Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-10
GEORGIA DAIRY STATISTICS


/ Der OF our farmers still persist in fol
lowing the old southern plan, possibly
introduced from Africa. of allowing
the calf 10 suck the COW. The IN
crease in the production Of cotton
seed meal and hulls furnishing cheap
feed for milch cows has contributed
TO the advancement of dairying IN
Georgia: -. ''- - III
Sixth. The higher prices OF dairy
products prevailing during the recent
years have also caused more attention
to be paid to dairying.
Seventh. a better appreciation Of
the essential value Of stable manure
for Georgia soil low in humus and
means for supplying this deficiency Is
responsible to some extent for our
Improvement in dairying in, Georgia.
The larger portion of the milk pro-
duced I'm Georgia is consumed on tneI
farms and we have no creameries,
cheese factories or condeRsers which
would facilitate the collection, of. data
milk. Nevertheless. there are abun-
dant evidences Of healthy growth ia
the dairy industry. though not to The
extent that makes US Independent Of
the northern dairymen and cleo pro-
ducers whose inferior products insid-
uously displace much good wholesome
butter on Georgia tables. That dairy
ing has not made greater progress
within the state is doubtless due to
our credit system of farming where
both owners of the land. and tenants
too frequently live from hand to
mouth. buying supplies on long cred
its and ruinous terms on the UNDER
standing that they shall raise cotton
which they pledge TO. meet these OBJ
legations. Real Improvement and
rapid improvement IN dairy conditions
viii be evidenced just as soon as we
can break away from the Anticipated
cotton crop mortgage system;
The process Of cutting up ole, south
ern plantations first worked BY slave
labor. is still going on Farmers Who
live on their own farms, finance their
own crops. own their own herds, are
building up the waste places and are
making progress in many lines OF
which -dairying is one of the princi-
pal. During the last census period
there was an increase Of 1915 per cent
in the number Of farms in Georgia,
while the population increased. but
III per cent during this same period.
The average size of the Georgia farm
decreased from 11E5 acres 10 $40
acres. The greater part of these
small farms are the so-called zone
horse farms on each of which one
good COW should be kept for family
use. The profitable dairy farm will
be the farm containing more work
stock so that the better class of till
age implements may be used ana
where the work is done by the OWL
ers' own families with a MINIMUM
amount Of hired labor. On a farm, nf
this class located convenient t.
schools and markets, the children can
get the benefit Of the school and al
the same time help with the milking
and other work to be done on a dairy
farm. While Sthe dairy products can
eb conveniently and profitabfy sold
there are few large diaries in the
State that are making money. The la
Dor problem on these large farms Is
a serious one, and there is a tenden-
cy in the owners after making THEN
land rich. by means OF dairying, to sell
off their herds and go into other busi-
ness on account of the difficulty OF
getting reliable labor.
It is 4 question which has been the
most profitable line of dairying carried
on in the state. At first sight il swould
seem that in selling milk at % cents per
gallon wholesale as compared with SELL
ing butter. at 3 cents per, pound the adj
vantage would be overwhelmingly on the
side of the dairyman selling milk; but
from my actual knowledge in the pre-
vailing conditions I believe that the pro-
ducers who have been carefully handling
the milk at home and making and selling
good butter and at the same time have
been improving their herds who have been
feeding largely on homegrown feeds are
doing this on originally cheap land have
been making greater material progress
than the dairyman who. has. been. selling
milk. Bottled milk usually retails for
10 cents per quart and there are excep-
tional individuals who have prospered in
the retail milk business. 1 cannot say
that the average dairyman engaged in
this business has made much money.
In most cases he is making twice a day
delivery. is feeding his herd almost en-
tirely on purchased feeds, largely cotton
seed hulls and meal, he raises no calves,
milks at midnight and midday or a little
later, takes little or no care Of the ma
nure and apparently finds difficulty in
making both ends meet. Cream testing
20 per cent fat Is sold in the state for
800 per gallon and upwards. JFhiss
seems at present to be the most profitable
method of marketing the products of the
dairy though the business might easily
be overdone.
The particulars that we shall soon have
from 1910 census will throw more light
on some features Of the dairy industry
though from facts already at hand we
gather that conditions are slowly improv-
ing. Every Indication points to the fact
that improvement win be more marked
in the future and that those who are
handling dairy COWS in Georgia will have
no cause for complaint.
DESTROYING MARBLE FLIES IN
- CATTLE.
G. L l. Bishop Ga writes: I have
a COW about four years old that has a
few waps on her back. and would like
TO know how TO destroy thems
We cannot gather from your letter
.-s..a-- -. -. - - -. -