Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-04-18
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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 300
pounds of butter which at 2S cents
pound is worth sS4. Adding to this
the value OF 5000 pounds Of skim
milk at 20 cents per 100 pounds, and
ten dollars, which ought to be fair
value for the calf, we would have n
total Of $106. Allowing $50 az a fair
allowance for feed consumed, we still
have $50 as 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 a
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 butterS
| fully 95 per cent of the fertlllzing
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 1890 worth
OF cream.
BY dairying only about 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 result, dairy
farms in Europe have succeeded in
maintaining their soil fertility for
more than 1000 years. while some OF
our 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 @
good foundation stock and from which
he can gradually build up a herd. Tt
expect to build up a dairy herd from
animals suited especially for making
beef is beginning the business with {
serious handicap.
A comparison of the beef and dairy
types of animal is perhaps the mos
effective way Of showing what are the
distinct dairy characteristics. Thu
beef breeds are blocky in form. are
heavy and sluggish, while the dair!
animal is spare and angular and re
fined with a soft and pliable hide vel
covered with smooth, soft hair, Thu
head is lean and little longer thar
that Of the beef type. The neck II
long and lean, joining to the bod,
rather abruptly. The withers arr
sharp, with the spinal column promi
nent and the barrel long and capac
ious, indicating good feeding capacity
The ribs are sprung down and out
ward and wide spaced. the heart anC
lOin girth large and the tail fine will
heavy switch. The form of thu
dairy COW is frequently spoken Of a
the triple wedge" form, First, sh'
shows increased depth of body to
wards the rear when viewed from on,
side. Secondly, she widens gradual,
from the breast 10 the points Of thu
hips. Thirdly looking down on tn,
back the form widens gradually dowE
ward like a wedge. The udder Is wei
developed and evenly quartered; Il
soft and pliable but not flabby whel
emptied. The milk veins are larg'
and tortuous and enter the abdomina
wall in two or more large milk wells
The dairy type can be found II
many of the breeds, but most charac
teristiCally in the distinct dair!
breeds By the dairy breeds arr
meant those that have become mos
noted for uniformly conforming TO tn,
true dairy 'ype. They are Holsteins
}ei seyG Guernseys and Ayrshires