Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-06-05
Save the Dairy Cow.

4 Aso1 AoT snle department 20 ayNBY u
ocras. Paris. Ne.
Save the Dairy Cow.
Oscar Err. Ohio College of Agriculture)
In our national preparedness for the
impending food crisis it Is just as essen.
tial that provision be made for an ade.
quate supply Of milk, butter and cheese
as for supply of breadstuffs. 1t Is,
therefore, very necessary that the source
OF milk supply, the dairy COW, be pre-.
served.
As the price of beef advances the tend.
ency Is to utilize the dairy cattle for
meat. Our earnest protest is that dairy
cattle should not be slaughtered promis.
cuously, for there Is no other animal that
can convert the rough feeds into such
nourishing and necessary foods and do 1t
so economically.
No food has taken such an important
part in the development and growth of
mankind as milk. Sufficient evidence to
prove this statement lies In the fact that
the mortality of children under two
years Of age has exceeded 90 percent in
all of the countries engaged In the pres
ent war, with the exception of England
which has been constantly supplied with
condensed milk by the United States.
Statistics gathered by the Red Cross
show that in Servia to-day, the mortality
of infants is so great that there are prac-
tically no children under the age of two
years.
The future of our country depends up
on the children of to-day and no food
can take the place of milk in the nour-
ishment Of the child. This is sufficient
evidence that such an important indus.
try as dairying should have Immediate
consideration. One Of the large distrib
utors of food products to the allies, in
Rotterdam, Holland, states that no food
has added more to the strength and en-
durance of the soldiers in the trenches
than condensed milk.
Mr.. Mum, President of the National
Dairy Council, makes this statement:
"Our people should bear In mind the
significance of the heartrending appeal
made to the German Reichstag by Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg. He cries for
fat-fat-fat-fat for bis soldiers and fat
for the weakened people,"
Mr.. Mum contends that the fate of
Germany hangs upon their being able to
obtain fat and since butterfat contains
the material which promotes growth to q
much greater degree than any other
fat, and since the dairy COW produces
during her lifetime the same amount OF
human food as seventeen steers, provision
should be made for the conservation OF
the dairy cow in our scheme Of prepared
ness.
Cheese is one of the cheapest sources
of energy giving protein and Is very es-
sential in the ratiops of the soldiers. The
COW produces on an average enough milk
in one year to make 900 to 100 pounds of
cheese, which is equivalent In food value
to 1900 to 2220 pounds of meat. II the
COW is slaughtered she will furnish not
more than 325 and more likely less than
250 pounds of edible meat after the waste
has been deducted.
Meat from one COW will supply suffi-
cient amount of beef in ration for two
soldiers for q year; while milk from one
COW of good average production will
supply an equivalent food value for
twenty soldiers for one year.
In addition to this, the COW produces
a calf for the future propagation OF the
production of milk. When she is'slaugh.
tered for meat her existence ends, but II
used for milk production she will dupll-
cate her work the following year. This
alone is sufficient evidence of the su-
preme necessity for preserving this Vaiu-
able animal.
Moreover, the dairy cow has another
asset, in that she consumes rough feed
and produces the best human food. she
also produces manure which increases
soil fertility and makes crop production
more abundant and more profitable.
Without the addition of such fertility
our production would be seriously i'm
naired in few years. The preservation
OF the dairy COW and the dairy beifer Is
most essential, and II the nation does
NOT preserye this source of our 1000 sup
nlv Il will soon find itself in distress. =.
IL should be the duty OF the state ana
ths nation to Immediately take steps 10
maintain and stimulate dairy production
in the following ways:
First, by the prohibition OF the sale o,
productive and profitable dairy COWS ano
dairy heifers from good producing COWS.
Second, by the use OF selected ana em
cieut sirss in the propagation OF herds,
since there are sirss whose daughters
have produced $50. 600 pounds more but
terfat during their lives than the daugh-
ters of the average bull.
Third, by an extensive campaign TO
s5ncate the farmers so that they will in
crsass rather than decrease the number
of efficient dairy cattle in their herds; :,
Fourth, by arranging for some method
nv which the dsirymsn will receive
nroper remuneration for his products, 30
fhsrs will be an Incentive for him to re-
main in the business.
Fifth. by educating the consuming
nnbIic 70 the food value and the relative
Economy of the use Of milk and its prod
ncts to assist in the economy OF food In
IL