Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-13
~ G. ~. Richards, Professor Of AMI.
NAL Industry at Agricultural Col.

leos.
Agricultural Editor Tribune: Some
time ago you published In the Daily
and Weekly Tribune communication
from me and several others In an.
swer to some vital questions ia refer
ence to the beef and dairy industry in
this state. Because OF illness when
prepared my letter in answer to the
Enquiries under consideration, was
unable to write at sufficient length, |
fear, to make my position clearly un-
derstOod upon these inquiries, and for
this reason i beg you 10 permit me
space to explain more fully the posi-
ton l take on these propositions.
= nave before me the answers made
by the other parties to the questions
under consideration, but | have not
let them in any way influence my
views on these questions, because 1
have had we'll defined ideas on the
propositions involved for some time.
Reference to my letter which appear
cd with the others at the time the
answers to the inquiries were publish
ed, will indicate that advocated the
same general plans as am going to
give now, only explained more in de.
tail.
The Questions That Were Under Con.
sideratlon. .
The questions under consideration
involve two factors, which are very
vital to the success of any farmer who
intends to 90 into the raising of cat
tln in Nnrt1, nol,otn M III hot hot,
beef production or the production of
dairy products or combination Of
both is the most feasible under the
two conditions mentioned, and the
class of cattle which is best to use
for these purposes.
In order Tor the reader 70 get a
clear understanding of the questions
involved / n the discussion. which
have been published, l will give in
detail the first proposition that was
submitted for consideration, which
was as follows. -...F ID
Zone man owns half a section OF
good farming land and has asked me
as Agricultural Editor of the Tribune
to advise him. He has been think
ing of milking number of cows; he
had thought of buying Red Polls, and
then some of his neighbors thought
1t would be wise to buy good Hol-
stein sire and as many as he could
afford to buy of good Holstein heifers
and cows. This man has good farm,
has fairly good buildings. rather
large barn, an excellent we'll, and very
rich soil on the greater part of his
farm, but small part having gravelly
knobs and in one place some alkali
and a title gumbo, think. He is an
excellent farmer and would probably
be a good stOckman.
My advice to this man would be, in
case he wants to make specially OF
dairying, which understand is the
case, to purchase a good Holstein
sire and as many grade Holstein COWS
and heifers as he can afford. If he
now possesses some cows which ,ap-
proach the dairy type and they are
fair mixers, it might be advisable to
keep them rather than to 60 out and
pay a high price for grade H0lstein
cows. A good purebred Holstein sire
crossed upon rather inferior cows will
result in the production of surprising.
ly good milking heifers. The next
generation will be still better; until
heifers Of the 4th and 5th generation
will be practically as productive as
pure breds.
All the heifers produced cannot be
expected to come up to expectations.
In order to find the high producers a
record should be kept Of their produc-
ton by means OF weighing the milk
and the use of the Babcock test.
Those not meeting the desired stand.
ard of production should be sent to
the shambles. This practice if intel.
ligently followed will insure the own.
or that he has nothing but profit max.
ers in his herd, and and how much
profit each COW kept in the herd re-.
turns per year will depend upon how
high he places his standard when he
does his culling. ,ll..
Whether it would pay this man to
buy good grade HOlstein cows and
heifers at the start will depend large
ly upon how proficient he is in han.
ding a dairy herd. If he has not had
O. great deal of experience, 1t would
be a safer. proposition for him to ac-
quire his knowledge by mailing the
most of what he has on hand before
investing too much money. On the
other hand, If he is an experienced
dairyman it will pay him to start by
the purchase of good grade cows and
heifers if obtainable at a reasonable
price.
The second inquiry reads as fol
lows:
"Hnother is a man who owns two
sections which has been used mostly
for stock, raising, with enough grain
farming to feed the stock and onlyla
very little for the market. Through
this farm runs small creek giving
an abundance OF water, and a number
Of springs are on the land along and
near the creek. Some OF this land IS
4 light loan mixed with sand, warm
and moderately rich soil-excellent
corn land There is quite little
rough land on these two sections. Be.
tween the hills are c6ulees producing
excellent grass. The upland txat -
level Is good average farming land.