American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-05-09
(By j. II.

(By j.. II.
It is certainly true in dairying as in
any other business that ones success
In a large measure is gagged by his
love and interest of the business.
1t Is generally a conceded fact that
dairying yields a larger profit than
can be expected from any other
branch of farming. A good cow will
annually yield not much less than 800
pounds of butter which at 2S cents a
pound is worth $84. Adding to this
the value of 5000 pounds of skim
milk at 20 cents per 100 pounds, and
ten dollars, which ought to be a fair
value for the calf, we would nave a
total of $106. Allowing $50 as a fair
allowance for feed consumed, we still
have $50 as a profit to pay for the
labor and interest on the investment.
However, in addition to this direct
profit, we must not fail to lay stress
on the Importance of dairying as q
means of retaining the fertility of the
soil. BY feeding the raw materials of
the farm to the dairy cows, We are
not only manufacturing high-priced
products but we are retaining upon
the farm almost the entire amount of
fertilizing material taken from the
soil by the growing crops.
BY selling only cream, or butter,
fully 95 per cent of the fertilizing
material contained in the feed is re-
tanned on the farm. One ton of oats
takes from the soil as much fertility
as Al tons Of cream AS much fertil-
ity would be taken from the soil in
$26 worth Of wheat as In $500 worth
of cream.
BY dairying only about s per cent
of fertility is taken from the soil, the
balance of the finished product being
made by plant life from water, air,
and sunshine. and as a result, dairy
farms in Europe have succeeded in
maintaining their soil fertility for
more than 1000 years. while some of
IL grain farms have been almost ex-
hausted in so years.
II one would be successful in the
dairy business he must necessarily
start with such cows as will give a
good foundation stock and from which
he can gradually build up a herd. To
expect to build up a dairy herd from
animals suited especially for making
beef Is beginning the business with a
serious handicap.
A comparison of the beef and dairy |
types of animal is perhaps the most
effective way of showing what are the
distinct dairy characteristics. The
beef breeds are blocky in form. are
heavy and sluggish. while the dairy |
animal is spare and angular and re-
fined with a soft and pliable hide we'll
covered with smooth. soft hair. The
head is lean and a little longer than
that of the beef type. The neck is
long and lean. joining to the body
rather abruptly, The wlthers are
sharp, with the spinal column promi-
and the barrel long and capac-
ious, Indicating good feeding capacity.
The ribs are sprung down and out
ward and wide spaced, the heart and
loin girth large and the tail fine with
u heaVy switch. The form of the
dairy COW is frequently spoken of as
the triple wedge" form. First, she
SHOWS. Increased depth. of body to-
wards the rear when viewed from one
SIDE. Secondly, she widens gradually
rom the breast to the points of the
hips. Thirdly, looking down on the
PACK the form widens gradually down
ward like a wedge. The udder is well
developed and evenly quartered: is
'oft and pliable but not flabby when
'mptfed. The milk veins are large
tortuous and enter the abdominal
vail in two or more large milk wells.
me dairy type can be found in
many OF the breeds, but most charac-
in the distinct dairy
'reeds. BY the dairy breeds are /;
meant those that have become most i
loted for uniformly conforming to the
rue dairy type. They are Holsteins. ,
erseys, Gutrnseys and Ayrshires. I