Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-05-19

demonstration agents are now showing
the people how they can realize the
full benefits of their success in the
campaign of eradication. Purebred
stock is 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 a
creamery can do for a community is
afforded by the history of the one es-
tablished in cooperation with Clemson
college in South Carolina. In Septem-
Der, 1914, the creamery had five pa
irons whose cows furnished sos pounds
Of butterfat that month. In October
a 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 q
years work. 227 farmers were send
ing in the cream from 1873 cows. The
total amount of butterfat delivered to
the creamery that month was 14,815
pounds. For it tho farmers received
$3,S51.SS. an average Of approximately
SIT each.
The significant feature of this cream
ery's success. however, is not the
amount of money that it brought in.
but the fact that it opened up an alb
solutely new source of income to the
community. Before its establishment
dairying was unthought of. II there
was surplus of milk on farm 1t was
usually disposed of as butter at the
nearest store in return for a little
sugar or tea. The ordinary run of
farm butter, however. was so little
thought of that even when taken in
trade it 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 it could be actually
made to bring in cash each month was
q 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 in 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 a letter as trad
ing bales of cotton for cows"
The importation Of good bulls. both
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 of
death from Texas fever. In conse-
quence. the grading up Of the herds
was impossible, and there was too
little money in the feeding Of ticky
scrubs to make 1t an attractive under.
taking. This was also true of dairy.
ing with the same kind of stock, for
the milk production, poor at best, was
reduced by the ticks in cases of heavy
infestation by as much as 40 per cent
On the other hand, the possibilities OF
profit in grading up herds are very
great. The history of large planta.
ton In Tennessee is an instance OF
this.
The place was an old cotton planta.
ton which was 80 run down that much
of It had been abandoned altogether
and was overrun with sedge grass and
briers when the owner determined to
make 1t into a stock farm. At that
time Tennessee was not yet free from
ticks, so that he had to do his own
dipping. In the course Of q year he
succeeded in getting rid of the scourge
and purebred Shorthorn bulls were
then brought In. These were used
with the native cows, which ranged in
value from $12 to $40 q head and
weighed from 500 to 700 pounds. The
calves which resulted weighed an av.
erage of 500 pounds when they reached
the Chicago market, and sold for eight
cents q pound, or $64 q head. They
were then from Is to Is months old.
This farm is now shipping much Of its
breeding stock into the tick-free coun'
ties of Mississippi and Alabama.
II is, Of course, not every stockman
who can afford the exclusive use Of q
Keep Separator Clean.
It's q short-sighted man who uses
. dirty cream separator. Even II the
consideration Of the quality Of the
cream does not affect him. It would
pay to wash the separator in order
that II may last well and skim closely,