Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-10-09

4 soncnoo. Address All oosomnnicessc~sf
u.uu Lox thls department 10 HlHlY
ocrse p..s 1fienisarai HdisoR Oxford De-
Dairyins and Farm Fertility.
II. 8. Adams. Chief. Bureau Animal Indu..r
In Maine Builetin)
We all agree on the great fundamspt,
truth that the soil 10 the foundation O
which depend al material things. Tai
away the SOLE productivity, make
barren, and the worlds business vii
stop.
Good farming consists of raisiae 200
crops and at the same time ipcfessin
the fertility OF the land. There IA n,
one factor that adds 30 much to IN
prosperity of country as fertile farms
What value would the cities of Main
have Ii they were situated in q desert
ln fact there would be no cities, fo
people could not live under such CON
ditions. When any country loses tn
fertility OF its land that country goes ip
to decay. History 10 replste with az
amples OF this kind. A fertile soi
means moro for country than mines o
silver or gold. IL is an economic oues
ton and one that affects the Who'll,
foundation Of society.
People are so constituted that vher
there 10 plenty they seem to think there
always will be. The same was true II
relation to the fertility of the soil. Tn,
trst methods Of farming In a new
country have most always been q sys
tenn that has impoverished the soil
Selling crops from the farm means sell
ing the fertility of the soil.
The countries of this world that have
had the greatest prosperity In manufac.
turing and commerce have not been the
countries that sold the crops that they
grew, but the countries that manu-.
factured these crops into the finished
products. They not only manufacture
what they raise themselves, but
raw material from other countries,
and that is just what the dairy farmer
Is doing. Through the dairy COW No is
manufacturing the crops he raised on
his farm into, the finished product
milk and cream.
When animals and milk products are
sold, only . small portion of the plant
food Of the entire crop In sold. The
greatest part Of the plant food Is left
behind in the form of barnyard manure
and can be returned to the soil, and not
only the plant food on his own farm but
in the grain that is fed to the dairy COWS
that grew on the farms Of the south and
west. 1t may be possible to live without
livestock and keep up the soil fertility,
but 1t is not very practical here in
Maine.
There are several advantages in dairy
farming, first, IL gives employment all
the year, which 10 not true Of crop farm
ing. Second, IL furnishes immediate and
constant returns to the man who invests
his money In dairy cows and he soon be-
gins to realize on his investment. The
prices of milk and butter are not sub
ject to such great fluctuations as other
farm commodities. There is no kind Of
farming whereby you can so increase
the fertility Of the soil. In some sec
tions of the United States land has be-
come so impoverished, ss q result of
grain farming, that the owners have had
to abandon these farms. During more
recent years some Of these farms have
been reclaimed by dairy farming.
The same conditions exist in other
countries. The larger part of Europe
has gone through this soil depletion and
has taken mp dairying until now, In
Denmark, Holland and Sweden, where
cows are extensively handled, these
countries are producing larger crops
than they did thirty years ago.
The dairy COW Ia an economical pro-
Queer of human food. No other animal
can begin to produce the same quantity
of digestibls food as cheaply ss the
dairy COW. A good dairy COW will pro-
duce more than four times "a much food
rs steer. Because Of this economy OF
production the dairy COW 10 adapted to
all conditions, but We must have good
cows.
The breeding Of registered dairy
cattle, II done skillfully and intelligent
ly, is the most profitable kind Of dairy
husbandry and, like everything else,
profitable dairying depends first OF al
on the man who is In charge-the
manager. Some men are born with q
natural liking for animals. You will see
them, when small boys, teaming the
steers, and IL there are no steers to team,
they will yoke the hsifers. These boys
will readily make good stockmen, but
most of the boys In this world are just
like every other boy-they like most any
work that they can make Q success OF
and they can make success OF most
anything IL they work hard enough at It.
In order to be . good dairyman you
should come in contact with men who
have made q success of the business
study their ways and methods. You
should read the agricultural papers,
especially the dairy papers, and you
should certainly study the paper devoted
10 the interests of your dairy breed.
Also get in close touch with the Depart
ment of Agriculture and the Agricultur-
Al College Of the State and be an active
member of the Dairymen's Association
in the State. You should post yourself
on the score card of the dairy breed IN
which You are interested and DO able
to see the faults and merits of eacn
particular organ. Always keep record
of each cows production, for IL Ia pro-
duction that counts In the hnal analysis.
The best method of studying the dairy
cow is to study the cow herself ana,
IL the opportunity does not present II.
self often enough, make the opportunity
by visiting the best herds in the country
Make up your mind what breed you
vsnt and then, a. josh Billings said'
"Emulats the merits OF the postage
stamp in sticking to one thing"
POINTERS.
What are the essentials for profitable
|dairying? First, there must be . sol y,
and climate adapted to the growing OF
grasses for pasture and to harvest TO.
Say. We may not this year, wheI
there is suoh bountiful crop, value !, !,
very highly, but It is the foundation o.
al stock husbandry. "Without IL, tns