The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-03-20
CLUB PROPOSES COW
BUYING ASSOCIATION

The crowd that attended the Com.
mercial clubs COW meeting Saturday
afternoon was not as large as had been
expected The ranchers were busy on
their places, and not all of those who
had come to the city attended the
meeting, the apple marketing amalga-
nation having created greater inter
est. Secretary Scott outlined the plans
that the clubs board of directors had
thought of by which they might assist
the ranchers to obtain cows.
1--WE cannot hope to start creamery
here unless we put in about 800 more
milch cows" said MIR. Scott, "or at
least that is what Prof. Kent, the Ag-
ricultural College expert told us. when
he was here not long ago. We invited
Prof. Kent here to tell us all about the
dairy business and to advise us as to
whether or not it would be profitable
for local apple growers to raise cows.
We did not want him to come and make
public talk. IL may be well enough
to create an interest in cows, but not
too much until after we have learned
just how we are going to get long af-
ter we get them. We could 60 ahead
and get lot of cows here, and soon go
broke.
"lf enough of the growers want
cows, the club will take steps toward
forming a Hood Rivers COW buyers
association, an organization that can
assist the grower in selecting his cows
and that will help him financially"
| When Prof. Kent was here with the
club directors he went into all sides OF
the question of dairying. He told then
that enough cows were brought here al
once to start creamery it would mean
calamity; for provisions have not
been made for enough feed for the ami
mails. IA COW will eat on an average
of 20 pounds Of hay per day." says
Prof. Kent. While kale is an excellent
green feed for the winter months it is
somewhat of drain on the land. -
1t was shown that the raising of hogs
could be successfully carried on with
dairying. However, the hogs will not
thrive unless they are kept in dry en-
closures and free from exposure. "a
hog will fatten on a comparatively
small amount Of food if well cared for,
while one that is exposed to all of the
weather will eat his head off and re-
main poor" say experts. AS an ex-
ample Of the profit in hogs, Secretary
Scott told of a grower who recently
related his experience with two pigs.
They were so small when he bought
them that he carried them home in a
gunnysack. Bat soon, eating the
skim milk and other waste material
from the kitchen and little grain, the
pigs had grown to be big fat hogs.
One of them was butchered when he
weighed 225 pounds, while the other,
now weighing $50 pounds will soon 90
toward filling the growers lard cans
and his smoke house
Several Upper Valley ranchers were
in to attend Saturdays meeting. They
stated that their only problem would be
to get the butter fat to market. The
club HIS assured the growers of that
section that it will aid them in secur-
ing better transportation facilities.
| Asa B. Cutler asked concerning the
possibilities of growing corn here for
cows. He was afraid to try it for
fear the crop would not mature. G. r.
Bone stated that he had found the
small yellow dent corn, such as is
| grown on the dry lands of Idaho, very
successful here. 1t natures and yields
very heavily.
1t is proposed to secure cows that
are needed here from the Willamtte
valley. Some expert, probably Prof.
Kent, will be secured to make the Sc
Iections. The meeting Saturday ere
ated no small amount of interest. In
/ JooJ ono ,,rguJar "a aa hoard IN saw IN a
he thought the dairy bus ness on a
small scale was Of far more Importance
to this region than poultry raising.
|. G. Bills, a drairyman of Clark
county, Wash, who has been here Wis
iting his daughter, Mrs. S. B. Carnine,
of the Heights, gave the growers the
benefits Of his experience. 1--WE have
found the production Of butter fat to
be very profitable in our community,
aid Mr.. Bills.