The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-02-02
HELP DAIRY INDUSTRY
Special Efforts Making to I'M
prove Southern Conditions.
Products Now Obtained From Farms
In South Do Not Begin to Supply
Needs Of Immediate Vicinity
Gull Out Poor Cows.

The department OF agriculture, by
direction of Secretary Wilson, Is
making special efforts 10 improve the
dairy industry in the south. There
is great need In the south. as well as
In other sections of the country said
Secretary Wilson. for an increased
production of dairy products, and the
department through its dairy experts
is trying to bring this about.
"In the first place, 1t Is needtui
that the farmers in the south should
produce a larger amount Of milk, be
cause the milk and other dairy prod
ucts now obtained from southern
farms do not begin to supply the
needs of the immediate vicinity. The
consuming public needs more milk,
and the farmer needs to know how to
make money by supplying It at a rea-
sonable rate. Hence both more dairy
men are needed, and a fuller knowl'
edge Of modern methods Of dairying.
"One Of the things most urgently
necessary is to increase the average
production OF milk per COW, by Gull
Ing ont the COWS whose yielding abil.
fly is small-which take up stable
room, feed and the farmers labor
without giving an adequate return
therefor. The only reliable way to
distinguish between cow that are
good al the milk pail and those that
are not is to keep records of their
actual performance. This practice
the department Is bending every Ell
fort to get the farmers to take up.
and these efforts are meeting with a
gratifying success.
THE field man Of the department
goes into a locality, talks to the
farmers, and finds. one or two men
who will carry on herd record work.
He shows them how, and helps them
in testing the milk and In working up
the records, until they are able to
do these things for themselves; thus
helping them to weed out their poor
COWS and make a better profit out OF
the remainder Of the herd.
THE records furnish needful infor-
nation about the work Of the farm
in other respects as we'll, such as the
feed consumed by each COW, and the
cost of feed. The field man gives In
struction In feeding problems, show
ing how the same or a larger quaint
ty OF milk can be obtained from
cheaper rations; and gives sugges-
lions in the selection of feeding
stuffs. The dairyman is encouraged
to grow more roughage for his cattle,
such as corn for silage, leguminous
hay and soiling crops.
1.-THE aim Of this work Is to get one
or two we'll conducted diaries In each
one Of a large number Of communi-
ties, in the expectation that a large
number of men IN each community
will pattern after the work of the
one cooperating with the depart
ment; or In other words, to use the
one or two men as pivots. A good
case Of this kind is shown in a Ger.
tain locality In North Carolina. About
four years ago a field man began
with two dairymen keeping records.
One Of these herds was an eXcep-
tionally good herd; the other had a
large number Of poor individuals.
These poor cows were weeded out,
while better ones were bought, and
the profits were materially increased.
Since that time about a dozen men
have taken up record work, and a
large number Of pure bred cattle
have been purchased. Nearly a dozen
silos have been built In this one To-
cality, and several new barns and
dairy houses have been erected, and
as many more remodeled. The gen.
eral interest in dairying has so In
creased that at the present time a
small creamery Is running successful
ly in this locality-so much milk is
produced. After three years OF this
work a three days short course In
dairy instruction was held, at which
30 people attended, taking part In the
of milk. the making of butter, !
and the judging Of cattle. while o
number Of lectures were given on the
and feeding Of dairy animals.
Another way the field men aid the
tairyman is In the selection of dairy
machinery, with which be can make
better grade of butter. A great deal
Of what butter is made In the south
IS made in such a primitive way that
t is mottled and sour. and does not
the demand; hence large
amounts of butter have to be brought
n from northern states.
instruction has been given to dairy
in regard to keeping their