The Ordway new era., 1917-06-15
Dairy Farming
and Its Benefits
From Department of Agriculture
Farmers Bulletin No. 55
NV IInrru AluNrl

pends for its success upon certain
fundamental conditions. First, the
owner of the business himself, or
otherwise the agent or manager who
has the immediate control and per-
sonal direction of the work, must
have a natural fondness for animals,
prompting to generous and kind
treatment, as we'll as good judgment
in selection, breeding and care. 1t
is not sufficient that he should be
a horseman, or fond of cattle in gen.
eral; for the best results he should
have a special liking for the dairy
COW, over and above all other ami
mails. Second, the cattle must be
good of their kind and of a variety
suited to the work. They must be
truly dairy cattle; but Of this more
presently. Third, the farm should
be specially adapted to the branch
of husbandry in view. A good dairy
farm is pretty certain to be good for
general are not suited for dairying.
THE DAIRY FARM
The dairy farm should be carefully
selected. all the requirements of the
business being we'll considered. Yet
many disadvantages so far as the
farm is concerned may be successful
ly overcome by the skillful dairyman.
and dairying in some form is profit
ably conducted without any farm.
so that this condition, important as
it Is, can not be regarded as essen
tial. Fourth, it is well to study the
character of the accessible markets
and the means of communication;
location and the line of dairying to
be followed may be largely controll
ed by the markets. In some cases
the markets form an essential con-
dition, but modern facilities for the
transportation make the location of
the dairy farm with relation to its
markets comparatively unimportant.
The first and second OF the above
qualifications remain as the essen
tial factory-the owner and the COW.
Assuming that the dairyman is all
that he should be; 1t is proposed to
consider in the following pages the
dairyman's main stock in trade, upon
which depends his success-the
dairy herd, its formation and man
agement
MANY DISTINCT LINES
Like almost all other occupations
at the present day, dairying has be-
come divided into several distinct
and special lines. These differ MAIN
ly as to the form of product and the
manner of disposing of It, Milk or
cream may be produced for delivery
to consumers, and this delivery may
be direct or. indirect. The same pro-
ducts may be delivered to a factory
for manufacture into butter or
cheese, or the milk product of the
herd may be worked up at home and
there converted into butter or cheese.
The prudent dairypan should first
consider which line of business. he
will pursue. In so doing he must
haNC lCSdi u Iol oil AlS
the location. markets, farm, build
ings, water and ice supply. the labor
at his command-aud his own pre-
ference, and respects for profit. Up
on his decision as to the particular
kind of dairying to be followed
should depend the character and
composition of his herd of cattle.
CATTLE FOR THE DAIRY
Dairymen' are divided in opinion
as to the kind of COW which is most
profitable. Some prefer general
purpose cow, which is member of
a specially developed milk-producing
family from one of the beef breeds,
or grades of such stock. An animal
is thus secured which has a large
frame, is easily kept in good flesh,
and fattens soon when not milking
heavily: such q one also has large
calves. profitable for veal or for
growing as steers. Even II such ami
mails are not SO productive while in
the dairy, their Matchmaking proc1i-
vities may make up for 1t. There
are two or three of the established
breeds Of cattle which claim to poss-
ess combined qualities for meat and
milk. On the other hand, many dairy
men (including the writer) prefer
cattle of the distinct class or type es-
peoially adapted to dairy purposes
alone. This class includes various
families and breeds, all having the
marked characteristics which distin-
guish the milk producer. Owners OF
such COWS expect them to BE- 20 PRO-
itabls g mixers that their beef-pro-
ldncing quaiity and the ANAL ,dispo-