The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-29

n little potash you can grow the
finest of corn" He then spoke of
the value of alfalfa. The herds of
Minnesota would average 1870 pounds
of fat more per year If they grew
alfalfa instead Of timothy hay, which
is the poorest food to get milk from.
You might fool the city fellow and
sell him timothy hay but not the
old COW; she won't respond with
timothy and ensilage the way she
does from alfalfa and ensilage.
Although l am loyal to my home
state, Illinois, / must admit that
one acre of grass there can only
keep a cow seventy-eight days.
don't believe that the price of land
is high enough to do away entirely
with pasture land. The farmer
should study the kind Of crops that
yield the most nutritious food, and
at the same time give the soil back
what it ought to get"
Mr.. Glover was loudly applauded
when he concluded, whereupon the
open discussion began.
The Open Discussion.
Mr.. Glover said that he did not
grow his own alfalfa seed but
bought good northern grown seed.
He meant by northern grown seed,
that which comes from Montana,
North and South Dakota.
Dr. NJ. b. Wood gave few OF
his experiences with alfalfa and hog
raising and w. NJ. Strader also gave
some of his experiences in growing
alfalfa Oh his farm in Nicollet coun'
ty. He advised against a nurse
crop. DR.. Wood explained then that
Mr.. Strader's experience was some
what different from most farmers
here as he came to Nicollet county
few years ago and bought a new
farm growing alfalfa on virgin land
that had just been cut from wood.
On being questioned. Mr.. Glover
explained that bottom land was not
especially well adapted to the grow.
ing of alfalfa unless it was drained.
The afternoon session closed af,
ter several most interesting talks
and discussions had been given.
Showing the Slides.
At the session held last night at
the Elks' hall, most of the evening
of lantern slides of COWS who have
made records. DR.. NJ. B. Wood had
charge of the slide protector and
while the pictures were being shown,
described the animals, the breed, and
their records. Out Of series of four
COWS of each breed shown, DR.. Wood
requested the farmers present to
guess from the mere pictures shown,
which COW had the highest record
OF course many Of the answers were
wrong, but it showed some interest.
ing phases as to what an ideal dairy
COW should be.
The first series shown was that of
Guernsey COWS. Out of the four
shown, the COW with the highest rec.
ord was owned and bred by Mr..
Richardson near Garden City. This
COW produced 1000 pounds of but
ter in one year and the price Of
fered for her, would be enough to
make any person leave the pleas
ures of the city for the quiet and
profit of the farm.
Dr. Wood then showed four Hol
stein cattle and of these the cham
pion COW produced 25,S13 pounds OF
milk and was owned by the Steph.
ems brothers in the Syracuse district
Following this came the pictures OF
four Jerseys, and then four Guern
seys. The latter breed was discuss
ed at some length, after which the
AYRSHIRE breed received the atten
ton of the farmers present. 1t was
stated that this is. a very good
variety of cattle, but they never
reached the yields of most of the
other dairy breeds. They were high
strung and high tempered cattle
some of them having such ability. tc
kick that they would put a mule tc
shame.
Cow Testing Associations.
DIR. Wood explained the Red Dan
ish COW, and how the Danes formed
cow testing associations and thus
eliminated the poor COWS. By SO do
ing they doubled their earnings, YET
they have not the high class breeds
that are found III this country, al
though they are importing large
number of Holsteins.
From this subject, the interest
was then changed to a discussion OF
the methods of the Minnesota Elk
pertinent station, with its merits and
dement's. Mr.. Scribuer was then
called upon for short talk.
Mr.. Scribner is probably one OF
the biggest raisers of pure bred and
high grade Jersey cows in the coun
try. He has gained n reputation to
this extent, as he sent the best COW
TO the Worlds Fair at ST. Louis
winning first prize for a Jersey. He
has shipped cattle to almost every
point in the United States and eX.
ported as far as New Zealand and
South Africa. Thus he is thorough.
ly versed I'm his subject.
When. asked if there were any
cow testing associations in his neigh.
borhood near Rosendale, Wis.,, he
stated that they bad none there for
fhere were so MANY good breeders