The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-15

h.raflse of the hope that it inspires |
80 If the promise THAI it holds in !
~ mind of every man who longs to |
sne the wonderful Southern country |
sread from the obsession of cotton, |
,be slowly developing idea of cattle |
,aising and dairying in the South is
,ha most engaging phase of Southern
activities at this time.
srorth Carolina farmers are more
aua more attentively giving ear to the
| ucpderfui stories of cattle raising and
Arriving especially to those emanat-
,r. from Catawba county. North Caro-
,ina which is regarded as a pioneer
and xhch is one of the most success
ful of dairying communities in the
| south Certainly the idea of creating
wealth from cattle and dairy products
has been developed there in a way
ard 10 q degree that is worthy of re-
snsctful consideration.
Tte siy Dutch Dairy Farms in
this county. conceived, developed and
owned by one family, containing in
ALL 900 acres Of the most gloriously
fertile land in Carolina, present to
Southern farmers such an illustration
Of farming with a cow and Of
achieving liberty and prosperity with
cotton rs mere farm hand instead
Of king. that all the South might we'll
MAKE pilgrimage to the community,
ana locking upon what this one family
Of average North Carolinians has
done. go home "cured" OF cotton
it's" even as the Tsraelites of old were
healed when they gaZed upon the
flaming serpent raised before them by
Moss.
OnCc Land Of Scrub Cattle.
NJ so many years ago this Catawba
county was a land OF scrub" cattle
because it was a land of open ranges
and ticks galore. Nobody had any
bred stock of any ki2d. The best
COW in the county, under the most
pampered conditions, didn't produce
over three pounds of butter the week
Stock law was literally rammed down
the throat of the county and as usual
there was near-civil war. Men felt
that their inalienable rights were be-
ing torn from them by ruthless ty-
ranny. But it was put into force an6
the people placed in position to work
out the problem Of better stock anC
better farming.
The genesis of the cattle and dair!
industry following the enactment o
stock law holds the fact that th'
ubiquitous drummer" versatile MAJ
that he is and an evangel of progres
and enlightenment, was the agen
Through which Catawba count
achieved her first step toward tn
SVihth SO.Lt SuC hoW OO AdpAAAy q =
preaching. The drummer was reSpOn
slble for the Introduction Of Jerse
cattle into a section where the frs
Jersey cow was a curiosity. In 1883
travelling salesman named Fetze
casually stated to a customer
Hickory, Catawba's little metropol
now, that a New York State dairyma
was retiring from business and woul
Sell his herd Of Jerseys. This led
the purchase Of a car load of cattle {
13 head, In which were two fine bull
The car was unloaded at Newton. tf
county seat, and after stock shO
In the court house square, was au'
toned off. The heifers brought frol
$50 to SIS and the COWS from $50
S1l5. the latter price being paid II
the best cow in the lot, one reputed
have a record OF two pounds of butt'
daily. This was bruited about ar
people we're incredulouS. They rid
culed the idea. in much the same mai
ner "a some farmers scoff at the idt
of the corn club boys making up
225 bushels of corn on a single acr
The general opinion was that me
were crazy to pay the price of I'll
horse for mere cow, when the be
Cow in the county could be had f
125. Besides. the Jersey. compar
With few DeTOns and Shorthor
That two or three wealthy farme
hdu purchased, was declared 100 pu
ever TO amount to much.
Farming With a Cow.
Old Man John b. Lutz, Cataw
county "Dutchman," as these Germa
descended Catawbans call themSelv
attended this sale OF Jerseys a
bought a heifer for $50. He had ;
ways preached the value of farmi
with cow, even in the days of scr
cattle, and had always possessed
number of cattle for the purpose
sou Improvement. That little N
1crk heifer was the corner stone.
70 speak, Of the Dutch Dairy far
ot today, for she started Mr.. Lutz
the road to better cattle and the til
Iihaiiy came when the Lutz farms a
,he Lutz herd of sixtyfive blood
Sersey COWS formed the nucleus OF
oerd which made possible the {
4"Da County Cooperative Cream'
at hickory the most cOnspicut
cc.eamery success in the Southt
states and one that is discussed
.he Federal Department of Agric
ure wherever its agents seek to