Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1916-04-05

Urom the United States Department OF
Agriculture)
In the ever-growing area from which
the cattle tick has been eliminated
demonstration agents are now showing
the people how they can realize the
full benefits of their success In the
campaign of eradication. Purebred
stock IL being brought in to improve
the quality of the native cattle. farm.
ers who have never paid any attention
to live stock are being instructed In
the fundamental principles Of econom.
ical and efficient feeding. and cream
routes and creameries are being estab-
lished in sections where they were un.
heard of in the days of the ticks.
An interesting instance Of what
creamery can do for community is
afforded by the history of the one es-
tablished in cooperation with Clemson
college ip South Carolina. In Septem-
Der, 1914. the creamery had five pa
uons whose cows furnished 50S mounds
Of butterfat that month. In October
cream route was established and the
number Of patrons increased to II.
More routes were started from time to
time, each new one bringing In more
patrons. until in August. 1915, after
years work. 227 farmers were send
ing In the cream from S33 cows. The
total amount of butterfat delivered to
the creamery that month was 14.S15
pounds. For It the farmers received
s3,s5l.ss. an average of approximately
s17 each
The significant feature of this cream.
ery's success. however, is not the
amount of money that 1t brought in.
but the fact that 1t opened up an abb
solutely new source of income to the
community. Before its establishment
dairying was unthought of. II there
was surplus of milk on farm II was
usually disposed of as butter at the
nearest store In return for little
sugar or tea. The ordinary run of
! farm butter. however. was so little
thought of that even when taken in
trade 1t brought only about half Of
what the creamery could afford to pay
| for the butterfat. In consequence no
one regarded milk as a reliable source
of income. That 1t could be actually
made to bring in cash each month was
a revelation. So new to the people
was the idea, indeed, that the checks
from the creamery were frequently
stored away instead of being cashed.
and the managers had to go over the
routes and explain the necessity for
turning them in.
When the creamery opened. the
proper equipment for dairying was
practically unknown. The people had
to be instructed in the use of the sep
arator and in practically every detail
connected with the handling of cream
! Furthermore, the available cows were
all native scrubs which received little
attention and gave in return little
milk, All this has been changed very
materially already and is being
changed still more. OF the "A dairy
houses built ia South Carolina during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1915
40 were built by patrons of the cream
cry. On one of the cream routes the
farmers united in the cooperative pur
chase of good bull and on five others
live stock associations have been
formed for general improvement. The
number of cows is also being in
creased, one man distributing a car
load among his neighbors. Another
farmer is described in letter as trad
ing bales of cotton for cows"
| 30 hui hot
for beef and dairy herds. is of spe
cial significance, since this was prac
tically out of the question In the
tick days. because of the danger o.
death from Texas fever. In conse
quence, the grading vp of the herds
little money in the feeding of tick!
scrubs to make 1t an attractive under
taking. This was also true Of dairy
ing witt the same kind of stock, fol
the milk production. poor at best. wal
reduced by the ticks In cases OF heav,
infestation by as much as 40 per cent
On the other hand, the possibilities O
profit in grading up herds ara yer!
great. The history of large planta
tion in Tennessee Is an instance O
this
The place was an old cotton planta
tion which was so run down that mucl
of It had been abandoned altogethe
and was overrun with sedge grass an,
brie;s when the owner determined I,
make It into a stock farm. Al tina
time Tennessee was not yet free from
ticks. SO that he had to do his ow,
dipping. In tho course of q year b,
succeeded in getting rid of the scourse
and purebred shorthorn bulls wer
then brought In. These were use,
with the native cows. which ranged Il
value from tl2 to $50 q head an,
weighed from 500 to TOO pounds. Th
calves which resulted weighed IN av
erage Of 800 pounds when they reaches
the Chicago market, and sold for eigh
| rouea n Mound M AGA n hond rh a,