East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-05-31
(staff Correspondence

Pilot Rock, Ore, May 3l.-With
several thousand people in attendance
and the occasion u greater success than
was even anticipated the fifth annual
Farmers Picnic of Umatilla county
is on here today and is being splend-
idly handled. Farmers by hundreds
have gathered from all parts of the
county coming by rigs, autos and
trains. The celebration is being held
in the grove on East Birch creek, a
beautiful place ana the forenoon pro-
gram was carried through without a
hitch, while this afternoon some able
addresses are being given by speakers
from over the state.
Following the opening parade from
the depot TO the grove this morning
the program at the grove began with
an address of welcome by Mayor W.
L. Matthews of Pilot Rock. The re-
sponse was by C. c. Connor of Helix.
A duet was rendered by the Misses
Helen and Vera Skies of Milton. The
closing number on the forenoon pro-
gram was the address by c. L. Smith
which is given in part below
Among the speakers this afternoon
were A. r. Shumway of Milton; A.
V. Swift. state president of the Farm
ers' Union; Prof. r. d. Hetzel. of the
extension department of the agricul-
tural college and A. A. Asbahr of the
Pendleton high school
Talk on Dairying.
In his address on the subject.
Building Up a Dairy Herd" C. L.
Smith. agriculturalist for the O.-w.
r. & n Co, said in part:
The average yield of butter fat per
COW for all the cows being MIXED in
this state is under 200 pounds. The
poorest cows. therefore, yield much
less than this. as there are great
many cows producing two and three
times this amount. l recently went
very carefully over the record of one
good dairy herd of thirty COWS. eight
OF them being heifers under three
years of age. and yet the record as
verified by the creamery checks.
showed the average annual product Of
butter fat for the herd was 5S4
pounds per COW, total of 5000
pounds for the thirty cows
These cows were not accidents
feeding and breeding through many
generations. They were the product
of a certain combination OF import
ant factors that had so affected the
natural character of the animals as
to develop and intensity the original
mother functions into a valuable fac
COR of production. that could be util-
ICED by an intelligent man to his prof
Il and advantage Their productive
capacity had been built up; but as
these valuable characteristics or func-
tions were not so firmly established in
the beginning. as not to be altered by
conditions so in the built up COW,
the absence of any part of the factors
that had built up. would tend toward
n reversion to the original natural
condition.
There is an old adage that "a
chain is no stronger than its weak
est link" This is especially true of
dairying. Successful dairying is the
logical result of q chain of factors the
weakness or absence of any one weak
ening or destroying the strength OF
the chain. to the extent that the final
profit Is always measured by the
strength of the weakest link. Ger
tainly one of the important links Is
the COW. Her capacity to manufac-
ture food into milk limits and controls
the effectiveness of all the other fac
tors.
The profitable dairy COW is an in
dividual. not n breed. There is just
as wide a variation between individ-
nails of the same breed as between the
various breeds. In the selection of in
dividuals it is, however, true that
those breeds that have been fed. han
died and bred for any specific pur-
nose will show a reader, more gener-
al adaptation to that specific purpose
than Individuals from families
fed and bred for other purposes.
The building up OF dairy herd be-
gins of course. with the selection Of
individuals for the foundation. The
order runs something like this:
First-Selection
Second-Care: which includes feed,
shelter, water, and method of treat
ment.
Third-Testing, sorting and weed
ing out.
Fourth-Breeding.
Fifth-Feeding, handling and de-
veloping of calves and heifers.
Careless. negligence. or ignorance
on the part Of the dairyman In re-
gard to any of the factors will elimi-
nate or seriously impair the measure
of profit.
Before making any investment in
cows. the dairyman should thorough