The Dickinson press., 1913-12-27
MORE MILK If COWS
FREShEN IN the FALL
Climatic Conditions 81 Winter
Easier Controlled.
not WEATHER IS UNDESIRABLE.

Not WEATHER IS UNDESIRABLE
(By PROFESSOR c. LARSEN, South
Dakota State coiIeos.).
VIII COWS that frsshen in fall yield
more milk than those ~freshening in
spring?
This question the writer or any
other person cannot answer and have
the answer correct in different local.
tiles and under different conditions.
In the Dakotas, and probably I'm. other
Central West states, the writer feels
safe in making the statement that 4
COW froshsning in tho fall will give
more milk than the same or q similar
COW will give whom fresheniag in the
spring.
This statement may be somewhat
pf Q surprise to some Of the readers,
As many consider the Northwest un.
favorable for dairy farming, due to
the long and rather hard winters.
A stage in farming progress has
been reached when winter climatic
conditions can better be controlled
than can summer conditions. It is
easier and cheaper to protect q dairy
cow from excessive cold than it 10 TO
protect her from excessive heat. Hot
weather Is undesirable for cows. but
worst Of all is that such weather IL
accompanied with COW pests Of va,
rious kinds, such al fies in the day
time and mosquitoes at night. In
the writer's experience there is moth.
ing 50 effective in drying q COW az
hot weather, plus flies and mosuui.
toes.
True it is that we now have hy
repelling preparations that can be
sprayed OF the COWS and in that way
alleviate the cow from flies during
milking time end in part during the
day. The writer has yet to find a sub.
stance which will keep the flies away
over about an hour after it has been
put on. These fly repellers are quite
effective and practical to use on the
COWS in the barn just previous to
milking, but they are less effective
and practical for keeping the. flies
off during the whole day in the pas
ture. AS to mosquito repellers the
writer has found nothing that can
be used at a reasonable cost.
In addition many pastures are short
of good feed during a large part of
the summer. This, of course, can be
overcome by supplenlenting with
silage or some soiling crop. Under
average dairy farm conditions this
latter is not practiced. "
The dairy farmers Of the Northwest
are extremely busy with their crops
during the summer months. There
is a strong temptation to neglect
their cows during this part of the
year. Every dairyman knows what
this means when milking time comes.
It means less milk.
The writer is fully aware that a
cow f%reshening in the spring will
yield a maximum amount of milk
during the spring months when pas.
lures r green, weather favorable
and no mosquitoes and flies to troubla
the cows. These conditions how.
ever, Of short duration, When the
u~nfavorable summer conditions come
on the COY drops OF in her milk flow.
When q cow once has dropped in
milk it is difficult to get her back to
her normal flow. The final result
is that the annual milk. flow from q
spring COW is less than when she
freshens in the fall. .
The dairy farmers of the North.
west are rapidly getting wise. to the
use Of silage a. a cow feed. Thou.
sands Of silos. sold and built in
the Dakotas this year. With good
silage as q succulent winter feed, 9
we'll ventilated, lighted and comfort.
able barn, and plenty of good care,
the COW freshening in the fall will
give a good uniform flow OF. milk under
winter conditions. When the cow Is
turned in pasture she will increase
her milk flow. When the unfavor
able summer conditions come on she
will go dry almost at once. This Ii
desirable, as a COW should have about
two months rest during the year
The time to give the dairy COW he1
vacation is when the farmer is busy
harvesting his crop and when the
flies, mosquitoes, hot weather and dry
pasture will not let the COW do hel
best asa milk producer.
According to records IN hand the
writer feels safe in saying that a COW
in the Dakotas and other states hav
ing similar conditions will yield al
least 20 per cent more milk during
the year when freshening in the fall
than when freshening in the spring
So ! !. i. ! !. !. = i J. + :.
i. :.
Many items on the farm, !
such as Gull fruit, small po- :!
tatoes, wastes from the $htch- 1
i. on md other hfn1a which wi11 =