Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-07
History Of the Dairy Cow In Maine.

ldon. FRANK ,. Adams, state DAIRY lnssructor.
At Fsrmers' Week, 0rono)
Hon. Frank S. Adams. State Dairy Iu-
structor, was one OF the speakers on the
Farmers Week program Wednesday
morning. His subject was the History
Of the Dairy Cow in Maine. Mr.. Adams
is always an interesting speaker, but
from his intimate knowledge Of the Jer-
sey breed be made the subject doubly
Interesting to his hearers.
He said:
In prehistoric times, the wild cattle
were divided into two families by the
natural environments. Those that In
habited the plains and wales, where the
feed was good, were larger than those 10
the hills aud mountains where the feed
was scanty Their function in life was
TO reproduce their kind in their off
spring, giving enough milk for the ca I
until he was old enough 10 hustle fCr
himself. No Improvement year after
year, a question pb, sically OF the survi-
val of the tittest.
The cow played an important part IN
he history and development of this
state. The COW of the past, once usual
the type OF COW for the wants OF those
DAYS. There were no markets for dairy
products, or much of anything else.
This pioneer COW was COW which gave
milk in the summer when in the pas
lures. 80 that the farmers wife could
make butter and milk to pack away for
the long winters. This pioneer COW
would drop calf that could be raised
for an OK to assist in clearing the land OF
stumps and rocks, so that it could be
plowed and cultivated for the crops.
And in the winter hauling wood and
lumber to market, for about all the mon
ey these farmers had was what was re-
ceived for the wood and lumber sold.
This pioner COW when her usefulness
had passed, was slaughtered for food for
the farmer; the hide was tanned and
made into boots and shoes for the chill
dren to wear to school in the long win
ter months and even the horns were uti-
lized for powder horns" as they were
called.
The old native COW played well her
part in the early history and for quite
long period; up to the close of the Civil
War. About this time inventive genius,
which had been using most OF Its EN-
cheney in inventing and constructing ma.
chimes Of destruction, was turned to the
more peaceful occupation OF inventing
and constructing machinery to aid in
production.
The same inventive genius had har-
messed the water powers and manufactur'
ing centers we're growing and there com
menced to be a market for dairy prod
ucts. The only ground that seemed to
be left by the western farmer for the
farmer of Maine was dairying. The
farmers of Maine at this time had some
little knowledge of dairying. They be-
gan to realize that If this business was
to be profitable the old native cow must
GO and instead of trying to develop
dairy they did the wisest thing-import'
ed from the countries where the inha0it-
ants bad been working for centuries
breeding and developing animals OF the
dairy type. The Jerseys were the hrst
importations to this state. speak IN
this lecture principally of the Jerseys
because the Jerseys were the pioneers.
These pioneer dairy cattle went into
the hands of farmers who were not used
TO taking care of that kind OF a COW.
The old native COW, that they were ia
miliar with, owing to her environments
was as tough and hardy almost as deer.
Cold barns, poor care aud feed, in many
instances going long distance for
drink of ice water, and that only once
day, so you can see that under these con-
dtions the pioneer COW had hard time
and the INN mediate result was a "rever-
sion to type" going back to the origi-
nal common stock aud it began to be the
opinion that these improved animals
coming from warm climate would never
do we'll in our cold, long winters, be-
cause in few years they saw small,
undersized animal with short teats and
small udders.
The old pioneer farmer knew very
little about the care and feeding Of dairy
stock, but many have learned the lesson
and am pleased to say that We have
now in Maine as good herds Of the differ
ent dairy breeds as can be found any
where in this country and some OF the
great reasons why all dairymen are not
successful are because they do not COM
ply with right conditions.
Some men nave ud'uTdi Souius ioi
care of cattle and will make fair sue
cess without the technical training that
YOU boys get here in the College of Agri-
culture, but the benefits of technical
training are we'll illustrated in the Cow
Test Associations in Maine. The Off
cial tester that has had this training not
only assists the farmers in keeping rec
ords of production and cost OF same,
but the best dairymen that We have in
Maine will tell you that they have been
of great assistance in computing rations
aud in many instances have been able to
save much more than the cost OF the as
soc alton. You boys who are going to
take dairying for your work are much
better equipped for the work than the
men who never had this training.
NV advice to you young men who are
going to take up dairying is to decide
that YOU will some day have pure bred
stock; do not always be contented with
grade herd; never for day with scrubs.
Then try and produce all the raw mate
rial YOU can on the farm-hay, corn,
oats, peas, clover, ETC., to sell to the COW
as a machine to manufacture into the
principal products-milk, cream and