Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-11-26
FROM THE PEOPLE.



To the Editor Of the Beacon.
The advance agent of the great Agri-
cultural movement for Farm Improve
ment was in Macon a few days ago,
and asked me to give you copy of the
following statement that I made that
day to the business men of Macon, who
met that day in the mayors Office to
devise the means to support this great
movement for better farms in Noxu-
bee county.
| stated that | had Is grandchildren,
most of whom spent the summer with
me, and hence we had to have q good
supply of milk and butter, but when
they left for their schools and business
occupations, we had surplus on hand.
and one of my neighbors. Mr.. Tom
Boggess, who patronizes the creamery,
told me that he would buy my milk,
and that it netted him about IL cents
gallon, but I told him not to pay me
but 10 cents, as wanted him to make
something.
Now, 10 cents gallon for good rich
sweet milk seems very little to me, in
deed, but as my cows are running on
pastures. MT fed anything at all, and
we get about eight gallons of milk
day, 60 we sell it to him at 10 cents q
gallon, and he takes FIVE gallons day
which nets me so cent a day, making
Sl6 per month, and then he returns me
five gallons Of skinned milk which l
feed to lot Of pigs. and besides the
cows are raising four calves, as ! go
on the old plan of letting the cows
raise the calves.
Now. ] said, had sold the eight gal
Ions at 10 cents gallon, which is very
cheap, these four cows would bring me
$24 month, raising four calves, and
from the skimmed milk raising a nice
lot Of pigs, besides the fertilizer that
get from the cows.
As my wage hand MIXED the cows,
got through by sun-up, and then did
days work before milking in the even
ing, / coui.ted that four COWS brought
me $24 = month, and that ] had $1,000
loaned out at 6 per cent, payable
monthly, which only brought me in S25
q month-that the cows BRINGING h.
s2z mas \ better paying tproposstien
than the $1,000 loaned out at 6 per cent.
Now. Of course, for the four months
in the winter, | have to feed cotton
seed meal and hay, and am not expect
ing to make anything from the cows,
just pay for their feed; but then for
eight months in year, running on good
pasture, these four cows will pay me as
much money per month as my $1,000,
lacking $l.0O. besides raising the calves
and pigs on SKINNED milk.
How is this for dairy venture? 1t
seems to me that Mr.. Gurler is right
when he says that we all ought to go
into the dairy business. Our little
creamery is paying out about $1,000 a
month to the people who patronize it,
and feel like it is a boon to the farm
ers of Noxubee county.
Mr.. D. w. Dent told me that while
he only got $50 a month from what
cows he MIXED, this paid many a little
bill and kept him from buying on
credit, and that he raised nice lot of
pigs and calves, and was making his
farm more fertile all Of the time.
Then where the farmers do their own
work this would all be clear profit, and
these hard times every family ought to
keep few cows and patronize the
creamery, or sell milk.
l have written this at the request of
MIR. Wooten, as stated before, and
give it for what it is worth. When /
build silo next summer ! expect to
do even better than this; and l don't
regard COW who only gives two gal
Ions Of milk day as very good milk
er, and l want to add that my cows are
in splendid condition now. and haven.
been fed any since last March, but of
course. l had good pasture for them
to run on. Good Bye,
.. Big BUD.