Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-02-02
Our Lessening Dairies.

Our Lessening Dairies.
at is getting so that you have to take
q bagful Of money to get a single COW.
| Any kind of COW will cost S75."
This is what young farmer said to
me the other day; and his conclusion
was that it would be good policy for him
to 60 to raising calves.
"Tbere is going to be lack Of cows" "
he went on; and he was thoughtful
young mau. Somebody must furnish
cows. am going to do my part"
thought his conclusion pretty good
one, because he had based it on a right
foundation. He might have said, "The
scarcity of cows is already here" and
that would have been the truth. That l.
Why IL takes SO much to buy cows right
now. The fact of it is, farmers have
been wedding out their cows for some
time, with the primary object of getting
rid of those which were not profitable.
From pecuniary standpoint, this is all
right. Millions of dollars have been
sunk in feeding cows that never paid Tor
their board, and men have grown old be-
fore their time caring for these unprotit-
able animals.
The process of depopulating our herds
has not been limited, however, to this
culliug process. The lure of the meat
market has been, and is now, terribly
strong in every part OF the country.
From every quarter comes the demand
for cattle for the shambles. The world
must have meat; and the prices offered
have had the effect of prevailing upon
men to 60 through their herds again
and again to see If they could not part
with few more. The money in hand
is a greater ipducement than the greater
good which would come through the
natural channels Of dairy work. l know
of many farmers who have lately reduc-
ed their herds, as it would seem, to their
very lowest terms in this way. Not only
that; they will find themselves sadly
handicapped when spring comes by the
meager number of cows they will have,
| notwithstanding the fact that milk, but
ter, and cheese will bring almost un'
heard of prices.
And so, returning TO the decision OF
the young farmer of whom l made men,
ton above, il does seem as If IT would
be the part of wisdom to go to growing
| calves.
In our local daily, every few days l
notice an appeal something like this:
WANTED, a thousand quarts OF milk. 7"
Such an advertisement recently appear
ed in one Of our papers number OF days
in succession. do not know whether
the man or the firm which inserted this
call for milk ever got IL or not, out L
tried to think in my own mind where 1t
could possibly come from, and there was
no answer; for every farmer l knew, and
| know most of them for many miles
around, was already furnishing all the
milk he could, either TO some creamery
or milk station, or making his product
up at home. The fact is, the supply is
not now anywhere equal to the demand.
One thing which makes the situation
more aggravated is the high prices that
must be paid for grain stuffs. IL was
ouly last night that neighbor farmer
said: when you figure in the cost of
| feed and help, there is little more than
an even thing in producing milk"
The solution of this part of the prob.
| lem would seem TO be TO grow more OF
the grain needed. This l have been ad-
vocatipg for a number OF years. l be-
lieve now that the farmer who comes
most nearly to growing the grain ne
ought to give his cows every year is the
man who is doing the best in the dairy
business. This would mean better
system of farming-more intensive cui-
ture. That in itself would be greatly to
the advantage of the country. Poor
farming has been one result of the hun
ger for land W hich has been so marked
feature of American farms ever since we
began. More land snd still more land
has been the cry, and to answer 1T men
have starved themselves and crippled
the generations which followed them.
But it seems as if change is coming, Oh
has already come. Better farming Is the
rule now.
The young neighbor farmer TO whom
reference is made above has for good
many years been raising all his good
better calves. The result is, he has
very choice herd of young cows coming
on. Some of these are full bloods,
some high grades. On our own place
the same practice has been in operation.
But 4 know of farmers who never have
| made it rule TO grow any calves. IL
has interested me, however, to note the
change that is taking place in this re-
gard. Those who never have thought II
worth while TO raise calves are now look
ing around to buy calves. They cannot
grow the stock they want any other
way. One of these men told me recent
| ly that he was going to grow dozen
A c,lyae- la cnuld find than.
No man could do better thin, for
his own interests and for the interests of
his fellow farmers, than to grow more
calves. The herd reduction In TINS
country cannot go much farther and the
world not suffer by IL. Many parts of
the world are now, in fact, feeling the
pinch for butter and milk soreiy. The
reason why so many are driven to the
use of imitation butter is because they
cannot get the real article they need
butter that is really good and at q rea'
sonable price. The large cities are to-
day reaching out hundreds of miles after
milk. The condensaries are fairly beg
| ging for milk. Iu three weeks, begin
ming the first of the month of November,
the supply of milk in New York City
fell off, 10 round numbers, 5000 cans OF
forty quarts each, and the supply 0i
cream dropped from ll,0OO to e,VC
cans. just about enough was received
the first week in November to meet the
needs of the city; but what If the yield
were to 60 on falling off? Everybody
knows that would mean that they would
have to go without. The only help foi
this serious situation must be found
back on the farms in the growing OF
more calves, aud We cannot begin to az
this too soon.-E. l.. Vincent, New