that they thought livestock
should enter into the experimental
and demonstration work, SO that in
fer the lack OF stock Is not their
fault. am also informed by MEM
Der of the state auditing board that
bills for butter and eggs occasionally
come In from sub-stations. Dean
Shepperd writes me that "the govern
ment does not sanction the carrying
on. at our agricultural college. the
class Of trials we need the worst mt
their expense, particularly out of the
fund which is known as the Adams
act" They have, however, some
seventy Ave head of cattle of various
breeds and breeding kept particularly
70 dSSlSb III tSaSAAAS AFCSSoSh SUI
jects.
You can readily see, from the above
that the influence that radiates from
the institutions which, to-, my mind.
should demonstrate and promote the
livestock industry 10 not all that II
should be. In vieW of the fact that
you have under your supervision sew
eTal state Institutions where livestock
are kept in greater or less numbers
for the purpose Of providing milk and
cream for potable use, would II not
be a profitable business proposition
to plan to either keep one breed OF
cattle at all of the institutions, or
divide them un into divisions and
maintain different breeds at the insti-
tutions of the different divisions.
MY idea would be to procure, IL
you have not now. well-bred sires with
good performance records on the parts
Of the dams and aires, and place one
at the head OF each institution herd
bull could be kept for two years
at a place and then transferred to
another. In this way q saving in
expense might be made; besides, IL
an unusually good sire was secured,
his merits might be known and be
preserved for hts fullest possible say
Ice. BY introducing few pure bred
COWS. pure bred herd could, In a.
few years. be obtained at each OF
these institutions
In connection with this development
| believe II would be profitable for
the state dairy department TO co.
operate with you In securing records
OF the individual cows In the herds.
such as the amount of milk produced,
Its butterfat content and the cost Of
the production In feed. as wei as =
record Of the concentrates and rough
age feed. With records OF dam d
well formed individual and pedigree
to back him. young bulls ought to-
meet with favor among our farmers
ard bring TO the state profitable, di~
rect returns. to say nothing Of indi-
rect ones. Later On when herds were
sufficiently large, females might be-
sold.
with some such arrangement Of