The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-18
"A MODEL DAIRY MOTOR CAR NEWS.
How j. w. Bigger MiIks, Feeds
and Cares for His Cows.
His Barn Is the Last Word in
the Dairy Blue Book.

This is not an advertisement. Al
least it is not a personal advertise
ment for the subject of this writeup
has nothing more to sell than he al
ready has a market for. In so much
as it is a boost of UP to date dairy
| methods and the dairy opportunities
| of Shawnee county, it is an advertise
| ment, an advertisement for Shawnee
| county progress.
| 81 would like to visit the cleaneSt
dairy in Shawnee county" was the re-
quest a State Journal reporter made
| of Dr.. George r. Babb, city milk in
spector. 1t is the business of Dr. Babb
| not only to inspect the milk sold IL
Topeka, but also to inspect the diaries
from which it comes.
'T will take you out to the J. w.
Bigger dairy replied the doctor. On
the way he explained that there is a
system he uses for scoring diaries. So
many points are given for this thing,
so many for that and so many for the
other and the points are all added to-
gether and the most modern dairy is
decided to be the one having the 1arg-
est number of points.
There are several diaries which
score just as high as the Bigger dairy,
but believe the Bigger dairy is a lit
tie the cleanest of any," said the doc
tor.
Indeed, the very scrupulous care
taken for the purity of the milk
knocks two points off the model dairy
score card of the Bigger milk plant,
for convenience is one of the things
scored in considering the relative To-
cations of the various dairy buildings
and the milk house at the Bigger
dairy is nearly one hundred feet from
the milking barn-too great distance
for convenience, but better for the
milk as it is further removed from
any possible contamination from the
stable.
But there is not much chance for
contamination from the milking barn
at the Bigger dairy, for this barn is
just the last word in dairy barns
. concrete floors, portable stanchions,
metallic automatically cleaned feed
troughs, and running water before
each COW, automatic ventilation,
/ plenty of light and siio in connection.
! The floor of this barn is scrubbed
twice daily. A big stream of water is
thrown onto it under pressure from 4
steam engine. The drainage is per-
| feet and the white concrete floors
/ glisten in cleanliness.
Clean Utensils by Steam.
The steam engine is located in the
milk house where all the milk uten-
sils are cleaned and the milk bottled
Most of the work is done with ma
chinery. All the milk is bottled and
sealed and goes to one milk dealer in
Topeka. The Biggers retail no milk.
All is wholesaled and there is demand
for more than can be produced from
A visit to the Bigger dairy is also
instructive by way of comparison with
the old way of running a dairy for the
old barns and the old equipment for
the running Of a dairy in the old-fash-
toned way are still there, but no longer
in use, for the Biggers started in the
dairy business in the old way there
nine years ago. But since that time
Mr.. Bigger has spent a part of three
winters taking short courses at the
State Agricultural college at Manhat-
tan and has put into use the things
taught there 1t is not often that a
man with a family and a going bust
ness will take time off to go to school
and learn more about the business, but
I this is what Mr.. Bigger did and it
pays.
! Made Modest Start.
| He did not have much to start with
nine years ago when he bought 40
acres few miles east of Topeka with
the prospect of making cows pay for
it. But he has succeeded and only re-
Gently bought so acres more. Practi-
cally all of the 40 acres is in alfalfa
his place is called Alfalfa Gen. Mr..
Bigger figures that land which will pro-
duce alfalfa is too valuable to be pas
tured. He follows the lot-feeding meth
cd. His land instead of running down
is getting richer all the time.
The Bigger dairy is strictly a part
nership proposition. Mrs. Bigger is just
as much a factor in the success of the
dairy as is Mr.. Bigger. She does her
part of the managing and she does her
part of the hard work.
EAEI1H mr. ANATFn AAEEEN